2007 MLS Rookie of the Year Finalists

MLS has announced the finalists for the Rookie of the Year award.

Adam Cristman - New England Revolution
Maurice Edu - Toronto FC
Dane Richards - New York Red Bulls

Robbie Findley is the big missing name in my opinion. Why do there have to be three finalists? I'd say Findley had a bigger impact then Cristman, but Cristman is still in the playoffs. Overall a solid group to pick from. I don't think anyone is the clear winner.

The award will be announced by the league on November 7th. Who do you think should win?

2008 MLS Prospects Updated...

In the right hand margin you'll notice I've updated the 2008 MLS prospects. There are a few new names with some guys who have been on the list for 4 years now. My, how times flies.

Here are some of the guys who are having solid years and I look forward to seeing at the 2008 MLS Combine (all are seniors since we have little information on potential Generation Adidas players at this time):

Matt Allen - Creighton - GK - 6'-3", 210 lbs. Creighton has quietly climbed into the top 10 with solid play all around. Allen is putting up some strong numbers in the nets with a 0.91 GAA, 8 wins and 4 clean sheets. He has good size and will need to impress to be drafted.

Eric Brunner - Ohio State - D - 6'-4", 165 lbs. Brunner is an athletic player with pace and a good soccer head on his shoulders. He's played both as a full back and center back and knows how to defend. His size makes him dangerous on set pieces in front of the opposing goal.

Paul Dudley - Duke - F - 6'-7", 200 lbs. Yes, you read that correctly...there is a tall kid at Duke not on the basketball team. The American Peter Crouch will have to prove he isn't scoring goals this season purely because he is taller then all the goalies in the country. So far in 2008 he has 7 goals and 1 assist.

Brian Edwards - Wake Forest - GK - 6'-3", 190 lbs. The senior keeper is holding down an amazing season in goal. He has 0.46 GAA with 9 wins and 7 clean sheets. He probably won't make as much of an impact on the SuperDraft as Brad Guzan did a few years ago, but he'll catch someone's attention.

Kevin Forrest - Washington - F - 5'-11", 170 lbs. 6 goals and 3 assists are leading the Huskies in points but not to spectacular results. They only have 1 win in Pac-10 play so far in 2007. Forrest should be able to overcome that to earn a spot at the MLS combine where he'll have to show some skill to get drafted.

David Horst - Old Dominion - D - 6'-4", 195 lbs. In 2006 Horst was named the defensive player of the year in his conference. This year he is helping the Monarchs to the top of the conference with a 5-1 record in conference play. His imposing size could be a real asset in physical MLS.

Andy Iro - UCSB - D - 6'-5", 220. Iro helped the Gauchos win the national championship in 2006 and will no doubt be trying to repeat in 2007. Another big defender has won a lot of praise and awards for his consistent play. He is from Liverpool, England but won't turn 24 until after the MLS season ends in 2008, so he won't count as a senior international.

Julius James - UConn - D - 6'-0", 175 lbs. James has extensive experience playing for Trinidad and Tobago youth teams and has been named to just about every collegiate honor roll possible. He is currently guiding UConn to one of the best records in the country from the back line as their captain. Depending on league rules in 2008, James may be a senior international due to his 24th birthday landing in July of '08.

Stephen King - Maryland - M - 5'-8", 155 lbs. His current coach calls King one of the most underrated players in the country. He is currently leading his team with 8 assists. Maryland is struggling in ACC play but not due to a lack of effort from quality midfielder King. His size is his only weakness.

Joseph Lapira - Notre Dame - F - 5'-8", 150 lbs. The Lousianna native won the Hermann Trophy in 2006 making a lot of us think he would leave college for MLS. However, he didn't and in 2007 he is leading The Fighting Irish to the top of their conference. With 6 goals and 4 assists he isn't as productive as he was last season. Does the Hermann Trophy jinx guys who return to college as well as move on to the pros? Or, is he getting a lot more attention from defenders with all that notoriety. I wonder if he will be able to make an impact in MLS because of his small stature. Typically those guys are forced to the wings where speed really counts.

Peter Lowry - Santa Clara - M - 5'-11", 165 lbs. Lowry is leading Santa Clara in goals scored and showing his versatility. The Broncos are playing well and if Lowry showcases his skill in the NCAA tournament he will certainly get some interest from MLS coaches.

