With the MLS SuperDraft just a month away, MLS announced on Thursday morning the initial list of college seniors who have been invited to the 2011 adidas MLS Player Combine. The 54 college seniors named come from 36 Division I schools. They were selected by a panel of Division I coaches in conjunction with MLS coaches. The list boasts many college standouts, including nine players from the four teams competing in this coming weekend's College Cup: J.T. Murray (Louisville); Justin Meram (Michigan); Anthony Ampaipitakwong (pictured above) and Christopher Korb (Akron); and Eddie Ababio, Jalil Anibaba, Michael Farfan, Stephen McCarthy and Dustin McCarty (UNC). This is just the initial list of invitees. More players, including those from the Generation adidas program, Division II and II schools, and NAIA schools, will be added in the coming weeks. The combine is set to take place in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 7-11. wwww.MLSsoccer.com will have full coverage of the combine games and profiles of many of the players. Adidas MLS Player Combine list by position GOALKEEPERS (5): Bryan Meredith (Monmouth); Jeff Attinella (University of South Florida); Jimmy Maurer (South Carolina); Joe Willis (University of Denver); Josh Ford (UConn) DEFENDERS (17): A.J. Soares (California); Bilal Duckett (Notre Dame); Bobby Warshaw (Stanford); Christopher Korb (Akron); Colin Givens (Michigan State); Curtis Ushedo (UAB); Demitrius Omphroy (California); Eddie Ababio (UNC); Greg Klazura (Notre Dame); Greg King (UConn); Indy Smith (UNC Wilmington); Jalil Anibaba (UNC); J.T. Murray (Louisville); Juan Cruz (SMU); Michael Boxall (UCSB); Rich Balchan (Indiana); Tyler Lassiter (North Carolina State) MIDFIELDERS (21): Anthony Ampaipitakwong (Akron); Blake Brettschneider (South Carolina); Cole Grossman (Duke); Daniel Keat (Dartmouth); Dustin McCarty (UNC); Ernesto Carranza (Sacramento State); Guillermo Cortes (Maryland); Hector Jimenez (California); Jimmy Banks (Green Bay); John "Jeb" Brovsky (Notre Dame); Jon Okafor (Brown); Josue Soto (SMU); Karl Reddick (Boston College); Konrad Warzycha (Ohio State); Lebogang Pila (St. Peter's College); Matheus Braga (Penn State); Matt Gold (Ohio State); Michael Farfan (UNC); Servando Carrasco (California); Stephen McCarthy (UNC); Tommy Drake (Clemson) FORWARDS (11): Amani Walker (UCI); Ashley McInnes (Tulsa); Brayan Martinez (Seton Hall University); CJ Sapong (James madison); Davis Paul (California); Efrain Burgos (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), Jason Herrick (Maryland); Justin Meram (Michigan); Levi Houapeu (UMBC); Philip Bannister (Loyola University Maryland); Steven Perry (Notre Dame) http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mls-announces-initial-list-adidas-mls-player-combine-invitees
Foreign Non-Collegians Round Out Combine Roster Just before the end of the year, in December of 2010, the MLS Competition Committee approved a League initiative to sign non-collegiate players for participation in the adidas MLS Player Combine and the SuperDraft. At first glance it sounds like a drastic shift in the way the two events work but it’s not the first time it’s happened. The initial 1996 combine was loaded with players who had kicked a ball around in the name of earning a paycheck and drafts as recently as 2008 have included a foreigner or two who fit that same description; that’s when Argentinians Maximiliano Damiano & Lucas Fernandez participated in the combine at Ft. Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium. This year’s Player Combine will include a handful of non-collegiate players including midfielder Paolo Cardozo (Uruguay), forward Victor Estupinan (Ecuador), midfielder Marlon Ganchozo (Ecuador), midfielder Martin Rivas (Argentina), and midfielder John Rooney (England). http://mlsinsiderblog.com/?p=4404
Adidas MLS Combine rosters, schedule announced Additional invitees added to initial list; int'l players included The future of MLS talent will be on full display this coming weekend as the 2011 adidas MLS Player Combine gets underway. On Tuesday the league announced the full rosters and coaching assignments for the showcase, scheduled for Jan. 7-11 at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and it also added seven more college seniors and five non-college players to the list of players initially invited to the annual Combine. The group of more than 70 prospects will be split into four squads, with each roster led by a top national coach. The University of Louisville’s Ken Lolla will coach AdiZero with Rick Brownell of the Michigan Wolves, the University of Tulsa’s Tom McIntosh will coach AdiPure with Dave