2009 MLS Super Draft Wrap Up...

FCTP 2009 MLS SuperDraft Review

I guess I'm still in the post draft hangover stage of feeling like I typed a little too much yesterday but I also want to get some thoughts down on "paper". Yesterday was a good draft. Not a lot of trades and no real head scratching surprises. I got excited about how my Rapids compensated for a lot of low picks by using a trade and allocation money to shore up the goal keeper position. To do this review I thought I would go back to my points rating post from the other day.

You'll remember I came up with the following ranking of teams draft picks:

Toronto FC
New England Revolution
FC Dallas
D.C. United
Kansas City Wizards
Seattle Sounders FC
Los Angeles Galaxy
Chivas USA
Colorado Rapids
New York Red Bulls
Chicago Fire
& Real Salt Lake
Columbus Crew
& San Jose Earthquakes
Houston Dynamo

Ok, now here comes a change up. You folks didn't get a chance to read what I was working on in this space up to this point, because Ives just published his draft review and it basically negated mine. I'm not going to try and reinvent the wheel. I was trying to do something similar but Ives said it more eloquently and he's more educated on the draftees then I am. So, go read his review and then come back.

Ok, hopefully some of you actually came back. Ives says well what needs to be said. Toronto did very well but we predicted that, didn't we? So let's compare my rankings pre-draft with Ives' rankings post draft. My ranked team on the left, Ives on the right.

Toronto FC - Toronto FC: We matched. My rankings were weighted towards the teams with more first and second round picks and Toronto had the most. Well played by them stacking up all those picks. Now the best prospects need to turn into players for the men up north. There is a high likelyhood that one or more of their picks will wind up playing well for the team. Well drafted TFC.

New England - D.C. United: Looks like NE squandered their picks and DC did better than expected with what they had.

FC Dallas - LA Galaxy: Again, LA did better than I thought they would and FCD did ok.

D.C. United - New York Red Bulls: Can Jeremy Hall fill in for recently traded Dave VDB? I'm not so sure, I actually think Ives has New York a little high on his list...home team bias? Babajide Ogunbiyi is a good prospect but we'll see if he can get onto the field much as a rookie.

Kansas City Wizards - Chicago Fire: I'm not sold on Baggio Husidic. He certainly looks talented but will he be able to come in and make an impact. The Fire don't need him this year with Blanco coming back but still, will he be ready to take charge when Chicago needs him? We'll see. I don't agree with Ives that moving up to #20 gives them a good draft grade. Meanwhile I do like KC's picks more than Ives. Besler was early at 8th overall but maybe someone on the floor was telling KC they were going to take him...who knows. Zusi and DeMartin could look bargains once the season starts.

Seattle Sounders FC - New England: I agree that NE could have done better, I mean they were #2 in my "mathmatical" analysis. I think I was pretty good with Seattle and Ives does give them a B which is the same as New England. We'll call this one a push.

LA Galaxy - FC Dallas: Interesting that these two teams find themselves paired up again, isn't it? Ok, maybe not.

Chivas USA - Seattle Sounders FC: Some people are putting a lot of stock in Michael Lahoud but I am questioning his size. We'll see who's right in the long run. Regardless as Ives points out how do you pass on Frei when you got your taste of a great, young keeper in Brad Guzan. It would have been poetic to see Frei follow in Guzan's footsteps all the way until Frei leaves for Europe and gets a solid allocation out of it. No? Allas, they didn't and right now you're left wondering who from this draft will make an impact for Chivas USA in the future.

Colorado Rapids - Colorado Rapids: Ding, ding, ding...we match. I think Colorado did a good job with what they were working with. For the price of an allocation they get a solid MLS keeper, who is up and coming in the US National picture, to replace apparently want away Bouna Coundol and not as good Preston Burpo. The Rapids found the best way to get a starter in the second round out of the MLS SuperDraft. Good on ya. In the 4th round their PR department enjoyed touting being the first team to have four selections in one round...ok...big deal. They got a bunch of guys who could make the team and who will put pressure on the current Rapids development guys to accept the low ball salary renewal offer because you've got a bunch of young, hungry kids on your heels. Jordan Seabrook turned some heads at the combine so I hope he can turn into an impact rookie for the Rapids. God knows they need someone to step up and start scoring goals.

New York Red Bulls - Kansas City Wizards: Again, New York did better than my analysis predicted but I don't think as well as Ives thinks. Time will tell. Kansas City left us scratching the head with Besler at #8 overall. I'm sure he is going to work to prove us all wrong.

Chicago Fire - San Jose: I agree with Ives that SJ moved up. Just having two picks is tough as my analysis showed putting them at the bottom. Ring and Amarikwa could seem like great pics sometime down the road. Again, Chicago showed either my analysis was bunk or they're crafty because I agree they did better than this ranking showed they could. Good job.

Real Salt Lake - Chivas USA: Did Salt Lake just pull another Bessagno draft? Time will tell if Jean Alexandre was worth the high pick. Ives doesn't think so as he put RSL to the bottom...frankly where they belong. Chivas USA dropped in my analysis as discussed by Ives.

Columbus Crew - Houston: As Ives points out Houston didn't "need" a lot from this draft and they took one guy with a lot of talent on paper who won't count against the salary cap. Then they took a flier on the best name in the draft pool who just signed a European contract today, Marcus Tracey. Now, in the off chance that Tracey doesn't like Europe and wants to come home, Houston will own his rights for two years. We'll see if that happens. Columbus didn't have a lot of chances to impress in this draft and as Ives points out, they lived up to my ranking...or worse.

San Jose - Columbus Crew: San Jose did better, Crew did worse...kind of.

Houston - RSL: Houston did as expected...RSL did worse. And I love to see RSL do poorly at anything.

So there we have it folks. Another draft gone by. I love the draft because we get to see some kids come up through the ranks and then land with teams. I also love it because it means training camp is right around the corner. Players are reporting for duty here in Colorado in 10 days is memory serves. I'll be out at Dick's Sporting Goods Park by late March. Thank god.

2009 MLS SuperDraft Live Tracking...

Folks, here is how we're going to work this today. This will be the live thread. I'll update it as information comes across the wires running under my desk. You can follow along live on ESPN360 and via all the other blogs out there. In particular I'm going to give you my thoughts and the honors I've tracked for these kids. Nerves must be high in St. Louis right now. We're 15 minutes away from go time. Remember to refresh, refresh, refresh...

all times Mountain time by my computer clock.

12:03 pm - Is anyone getting anything on ESPN360?

12:07 pm - Steve Zakuani #1 overall as many expected. He grew up in London playing with the Arsenal youth squads. Had a strong college career. Is rumored to have signed the largest Generation Adidas contract in the history of MLS. Honors: 2007 CSN All-Freshman Team, 2007 MAC Newcomer of the Year, 2007 1st Team All MAC, 2008 CSN POTW, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 Hermann Trophy Finalists, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 1st Team.

12:11 pm - Toronto FC takes Sam Cronin with the #2 pick. I guess they didn't want to wheel and deal the way people thought. Honors: 2003 NSCAA Youth adidas All-American, 2003 - 2004 ESP, 2007 TDS 3rd Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 2nd Team, 2008 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 ESPN.com Preseason All-American Starting XI, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 Hermann Trophy Finalists, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 1st Team

I think LA will take Frei. They need help in the nets.

12:12 - Ohh yeah, I now have ESPN360 up and running after restarting it. Nice.

12:15 - Oops, forgot about Ricketts the keeper they just signed. LA takes...Omar Gonzalez. He's a tall one. Honors: 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 PARADE All-America, 2006 US U-20, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 SA Freshman of the year 2nd team, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2007 TDS 1st Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 3rd Team, 2008 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 ESPN.com Preseason All-American Starting XI, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 1st Team

12:19 - Let's check in on my mock draft. I've got two out of three right in that they went in the first round. I had who, when, wrong. Ohh well. Better than Emile's 1/3.