Pat Phelan - Wake Forest - D - 6'-0", 175 lbs. Known for reading the game and understanding how to defend, Phelan could be a great pickup for a MLS team. Wake is having a great year and their stingy defense is being led by Pat. He also has experience as a defensive midfielder so he could be a versatile addition to some lucky team.

Steve Sandbo - SMU - GK - 6'-2", 195 lbs. Sandbo has valuable youth national team experience with both U-17 residency and U-20 tournaments under his belt. His numbers aren't all that impressive for a college keeper with a 1.03 GAA and 4 clean sheets. He should be able to come into the combine and impress based on the fact that he is used to that kind of pressure in national team events.

Andre Sherard - UNC - D - 5'-10", 170 lbs. Sherard is the center of the UNC defense which is part of a struggling UNC team. However, we have to remember the ACC is the toughest conference in the country. In addition to college, he has played well in the PDL during his summer break, making him a more refined prospect.

Julian Valentin - Wake Forest - D - 5'-11", 180 lbs. Valentin's senior season has been a short one due to injury, but his youth national team experience is extensive and he should be able to go deep in the NCAA tournament since his team is currently the best in the country. He has time to impress coaches but he'll have to work hard and make the most of it.

Michael Videira - Duke - M - 6'-1", 170 lbs. Videira is another player who has won almost every award out there all the way back to All-American in high school in 2003 when he got on my list. He's played on most of the youth national teams and has been on the Hermann Trophy list three years running. He'll be at the combine for sure and should be able to show off his size and knowledge of the game.

There you go folks, 16 seniors who will be trying to get into the early rounds of the 2008 MLS draft. We're getting close to NCAA time so more kids will be adding their names to this list as their teams battle for the college national championship.

More On Asheville U-8 Soccer...

The Roberson 1 U-8 Vice Grips were bent on revenge as they squared off against an excellent Reynolds 2 squad last week on the hallowed Buncombe County Sports Park field 3B pitch. The memory of a spring season 6-1 pasting at the hands, or feet, of an outstanding Reynolds squad still burned the Grips, at least one or two of the three that had actually made it to the game. Led by Walker Vasey's hat trick, the resurgent Grips stormed to an 8-4 victory, only to realize that it was Reynolds 1, not Reynolds 2, that had previously pounded them (although, as always, no official score was kept last year either). Fortunately, fate seemed to smile on the the Vice Grips, as the very next game on their schedule was indeed the outstanding Reynolds 1 squad, or at least a few of the same players. Sadly, baseball again reared its ugly head and three of the key Grips elected to take to the diamond rather than the hallowed pitch of Buncombe County Sports Park field 3C. Two other mainstays arrived late and a third had to leave at the half (hopefully not for a baseball game), leaving the Vice Grips to face the heralded Reynolds 1 squad again with a sorely depleted roster. Nonetheless, the out manned Grips seized an early 1-0 on an early goal by Devlin, a veteran of the spring season debacle. The Reynolds ace, Benjamin, certainly a player of the year candidate (if such an award existed), countered with two beautiful goals and the Grips were on the proverbial ropes. A fortuitous hand ball call opened the door for Walker Vasey, who converted the penalty for the equalizer and it was 2-2 at the half. Early in the second frame Vasey put the Grips on top, beating a diving Benjamin, now in goal for Reynolds, with a hard shot from outside the box just inside the back post. The resilient Reynolds Rockets responded and tied the score 3-3 with only minutes remaining. In a last ditch effort (whatever that means) Walker pushed the ball up the right side, where he was confronted by a number of determined Rocket defenders. Spotting an unmarked Afan Sayed, he sent a long cross that Afan beautifully one timed into the twine for the go ahead goal. The final whistle blew and the Vice Grips celebrated madly, only to realize that it was the game on adjacent field 3B that had ended and that the Rockets were still playing. No tying goal was forthcoming however, and the Vice Grips were at last triumphant, although as always no official score was kept.

- Dr. Charles Vasey

8 teams are going to the MLS playoffs, 5 are not...

The above truth helps us put together more pieces of the 2008 SuperDraft picture.

