From College to the Pros - The US soccer ladder

Friday, January 18, 2008

FCTP Draft Day Rolling Blog...

3:45 pm mst - It is all over folks. The annual excitement of the MLS SuperDraft is behind us and we're all left waiting to see our teams in pre-season action before we know who can play...and who can't.

We'll get some summary type analysis up over the coming days. Thanks for checking in. Have a nice weekend.

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2:54 pm mst - Sorry to have dropped off so much but I've got a load to work on in the job that actually pays the bills. 3rd round just wrapped up. Biggest surprise for me was Stephen King dropping to #40 and Chicago. Most if not all of the top talent if off the table by this point.

I will say that I like my Rapids' pick at #36. They took Adrian Chevannes from SMU. The kid has wheels and can play multiple wing positions. He grew up in the Bradenton Residency program with the likes of Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley, new Rapids teammates John DiRaimondo and Jacob Peterson, Eddie Gaven, Michael Harrington, Robbie Rogers, Jonathan Spector, Daniel Szetela and Julian Valentin...to name a few. I'm calling it now, this will be the 2008 Jonathan Bornstein selection.

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2:07 pm mst - Second round just wrapped up. Nothing too surprising with the picks. Now there is a break...I'll post the players later...work calls.

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1:44 pm mst - We've got a few picks here.

#19 Dallas - Eric Avila from UCSB.

Most of us saw him going second to FCD, so I guess there isn't much difference. Right?

Honors: 2004 ESP All*Star, 2005 StudentSportsSoccer.com #6 top prospect, 2005 2nd All-Freshman Team, US U-17 Team, 2006 CSN 3rd Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 2nd Team, 2006 First Team All-Big West, 2006 All-College Cup, 2006 First Team All-Far West, 2007 CSN 1st Pre-Season 1st Team All-American, 2007 Preseason All-American (MajorLeagueSoccer Magazine), 2007 Preseason All-American (Soccer America), H8292007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2008 US U-23

#20 Columbus - George Josten

Honors: 2007 CSN Pre-Season 2nd Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2007 CSN Playmaker, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 3rd Team

#21 LA - Ely Allen

Honors: 2003 ESP, 2004 3rd All-Freshman Team, 2007 TDS 1st Team TOS, 2007 CSN 2nd Team All-American

#22 Columbus - Richardo Pierre-Louis

Honors: 29 goals and 11 assists in 2007. Wow. Haitian senior national team member. I like this pick.

#23 Kansas City - Yomby William.

#34 DC United - Andrew Jacobson.

Honors: 2007 TDS 1st Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team, 2007 CSN 3rd Team All-American

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1:24 pm mst - Alex Nimo goes to RSL #17.

Honors: 2005 ESP, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 ESP All*Star, 2007 US U-17 Spring Residency, 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup South Korea, 2007 US U-18

Michael Videira to NE #18.

Honors: 2003 Parade and McDonald’s All-America teams, 2003 U.S. U-18 and U-20 National Teams, 2004 1st All-Freshman Team, 2005 semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, 2006 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 pre-season Herman Watch, 2006 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 3rd Team, 2006 SA MVP, 2007 CSN 1st Pre-Season 1st Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2007 TDS 2nd Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 3rd Team


Videira is a surprise because he made it public that he wanted to go abroad and test his skills.

Of course, as soon as I send you folks to Ives, he slows down too...or something.

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1:18 pm mst - Ok, folks. Since I'm not on site and the regular feed of information is gone with the ESPN feed going away, I'm going to pull back on the updates. I'll try to get things up ever 15 minutes or so through the rest of the event. Ives has a good thing going for those who want to keep going on a more regular basis....

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1:13 pm mst - SJ takes Shea Salinas out of Furman #15. Remember another unheralded kid out of Furman...Clint Dempsey. I know SJ is hoping for the same.

Honors: 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 3rd Team

#16 - Red Bull NY takes defender Eric Brunner out of Ohio State.

Honors: 2003 ESP, 2006 Big Ten All-Conference, 2007 CSN Pre-Season 3rd Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2007 1st Team All Big Ten, 2007 TDS 3rd Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA 1st team All-American, 2007 CSN 2nd Team All-American, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team



1:06 pm mst - 1st round is in the books. Biggest shocker aside from the first 8 picks? Eric Avila is still on the board. People must be scared by his size and the fact that #10 type attacking midfielders struggle in this league. San Jose is on the clock...

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1:03 pm mst - Salt Lake takes defender David Horst from Old Dominion. RSL has needs all over the field and this seems like a solid pick. However, they certainly would have been able to get him at #17.

Honors: 2005 Big Ten Freshman Honors (before transfering), 2006 PDL TOTW (2), 2006 All PDL Team, 2007 All PDL Team, 2007 CSN Pre-Season 2nd Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2007 TDS 2nd Team TOS, 2007 CSN 2nd Team All-American

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1:00 pm mst - NE takes Rob Valentino from San Francisco with the 13th pick. I imagine they see a day without Michael Parkhurst and like the GA status of Valentino.