12:20 - Toronto takes....UConn's O'Brien White. Well, this is the Canadian angle many saw coming but I've got to say I would think he'd be on the board a lot longer. Does Mo not care about their next first round pick because I think he would have been able to get him then. Who knows if another team would have taken a risk on him. Seems like Mo could be dealing the next one if he didn't wait for White in the #13 slot. Honors: U-15, U-17 and U-20 Jamaica, 2005 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 Big East All-Conference, 2007 CSN POTW, 2007 CSN Playmaker, 2007 TDS 1st Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team, 2007 CSN 1st Team All-American, 2007 SA POTY, 2008 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 ESPN.com Preseason All-American Starting XI, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 3rd Team.

12:24 - Got this one right. FC Dallas takes Peri Marosevic. Go Blue!!! Honors: 2004 - 2006 US U-17 Residency, US U-17 & U-18 Team Member, 2005 ESP, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 CSN 2nd All-Freshman Team, 2007 US U-18, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2008 US U-20, 2008 Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team.

12:29 - DC United takes Rodney Wallace with the 6th pick overall. A quick, young defender from Maryland. Solid choice and I hope he works out for the Red and Black. Honors: 2004 ESP, 2007 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2007 TDS All-Rookie 1st Team, 2008 All-ACC 2nd Team.

12:31 - As in previous years Generation Adidas kids are going quickly.

12:34 - 5 minute time out for DC United...there must be a trade on the table because there is no way they need an extension when they have back to back picks. Trade, trade, trade!

12:37 - DC United...is picking someone? Chris Pontius, F, goes to DC. Good pick up, but why did they need the time out? Honors: 2007 CSN POTW, 2008 CSN 3rd Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 3rd Team.

12:38 - Pontius is making an acceptance speech? At #7. Hugh?

12:42 - KC Wiz takes Matt Besler, D/M. Honors: 2004 ESP All*Star, 2008 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 1st Team. Another acceptance speech.

12:44 - That last pick is the first I really blew in the mock draft. I had Matt at the bottom of the second round. Congrats to the senior defender from Notre Dame on moving into the first round. He is a Kansas City kid so looks like a solid pick from that angle.

12:46 - Wait, did anyone else notice the kid they just showed in a SuperDraft shirt and standing with a Chivas USA scarf was previously shown holding a DC United scarf? WTF?

Chivas USA picks Michael Lahoud. M/F from Wake Forest. Honors: 2008 All-ACC 2nd Team.

12:51 - New England goes for Kevin Alston. He slipped from where I thought he would go but I'm expecting some good things from him. I think he has a solid pedigree and a lot of skill. Nicol made a great pick here I think. Honors: 2004 ESP, 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2005 Parade All American, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2008 Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team.

12:55 - #11 sees Jeremy Hall go to NYC. This could be an exciting pick for them. Knows how to score and play the ball. Harks makes an interesting point...another outside midfielder for NY? I guess they could see him as a replacement for Dave VDB who just went to Dallas but those are big shoes to fill for a rookie. Honors: 2003 - 2005 US U-17 Residency, 2004 ESP, 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 PARADE All-America, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 ACC Freshman OTY, 2006 CSN 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 SA Freshman of the year 1st team, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team.

1:00 - RSL goes for who? Jean Alexandre...Lynn University....Didn't have him on my list. Ohh well, he's going to RSL. I guess he's from Haiti.

1:04 - Wow guys, how do you really feel about Mexico?

1:05 - #13 for Toronto FC picks the MVP from the combine, Stefan Frei. Well there you go. I got the player right, just the wrong round. I think Toronto has just had a very successful first round. Honors: 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team, 2008 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List.

1:09 - #14 pick for FCD - George John from University of Washington. Honors: 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List. I heard from an MLS insider that John is his dark horse pick for 2009. He was right in that no one expected him in the first round. I had him at the start of the second.

1:13 - Twellman says he's coming back to NE this season, he wants to see a good pick. What if he gets traded right now? Hah. That would be a funny one.

1:15 - NE takes Ryan Maxwell, M from Tampa. I guess Taylor will stay in NE another season. Last pick of the first round.

1:18 - My Rapids are coming up in this next round, five more picks. Let's think about who they could select that I'd like to see in Denver in 2009....personally I think a forward is an important piece for the Rapids. But a solid defender would be nice as well. Mike Grella would be nice if you can sign him. He says he wants to go abroad. Since this is their only pick for awhile lets skip him. Jordan Seabrook did some good work to impress at the combine. Those are a couple forwards. How about Michael Holody on the defensive side...or perhaps Yohance Marshall. We'll see soon enough.

ESPN360 is gone....my posting will be slower in the second round.

1:24 - Did you all notice no trades in the first round. WTF? Anyone want to research when the last time that didn't happen. Does that mean Mo isn't Mr. Trade now?

1:39 - #16 Seattle - Evan Brown, #17 San Jose - Brad Ring & #18 New York - Babajide Ogunbiyi. New York is collecting a team of names. Look at their roster with Babajide Ogunbiyi. All noise before the Rapids first pick.

1:41 - Without my ESPN360 feed I nearly missed a trade. Chivas USA's #19 pick to LA?

1:44 - AJ DeLaGarza to LA after the trade. I like this guy. A lot of people think he's too small to be in MLS as a defender but what they're forgetting is how often players are converted in MLS. Perhaps he can help on the outside of defense or in midfield. We'll see what LA does with him, but I think it is a good pick. He was solid for Maryland on the road to the 2009 championship.

Now the RAPIDS are on the clock. First big move of Coach Smith's career.

1:47 - Rapids trade their pick to Chicago who takes Baggio Husidic. Now is when we'll see if that new Rapids blog is at all useful.

1:49 - There you go. The Rapids Undercurrent has some useful information on the trade: "Colorado has swapped second round picks with Chicago in a deal that nets the Rapids the rights to a player to be named later. Now Colorado will make their first pick of the day at #28." Well done Undercurrent.

Player to be named later...hmmmm.......Brian McBride? Doubt it! Must be a lower level guy who is worth trading up 8 slots for.....want away Wilman Conde? Calen Carr for a little sizzle on the front line?

1:59 - No sign of the Chicago player headed to Colorado. I'm working a couple lines. There could also be allocation money going on of the directions.

2:07 - Rapids Undercurrent now saying allocation money is in fact going to Chicago in the deal. That makes me think the Rapids are getting a bigger name like Conde...however word just in is that Colorado traded for Matt Pickens' rights because Bouna isn't re-signing.

2:11 - Colorado is almost back on the clock. Can we snag an attacker this time around?

2:14 - FCD takes F Brian Shriver from UNC. I like that pick. Rapids are on the clock.

2:18 - Still no confirmation on the trade as we await the next Rapids pick.

2:20 - Rapids take Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, M/F from George Mason University.

2:24 - End of the second round. We saw our first trades this round, and I'm still trying to figure out what happened with the Rapids and the trade with Chicago. We know Colorado moved down and got a player, but who? We know some size of allocation money went to Chicago. Stay tuned.

2:35 - Just noticed the Rapids now have 1 pick in the third round, #37. They traded #35. MLSnet.com says it is now with Chivas USA via LA.

2:46 - Toronto take Mike Grella with the 34th pick. Good move by Toronto. They've filled their plate with young players who should contribute in the next couple years...now if Grella can't sign in Europe he'll come back to them too. Low risk move with what they've already accomplished today.

2:50 - Ives and I agree. Jordan Seabrook is the best talent still on the board. Here's hoping he doesn't get picked by DC before the Rapids can take him.

