Donovan, Beckham lead MLS All-Stars

NEW YORK, July 10 (UPI) -- Los Angeles' David Beckham and Landon Donovan were the top vote getters in balloting for the Major League Soccer All-Star team.

The MSL conducted voting to select the first 11 players for the game July 24 against West Ham United of the English Premier League. The game will be played in Toronto.

Donovan was the leading vote getter with Beckham second followed by Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Donovan leads the MLS with 11 goals and is second in assists with seven. Beckham, in his first full year in the MSL, has five goals and six assists.

Three New England players -- Shalrie Joseph, Michael Parkhurst and Matt Reis -- were voted to the team. Columbus placed Frankie Hejduk and Robbie Rogers on the first 11. Kansas City's Jimmy Conrad, Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan and FC Dallas's Kenny Cooper completed the leading MLS All-Star vote getters by position.

While those 11 players led the voting at their positions, they aren't necessarily the starters for the MLS All-Star team.

New England Coach Steve Nicol is to select five additional players and two commissioner selections will round out the 18-player All-Star squad.