If you remember, scaryice posted the first stab at the order based on trades and estimated finishing position. Let's see how it will look for the first five teams entered with the final regular season standings in the books.

Estimated 2008 Superdraft Order

Round One

1 San Jose Earthquakes
2 FC Dallas (Traded from Toronto - Mulrooney trade)
3 Real Salt Lake
4 Los Angeles
5 Colorado Rapids
6 Columbus Crew

The remaining positions will shake out as the playoffs move through each round. FC Dallas made out like a bandit with that Toronto deal. They get the second overall pick while also making the playoffs.

Previously I took a stab at who could be drafted in the first round.

San Jose will obviously looking for no doubt be looking for the Maurice Edu of the 2008 MLS Draft class and Dallas should be able to select a player who will challenge for a starting spot in 2008. Salt Lake and Colorado historically have trouble in the draft while LA and Columbus will look to add more promising youth to the ranks.

Vote Now for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Winners

Finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the Men’s Soccer and Women’s Soccer divisions were announced last week, launching a nationwide balloting process to determine the 2007 award winners for the nation’s premier tribute to college seniors.

This marks the first year for the soccer divisions of the award, which is presented annually in eight NCAA Division I sports to a senior student-athlete who has outstanding attributes in four areas: the classroom, community, character and competition.

The women’s finalists are: Rachel Buehler (Stanford University), Kelsey Carpenter (University of Texas), Joanna Haig (University of Louisville), Valerie Henderson (UCLA), Courtney Hooker (University of California, Berkeley), Stephanie Lopez (University of Portland), Ella Masar (University of Illinois), Jessica Maxwell (University of North Carolina), Lindsey Ozimek (Charlotte) and Angie Woznuk (University of Portland).

The men’s finalists are: Evan Barnes (U.S. Naval Academy), Kevin Forrest (University of Washington), Trini Gomez (Loyola Marymount University), Julius James (University of Connecticut), Tim Jepson (Duke University), Stephen King (University of Maryland), Peter Lowry (Santa Clara University), Brad Peetoom(Syracuse University), Julian Valentin (Wake Forest University) and Mike Zaher (UCLA).

These finalists will be placed on the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award ballot for a nationwide vote beginning October 17 and concluding November 21. Fan balloting, available on the award’s official website www.seniorclassaward.com, will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors to determine the recipient of the award.

Winners will be announced during the NCAA Soccer Championships, scheduled on December 7-9 in College Station, TX for women and December 14-16 in Cary, NC for men. The Lowe’s All-Senior All-America Team will also be recognized.

Dane Richards Impressed Me Last Night...

I didn't get to watch the entire match and I missed the now infamous no-call in the box when Cannon pulled Richards down on a scoring opportunity. Despite all of that I've got to single out Richards for his play last night. LA is losing one speedy winger with Cobi's retirement and somehow a much younger twin of his showed up on the other team. Had LA used a slower left back last night he would have been left in the dust by Richards on multiple occasions and the game probably wouldn't have ended the way it did.

I think everyone is in agreement that Maurice Edu will be named the league rookie of the year, as he should be, but Richards could in the long term be the guy who makes a bigger mark in MLS. Edu is probably going to be here a few seasons and then go over to Europe, but Richards could literally be the next Cobi. I don't know if he'll garner the same hype that Edu certainly will. With another couple years experience, Richards will turn into a dangerous, speedy threat down the right wing for NY. Too bad they traded Wynne to Toronto because the two of them overlapping would terrorize defenders.

Another comparison that popped into my head last night was DMB. Richards seems posed to become Jitterbug II. Richards' small frame, blazing speed and willingness to try fake out moves to jitter around defenders down that right sideline make him look like a mirror image of Beasley on the left. No, he's not the finished article and he isn't to Beasley's quality, but he certainly looks like he has the ability and promise. With good coaching and hard work he'll last a long time, like the guy they honored in LA last night, Cobi.

Richards certainly needs to work on his ball control and ability to trick defenders. Last night Mike Randolph was able to block Richards and match his speed so the put the ball beyond him trick didn't always work. However, with a couple years' development Richards could be the best right winger in the league.

The Kids Are Allright...