2:56 - Rapids take Steward Ceus, GK, with the 37th pick. I guess the Rapids aren't too keen on keeping Justin Hughes around. Honors: 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 3rd Team. Huge kid at 6' 6", 215 lbs. Interestingly he went to Albany. Isn't that where Bounatime went to college? Between this and the Pickens rumor I think Bounatime is over in Denver.

3:06 - Ives is confirming what we reported here an hour ago.

3:07 - The Rapids trading for Matt Pickens and then selecting a solid prospect in Steward Ceus
shows coach Smith is starting over at keeper. Preston Burpo was part of the Clavijo team and had his ups and downs while Bouna was out of country. When Bouna returned Smith didn't play him right away. Perhaps there was a rift. Bouna was allegedly offered a six figure contract renewal by the Rapids but it now looks official that he isn't signing it, instead he'll probably listen to his agent and try Europe. It makes sense as his family is still in Senegal. So what will happen with Preston Burpo and Sharpe the league keeper who trains with the Rapids?

3:26 - The Rapids take Ross Schunk, F, University of Redlands (OR) with the 47th pick. He's got good size but is going to be a long shot to make the team.

3:36 - In what could be the steal of the draft the Rapids pick Jordan Seabrook, F from S Florida.

Honors: 2004 ESP All*Star, 2005 1st All-Freshman Team

3:42 - six picks to go. Rapids have one more after taking Henry Kalungi with the 53rd pick. Time to start working on the draft recap...

3:58 - Rapids finish their draft on a solid note. Michael Holody. D from Michigan, Go Blue!!!! Good expereince in the PDL and solid size at 6' 3", 200 lbs. Honors: 2003 - 2004 ESP, 2006 PDL TOTW (2), 2008 Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 3rd Team

Chris Clements is the last pick. That is it. I'll come up with some kind of wrap up tomorrow. What do you think of the draft today?

Thanks for following along.

Mock Draft, Round 2...

Here is my round 2. Buzz over at 3rd Degree made a comment on his blog about how doing a full mock is kind of pointless. I am sitting here trying to finish mine up and thinking the same thing. There are going to be trades, I'm just slapping names in places, I didn't sleep well last night. It does seem pointless. So here is round 2. I'll brag about getting the 52nd overall pick correct when I do, but I doubt I'll post anymore mock draft rounds. Enjoy!

16 Seattle Sounders FC: George John, M, 6' 3" - University of Washington
17 San Jose Earthquakes: Lyle Adams, D/M, 6' 1" - Wake Forest
18 New York Red Bulls (from FC Dallas, Los Angeles): Josh Boateng, M/F, 5' 9", 160 lbs - Liberty
19 Chivas USA (from Toronto): Danny Cruz, D/M, 5' 8", 160 lbs - UNLV
20 Colorado Rapids (from FC Dallas): Mike Grella, M/F, 5' 11", 170 lbs - Duke
21 D.C. United: Yohance Marshall, D, 6' 2", - South Florida
22 Kansas City Wizards (from Colorado): Zach Simmons, GK, 6' 2", 185 lbs - UMass
23 Kansas City Wizards: O'Brien White, M/F, 6' 1", 175 lbs - UConn
24 New England Revolution (from Los Angeles, Chivas USA): Calum Angus, D, 6' 0", 170 lbs - St. Louis
25 New England Revolution: Michael Lahoud, M/F, 5' 8", 140 lbs - Wake Forest
26 D.C. United (from Houston): Andrei Gotsmanov, M/F, 6' 1", 170 lbs - Creighton
27 FC Dallas (from Salt Lake): Doug DeMartin, M/F, 6' 0" - Michigan State
28 Chicago Fire: AJ DeLaGarza, D, 5' 8", 140 lbs - Maryland
29 New York Red Bulls: Tosaint Ricketts, M/F, 6' 0", 170 - Wisconsin-Green Bay
30 Columbus Crew: Matt Besler, M/F, 6' 0", 170 lbs - Notre Dame

Tell me if you can find the piece of irony I put in here. It is a brain bender and will test your knowledge of previous drafts.

Mock Draft #1...

Ok folks, here is my first round. Work commitments have kept me from going too in depth but I should get later rounds up tomorrow. My other contributors are working on mock drafts as well. Enjoy!

2009 Mock SuperDraft by Bonji

#1 - Seattle Sounders FC: Omar Gonzalez, D, 6' 5", 200 lbs - Yeah, those stats are more likely to appear next to a goal keeper than a field player but that is what is putting Omar Gonzalez at the top of my draft. Add those to the fact that Gonzalez is generation adidas and a skilled player and you've got a solid prospect for the future. With proper coaching from one of the top coaches in the league, Sigi, and Gonzalez could find himself holding down the American back line at the 2014 World Cup. Seattle finds themselves with a top keeper, midfielder with flair and forward who can score against MLS level defenses so why not take a gamble on the best defensive prospect in the bunch?

#2 - Toronto FC (from San Jose): Stefan Frei, GK, 6' 3", 200 lbs - Look around the internet and most everyone who has seen Frei play are big fans. Toronto has two early picks, in my mind that gives them license to take top talent, not just need. Many people out there think Frei will be another American schooled keeper who is sold from MLS to a foreign league, meaning when he leaves you get allocation money, not just a wave goodbye. He has a Swiss passport and has played for Switzerland's national youth national team, so going to Europe will be easier than it was for Brad Guzan. While Toronto does have Brian Edwards on the books, they could easily use him as trade bait with another team looking for a prospect/backup.

#3 - Los Angeles Galaxy: Sam Cronin, M/F, 5' 10", 165 lbs - Anyone you read who covered the blog called Sam Cronin the most ready to go player in this draft class. LA on the other hands needs young players who can come in and contribute. Last season was a mess in midfield once you looked past David Beckham. Sam Cronin could be a great player to come in and stabilize the action behind Becks and provide the link between defense and the Golden one...that is of course if Beckham returns. Cronin is said to be a student of the game and a quality individual. His addition could be a positive influence on LA LA Land.

#4 - Toronto FC: Steve Zakuani, M/F, 6' 0", 170 lbs - Depending on who you listen to Zakuani is either the real deal of the next over hyped. A coach who's opinion I trust tells me he's likely to not make an impact for a couple years, if ever. Through a secondary source I've heard other coaches love him. He learned from Arsenal as a kid and then came over here for college of which he's completed two years. In those two years he's helped propel Akron to national prominence. Again, Toronto has a lot of first round picks and can take a chance. He's also GA so he isn't a salary cap hit. Plus, he's British...does the Queen still appear on Canadian stuff?

#5 - FC Dallas: Peri Marosevic, M/F, 5' 9", 160 lbs - According to the bloggers I read Peri helped himself out a lot at the combine. FC Dallas can use some attacking power since Kenny Cooper appears to want out of Big D, or to get paid like Landycakes, and they just traded a useful attacker, Dominic Oduro. Marosevic was the top scorer at the combine and showed he can handle the ball. Generation adidas status will make him more attractive.

#6 - D.C. United: Kevin Alston, D/M, 5' 8", 150 lbs - Alston plays as a fullback and I've read he likes to get forward. That reminds me of Jonathan Bornstein. Alston has a ton of youth national team experience in youth world cups and the like and will not make a dot on the salary cap due to GA status. DC United's defense is somewhat in transition with the departure of their raft of South Americans signed last off-season so Alston could be put in a sink or swim environment. His combine reviews were good so I think he'll be a higher pick in the first round. Plus they've got back to back picks...they can stretch to a talented player as opposed to the perfect player.

#7 - D.C. United (from Colorado): Jeremy Hall, M/F, 5' 11", 160 lbs - Hall is another kid with a lot of quality youth experience having been through the US National Team Residency program. He learned in college from one of the best college coaches out there at Maryland. DC United can grab another talented youngster and give him time to develop because he's GA. Hall likes to run forward and try to score goals. He should be able to use speed down the flank and could probably learn a trick or two from Fred or Moreno. DC is deep at this position so maybe they trade. We'll see.