Smith of the North Atlantic Soccer Association, Seattle Pacific University’s Mark Collings will coach team Jabulani with Brian Quinn of San Diego SC, and Old Dominion’s Alan Dawson will coach team AdiPower with Brian Doyle of Council Rock Soccer Association and FC Bucks. Four Generation adidas players eligible for this year's SuperDraft — Perry Kitchen, Zac MacMath, Omar Salgado and Zarek Valentin — will not participate in the Combine as they are currently in camp with the US U-20 national team. Another, Akron forward Darlington Nagbe, will not be at the Combine though is still eligible for the MLS SuperDraft, which will be held in Baltimore on Jan. 13. Following an initiative approved in December by the MLS Competition Committee, this year's Combine will also feature some non-collegiate players and international talent, including Uruguayan midfielder Paolo Cardozo, Ecuadoran forward Victor Estupinan and midfielder Marlon Ganchozo, Argentine midfielder Martin Rivas and English midfielder John Rooney. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/adidas-mls-combine-rosters-schedule-announced
Ranking Prospects MLSsoccer.com ranks the Top 30 in the SuperDraft With the MLS SuperDraft now less than a week away, our experts take a took at some of the best young talent soon to find a home in Major League Soccer. The panel of senior writer Simon Borg, director of video content Jason Saghini and college and D.C. United beat writer Travis Clark rank the top 30 prospects for the draft, with mixed opinions on stars like Darlington Nagbe, Perry Kitchen and Zac MacMath. Make sure to follow the MLS Combine beginning Saturday on MLSsoccer.com, with live streaming of each match and exclusive print and video coverage. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/top-30-mls-superdraft-prospects
Let’s preface this whole discussion with something that’s axiomatic: The rise of MLS developmental academies and, with it, professional training for young American and Canadian talent, is an unvarnished good. It is the best news since the commitment to soccer-specific stadiums. It is the surest sign that the league understands what “the next step” is and how to take it. But that doesn’t mean college soccer is dead. Far from it. A rising tide lifts all boats, as the saying goes, and that’s as true in American soccer as it is in any other venue. Over the past 15 years, the advance in quality of MLS has been mirrored by that of amateur soccer on these shores. And for that reason, the annual SuperDraft will always be relevant. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/armchair-analyst-out-college-and-ready-mls The 2011 MLS Combine takes place this weekend in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. This is the final chance for prospective draftees to impress MLS coaches ahead of the MLS SuperDraft on January 13 in Baltimore. MLSsoccer.com will be streaming every Combine match LIVE. Or, if you are in Florida, you can attend the games at Central Broward Regional Park. Tickets can be purchased at the gate. Saturday, Jan. 8 1:45 pm — AdiPower vs. AdiPure 3:30 pm — Jabulani vs. AdiZero -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, Jan. 10 11:15 am — AdiPure vs. Jabulani 1 pm — AdiPower vs. AdiZero -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, Jan. 11 11:15 am — AdiPower vs. Jabulani 1 pm — AdiPure vs. AdiZero http://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft
MLSsoccer.com has live video of the combine matches. Ives Galarcep will be doing a live chat on SBI during the combine matches. He's down in Florida covering the draft. Combine Rosters: AdiPower AdiPure AdiZero Jabulani A little roster analysis for you using the Top 30 rankings provided by MLSsoccer.com. I was bored today so I compiled the three top 30 lists and made combo scores for everyone. If you weren't included on a list, I gave you a score of 35 from that person. Five of the top eight are not participating as Omar Salgado, Perry Kitchen, Zarek Valentin, and Zac MacMath are with the U20 camp and Darlington Nagbe is not participating in combine. A total of 38 players were in the Top 30 lists. Nagbe and Kitchen received all of the first and second place votes with Nagbe taking two firsts. Forward Will Bruin was third and is the highest rated player participating in the combine. AJ Soares is the top rated defender and finished just a point ahead of Michael Farfan, the top rated midfielder in the combine. For those scoring at home, that's one forward, one midfielder, and one defender as the top three participants. Keeper is a weak position at the combine as MacMath is top prospect and is with the U20 camp. Joe