From the moment Jamison Olave signed with Real Salt Lake, he immediately became the most imposing defender in MLS. Built like a linebacker, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound center back has speed to burn, and a bit of a nasty streak.
That nasty streak is also why Olave probably isn't playing his professional soccer in England or Spain.
In his first two seasons with Real Salt Lake, Olave did many, many brilliant things, but he also did some very stupid things. The result was an excessive amount of costly cautions and ejections that forced him to watch from the sidelines far too often.
This year, and arguably for the first time in his career, Olave is matching wits with his ability — and the results are stunning. It might be a bit late for the 29-year-old renaissance man to hit the jackpot with his talents in Europe, but Wednesday night he'll find out how he stacks up.
Olave, along with RSL teammates Javier Morales and Nick Rimando, all figure to see action in Houston Wednesday night as the MLS All-Stars take on Manchester United at Reliant Stadium in front of about 70,000 fans. The match kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
For the older and wiser Olave, being voted onto the MLS First XI and being a likely starter is a reward for becoming a smarter soccer player.
"The recognition for him has been a long time coming. For me, it's going to be really interesting to see him play on that stage," said RSL coach Jason Kreis.
It would be even more interesting to see how Olave matched up with Wayne Rooney, but the English striker skipped Manchester United's North American tour for a much-needed break after the World Cup.
Even without Rooney, the English Premier League runners-up will still field one of the best teams in the world, and Olave won't look out of place. One couldn't have said that a few years ago.
In 2008, Olave's undisciplined style led to nine yellow cards and a pair of one-match suspensions. His behavior only got worse with six yellow cards and three red cards last year.
Olave was on his best behavior during RSL's playoff run last year, an indication the constant nagging from his coaches was paying off.
This year, excluding poor decisions against Houston this April that led to a pair of penalty kicks, that discipline has carried over, and he's an MLS All-Star as a result.
"We've had many, many discussions about his lack of discipline, his lack of focus at crucial moments in matches over the last two years since he's been here, and I feel like he's gotten better and better," said RSL coach Jason Kreis.
Real Salt Lake would have a fourth All-Star Wednesday night, but Kyle Beckerman is skipping the match despite being voted onto the First XI so he can rest his foot. Plus, he said, it's "too hot in Houston right now."
"I'm happy to be here, just keep getting the foot better, that's what's important. Just being ready to play for Real," said Beckerman, who told his RSL counterparts to be sure to trade for a good jersey after the match. "I know they're all really excited to be a part of it, and hopefully many more years to come."
Morales is making his second straight all-star appearance, with last year's coming in a shootout loss to Everton at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Rimando watched that match from the stands last year and had a great vantage point to see Tim Howard make some great penalty saves to beat the MLS All-Stars. Tonight, he'll be the player taking center stage.
"I grew up watching Manchester United in the mornings watching them play; it's obviously a dream come true. You never think you're going to play these guys, and to step up on the field with them is a great opportunity," said Rimando during Monday's press conference. "Arguably they're one of the best teams in the world, some of the best players in the world, so to play against them is a great honor."
The MLS All-Stars will likely face a motivated Manchester United squad after it lost to Kansas City 2-1 in a friendly at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. That's just fine for Rimando. He and his teammates will be plenty motivated as well.
"It's a game where we're representing our club and MLS, and we want to put MLS on the map and we want to come out and beat these guys," he said.
With 23 players to choose from when picking his line-up, All-Star coach Bruce Arena will have some tricky decisions to make tonight. Complicating the matter further is the fact his L.A. Galaxy played a CONCACAF Champions League qualifying match against Puerto Rico on Tuesday. The four Galaxy All-Stars will fly to Houston this morning, but their playing time may be limited.
This year's match is the sixth straight version of the MLS All-Stars facing a European club. Five of those opponents have hailed from the EPL, and MLS is 4-1 with the lone loss coming last year at Rio Tinto Stadium.
MLS All-Star game
MLS vs. Manchester United
Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.
e-mail: jedward@desnews.com