#8 - Kansas City Wizards: Rodney Wallace, M/F, 5' 11", 155 lbs - Wallace is a talented player who exceled at Maryland. Another GA kid would help the Wizards keep him in a learning role from a great attacking mentor Claudio Lopez. He also could probably be used in a central or flank midfield role.

#9 - Chivas USA: Chris Pontius, M/F, 6' 0", 170 lbs - If Pontius were a generation adidas player he'd probably be a top four pick after his combine performance. To many observers he showed versatile qualities by playing on the left flank and up top during the combine. A player like that is special in MLS because tight salary cap and roster rules mean players who can play in multiple positions add more to a team. That factor increases when we're talking about left sided players who are at a premium in MLS. All that said, Pontius will be a full roster spot player. He's a California boy and Chivas USA could be a good fit.

#10 - New England Revolution: Ryan Maxwell, M/F, 5' 10", 160 lbs - Maxwell came out of nowhere for me. He's a Jamacian player who started at junior college and then transfered to the University of Tampa. At the combine he impressed with great speed and attacking skill. Since the emergence of Dane Richards people are looking for players who can run fast and dribble down the flank and with Steve Ralston moving on in years, Maxwell could fill a hole down that side. He can learn to cross the ball...right?

#11 - New York (from FC Dallas, San Jose, Houston): Brad Ring, M, 5' 10", 165 lbs - Another midfielder with a great soccer pedigree this guys should be able to work his way into the league. He's an astute passer who grew up in the Indiana system which has produced good soccer players. Starter as a rookie? I doubt it, but he should be able to earn a spot on the bench.

#12 - Real Salt Lake: Graham Zusi, M/F, 5' 10", 165 lbs - This kid has been a productive attacker for Maryland and he should be able to work his way onto a team looking to find the final piece to the puzzle. He's a hard worker who showed some quality through his college career and at the combine.

#13 - Toronto FC (from Chicago): Kyle Patterson, M/F, 5' 9", 160 - Patterson snuck up on some people during the combine but I've been watching him since 2006. He's a quality kid from a good St. Louis program. Toronto loaded up on some generation adidas so I think if they actually make this pick they'll go with someone a little more mature who can compete for a spot.

#14 - FC Dallas (From New York Red Bulls): Baggio Husidic, M/F, 6' 1", 170 - A generation adidas player who slipped after the combine. A lot of people were calling him a playmaker coming into the draft but I'm not so sure American Colleges actually create any of them. Playmakers seem to be born on South American streets, not college campuses. I think Dallas could take a chance on him because he's not going to show up on the books for a couple years, but he'll have to come in and show he can get forward on the wings to stay on that team.

#15 - New England Revolution (from Columbus): Babajide Ogunbiyi, M/F, 6' 4", 205 - This is a big attacking player who could benefit playing on a team with a work horse striker like Taylor Twellman and a crosser like Steve Ralston. He impressed some people at the combine and I think that could be enough to garner some first round attention from a team that doesn't need much and is making their second pick.

2009 MLS Draft - Counting Picks...

If you have the time to go back in the From College To The Pros archives you'll find that in many of my early posts I tried to back things up with numbers and stats. You see, I went to college to become educated as an engineer, I went to business school and looked at a lot of spreadsheets and I've played an ungodly number of hours of Championship Manager since 1998...so numbers make sense to me. I like to relate things to them. If I had unlimited funds I would work to create a soccer scouting company based on numerical analysis of players' performances. You get the picture. Right now we're going back to basics here at FCTP.

All of the analysis was done on the draft order released by MLS a week or so ago. I don't remember hearing of any recent trades, but if there have been some, I didn't include them.

I decided it was time to look at how the 2009 SuperDraft breaks down on a team by team basis. Who has the most picks, the least, the best, the most in the first round, the most that will end up meaning something, etc. Then I assigned point values to each of the categories I created. Here is a list of the categories and how many points teams got for each.

- First Round Picks (2 pts each)
- Second Round Picks (1 pt each)
- Top 5 pick (1 pt each)
- Top 10 pick (1 pt each, in addition to points received for top 5)
- Greater than 3 picks (points = (total picks/2) - 1)

Lets start with the easy stuff.

Most picks: Colorado and New England both tied with 7. What does this tell me? Those two teams will do some deals, shuffling picks with teams that don't have as many. Why? With the smaller developmental rosters and the lack of a reserve team there isn't room for a bunch of draftees. However, you can have more senior players this season so trade for some solid veterans.

Fewest picks: Chivas USA, Houston & San Jose tied with 2. Perhaps these guys will try to get more out of the draft by trading a want away player? We'll see. News out of the combine says this draft is deeper than last year so maybe one of these teams will look for more young talent by obtaining picks. Perhaps not.

Here is the overall pick count:
Chicago Fire - 4
Chivas USA - 2
Colorado Rapids - 7
Columbus Crew - 3
D.C. United - 5
FC Dallas - 4
Houston Dynamo - 2
Kansas City Wizards - 5
Los Angeles Galaxy - 4
New England Revolution - 7
New York Red Bulls - 3
Real Salt Lake - 3
San Jose Earthquakes - 2
Seattle Sounders FC - 4
Toronto FC - 5

Now to the meat of the analysis I did. Who got the most points, showing they have the best chance of getting the top young talent entering MLS in 2009? Below is the ranking based on the point system I described above that obviously rewards early picks since the top rated talent goes early.

#1: Toronto FC (11.5 pts) - Toronto has 3 first round picks and 2 in the top 5. Add two more picks to that and TFC has a chance to do well this year. The #2 pick, yeah that's good.

#2: New England Revolution (9.5 pts) - 4 picks in the first two rounds should help the Revs re-tool for another title chasing season. It also helps to have so many picks which helped add points to a total which would have been lower given #10 being their first pick.

#3: FC Dallas (9 pts) - While FCD only has 4 total picks, they're all in the first two rounds, with 2 picks in each of the top two rounds. By the end of the second round pro grade prospects will be mostly off the board so the Hoops have a chance to get some good talent. Their first pick, #5, could bear fruit during the 2009 season.

#4: D.C. United (8.5 pts) - Similar to FCD, DCU has 4 picks in the first two rounds, two in each. That will help them load up with the top talent 2009 has to offer. Their first pick is #6.

#5: Kansas City Wizards (6.5 pts) - 5 total picks with 3 coming in the first two rounds should give KC a chance at top talent. The #8 overall pick helped them score points and gives them a chance to grab a gem.

#6: Seattle Sounders FC (6 pts) - Seattle hasn't been around long enough to trade away picks from this draft in previous years so they're straight forward, one pick in each round, in the position they're supposed to be in at the top of each round. However, after the #1 and #16 picks, things are going to get light, so they find themselves in the middle of the pack in this ranking.

#7: Los Angeles Galaxy (5 pts) - LA does have the #3 overall pick but then they miss the second round and their last three picks come late, so the best of the draft will be harder to find when their card comes up.

#8: Chivas USA (4 pts) - They only have 2 picks but they come in the first and second round. The #9 pick should yield something and the #19 has a decent chance, but with the SuperDraft sometimes volume outweighs position, and this year Chivas USA lacks the volume.

#9: Colorado Rapids (3.5 pts) - While they have the most picks, the Rapids only have 1 pick in the first two rounds and it is the second round. Opposite of Chivas USA, the Rapids have plenty of volume but it could come too late especially since there isn't a reserve league to let guys grow into the pro game a little more slowly.