In what could be a glimpse into the US Men's National Team future, a young squad went to Europe and beat the in form Swiss, 1-0 yesterday. The winning goal came in the 86th minute of a rain soaked evening match in Basel, Switzerland. Who scored it? 20 year old Michael Bradley. Who got the assist? 24 year old Clint Dempsey. Who made the run and pass to set it up? 20 year old debutant, Danny Szetela. Who got the ball to Szetela to start the whole play? 21 year old Maurice Edu. Where did all of these players start their careers? MLS.

If you want to catch a glimpse of the 2010 World Cup roster, catch a replay of this match because these kids are making a name for themselves now, before qualification starts. All of them looked dynamic, fluid, comfortable, skilled and ready for the challenge. The US was shaky at the start and in the first half they found their legs. The second half brought confidence and an even young lineup with Brad Guzan taking his place in goal.

The first player to highlight is soon to be MLS Rookie Of The Year, Maurice Edu. He earned his first cap yesterday and his first start for the Nats. His composure on the ball showed he earned it. He even displaced recent starter Benny Feilhaber who has shined in the center of the park. Last night Feilhaber pushed out right in favor of a Michael Bradley and Edu midfield. Folks, I don't think we'll be seeing veterans like Pablo Mastroeni come 2010. Between Edu, Bradley and Feilhaber there is a solid midfield core and I don't doubt that someone else will step up between now and the next cup. Edu controlled the ball, made good passes and wasn't afraid to throw a crunching tackle. A year ago he was playing in college and now he's playing in Switzerland against quality opponents. A lot should be said for the Toronto coaching staff who has brought him along this season. Edu will certainly start getting some interest abroad after last night's performance.

Clint Dempsey didn't score a goal but he was the most dangerous forward last night. He again showed his composure on the ball and running at the opposing defenders. Dempsey continues to improve and his place on the Nats continues to solidify.

Michael Bradley scored the goal and showed he isn't on the team just because his dad is the coach. He can control the pace of a game and get forward into the attack. It will be interesting to see how long his current club, SC Heerenveen, can keep him in Holland. I wouldn't be surprised to see a move to a bigger club in the upcoming winter transfer window or next summer.

Brad Guzan showed he'll give Tim Howard a run for the starting spot in 2010. He made some quality saves and didn't look nervous in front of the Swiss attackers. While not being tested too much, he did make one mistake handling the ball just outside the 18 that led to a free kick shot right at him which he easily deflected and picked up. He won't make that mistake again.

Last but not least, Freddy Adu got his second cap last night. Many people were surprised by his inclusion in the team but he showed sitting on the Benfica bench hasn't been a total waste of time. Freddy was dangerous, ran at people and drew fouls in dangerous places by working hard to get to the ball first. One time outside the box the Swiss defender could do nothing but hack him to avoid a dangerous push towards goal. The little guy was a little unlucky when a Swiss defender kicked him in the face in the box while rushing towards goal. It seemed like the referee missed something on that play.

While not a dominating performance you'd want to see in an important match, last night's game between the young Americans and Switzerland showed there is quality coming up through the ranks. Add Landon Donovan and some other regulars to the mix and you have an impressive team that should storm through CONCACAF qualifying which starts next year.

The game in Basel also served as a testing ground for the Olympics. Remember, the Olympic squad just has to be U-23, not amateur. I like the looks of the squad who will go to China next summer.

2007 MLS Rookies and What They Make...

MLS fans love to talk about salaries for young players in MLS and how they need to increase for the game to grow in the US, etc. etc. We've discussed it here too. Today I'm not going to get into that arguement again, but we're going to look at the facts. Which 2007 MLS rookies are earning their salaries in 2007. We can all argue what the best way to analyze this kind of thing is. First we'll look at a statistic or two, then we'll dive into some intangibles. Let's go, shall we?

First off, by my count there are 86 rookies currently on MLS rosters. This does not include the pool players listed on the MLS website. There is a chance I'm missing one or two, but let's hope they're not one getting good playing time. Between all of the rookies they have played in 408 games, scored 30 goals and made 29 assists. There is one more regular season game for 12 of the teams and two more for the Galaxy, so those number should change a little. Michael Harrington has proven to be the iron man of the rookie class having played in 28 of his teams 29 games. Adam Cristman and Dane Richards are following close behind with 27 games out of 29. Wells Thompson, Maurice Edu, Robert Findley, Ty Harden, Andrew Boyens, Corey Ashe and Kurt Morsink have all broken the 20 game barrier.

