At a gala in London, the JR Wellington Sports Management Group awarded their first ever all star team awards to 11 deserving players and one coach on the four teams run by the group last season. The winners were:
Manager - Diego Martinez (MOR)
G - Tohias Hernandez (MOR)
D - Standa Kostal (ZNJ)
D - Randall Coppens (AAL)
D - Jeffrey Teegarden (MOR)
D - Coleman Dormer (MOR)
M - Duysek Zastoupil (ZNJ)
M - Stig Knudsen (ZNJ)
M - Emanuel Picchio (MOR)
M - Pedro Costa (MOR)
F - Pedro Lopilato (MOR)
F - Yerimen Vergara (NAE)
Diego Martinez led Club Atlético Francisco Moreno to their 3rd straight Argentina League title, and 4th in five seasons. He has established himself as one of the best managers in Argentina, and the world.
Argentine goalkeeper Tohias Hernandez was once again fantastic in net for Moreno stopping 85 shots in 31 league games. The club allowed only 26 goals in league play, largely due to his strong goalkeeping.
Standa Kostal was strong on both sides of the ball for FC Znojmo. The Czech wing defender scored 10 goals in 32 matches adding a great deal of pace to Znojmo last season.
Randall Coppens was the lone member of FC Aalst to make the squad. The Belgian defender captained the Aalst squad, played sound defense, and scored 5 goals in 32 matches for his club.
American defender Jeffrey Teegarden made the all star team, despite a slight dip in production last season. A mainstay of Moreno's defensive line, Teegarden notched 10 goals in 32 contests, making it 5 straight season that he has scored in double digits. For his efforts, Teegarden was also named JR Wellington's player of the year.
Coleman Dormer, another defender for Moreno, had a solid season in the back as well. With 7 goals in 33 matches, the Englishman also contributed to the club's fantastic offensive attack.
Duysek Zastoupil was the top member of FC Znojmo's impressive midfield last season. The offensively minded Czech scored 14 goals in his 34 league matches last year.
The 19 year old Stig Knudsen was the youngest person to make the all star team. Hailing from Sweden, the kid scored 7 goals in 36 matches and was proof of the successful future development in Znojmo.
Argentine Midfielder Emanuel Picchio was a key contributor to Moreno's offensive onslaught last season. The 36 year old scored an astounding 23 goals in 31 matches (6th most in the Argentina League), and delivered several key balls to Moreno's strong forwards.
Another member of Moreno's midfield was fellow Argentine Pedro Costa. Also playing in 31 matches, Costa notched 7 goals and played a solid defensive role from the wing.
The 6th and final player from Moreno on the all star team was superstar forward Pedro Lopilato of Argentina. With 45 goals in 31 matches, Lopilato won his 6th Argentina League Golden Boot award as the league's top scorer.
Rounding out the all star squad is the lone player from Næstved Idrætsforening af 1894, Yerimen Vergara. A native of Colombia, Vergara scored 27 goals in 30 matches, and set up countless other goals for the club.
"These 12 gentlemen showed the dedication and high level of performance expected by our organization" said Gregory Wellington, CEO of the group. "I am pleased to have them as a part of our organization, and hope that they remain as such for many years to come. Thank you all for a very entertaining season of football."
The gala is set to be an annual event, and all star squads will be announced here at the conclusion of next season.