#10: New York Red Bulls (3 pts) - The Red Bulls have a couple picks in the first two rounds but only one more after that. With 14 overall they should be able to get someone solid in a deep draft, but there is a chance that their pick doesn't mesh with the club and then they're looking at a second and third rounder and lower odds of success.

#11: Chicago Fire (2 pts) & Real Salt Lake (2 pts) - A tie for the 11th & 12th spots doesn't bode well for these two. Both teams have been assembling a strong veteran core so I'm not sure how much they need the SuperDraft.

#13: Columbus Crew (1pt) & San Jose Earthquakes (0 pt) - The champs lost their coach but re-signed the best defender in the league. Draft picks will just be gravy for them and with the #30 pick being their first, the chances of getting any gravy are slim. San Jose has a second rounder but only one more after that.

#15: Houston Dynamo (0 pt) & - 2 picks, the first one is #41, enough said.

So there you go. Nothing overly scientific about it but that is my ranking on who has the best draft changes this Thursday.

2009 MLS Combine Kicks Off...

The 2009 MLS Combine kicks off its first match tomorrow. MLS released all of the official teams and schedule. Here they are.

adidas adiPure
Alec Dufty (University of Evansville)
Neal Kitson (St. John's University)
Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (George Mason University)
Raphael Cox (University of Washington)
Danny Cruz (Generation adidas/University of Nevada Las Vegas)
Juan Guerra (Florida International University)
Jack Traynor (University of Notre Dame)
Darrius Barnes (Duke University)
Matt Besler (University of Notre Dame)
Graciano Brito (Quinnipiac University)
Aaron Clapham (University of Louisville)
Jokull Elisabetarson (University of North Carolina – Greensboro)
Wes Knight (College of Charleston)
Paul Nicholson (Rio Grande University)
Jean Alexandre (Lynn University)
Jordan Seabrook (University of South Florida)
Jeremy Hall (Generation adidas/University of Maryland)
Otto Loewy (Winthrop University)

Coaches: Bobby Clark (University of Notre Dame) and Jeremy Alumbaugh (Springfield United)


adidas Tunit
Stefan Frei (Generation adidas/University of California)
Trevor Banks (Old Dominion University)
Josh Boateng (Liberty University)
AJ DeLaGarza (University of Mayland)
Richard Jata (Campbell Univeristy)
Rodney Wallace (Generation adidas/University of Maryland)
Brandon Barklage (Saint Louis University)
Pav Castenada (Duke University)
Paul Gerstenberger (Boston College)
Andrei Gotsmanov (Creighton University)
Peri Marosevic (Generation adidas/University of Michigan)
Kyle Patterson (Saint Louis University)
Chris Pontius (University of California - Santa Barbara)
Matt Poole (University of Virginia)
Kyle Russell (Coastal Carolina University)
Babajide Ogunbiyi (Santa Clara University)
Daniel Revivo (Winthrop University)

Coaches: Cam Rast (University of Santa Clara) and Marc Nicholls (Greensboro Youth Soccer)


adidas Predator PowerSwerve
Evan Bush (University of Akron)
Sean Milligan (Dartmouth University)
Quincy Amarikwa (University of California - Davis)
Oscar Castillo (University of Connecticut)
Jeffery Harwell (Southern Methodist University)
Keum Sung Kim (Loyola University)
Akeem Priestly (University of Connecticut)
Lyle Adams (Wake Forest University)
Rhett Bernstein (Brown University)
Sam Cronin (Wake Forest University)
Doug DeMartin (Michigan State University)
Bryan Irwin (University of Portland)
Yohance Marshall (University of South Florida)
Ryan Mirsky (Southern Methodist University)
Patrick Murray (Furman University)
Steve Zakuani (Generation adidas/University of Akron)
Nick Zimmerman (James Madison University)
Omar Gonzalez (Generation adidas/University of Maryland)

Coaches: Caleb Porter (University of Akron) and Bobby Muuss (University of Denver)


adidas Tiro

Steward Ceus (University of Albany)
Milos Kocic (Loyola College (Md.))
Ryan Maxwell (University of Tampa)
Michael Lahoud (Wake Forest University)
Chris Salvaggione (UNC – Charlotte)
Kevin Alston (Generation adidas/Indiana University)
Calum Angus (Saint Louis University)
Evan Brown (Wake Forest University)
Graham Zusi (University of Maryland)
Chris Clements (University of Tulsa)
Dylan Curtis (University of California – Davis)
Alex Grendi (University of Pennsylvania)
David Hertel (Michigan State University)
Ryan Maduro (Providence College)
Baggio Husidic (Generation adidas/University of Illinois - Chicago)
George John (University of Washington)
Ross Schunk (Redlands University)
Nick Perera (University of California - Santa Barbara)

Coaches: Chaka Daley (Providence College) and Janusz Michallik (National Director of SoccerPlus Camps)

Here is the schedule of games:
Saturday, January 10
2:30 PM Predator PowerSwerve vs. adidas Tunit (Lockhart Stadium)
4:30 PM adiPure vs. adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)

Sunday, January 11
3:00 PM adidas Tunit vs. adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)
5:00 PM Predator PowerSwerve vs adiPure (Lockhart Stadium)

Tuesday, January 13
9:15 AM Predator PowerSwerve vs adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)
11:15 AM adiPure vs adidas Tunit (Lockhart Stadium)


Remember, these guys are competing for fewer spots in 2009. There is no longer a supplemental draft and the number of developmental spots is shrinking from 10 to 4 or 6 depending on the team. Many of these guys will not be good enough to come in and unseat the established developmental players who have one, two or even three years professional experience. Does that mean we'll see more guys drafted by MLS signing with USL clubs? What do you think?

2009 MLS Generation Adidas Class Thoughts...

We've all had a day to digest the Generation Adidas class. I've had some thoughts and I've corresponded with an MLS insider who gave me their thoughts. My thoughts aren't as insightful as my MLS insider, so we'll go there first.

on Alston...

I like Kevin Alston - D - University of Indiana very much - he is ready to go now

Alston is listed as 5' 8" so it would seem if he is in fact ready to go now it will be as a full back or perhaps some kind of winger. He's been a defender most of his career but maybe he can adapt like Jonathan Bornstein.

on Frei...

GK- University of California: probably the best GK candidate to come out of college since Adin Brown...excellent

This is high praise in my book. Looking back over his career he started well winning Athlete of the Year in 2005 at De La Salle High School. If you know anything about high school football you know De La Salle is one of the football factories in the US. They have kids going on to the biggest college programs and then the NFL. And a soccer goalie won Athlete of the Year there three years ago. What? He's got good size and had a commanding season in net as a junior at Cal (0.77 GAA, 9 SO).

This next one threw me. To this point all I've seen in the media is Zakuani #1, top forward prospect, a lock...not in the opinion of my insider...

F - University of Akron: overrated - mark my words / another Patrick Nyarko

That got me thinking...is comparing a draft candidate to Patrick Nyarko that bad of a thing? In 2008 he played in nine games and scored two goals. Some might say that is a decent start for a rookie forward. Others might look at Nyarko's 22 years of age and say Altidore was out scoring him at 17. I'd say the verdict is still out on Nyarko and the comparison says to me that Zakuani has as much of a chance to score a couple goals in his rookie year and to have the jury still out on him in 2010. We'll see.

on Husidic...

M - University of Illinois – Chicago - skillful, playmaker - not sure if he can go wide or not

I take the above comment to say that most kids coming out of school aren't ready to play in the center of the park as rookies. They take time to develop. Without the reserve league will someone like Husidic get that chance unless he can adapt to a wider position?

That's all I've got from the insider. The knock on Zakuani makes me think twice about putting him #1 overall. Perhaps Seattle would do better picking Omar Gonzalez. Seattle already has a skilled forward in Sebastien Le Toux and a good target in Nate Jaqua. Why not add a skillful 6' 5" center back to the mix?