So how do you create stats to show impact on a team based on what they cost? Heck, I don't know, but here were some of my ideas.

Games Played/$ 2007 Guaranteed Salary:
This one will obviously be won by the guy who took the low ball salary and made the most of it earning a lot of playing time. In this case, Adam Cristman is the lucky winner. He pulled down a paltry $17,700 in 2007 (not including any bonuses) and will certainly be offered more to stay in 2008. Following Adam we've got Dane Richards, Wells Thompson and Ty Harden. All these of these guys earned the $30,000 salary reserved for guys on the senior roster. I'm not sure if any of them were moved up mid-season. Rounding out the top ten are: Chris Lancos, Corey Ashe, Kurt Morsink, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Michael Harrington and Robbie Findley. Those are the guys who cost the least for the number of games they played.

Who's on the other end of the spectrum? Anthony Wallace only made one start while pulling down Generation Adidas kind of money; $78,000. Israel Sesay, Chris Seitz, Nico Colaluca and Osei Telesford are just some of the guys making a good paycheck while not playing too much. Maurice Edu is far down on this list because he's guaranteed $132,500 in 2007 despite having played a big role in the FC Toronto midfield.

Then there are guys like Bryan Arguez, David Arvizu, Abdus Ibrahim and Amaechi Igwe earning over $50,000 in 2007 while not playing in a single senior game. They're young but will need to make an impact next year if they want to outlive their big Generation Adidas contracts.

Goals/$ 2007 Guaranteed Salary:
Forwards are obviously going to be expected to score goals and win games for their teams. In this one we're measuring a player's goal production value, based on their 2007 salary. Once again Adam Cristman wins for the same reason he did in the last category; he's on a developmental salary and scoring goals. He's followed by Robert Findley, Salvatore Caccavale, Dane Richards, John Cunliffe, Omar Cummings, Jerson Monteiro, Michael Harrington, Wells Thompson, Maurice Edu, Nicholas Addlery and Andrew Boyens.

That is all of the rookies who have scored goals ranked by their "value" measure I've created. Cristman sure is looking like a steal, isn't he? Once again, those who didn't score didn't make the list and look much less valuable by this statistic.

Assists/$ 2007 Guaranteed Salary:
The final statistic based measure I came up with for this one. Similar to the other two but for helpers. No one should be surprised that Adam Cristman wins again. He's scored 4 goals and made 4 assists on a developmental player salary. I certainly hope he gets a raise. He's followed in descending order by: Dane Richards, Corey Ashe, Michael Harrington, Guy Kpene, Chris Lancos, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Josh Tudela, Brad Evans, Nicholas Addlery, John Cunliffe, Andrew Boyens and finally Maurice Edu.

While numbers and statistics are fun, they certainly don't tell the whole story. If they did, Adam Cristman would win the Rookie Of The Year Award and Maurice Edu would lose; in 2007 that isn't right. Edu should be one of the final three in this race. However, I will say that seeing Cristman in this light really moves him up my list. They guy was drafted 48th overall in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, he was offered a crappy wage and he made the most of it. He worked hard, earned a spot in a crowded lineup on a good team and helped them win some games with a few goals and assists. This kid wasn't hyped like the generation adidas kids who earn a lot of money for comparatively little production.

Other guys who's stock rose for me during this exercise: Robbie Findley, Michael Harrington, Dane Richards, Wells Thompson and Ty Harden. All these guys are playing the game they love for lower salaries (Findley and Harrington have broken the $45,000 barrier.)

Now onto Maurice Edu. For the money, it is hard to compare him to the guys on developmental and regular contracts. He's making Generation Adidas money and it shows. He was a player the league knew could come in and contribute and they went after him hard. The guys in the last paragraph didn't have as strong a bargaining position. I'm not trying to marginalize Edu's contribution this year. He has been a stud for Toronto. He is no doubt going to continue to improve in the future in MLS and he'll help raise the level of play on the field, justifying his high salary. He'll probably win Rookie of the Year while he's at it. I'm not sure if my analysis here should be part of the criteria or not. If it is, the award goes to Cristman in my mind.

