Columbus Crew SC's Wil Trapp is identified as one of the most accurate distributors in Major League Soccer, ranking second in completed passes and successful passes. With two senior caps with the USMNT and MLS experience ranging from last year's MLS Cup final to serving as Vice Captain for Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, Trapp's on-field resume already outdoes some of the League's more household names.
Announced in conjunction with MLS today, Trapp is celebrating several firsts after being named to the Gameday Roster for the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game to face Premier League side Arsenal on July 28 at the home of the San Jose Earthquakes, Avaya Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET / ESPN, UniMas, TSN, RDS).
For Columbus, Trapp is the first ever Homegrown Player named to an All-Star Team for Crew SC while also serving as the sole representative from the club in either the Fan XI or Earthquakes and All-Star coach Dominic Kinnear's Gameday Roster. The Gahanna, Ohio product is just one of three Eastern Conference midfielders named to Kinnear's midfield contingent to face England's perennial Champions League contenders.
"I've never even thought about it like that," Trapp said of being Crew SC's first Homegrown All-Star. "It's going to be an incredible time. San Jose is a beautiful city and we have a great opponent. I'm just going to soak up the experience and do everything I can to represent Columbus well."
The 23-year-old holding midfielder is the fourth youngest 2016 All-Star selection — coming in behind defenders Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire) and forward Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC) — but, despite his age, he adds four significant years of MLS experience. Those four years within the league offer insight that even the most weathered world veterans on Kinnear's teamsheet — like Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and Didier Drogba — cannot offer.
Since entering the League as a 19-year-old, Trapp has appeared in 82 matches — starting all but two — to log more than 7,100 minutes (more than the aforementioned soccer supernovas and his Eastern Conference compatriots Pirlo and Villa, combined).
"I think it'll be cool because you see guys you usually play against," Trapp said. "Guys like (Sebastian) Giovinco and Pirlo and David Villa. It'll be kind of cool to stand next to them and play with them."
With Trapp looking forward to playing alongside them, he may just find more eyes looking toward him to represent his Club and City.
Crew SC concludes a three-match Major League Soccer homestand on Saturday, July 23 when Orlando City SC visits Central Ohio (7:30 p.m. ET / The CW Columbus, Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, BCSN2, CD102.5 FM, La Mega 103.1 FM, English radio stream available on ColumbusCrewSC.com).