This GA class is going to go quickly I think. The consensus on the draft class seems to be that it is shallow. My source is of the opinion that it future rookie classes will continue to deteriorate until young players developed by the MLS clubs start to enter the league in a few years. With this latest rule change by MLS where the spots for youngsters was reduced and the reserve league axed I have to agree. Picking the upcoming MLS talent is an art, not a science and the past has shown that you need to work with these kids over time, not expect excellence right out of school.

One interesting thing I realized this morning is that none of this year's GA class is direct from the U-17 residency program, they all have some college experience. Perhaps MLS is learning that Altidore is the exception, not the rule.

2009 MLS Generation Adidas Class Announced...

Here are the young guys who will be leaving college early, getting paid more than most (if not all) seniors who finished school, attending the combine and entering the MLS SuperDraft.

Kevin Alston - D - University of Indiana
Danny Cruz - M - University of Nevada Las Vegas
Stefan Frei - GK- University of California
Omar Gonzalez - D - University of Maryland
Jeremy Hall - M - University of Maryland
Baggio Husidic - M - University of Illinois – Chicago
Peri Marosevic - F - University of Michigan
Rodney Wallace - M - University of Maryland
Steve Zakuani - F - University of Akron

Maryland fans are going to be bummed to see this amount of talent bolting after the national championship in addition to their graduating seniors, right?

The biggest surprise to me is Marosevic from U of M. As you know, I'm a Go Blue supporter myself but he seems to have been flying under the radar to this point.

Let's look at some honors I've been collecting on this group (as I've said in the past, I know I'm missing stuff...this is just what I've collected in my free time):

Kevin Alston: 2004 ESP, 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2005 Parade All American, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2008 Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team

Danny Cruz: 2007 US U-18, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup South Korea, 2007 CSN All-Freshman 2nd Team, 2008 US U-20

Stefan Frei: 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 1st Team, 2008 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List

Omar Gonzalez: 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 PARADE All-America, 2006 US U-20, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 SA Freshman of the year 2nd team, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2007 TDS 1st Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 3rd Team, 2008 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 ESPN.com Preseason All-American Starting XI, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 1st Team

Jeremy Hall: 2003 - 2005 US U-17 Residency, 2004 ESP, 2005 FIFA U-17 WC Team, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 PARADE All-America, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 ACC Freshman OTY, 2006 CSN 1st All-Freshman Team, 2006 SA Freshman of the year 1st team, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team

Baggio Husidic: 2006 Horizon League Newcomer of the year, 2007 All-Horizon League 1st Team, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 1st Team

Perica Marosevic: 2004 - 2006 US U-17 Residency, US U-17 & U-18 Team Member, 2005 ESP, 2005 NSCAA/adidas Boys Youth All-America Team, 2006 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2006 CSN 2nd All-Freshman Team, 2007 US U-18, 2007 U-18 Pan Am Games, 2008 US U-20, 2008 Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team

Rodney Wallace: 2004 ESP, 2007 CSN 100 Freshman to Watch, 2007 TDS All-Rookie 1st Team, 2008 All-ACC 2nd Team

Steve Zakuani: 2007 CSN All-Freshman Team, 2007 MAC Newcomer of the Year, 2007 1st Team All MAC, 2008 CSN POTW, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 Hermann Trophy Finalists, 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's All-America 1st Team

Now that the GA class is out, the combine list can be finalized and the mock drafts can begin in earnest. A majority of these kids will be first round picks, if not all. However, you do see some GA kids slip into the first round. Check back in the next few days to see mock drafts and other new content regarding the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

2009 MLS SuperDraft. Order...

Just got a press release with the official order for the upcoming SuperDraft. Here it is:

1st ROUND:
1. Seattle Sounders FC
2. Toronto FC (from San Jose)
3. Los Angeles Galaxy
4. Toronto FC
5. FC Dallas
6. D.C. United
7. D.C. United (from Colorado)
8. Kansas City Wizards
9. Chivas USA
10. New England Revolution
11. FC Dallas (from San Jose, Houston)
12. Real Salt Lake
13. Toronto FC (from Chicago)
14. New York Red Bulls
15. New England Revolution (from Columbus)


2nd ROUND:
16. Seattle Sounders FC
17. San Jose Earthquakes
18. FC Dallas (from Los Angeles)
19. Chivas USA (from Toronto)
20. Colorado Rapids (from FC Dallas)
21. D.C. United
22. Kansas City Wizards (from Colorado)
23. Kansas City Wizards
24. New England Revolution (from Los Angeles, Chivas USA)
25. New England Revolution
26. D.C. United (from Houston)
27. FC Dallas (from Salt Lake)
28. Chicago Fire
29. New York Red Bulls
30. Columbus Crew


3rd ROUND:
31. Seattle Sounders FC
32. San Jose Earthquakes
33. Los Angeles Galaxy
34. Toronto FC
35. Colorado Rapids (from Dallas)
36. D.C. United
37. Colorado Rapids
38. New England Revolution (from Kansas City)
39. Toronto FC (from Dallas, Chivas USA)
40. New England Revolution
41. Houston Dynamo
42. Kansas City Wizards (from Salt Lake)
43. Chicago Fire
44. New York Red Bulls
45. Columbus Crew


4th ROUND:
46. Seattle Sounders FC
47. Colorado Rapids (from San Jose)
48. Los Angeles Galaxy
49. Los Angeles Galaxy (from Toronto)
50. Kansas City Wizards (from Dallas) $
51. Colorado Rapids (from D.C. United)
52. Chicago Fire (from Colorado)
53. Kansas City Wizards $
54. Real Salt Lake (from Chivas USA)
55. New England Revolution
56. Houston Dynamo
57. Real Salt Lake
58. Chicago Fire
59. Colorado Rapids (from New York Red Bull)
60. Columbus Crew

$ - Per a previous trade Colorado is to receive the lower of KC's 2009 4th round SuperDraft picks. This pick is to be determined 48 hours prior to the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. This trade will not include any future picks KC may receive in 2009 4th round SuperDraft.

The event will begin at 1 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) in St. Louis, Mo., in conjunction with the annual convention of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The first hour of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft will be televised live on ESPN2.

NCAA Player Rankings Are Coming...

I'm not great at doing the whole player ranking game. I don't see enough games to do that and the honors I track won't cut it. I rely on others for this part of the equation, and the flow of information is starting. Remember to check the right margin section '2009 MLS SuperDraft Previews, Information & Links' to catch the latest. This morning I added Buzz Carrick's recently posted espn.com piece on Goal Keepers. Buzz does a great job, give him a read.

Attention...First Mock Draft of 2009...Attention...

Soccer By Ives has the first mock draft I've seen since the college cup ended with a Maryland championship. What do you guys think, is Ives smoking anything with Tracey going #1? Personally I'm not so sure about him going #1. Personally I think Generation Adidas players will be in higher demand this time around given the reduction in developmental spots. Opara, Gonzalez & Zakuani could all go before Tracey in my opinion due to the rule changes. Props to Ives for getting a solid first mock draft on the street.

MLS Draft Rules...

Each year MLS fans around the country look at the college SuperDraft and get excited to see who is joining their team through this annual event. However, each year training camp comes and not all of the drafted players are with their team. Some have gone to Europe, some have gone to the A-League, some have just dropped off the face of the planet. The MLS SuperDraft is an imperfect process that needs improvement. Soccer America has a great blog post about it today and I thought I would call some attention to it.

MLS needs to learn how to increase the talent pool in the league both with international players and domestic players. Many good soccer players are playing in American colleges and MLS still has not found the best recipe for how to bring them into the league and help them grow. Top underclassmen are woowed with Generation Adidas contracts but then top seniors are asked to play for next to nothing. MLS seems to be saying finishing your college education is a bad thing.

