2006 Addidas Major League Soccer Player Combine – Midfielders

To continue with our look back at the 2006 combine, we'll examine the midfielders that attended. 17 midfielders were invited to the 2006 player combine. 5 midfielders at the combine were not drafted. Of those drafted, only 6 are still on their respective teams rosters.

Midfielders

Josh Alcala (University of South Carolina)
Not Drafted
Alcala was one of many midfielders invited to the combine that wasn't drafted. To the best of our knowledge Alcala didn't go on to play profesional soccer after the combine.

Brian Plotkin (Indiana University)
SuperDraft 2^nd round (20^th overall) by Chicago Fire
Note : Draft pick aquired from Houston Dynamo
Plotkin is one of 2 Indiana University players to be select in the draft. In 2006 Plotkin played 529 minutes in 14 games for the Eastern Conference finalists Chicago Fire. From the Chicago exurb Lisle, Plotkin showed enough to be around in the MLS in 2007.

Blake Camp (Duke University)
SuperDraft 4^th round (41^st overall) by then New York / New Jersey Metrostars
Note : Draft pick was originally traded to Houson by NY got it back in exchange for Zach Wells
With 36 minutes in 2006, Blake Camp barely saw the pitch for the New York Red Bulls. He is still on the squad and one would assume he'll be around for 2007 under new coach Bruce Arena.

Danny Kramer (Duke University)
Not Drafted
While a bit small for the MLS at 5' 7", Kramer went into the combine with the 3^rd most amount of PDL experience for players at the combine. But all that playing time in the PDL, Brooklyn Knights, didn't help him get into the MLS. He was drafted by the Rochester Raging Rhinos (For fun try saying that one outloud as Elmer Fudd) as the 5^th overall selection in the USL collegiate draft. Kramer only got 5 starts and 400 minutes with the Rhinos last year.

Jeff Carroll (St. John's University)
SuperDraft 4^th round (39^th overall) by DC United
Note : Pick acquired from Columbus Crew
2006 may have been the first time that brothers of 2 different MLS players were selected in the draft (and at that by the same teams their brothers played for) with Brian Carroll's younger brother Jeff being selected by DCU. Jeff did not see much time in the first team with DCU coach Peter Nowak only using him in 2 games for a total of 101 minutes. Jeff Carroll is still on DCU's roster and should see more playing time with DC playing in 4 competitions in 2007.

Mike Chabala (University of Washington)
SuperDraft 4^th round (44^th overall) by Houston Dynamo
Chabala did not see any playing time for the 06 MLS Cup champions. One would assume he is in coach Kinnear's plans for 2007 at this point but he was one of the players Houston left unprotected in the recent expansion draft for Toronto FC.

David Chun (Southern Methodist University)
Supplemental Draft 2^nd round (15^th overall) by Columbus Crew
Chun was part of the U-17 residency program in 2001 along with 2006 MLS combine players Jordan Harvey, Tyson Wahl and Chris Lancos. It appears that he did make the Crew's opening day roster but left during the season to complete college. No word on if he plans to return in 2007.

Brian Devlin (Penn State University)
Supplemental Draft 3^rd round (31^st overall) by NY Red Bulls
Note : Pick aquired from DC United.
Devlin did not make the Red Bull's opening day roster. No word on what he is up to but doesn't appear to have played in 2006 after being cut by New York.

David Walters (Penn St. University)
Not Drafted
PSU product David Walters was not drafted. He does appear to have played professionally in 2006.

Yohann Mauger (University of Akron)
Not Drafted
Some saw Mauger as having the creative potential to make it as an attacking midfielder in the MLS. Nevertheless none of the MLS teams drafted him in 2006. He was drafted by the Detroit Ignition of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Ex-MLS Jamar Beaseley, older brother of Manchester City and US Mens National Team star DaMarcus Beasely, and Chris Farias (ex-San Diego Flash, ex-El Paso Patriot) played for the Ignition. However Mauger didn't sign a contract with Detroit. He may have returned to France to play.

Dan Paladini (California State University, Northridge)
Supplemental Draft 2^nd round (24^th overall) by Los Angeles Galaxy
Paladini made the opening day roster for the Galaxy but was later waived. At one point during 2006 he played with the reserves for Los Angeles' other MLS team, Chivas USA. No word on if he's planning on trying to try out for any MLS teams for 2007.

Matt Wieland (Creighton University)
Supplemental Draft 4^th round (47^th overall) by New England
Wieland was another combine player that was a member of the 2005 Des Moines Menace that won the PDL title. He didn't make New England's camp choosing instead to stay in school. It's unclear if he plans on trying out for 2007.

Lance Watson (University of New Mexico)
SuperDraft round 2 (16^th overall) by Kansas City Wizards
Watson was one of 2 players from an emerging UNM Lobos program to be drafted in 2006 (Rowland was the other. Watson showed promise making 11 appearances and logging 450 minutes for KC last year. Still on the roster, Watson will be looking to show Onaflo that he deserves more playing time next year.

Jorge Flor (Oral Roberts University)
Not Drafted
Flor was one of 2 Oral Roberts University players. And like David Leung, Jorge Flor was not drafted by the MLS. We were unable to determine if he played any professional soccer in 2006.

Darren Spicer (Princeton University)
Supplemental Draft 2^nd round (13^th overall) by Chivas USA
Princeton alum and ex-coach Bob Bradley, then coach of Chivas USA, wasn't big on drafting players from the combine. But he did take Spricer in the 2^nd round of the Supplemental draft. Darren did not make Chivas USA's roster. After being let go he did try out with Los Angeles Galaxy, making at least one appearance with their reserve team. Like other players cut in 2006, he's unlikely to be with an MLS team in 2007.

Mpho Moloi (University of Connecticut)
Supplemental Draft 1^st round (7^th overall) by Houston Dynamo
Willis Forko's UConn teammate Mpho Moloi, a South Africa native, did not get any playing time with Houston's first team in 2006. There were rumors of him heading over seas in the off-season. So far he's still with Houston.

Justin Moose (Wake Forest University)
SuperDraft 1^st round (7^th overall) by DC United
Midfield Moose saw the least amount of playing time in 2006 for 1^st round picks, at least ones that made the cut. He saw just one minute in one game with the Screaming Eagle's first team. Ianni saw 2 minutes so Moose was saw the least time of all the 1^st rounders. Like his rookie teammate Jeff Carrol, Justin Moose should see more playing time in 2007 with DCU's busy schedule.