The 2012 MLS All Stars have been announced, and the squad certainly isn't lacking for star power. You'll recognize some of the big names, as David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Thierry Henry have all been announced for the squad.

And all deserve the honor.

But the rest of the fan votes put together a pretty solid team, one that dabbles in a popularity contest but also leaves coach Ben Olsen with a strong foundation when picking his team. Let's take a look at who the fans voted on the team, and provide some analysis on how the team should look moving forward.

First XI

Goalkeeper: Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)

Defenders: Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Aurélien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Heath Pearce (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Forwards: Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

The rest of the roster will announced July 15th on ESPN.

Analysis

It should be noted that the First XI, as voted on by the fans, isn't guaranteed a spot on the team that will face Chelsea. The full squad of 18 members will be selected by coach Ben Olsen of D.C. United. In all, 32 All-Stars will be named and receive the appropriate bonuses, even those not named to the game-day roster.

MLS players will also vote on "All Stars" to round out the 32. And I would expect Ben Olsen's starting squad to look a bit different than this.

Up top, I don't have a problem with the legendary Henry and the league's leading goal-scorer Wondolowski. I would expect to see Kenny Cooper on the squad and receive minutes during the game as well, and having

De Rosario and Zusi are fair starters in the middle, though Kyle Beckerman and Osvaldo Alonso are intriguing options as well. I'd like all four on the squad, perhaps pairing the crafty De Rosario with the holding Beckerman.

I like the experience of Donovan and Beckham, but I wouldn't start them both, giving Donovan the nod. I want a bit more pace against Chelsea than Beckham offers, so I would add Marvin Chavez for pace and width. And Chris Pontius should definitely be on this squad.

Defensively, both Beitashour and DeMerit are excellent choices. After that, it's a bit of a grab bag defensively, but the team could certainly do worse than Collin and Pearce.

At goalie, take your pick. Nielsen is capable, though Dan Kennedy or Andy Gruenebaum would work as well.

All in all, Olsen has the tools to build a decent side. And one that will probably get smeared by a superior Chelsea squad.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets dominate like the Williams sisters at Wimbledon.

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