I don't need to go off on a huge rant about this. The net net is that MLS hurt itself by removing the reserve league this off-season. The 2009 draft is going to have a lot of talented players who are going to be competing with guys who have already been in the league a couple years for fewer slots on teams. That is going to force more quality young players into the USL or abroad. Read SA's article for more.

Result Of NCAA Men's Soccer Semi-Final Numer 1...

If you don't want to know, don't read on....


Huge upset in Texas as UNC beats Wake 1-0! Wake sees the defense of their 2007 championship end in heart breaking fashion. I got home just in time to see a Wake player, I think Tracey, laying on the ground dejected. Brian Shriver scored the lone goal in the 4th minute and the Tar Heels held on to win against their instate rivals. Most everyone thought Wake would get the win here, but it is not to be.

After I saw the goal scorer I checked to see if he is on the combine list. He isn't! I'm not sure how the UNC marksman missed the cut but it could be a sign of MLS teams understanding they're going to be drafting fewer guys who actually make the team. Shriver certainly hasn't been the most prolific scorer in his college career but he showed today he can come up big when it counts. He also led the boys in light blue in scoring in 2008 with 13 goals and five assists before his huge goal tonight.

Congrats to the Tar Heels, you've just killed my pool. I've still got Maryland winning it all. Go Terps!

2009 MLS Combine Class Announced...Commentary...

Yesterday I posted the 2009 Combine list as quickly as possible to get the MLS press release on the street. Now we've all had some time to digest and think about it. First off, so everyone understands these are all of the seniors who are invited to the combine. As the college season wraps up and under classmen decide whether or not to leave school for a shot in MLS, this list will expand.

Speaking of later additions. Soccer By Ives took a stab at potential Generation Adidas players for the '09 class yesterday.

If you are in the area of the combine, head over and check it out come January. I went last year and it is a fun event to watch. There are some velvet ropes between fans and coaches but some of the coaches leave the protected area and you never know. I ended up talking to Paul Mariner and Steve Nicol briefly.

Let's dig into the list and some of the honors I've been tracking for these guys over the years. This isn't in any kind of ranking or order, just as my thoughts come to me.

Before I start, isn't it interesting that the list has GK, D & M/F. The league isn't trying to classify the forwards as compared to the midfielders this year. I think that is interesting. We've seen in the past that college forwards turn into attacking midfielders and vise versa, so now the league is acknowledging that coaches will decide where they play in MLS, not college experience.

Mike Grella - Duke University - M/F: Mike Grella has been on my list basically since I started it; his 2003 Parade Magazine All-American honor put him on my list. At the time I think there were 100 kids on there. Each year he has been in college I have looked at the list of honors and wondered if he was going to leave early. He hasn't. He's had a solid college career and has stacked up the following honors: 2003, 2004 Parade Magazine All-American, 2004 ESP All*Star, 2004 NSCAA National High School Player of the Year, 2005 StudentSportsSoccer.com #1 top prospect, 2005 All-ACC Freshman team, U-18 & U-20 National Team, 2006 Soccer America POTW, 2006 ACC All-Conference, 2007 CSN Pre-Season 2nd Team All-American, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 2nd Team, 2008 CSN 2nd Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team, 2008 ACC Offensive POTY, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
I am sure I am missing some of the things he's accomplished. This year he led the Duke Blue Devils in scoring with 14 goals and 8 assists.

Doug DeMartin - Michigan State University - M/F: DeMartin his my list last year when he was added to the 1st team in the Big Ten. This year he had a great season and won the honor of Big Ten Player of the Year. Here are some more of his honors I've tracked: 2007 1st Team All Big Ten, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, 2008 Big Ten All-Conference 1st Team, 2008 Big Ten Player Of The Year
I don't know a whole lot about him but given that he played well in a tough conference, leading his team to a top 10 ranking at the end of the season, I've got to imagine he could get some attention come January. He led his team in scoring this year with 17 goals and 3 assists.

Yohance Marshall - University of South Florida - D: Marshall is an athletic defender with good size and strength. He has quickly moved up the scouting lists after having a strong senior season leading the USF back line to a season where they gave up multiple goals in only two games. The young player from Malabar Arima, Trinidad will certainly be looking to have an impressive combine performance. I didn't hear about him until this year when he earned the following honors, but if you look at his USF profile you'll see I simply missed many other honors: 2008 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 ESPN.com Preseason All-American Starting XI

Tosaint Ricketts - University of Wisconsin – Green Bay - M/F: Ricketts hit my radar when he played for Canada in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. At 6'0" he has good size for MLS and in high school he was one of the top short distance sprinters in Alberta, meaning he's got wheels. This season he led his team in scoring with 8 goals and 2 assists. Being a Canadian player he makes perfect sense for FC Toronto but a good combine performance could draw the eyes of other clubs looking for a quick striker. Honors: Canada U-17 Team, 2007 Canadian U-20 World Cup, 2008 Canadian U-23 Team.

Sam Cronin - Wake Forest University - M/F: Cronin is another player who has featured on my list since I started it or soon thereafter. He's had a great career at Wake being in the center of a team that has won the National Championship and is looking to repeat. This year he's continued to score goals and set them up with 10 scored and 4 assists. His honors list is long: 2003 NSCAA Youth adidas All-American, 2003 - 2004 ESP, 2007 TDS 3rd Team TOS, 2007 NSCAA/adidas All-America 2nd Team, 2008 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 ESPN.com Preseason All-American Starting XI, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist

Marcus Tracy - Wake Forest University - M/F: Marcus Tracy seems to be the complete package. He's skillful on the ball, fast and can put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis. This year he had an impressive double double of sorts scoring 13 goals while creating 10. His honors list is also impressive and you can add the fact that he was heavily recuited by Duke, Maryland, UConn and Notre Dame before choosing Wake. Honors: 2004 NSCAA/adidas All-American, 2004 Connecticut Player of the Year, 2008 CSN 1st Team Pre-Season All-American, 2008 ESPN.com Preseason All-American Starting XI, 2008 Hermann Trophy Watch List, 2008 CSN POTW, 2008 All-ACC 1st Team, 2008 Hermann Trophy Semifinalist.

Richard Jata - Campbell University - M/F: If nothing else Jata is an interesting case study in Internet self promotion. I've received comments and emails from Richard's brother who is his foremost cheerleader. Jata's brother has created a blog to follow Richard's quest for a professional career. Kudos to the Jata brothers for chasing a dream and using today's technology to get noticed. I hope it works out for you. Honors: 2007 1st Team All A-Sun Conference, 2008 A-Sun POTY, 2008 A-Sun 1st Team.

As I said earlier the combine class will be supplemented as Generation Adidas players sign with the league. Buzz is doing a great job keeping on top of that market.

There are some highlights of the combine class. I'm sure I missed some honors. Who are some of the players you are interested in seeing at the combine?

2009 MLS Combine Class Announced...

To be honest, I didn't see this list coming out until after the College Cup finishes up. Here is the official release from MLS:

For Immediate Release

Contact: MLS Communications

(212) 450-1227

communications@mlsnet.com

2009 adidas MLS Player Combine To Feature 65 of College Soccer’s Top Division I Seniors

Eight 2008 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists among invitees

NEW YORK (Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008) – Major League Soccer today announced the initial list of 65 college seniors from 45 Division I schools who have been invited to participate in the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine. The annual player combine will be held at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 9-13, 2009. The game schedule for the player combine is also included below.

The coaching and management staffs of all 15 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes two days before the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. At the 2008 MLS SuperDraft 43 of the 56 players drafted participated in the 2008 adidas MLS Player Combine; 12 combine players were selected in the first round. The 2009 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009 in St. Louis, Mo.