How about the other Generation Adidas players pulling down big money with little return. Did the league mis-scout? Are they too young and still growing into their games? MLS needs to figure this out because if they're wasting good money on poor prospects, the problem needs to be fixed. The 2006 class has seen some guys have superior sophomore years compared to their rookie campaigns, so here's hoping one or two of the 2007 class can be the next Altidore, McCarty or Wynne.

How Well Did MLS Team's Draft in '07...

Here is one person's opinion on the topic. I haven't come up with mine yet but as the season winds down this is what we're all wondering. So take a read over there and keep your eyes here for something in the coming weeks....probably after MLS cup to see if any rookies contributed to hoisting the league championship.

US Development Academy Is Off And Running...

Take a read...

This is great news for US Soccer and hopefully it brings an increase in quality much needed in America. Should this new system succeed, expect to see the benefits in MLS by 2012.

Vice Grip Juggernaut Rolls On! U-8 Soccer In North Carolina...

Walker Vasey overcame an unprecedented injury this week to lead the Roberson 1 U-8 "Vice Grips" to a thrilling victory. After dispatching an excellent Enka squad 5-1, the Vice Grips faced arch rival Asheville in a rematch of a game played only two weeks earlier, won by the Grips 5-2.

In the opening minute, Walker came off the pitch holding his eye, amazingly the victim of a periorbital bee sting. He not only left the field, he departed the bench in search of his mother. The Grips were initially undaunted by Vasey's absence and seized a surprising 5-0 halftime lead, with brilliant goals by Afan and Welter, the India- Holland connection. Asheville rallied in the second stanza, however and tied the game 5-5, (although as always no official score was kept). As the tying goal nestled in the netting, Walker returned to the bench and announced that he was ready to play. Alas, there were only two minutes remaining. Vasey was inserted at sweeper, in hopes of stemming the Asheville tide. He parried a potential game winning thrust, controlling the ball deep in the defensive end, carrying it (not literally as is sometimes the case in the U-8 division) wide before starting a run to the the near post. Outracing the Asheville defense, he fired. His scorching shot beat the keeper as time (approximately) expired, giving the Vice Grips their third consecutive victory, 6-5.

The Grips have since defeated an improving Owen squad 6-1 and next face a fearsome Reynolds team that handed them their only defeat in the spring season (although the Grips played with only three players).

Thanks again to Charlie Vasey for this gripping update.

2007 MLS Sophomore Of The Year???

Soccer fans, I'm going to run my first on-line poll. Please email the address to your right with an answer to the below question by Friday, 10/12/07.

Who is the best second year MLS player in 2007?

There is always a lot of talk about rookies and many of us forget the other young guns. I've got my ideas, but I want to hear yours. Email me at: fromcollegetothepros@gmail.com

I'll post the results over the weekend.

From College...To the Pros...To The US National Team...

The US National Team is gearing up for a friendly against Switzerland on October 17, 2007 and coach Bob Bradley has released his roster. First some high level comments:
1. MLS players in the midst of a playoff race were not included. No Pablo, no Landycakes, no Jozy Altidore.
2. Look how young this team is. Bradley has officially started the WC 2010 discovery period. The oldest guy is Marcus Hahnemann at 35 years old. The youngest is Freddy Adu at 18 years old. Only 2 guys over 30 (Hahnemann & Lewis). Only 5 guys born in the 70's. A majority of players born since 1985.
3. Some first timers on the list: Steve Purdy, Tally Hall, Robbie Findley, Maurice Edu, Chris Seitz, Danny Szetela & Preston Zimmerman are all here without any caps.

See, it is audition time people. Should any of these guys star against Switzerland they'll be included in the next friendly and then they'll be looking like Eddie Johnson in a WC qualifier. This call up is exciting for all of the young guys but let's specifically focus on our MLS rookies who were included.

Chris Seitz - GK - Real Salt Lake: Since leaving the University of Maryland Seitz has earned 3 starts in goal for Real Salt Lake and has played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Seitz is a large keeper at 6'-4", 210 lbs and has improved his awareness through his first professional season. There is little doubt this guy will be fighting for a spot on the 2010 WC roster. However, the US has always been deep at keeper and Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann and Brad Guzan are going to have something to say about his inclusion.

