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5 underrated players who deserve MLS All-Star nods

Reuters

The 2016 MLS All-Star Game is fast approaching, and while the league's collection of superstar performers and famous faces convene to take on Arsenal at Avaya Stadium, some of Major League Soccer's best players are watching from home.

Head coach Dominic Kinnear was, of course, limited in the number of players he could select, but here are five players who deserve an All-Star nod, whether today or in the future:

Jordan Morris - Seattle Sounders

No homegrown player not named Freddy Adu has commanded as much attention and subsequently high expectations like Jordan Morris has this season when he joined the Seattle Sounders. This stocky striker had a U.S. international career while still in college, after all.

He has done little to harm his reputation despite the Sounders utterly collapsing in 2016, scoring seven goals and recording one assist in 20 games thus far. It's not great by any means, but with some stability in Seattle, Morris has all the makings of a future star.

Dom Dwyer - Sporting Kansas City

Sporting Kansas City striker Dom Dwyer received an All-Star cap in 2014, and while he is by no means the best striker on the list, he is one of the league's biggest self-made star names.

Unlike Didier Drogba or David Villa who earned their reputations in Europe, Dwyer came to MLS a relative unknown. He's married to U.S. women's national team member Sydney LeRoux, forming U.S. soccer's footballing power couple. As such, he fits the "star" in "All-Star" perfectly.

Justin Morrow - Toronto FC

Full-backs in MLS get little to no attention, unless their name is an awful pun like Harrison Afful, which is why, in a just world, Toronto FC left-back Justin Morrow would have his work rewarded over a rookie like Brandon Vincent.

Sure, having a few U.S. national team caps under your belt helps, but Vincent is a part of easily the worst back line in MLS with the Chicago Fire. Morrow is easily the most underrated full-back in the league, despite earning an All-Star call in 2012.

Joao Plata - Real Salt Lake

Consider that Real Salt Lake winger Joao Plata is only 5-foot-2 and has notched five goals and seven assists in 2016 alone, and you've got to wonder why this diminutive Ecuadorian attacker isn't more popular.

Sure, Sebastian Giovinco and Ignacio Piatti are superior at left-wing, but Plata remains one of the most electric players in the league. If he'd been born right-footed, it's hard to see how he would miss out from the team.

Sebastian Lletget - LA Galaxy

Let's be clear right off the bat: LA Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget certainly has the potential to be one of the better players in the league, but he hasn't come close to fulfilling that potential just yet.

Still, if there is any player that lives the All-Star lifestyle, it is he, and while Lletget didn't get a call up - and likely won't anytime soon - you've got to wonder if anyone would kick him out if he just showed up to practice regardless.

The man they call "Da Boy" (and by "they" we mean Lletget himself) is your quintessential celebrity footballer, living - and sharing - his baller lifestyle one selfie at a time. Whether he's posing shirtless for the camera or throwing up peace signs with the people he interacts with, you can bet Lletget is doing it in style.

Related - MLS All-Star Game: 5 things to watch

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