The list of invitees is highlighted by eight players who are semifinalists for the 2008 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, NCAA soccer’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists invited to the player combine include Wake Forest University’s Sam Cronin and Marcus Tracey, Michigan State University’s Doug DeMartin, Duke University’s Mike Grella, Creighton University’s Andrei Gotsmanov, University of California-Santa Barbara’s Chris Pontius, Indiana University’s Brad Ring, and UNC Charlotte’s Chris Salvaggionne. The 2008 MAC Hermann Trophy finalists will be announced on Dec. 12, 2008, and the winner is announced on Jan. 9, 2009.

The initial player list was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conferences who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. Youth players from the Generation adidas program will join additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and Division I alternates to finalize the 2009 adidas Player Combine. The final player list and team assignments will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine will separate all players into four teams and feature two games per day at Lockhart Stadium on Jan. 10, 11 and 13. Each team will be led by an experienced Division I coach and will be assigned a youth coach, to be named at a later date. Santa Clara University Head Coach, Cam Rast has been selected to coach Team adidas Tiro. Caleb Porter, a former MLS player and current assistant coach at Indiana University will coach Team Predator PowerSwerve. Entering his ninth season at Providence University, former MLS player Chaka Daley will lead Team adiTunit. University of Notre Dame Head Coach Bobby Clark will lead Team adiPure.

The Sheraton Yankee Clipper Hotel and the Harbor Beach Marriott will serve as the official headquarters of the adidas MLS Player Combine and the host hotel for players and coaching staffs.

Media interested in securing credentials for the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine should contact MLS Sports Communications Manager Stephen Rodriguez at 212-450-1227 or stephen.rodriguez@mlsnet.com.

The game schedule and the 65 players selected, broken down by position and by school are included below:

MLS PLAYER COMBINE GAME SCHEDULE

All games are open to the public. All times eastern and schedule is subject to change.


Saturday, January 10

2:30 PM Predator PowerSwerve vs. adiTunit (Lockhart Stadium)

4:30 PM adiPure vs. adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)

Sunday, January 11

3:00 PM adiTunit vs. adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)

5:00 PM Predator PowerSwerve vs adiPure (Lockhart Stadium)

Tuesday, January 13

9:15 AM Predator PowerSwerve vs adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)

11:15 AM adiPure vs adiTunit (Lockhart Stadium)

2009 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (7): Chris Brown (Boston College); Evan Bush (University of Akron); Steward Ceus (University of Albany); Alec Dufty (University of Evansville); Neal Kitson (St. John’s University); Milos Kocic (Loyola College); Sean Milligan (Dartmouth College)



DEFENDERS (20): Lyle Adams (Wake Forest University); Calum Angus (Saint Louis University); Trevor Banks (Old Dominion University); Darius Barnes (Duke University); Rhett Bernstein (Brown University); Matt Besler (Notre Dame University); Evan Brown (Wake Forest University); Oscar Castillo (University of Connecticut); Chris Clements (University of Tulsa); AJ Delagarza (University of Maryland); Paul Gerstenberger (Boston College); David Hertel (Michigan State University); Wes Knight (College of Charleston); Otto Loewy (Winthrop University); Yohance Marshall (University of South Florida); Ryan Mirsky (Southern Methodist University); Babjide Ogunbiyi (Santa Clara University); Kyle Russell (Coastal Carolina University); Seth Sinovic (Creighton University); Jack Traynor (Notre Dame University)



MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS (39): Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (George Mason University); Quincy Amarikwa (University of California-Davis); Brandon Barklage (Saint Louis University); Josh Boateng (Liberty University); Graciano Brito (Quinnipiac University); Pav Castenada (Duke University); Aaron Clapham (University of Louisville); Raphael Cox (University of Washington); Sam Cronin (Wake Forest University); Dylan Curtis (University of California-Davis); Doug DeMartin (Michigan State University); Jokul Elisabetarson (University of North Carolina-Greensboro); Michael Fucito (Harvard University); Andrei Gotsmanov (Creighton University); Mike Grella (Duke University); Alex Grendi (University of Pennsylvania); Juan Guerra (Florida International University); Jeffrey Harwell (Southern Methodist University); Bryan Irwin (University of Portland); Richard Jata (Campbell University); George John (University of Washington); Keum Sung Kim (Loyola University); Michael Lahoud (Wake Forest University); Ryan Maduro (Providence College); Patrick Murray (Furman University); Kyle Patterson (Saint Louis University); Nick Perra (University of California-Santa Barbara); Chris Pontius (University of California-Santa Barbara); Matt Poole (University of Virginia); Akeem Priestley (University of Connecticut); Daniel Revivo (Winthrop University); Tosaint Ricketts (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay); Brad Ring (Indiana University); Chris Salvaggionne (University of North Carolina-Charlotte); Jordan Seabrook (University of South Florida); Marcus Tracy (Wake Forest University); Nick Zimmerman (James Madison University); Graham Zusi (University of Maryland)


ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY SCHOOL


Boston College
Chris Brown
Paul Gerstenberger

Brown University
Rhett Bernstein

Campbell University
Richard Jata

Coastal Carolina University
Kyle Russell

College of Charleston
Wes Knight

Creighton University
Andrei Gotsmanov
Seth Sinovic

Dartmouth University
Sean Milligan

Duke University
Darrius Barnes
Mike Grella
Pav Castaneda

Florida International University
Juan Guerra

Furman University
Patrick Murray

George Mason University
Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe

Harvard University
Michael Fucito

Indiana University
Brad Ring

James Madison University
Nick Zimmerman

Liberty University
Josh Boateng

Loyola College
Milos Kocic

Loyola University
Keum Sung Kim

Michigan State University
Doug DeMartin
David Hertel

Old Dominion University
Trevor Banks

Providence College
Ryan Maduro

Quinnipiac University
Graciano Brito

Saint Louis University
Calum Angus
Brandon Barklage
Kyle Patterson

Santa Clara University
Babajide Ogunbiyi

Southern Methodist University
Jeffrey Harwell
Ryan Mirsky

St. John’s University
Neal Kitson

University of Akron
Evan Bush

University of Albany
Steward Ceus

University of California - Davis
Quincy Amarikwa
Dylan Curtis

University of California – Santa Barbara
Nick Perera
Chris Pontius

University of Connecticut
Oscar Castillo
Akeem Priestley

University of Evansville
Alec Dufty

University of Louisville
Aaron Clapham

University of Maryland
AJ Delagarza
Graham Zusi

University of Norte Dame
Matt Besler
Jack Traynor

University of North Carolina – Charlotte
Chris Salvaggione

University of North Carolina – Greensboro
Jokull Elisabetarson

University of Pennsylvania
Alex Grendi

University of Portland
Bryan Irwin

University of South Florida
Yohance Marshall
Jordan Seabrook

University of Tulsa
Chris Clements

University of Virginia
Matt Poole

University of Washington
Raphael Cox
George John

University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
Tosaint Ricketts

Wake Forest University
Lyle Adams
Evan Brown
Sam Cronin
Michael Lahoud
Marcus Tracy

Winthrop University
Otto Loewy
Daniel Revivo

Let The 2009 MLS SuperDraft Chatter Begin!!!

Anyone reading this blog knows what I get excited for every year. As the college season wraps up, as snow starts falling, as it gets cold out, my mind turns to the MLS Draft. The show is starting to pop and Buzz has updated his Generation Adidas tracking list. He did it a month ago, I'm a little behind. Check the right hand margin regularly as I'll post new links with resources for the 2009 Draft as I find them. Have one, email me.

2009 MLS SuperDraft...

It may seem awhile off to most of us, but over at WVHooligan - Soccer Blog you can sink your teeth into the first projected draft order I've seen. Nice work by Drew Epperley on this one.