Willis and Josh Ford made two top 30s, while the other three keepers at the combine did not rank in any top 30s. A few prospects that a considerable range in their scores. Levi Houapeu was ranked 6th, 18th, and 23rd, but finishes 13th in the composite rankings. Corey Hertzog, a highly rated forward in everything I've read, was left off one list, but finishes 16th with rankings of 13 and 9 on the other two lists. Justin Meram is 19th overall, with rankings of 30, 11, and 17. Curtis Ushedo and Stephen McCarthy also had top ten rankings on one list, but were left off of another. These rankings lack the international players added to the combine. From John Rooney, Marlon Ganchozo, Joao Plata, Paolo Cardozo, Victor Estupinan, and Martin Rivas, a few would be expected to make the roster. AdiPower: A very defensive roster with Soares, Michael Tetteh, Rich Balchan, and Michael Boxall as the top four players. Hertzog will be leaned on for goals, while Anthony Ampaipitakwong will be controlling the offense from behind the strikers. JC Banks and Daniel Keat made all three lists and will join Ampai and Ganchozo in midfield. Ryan Kinne and Ashley McInnes will also play up top. Willis is in goal. Eleven players are ranked. AdiPure: Not a strong roster overall, which will give Jalil Anibaba plenty of opportunity to prove himself in central defense. Michael Nanchoff is part of the large Akron delegation and will feature on the wings. Jason Herrick is a respected forward who made all three top 30 lists. Those three are the only players who made all of the top 30 lists. Curtis Ushedo was ranked 7th, 25, and not rated and will pair with Anibaba defensively. While not ranked, Brayan Martinez is thought of high by Ives. A couple of younger brothers, Stephen McCarty (DC United's Dax) and John Rooney (some chav named Wayne) also feature. Seven players are ranked. AdiZero: There should be a strong attack here with Bruin and Farfan both in place. Plata will introduce himself to the MLS audience by pairing Bruin. Cole Grossman is the only other player who made all three lists on the roster, while midfielder McCarthy had a top ten ranking (and was left off one list). Defensively, Tyler Lassiter and Bilal Duckett will have to play above their rankings for keeper Ford to do well. Nine players are ranked. Jabulani: This squad has the fewest ranked players, but supplements that with three of the foreign players, Cardozo, Estupinan, and Rivas. Kofi Sarkodie is the top ranked player on the squad with two top ten rakings. Houapeu, Meram, and CJ Sapong are the ranked forwards on the squad, while defender Bobby Warshaw is the other player who made all three lists. Six players are ranked.
LAUDERHILL, Fla. – AdiPower and AdiPure played to a 0-0 draw in the first game of the 2011 MLS Combine on Saturday. Both sides featured some of the best defensive prospects in the draft, and it showed on the field, as chances were few and far between for both AdiPower and AdiPure. WATCH: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS (http://www.mlssoccer.com/videos?catid=1822&id=11033) http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/recap-adipower-adipure-play-scoreless-draw LAUDERHILL, Fla. – Jabulani overturned a one-goal deficit to beat AdiZero, 2-1, in the second game of the 2011 MLS Combine's opening day. The winning goal came in the 83rd minute from Uruguayan Paolo Cardozo. Jabulani's first goal was scored by Konrad Warzycha in the 37th minute, equalizing after Ecuadorian Joao Plata had opened the scoring for AdiZero in the 11th minute. WATCH: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS (http://www.mlssoccer.com/videos?catid=112&id=11035) http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/recap-jabulani-overturn-deficit-beat-adizero-2-1
MLS Combine, Day 2 Rooney scores winner; 5-goal thriller in Game 4 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With Day 2 officially in the books at the 2011 MLS Combine, some players improved upon their first impression, while others didn't. MLSsoccer.com's editorial staff plays day trader, figuring out whose stock went up and whose went down. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mls-combine-rising-and-falling-stocks-after-day-two
From reading SBI, it seems like MLSsoccer is pushing the Rooney thing a bit too hard. He's got potential no doubt, but we're talking about a guy who couldn't latch on to regular time at a mid-table League Two side. Taylor Twellman tweeted today something to the effect that if Rooney was really that good of a player, he would have been signed by Seattle or Portland when he was with them on trial near the end of the MLS season.
