1st Round of 2007 MLS Draft is in the Books...
You can see all of the MLS SuperDraft picks here at mlsnet.
Let's talk first round. My mock draft didn't turn out too well, but that is what I expected. It is nearly impossible to know who'll be #1, etc.
So let's look down the line:
#1 Pick - Toronto: Maurice Edu - M - Maryland: This Generation Adidas player has great on the ball skills. Here are a list of awards and honors that put him on my list originally (I'll do this for each player: 2003 ESP All*Star, 2004 NSCAA All-American, 2006 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2006 CSN 3rd Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 1st Team.
#2 Pick - Chicago traded up with Columbus: Bakary Soumare - D - Virginia: Solid defensive prospect. Honors: 2005 StudentSportsSoccer.com #10 top prospect, 2006 CSN 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 SA Freshman of the year 1st team.
#3 Pick - Kansas City: Michael Harrington - D - North Carolina: KC gets a great full back prospect in Harrington. 2001 US U-17 Team, 2002 ESP, 2002 HS All American, 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championships, 2006 CSN 3rd Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 pre-season Herman Watch
#4 Pick - Salt Lake: Chris Seitz - GK - Maryland: Some people saw Seitz as the top pick and his talent is well known. With good development and hard work will become a MLS starting keeper. RSL had so many needs this seems like a strange pick. GA status helps but they already have two starting keepers on the books. Seitz will take some time to develop...but still seems odd. Ellinger continues to show he should have stayed as the U-17 coach. 2004 ESP All*Star, 2005 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 U-20 Milk Cup, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2006 Defensive POTY, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 3rd Team, 2006 SA MVP
#5 Pick - New England: Wells Thompson - M - Wake Forest: New England trades up to take a player many didn't see going in the first round. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.
#6 Pick - Colorado: Nico Colaluca - M - Virginia: The GA status helps me like this pick. Likes to control the attack. I've heard he has an attitude and we've seen how Clavijo deals with those. Hopefully he'll work out but I don't see this as a great pick. 2002 - 2003 ESP, 2004 NSCAA/adidas National High School Player of the Year, 2004 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 2nd Team, 2006 SA MVP.
#7 Pick - Chivas USA: John Cunliffe - F - Fort Lewis College: Coming from a small school raised questions but he showed well at the combine. Grew up in English football academy. England U-18, 2006 PDL POTW, 2006 PDL TOTW (4), 2006 All PDL Team.
#8 Pick - Chicago: Jerson Monteiro - F - UAB: Angolan National Team. That is all I know about him.
#9 Pick - FCD: Anthony Wallace - D/M - South Florida: Great prospect. Lots of upside. On his way to Panama for the U-20 tourney. 2004 - 2006 US U-17 Residency, 2005 ESP, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 US U-20 Camp.
#10 Pick - Toronto traded up with LA: Andrew Boyens - D - New Mexico: Solid Kiwi defender. Was considering signing with the Aussi League but MLS got him. Since he is from the English Commonwealth he can get a Canadian green card quickly, making him less of a roster impact. Nice selection by TFC. 2005 3rd Team All-American, 2006 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 pre-season Herman Watch, 2006 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 1st Team.
#11 Pick - DC United: Bryan Arguez - D/M - U-17 Residency/High School: Another one for the future. Good pick. 2005 ESP, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 U-20 Busan International Tournament.
#12 Pick - New England: Amaechi Igwe - D/M - Santa Clara: Given the fact the Rapids need help on the left side I was sad when they passed on Igwe. The GA player has a lot of upside. 2004 ESP, 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 US U-20, 2006 U-20 Milk Cup, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 US U-20 Camp, 2006 CSN 2nd All-Freshman Team.
#13 Pick - Houston: John Michael Hayden - M - Indiana: Kind of a head scratcher in the first round. Houston must see something a lot of others don't. Is coming from a top college program. 2000 - 2001 PARADE All-American, 2006 Big Ten All-Conference.
So that is the first round. GA players stayed on the board longer then I expected. The first round shocker was New England trading up to pick Wells Thompson. Consensus was he'd be there in the second round. Other surprises were Jerson Monteiro at #8 and John Michael Hayden at #13. Abdus Ibrahim was the lowest GA player to go, barely slipping into the second round at #14.
Greg Dalby had a great combine and would have gone sooner but he has gotten into a contract dispute with MLS already. So he slipped to the Rapids at #17. Hopefully the pick won't be wasted and he'll sign.
Let's talk first round. My mock draft didn't turn out too well, but that is what I expected. It is nearly impossible to know who'll be #1, etc.
So let's look down the line:
#1 Pick - Toronto: Maurice Edu - M - Maryland: This Generation Adidas player has great on the ball skills. Here are a list of awards and honors that put him on my list originally (I'll do this for each player: 2003 ESP All*Star, 2004 NSCAA All-American, 2006 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2006 CSN 3rd Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 1st Team.