Honors: 2004 2nd All-Freshman Team, 2006 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All American, 2007 US U-23, 2007 CSN Pre-Season 2nd Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch

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12:57 pm mst - Chicago pick Dominic Cervi from Tulsa. Keeper Matt Pickens may be on the way out of Chicago and many expected the Fire to select a keeper at some point. I feel like he could have been available later.

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12:54 pm mst - Kansas City takes Roger Espinoza from Ohio State #11. It looks like KC is intent on Harrington playing left back with Espinoza getting a shot at left midfield, showing why they were willing to deal Burciaga to Colorado.

Honors: 2007 1st Team All Big Ten

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12:49 pm mst - Toronto makes Pat Phelan the tenth pick of the draft. So far Toronto is having the best draft. They needed defensive help and they should get it with those two.

Honors: 2002 - 2003 ESP, 2004 2nd All-Freshman Team, 2007 NSCAA 1st team All-American, 2007 CSN 2nd Team All-American, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team, 2008 US U-23

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12:44 pm mst - Toronto does set the world right and selects Julius James #9. I know he didn't expect to fall that far.

Honors: Trinidad and Tobago U-17, 2005 2nd Team All-American, 2004 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 pre-season Herman Watch, 2006 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2006 Big East All-Conference, 2006 Big East Defensive POTY, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 1st Team, 2007 CSN 1st Pre-Season 1st Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2007 TDS 1st Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA 1st team All-American, 2007 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team

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12:43 pm mst - Conventional wisdom says James and Avila go 9 & 10 to TFC here. But, this draft has not been conventional!

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12:39 pm mst - FC Dallas take young GK Josh Lambo. Kind of a shocker considering James is on the board and Dallas always seems to need defensive help. Also, I thought Dallas had a young keeper they like in Burse.

Honors: 2006 ESP All*Star, 2006 U-17 Toyota International Championship, 2006 US U-17 Residency, 2007 US U-17 Spring Residency, 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup South Korea, 2007 US U-17 Fall Residency, 2007 US U-18, 2007 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team

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12:34 pm mst - Chicago takes Patrick Nyarko. The consensus #1 drops to #7. That shows what all us "draft experts" know. Avila is also dropping...maybe Dallas will take him here since we thought they'd take him at #2. Nyarko did not impress at the combine, maybe that had its consequences.

Honors: 2005 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2007 CSN 1st Pre-Season 1st Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2006 Big East All-Conference, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team, 2007 CSN 1st Team All-American


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12:29 pm mst - Columbus take Andy Iro #6. I thought Iro would slide a lot further after he publicly said he was considering offers abroad if he didn't get the club he liked in MLS. I don't think Columbus will qualify as a club he likes. Maybe C-Bus is counting on those England discussions being false. Either way, how are Avila and Nyarko still on the board?

Honors: 2005 3rd Team All-American, 2004 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All American, 2006 pre-season Herman Watch, 2006 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2006 NSCAA/adidas All-America Team 2nd Team, 2006 SA MVP, 2007 CSN 1st Pre-Season 1st Team All-American, 2007 MAC pre-season Hermann Trophy watch, 2007 TDS 2nd Team TOS, 2007 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 2nd Team


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12:26 pm mst - Colorado selects Ciaran O'Brien #5.

Honors: 2004 - 2005 ESP, 2005 ESP All*Star, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 CSN 2nd All-Freshman Team, 2006 SA Freshman of the year 2nd team, 2006 NSCAA Freshman All-America, 2007 All PDL Team, 2006 Big East All-Conference, 2007 CSN 3rd Team All-American


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12:24 pm mst - Top four picks defensive minded players. Tell you anything about the perceived quality of attacking players in this draft???

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12:20 pm mst - LA takes Sean Franklin D/M out of Cal State Northridge. The first senior to be selected.

Honors: 2007 US U-23, 2007 All PDL Team, 2008 US U-23


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12:16 pm mst - And who told you Beltran's stock was going up, up and away...

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12:14 pm mst - Salt Lake takes Tony Beltran #3. Another UCLA player.

Honors: 2004 ESP All*Star, 2004 NSCAA/adidas high school All-American, 2005 StudentSportsSoccer.com #2 top prospect, 2006 U-20 Milk Cup, 2007 US U-20 World Cup, 2007 TDS 2nd Team TOS, 2007 1st team all Pac-10,

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12:10 pm mst - Dallas takes defender Brek Shea #2. The highschooler impressed at the combine and is rewarded.

Honors: 2007 US U-17 Fall Residency, 2007 US U-18, 2007 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team


12:05 pm mst - KC selects #1 - Chance Myers from UCLA.

Honors: 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2005 ESP All*Star, 2006 U-20 Milk Cup, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 TDS 2nd all-Freshman team, 2007 1st team all Pac-10, 2007 TDS Team Of The Season Honorable Mention, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2008 US U-23


11:50 am mst - First thing to say, both Steve Goff and Ives now think Chance Myers will be Kansas City's #1 pick. We'll find out soon enough.

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2 Comments:

  • Hello. Great coverage. I've sent you an e-mail about Videira and Cordeiro. I don't know if you have already see it so I decided to comment here too.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:01 PM  

  • WOW i'm very surprised the first pick was Chance. I had my money on Avila. Great coverage guys.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:33 PM  

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