I know I'm shoving the SBI thing down everyone's throat here (or at least EPJr), but he's really killing it with the draft coverage right now. Lots of player profiles and interviews. Live chats during all combine matches. End of day evals and info and videos on the U-20 camp which is also happening in Florida. I'll link to the profiles tomorrow in this thread and the U-20 thread. There was one big news item of note. During his live chat today, he mentioned something about how Darlington Nagbe, widely considered the top prospect in the draft, is likely to be passed up by Vancouver due to "immigration issues." A brilliant chat viewer (me) asked for clarification and there are some concerns about whether or not Nagbe would be able to take up residency and work full-time in Canada. Perry Kitchen is a more than suitable first pick for the Caps, but they could use a winger/forward like Nagbe as they are really lacking upfront at the moment.
Jabulani edge AdiPower, finish Combine unbeaten Sapong, Caskey lead Greens past Reds with first-half goals FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Two first-half goals by Jabulani keyed a 2-1 victory against AdiPower in Game 5 on the third and final day of the MLS Combine. Alex Caskey and C.J. Sapong each scored in the first half as Jabulani finished the combine with a 2-1 record. AdiPower (0-2-1) provided a response through Ryan Kinne but finished as the only team to remain winless in three games. AdiPower conceded an early goal for the second game in a row. Caskey netted in the 3rd minute, finding himself in space outside the box, beating Joe Willis with a low, curling drive into the bottom corner of the net. Jabulani continued as the better side in the first half though Sapong missed a chance to double the lead in the 12th minute. Paolo Cardozo played the ball into space for Sapong and his shot hit Willis’ post. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/jabulani-edge-adipower-finish-combine-unbeaten With the close of the 2011 MLS Combine on Tuesday, focus shifts to the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, presented by adidas. The big event kicks off at 12 noon ET on Thursday on ESPN2. MLSsoccer.com will have full coverage of all the action in Baltimore, including a LIVE video broadcast of Rounds 2 and 3 here on www.MLSsoccer.com. http://www.mlssoccer.com/videos?catid=1916&id=11057
Follow The Draft Track each and every pick on MLSsoccer.com http://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft-tracker Omar Salgado Is No. 1 Pick Vancouver take US U-20 standout with top selection
If You Can’t Be an Athlete, Be an Athletic Supporter East Coast supporters groups were well represented at the draft, with raucous contingencies from D.C. United, the Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls filling the convention center to the rafters with songs, chants and cheers for their team’s picks. There were also smatterings of Seattle fans and, at one point, we could’ve sworn we heard a Cosmos shout-out, though that might have been for the Chupacabra. DC fans were in full voice when the Red and Black went on the clock with the third pick, and they got a “Per-ry Kit-Chen—clap clap, clap-clap-clap” chant going when their man stepped to the podium. Philly fans appreciated Maryland ‘keeper Zac MacMath thanking “the Sons of Ben for making the trip down,” even if they may have been a little puzzled by his selection at No. 5. Recent reports suggested the Union were on the verge of signing veteran Colombian ‘keeper Faryd Mondragon, and they already have Brad Knighton, who shined in relief of Chris Seitz down the stretch last season. Red Bulls and Union fans kept up a spirited debate all day, though the Sons of Ben were offside when they heckled New York coach Hans Backe during a live interview with www.MLSsoccer.com.
Top players available in Tuesday's Supplemental Draft Who will be selected in the Supplemental Draft (Tues., 2 pm ET)? Last Thursday, 54 players were drafted during the MLS SuperDraft. On Tuesday, it's time for the Supplemental Draft (2 pm ET, follow live on MLSsoccer.com and @MLS_Insider on Twitter). The Supplemental Draft is three rounds, and the Vancouver Whitecaps have the first pick. Here are some of the best players available for them to choose from. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/top-players-available-tuesdays-supplemental-draft
Supplemental Draft Who did your team pick in the final draft of 2011? http://www.mlssoccer.com/supplemental-draft-tracker 'Caps Pick Michael Boxall First
PART ONE http://www.mlssoccer.com/videos?catid=112&id=11390 PART TWO http://www.mlssoccer.com/videos?catid=112&id=11417 PART THREE http://www.mlssoccer.com/videos?catid=112&id=11472