#2 Pick - Chicago traded up with Columbus: Bakary Soumare - D - Virginia: Solid defensive prospect. Honors: 2005 StudentSportsSoccer.com #10 top prospect, 2006 CSN 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 SA Freshman of the year 1st team.
#3 Pick - Kansas City: Michael Harrington - D - North Carolina: KC gets a great full back prospect in Harrington. 2001 US U-17 Team, 2002 ESP, 2002 HS All American, 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championships, 2006 CSN 3rd Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 pre-season Herman Watch
#4 Pick - Salt Lake: Chris Seitz - GK - Maryland: Some people saw Seitz as the top pick and his talent is well known. With good development and hard work will become a MLS starting keeper. RSL had so many needs this seems like a strange pick. GA status helps but they already have two starting keepers on the books. Seitz will take some time to develop...but still seems odd. Ellinger continues to show he should have stayed as the U-17 coach. 2004 ESP All*Star, 2005 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 U-20 Milk Cup, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2006 Defensive POTY, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 3rd Team, 2006 SA MVP
#5 Pick - New England: Wells Thompson - M - Wake Forest: New England trades up to take a player many didn't see going in the first round. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.
#6 Pick - Colorado: Nico Colaluca - M - Virginia: The GA status helps me like this pick. Likes to control the attack. I've heard he has an attitude and we've seen how Clavijo deals with those. Hopefully he'll work out but I don't see this as a great pick. 2002 - 2003 ESP, 2004 NSCAA/adidas National High School Player of the Year, 2004 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 2nd Team, 2006 SA MVP.
#7 Pick - Chivas USA: John Cunliffe - F - Fort Lewis College: Coming from a small school raised questions but he showed well at the combine. Grew up in English football academy. England U-18, 2006 PDL POTW, 2006 PDL TOTW (4), 2006 All PDL Team.
#8 Pick - Chicago: Jerson Monteiro - F - UAB: Angolan National Team. That is all I know about him.
#9 Pick - FCD: Anthony Wallace - D/M - South Florida: Great prospect. Lots of upside. On his way to Panama for the U-20 tourney. 2004 - 2006 US U-17 Residency, 2005 ESP, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 US U-20 Camp.
#10 Pick - Toronto traded up with LA: Andrew Boyens - D - New Mexico: Solid Kiwi defender. Was considering signing with the Aussi League but MLS got him. Since he is from the English Commonwealth he can get a Canadian green card quickly, making him less of a roster impact. Nice selection by TFC. 2005 3rd Team All-American, 2006 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 pre-season Herman Watch, 2006 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 1st Team.
#11 Pick - DC United: Bryan Arguez - D/M - U-17 Residency/High School: Another one for the future. Good pick. 2005 ESP, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 U-20 Busan International Tournament.
#12 Pick - New England: Amaechi Igwe - D/M - Santa Clara: Given the fact the Rapids need help on the left side I was sad when they passed on Igwe. The GA player has a lot of upside. 2004 ESP, 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 US U-20, 2006 U-20 Milk Cup, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 US U-20 Camp, 2006 CSN 2nd All-Freshman Team.
#13 Pick - Houston: John Michael Hayden - M - Indiana: Kind of a head scratcher in the first round. Houston must see something a lot of others don't. Is coming from a top college program. 2000 - 2001 PARADE All-American, 2006 Big Ten All-Conference.
So that is the first round. GA players stayed on the board longer then I expected. The first round shocker was New England trading up to pick Wells Thompson. Consensus was he'd be there in the second round. Other surprises were Jerson Monteiro at #8 and John Michael Hayden at #13. Abdus Ibrahim was the lowest GA player to go, barely slipping into the second round at #14.
Greg Dalby had a great combine and would have gone sooner but he has gotten into a contract dispute with MLS already. So he slipped to the Rapids at #17. Hopefully the pick won't be wasted and he'll sign.
posted by Bonji at
12:37 PM
2 Comments:
It is impossible to know. But last year with Wynne it nearly a given. I think going forward it's going to be harder and harder since those with the most talent like Dalby are either shopping themselves around Europe. They're not signed with the league at the time of the draft so taking them is a risk that they won't sign and you'll miss out on a player that will do a decent job in the MLS.
By
Anonymous, at 12:53 PM
Just so you know.....I think the pick Houston has was great. JOhn Michael Hayden that is no head scratcher..he kick butt at the combine..and he is more technical then half of the guys that got drafted. Just because you get awards doesnt mean youw il go high in the draft. Half of those players r up thier coaches asses and that is why they got the awards in the first place.
By
Anonymous, at 3:40 PM
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