Maurice Edu - M - Toronto FC: Edu is the front runner for 2007 MLS Rookie of the Year according to just about everyone. In 24 games he has marshaled the Toronto midfield, looking like a veteran. In fact, should Toronto sign a quality complimentary midfielder to pair with Edu in central midfield in the off-season, FC Toronto should move up the eastern conference in 2008. Edu will have a chance to replace aging Pablo Mastroeni on the National Team.

Robbie Findley - F - Real Salt Lake: For me, Findley was the steal of the draft for LA. Then they traded him to Salt Lake. Hugghhhh? Findley has won a couple games for the woeful Salt Lake. In 2008 I'm sure Jason Kreis will find someone to take the pressure off the youngster, because Chris Brown ain't doing it. Under Kreis' tutelage Findley will thrive and challenge Altidore, Donovan, Beasley and Dempsey for time at forward in the future.

At this time last year these guys were in the midst of a college soccer season and mid-terms. Now, they're going to Europe to play for their country. What a difference a year makes. Good luck guys!

Colorado Rapids Reserve Win Second Championship...

I don't know if I should be excited by the above or not. Last night the Colorado Rapids Reserve team did what the senior team has never done, won its second MLS Reserve League Championship. I am not trying to take anything away from the victory and accomplishment. I should be excited by the Rapids having the best reserve team in MLS, two years running. However, I'm not very excited by that and neither is MLS. The fact hasn't even made it to the league website and the reserve division web page is terribly out of date.

Folks, the reserve league is for developing young players, not crowning champions. The players who do well for the reserve team are supposed to make the senior team better by challenging for starting positions. That hasn't been completely true for the 2007 Rapids. While Collin Clark has stepped gracefully from the reserve team to the senior team, ineffective Jovan Kirovski has been playing on the senior team ahead of youthful talent. Kirovski is the second most played player in terms of minutes behind Terry Cooke (not counting goal keepers). As a forward we expect Kirovski to take shots and score goals. In 2007 he has 12 shots on goal. That is a 0.66% SOG/Min ratio. 12 Shots on goal all season from our most "productive" forward. There is something wrong people!

Yes, the Rapids have injury problems up top, however Jovan wasn't playing because better players weren't available. He was paired with Conor Casey up top when Herculez Gomez sat on the bench. Jovan was paired with Herculez Gomez while Casey sat on the bench. Reserve team standouts Jacob Peterson and Omar Cummings sat on the bench while Kirovski got the start week in and week out. The two top, up and coming strikers on the team were relegated to a seat while Kirovski continued poor on field production. I'd give you some better stats but the league website hasn't been updated with Rapids Reserve stats since July.

That's how I feel folks. I hope the reserve league plays some more games next season since there will be another team or two out there. Getting these young guys games helps them develop for the senior team. Next season I hope to see more talent moving from the reserve team to the senior team like Collin Clark.

Wake Forest Continues To Roll...

Going into the 2007 college season Wake Forest had a number of players on my scouting list and looked like a strong team. They've since gone on a seven game winning streak including two shutouts over ACC conference rivals Maryland and Clemson. Those two wins show this team is the real deal. The Demon Deacons have allowed only two goals all season.

Let's take a look at who is getting the business done for the best team in the land.

Forwards:
Cody Arnoux - Sophomore
Marcus Tracy - Junior

Midfielders:
Corben Bone - Freshman
Zack Schilawski - Sophomore
Lyle Adams - Junior
Sam Cronin - Junior
Austin da Luz - Sophomore

Defenders:
Evan Brown - Junior
Ike Opara - Freshman
Pat Phelan - Senior

Goal Keeper:
Brian Edwards - Senior

Looking at the above list of impact players there is no doubt Wake Forest has assembled an elite team. The above doesn't even include U-20 World Cup starter Julian Valentin on the back line because of injury. It also doesn't include backup keeper, Akira Fitzgerald, who has one appearance this season where he shut out Bradley. Look for Phelan, Valentin and Edwards at the 2008 MLS Combine. Don't be surprised to see Tracy, Bone and Arnoux in the Generation Adidas watch list come December.