The Union aren't picking this year until #26 and #29 after swapping picks with Vancouver in the Soumare deal and sending a 2nd round pick and Nakazawa to LA (as things stand currently. This might change after the removal of the roster freeze on Dec. 2 due to trades within the league). The Union have had success finding contributors on all three outfield lines this far down before: (2012) Ray Gaddis (#35) D (2012) Antoine Hoppenot (#89) F (2011) Michael Farfan (#23) M but also whiffed (Stahl, Houapeu) based on MLS performance to date. We can debate needs, but are you optimistic that the Union will be able to find a contributor for the 2013 squad in this years draft based on their current place in the draft? If a contributor is to be found, where do you expect to see that player on the field in 2013?
I think they'll hit with a back. We don't have a true LB, and the CBs in Valdes, Soumare and Okugo, who knows? Valdes might get sold, who knows about Soumare, and Okugo might have to play d-mid. I would be very surprised if they don't take a backline player in the draft. Oh and they'll maintain the status quo and take a midfielder with the other pick and he'll completely stink.
Well, is there going to be anyone in the SuperDraft who played under Hackworth before? There's your pick. Although I'm thinking a lot of these players might be too young to have played for his U-17 side.
I don't want to be pessimistic, but I'm never really optimistic about the products of college soccer overall. Sure, there are standouts every so often, but NCAA's rules really inhibit development for this sport.
I know when MLS first formed, the Super Draft was one of the main mechanisms for player acquisition, but 17 years later how relevant/effective a method is it? Certainly the Union have benefited from the super draft: McInnerny, Okugo, MacMath, Hoppenote, Marfan & Gaddis. Are the Union the exception or the rule? SKC has used it over the years to build their current roster. The list is quite long of draft picks who have not made it (for a variety of reasons). I'm just trying to spark conversation. I realize that the Draft is just one of the mechanisms clubs can use to acquire players that might be outside of their Academy's reach, and possibly that their scouts have missed. Good player/personnel strategy's incorporate using all methods.
It's not that the SuperDraft provides no players who develop and contribute. That is patently false if you look at the data. The problem I see is that so few of the hyped first round picks become what people hope they will become--particularly when compared to other college draft-based sports such as football. Every sport has draft duds and flameouts, but soccer player maturity development seems to begin earlier in life than other American sports. College soccer regulations restrict players to having so few actual games and training hours during a year for 18-22 year old players--a critical time for player development. The better kids around the world and in MLS are already breaking into professional first teams by this point. The standard of play at the NCAA is rather inconsistent and it's a big step up tactically when players come to MLS. I think MLS teams fill out and complete their rosters with some solids guys that come from the college ranks, but it seems more rare than abundant to find a team-changing type of player from the SuperDraft. Many of the top guys in the league came up a different route. Because of what I stated, I just cannot get myself very optimistic for the Draft each year due to its inconsistent results.
The team will most likely get a decent rookie player lower in the rounds, like a Ray Gaddis or what have you but otherwise I'm not expecting world class talent.
http://www.soccerbyives.net/2012/11/sbi-2013-mls-draft-big-board-version-1-0.html Ives posted his initial Big Board (top 40 SuperDraft prospects including likely GA prospects) - some players with local ties include: 11 - Deshorn Brown - F - Central Florida (Reading United) 12 - Ryan Finley - F - Notre Dame (Reading United) 18 - Eric Schoenle - CB - West Virginia (Yardley, PA native - Reading United) 20 - Will Bates - F - Virginia (Reading United) 24 - Greg Cochrane - LB/LM (Holland, PA native - Reading United)
Since none of them played for the Union Academy, the Union will have to draft them - the Union played its "we are an expansion team that did not have the benefits of being a minor league team with an academy prior to MLS" card with Hertzog and MLS did not buy that story then. It seems as if the current rejections of potential HG players now usually relate to former academy players who do not meet the minimum academy time requirements to qualify as a HG. Assuming Finley and Brown (if he goes GA) are gone by the Union picks at #26 and #29, there is a chance that one or more of the others will be available and they all could fill needs on a depth basis (1. Schoenle plays CB and the team usually just converts college DMs (Okugo, Stahl, Jordan)for CB depth - assume that it was a Nowak view of college defenders that they never invested a higher draft pick in one, 2. Bates is 6'0 and 185 lbs. so he would add some size to the Smurf forwards, 3. Cochrane plays LB and trained with the Union this summer - assuming a starting LB is not acquired in the off-season, the Union could use a young LB reserve with Lopez gone and Albright's playing career nearing its end soon).
Last night I watch Eriq Zavaleta play for Indiana and if he is available by the time we pick I think he would fit perfectly for what we need.
Both left backs in the Maryland v. Georgetown game last night are seniors and projected to enter the draft. Nealis and Kemp.
Would be nice pickups. Think they'll be available in the second round? I could see Cochrane being available at that time.
Isn't RG IV(too soon?) better suited on the right side? when Williams moved about I always saw him over there............
The punditry says this a strong draft for LBs. Kemp (Maryland), Nealis (Georgretown), Cochrane (Louisville), and Kindle (UCSB) are the top 4 senior prospects. I would think one or two of them would be available at #26 and picking that far down, that may be the best we can hope for.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/12/11/mls-extends-2013-combine-invite-54-college-players MLS released the names of college seniors invited to the Combine. Besides teh Reading crew mentioned above, MacMath's back-up at the 2007 U17 World Cup (Larry Jackson - Santa Clara) is among the invites and could be an option for the Union as the 3rd goalie on the depth chart if the team sticks with Konopka as the #2. The 3 LBs with regional ties (Cochrane, Kemp, Nealis) also got an invitation - have to assume that one of them will be a Union pick in the 2nd round (Kemp is the one most likely to be selected before the Union's pick). Name Position School Carlos Alvarez Midfielder Connecticut Don Anding Forward Northeastern Will Bates Forward Virginia Kyle Bekker Midfielder Boston College James Belshaw Goalkeeper Duke Ashton Bennett Forward Coastal Carolina Ian Christianson Midfielder Georgetown Marc Cintron Midfielder Providence Greg Cochrane Defender/ Midfielder Louisville Machael David Midfielder UC Santa Barbara Danchrisandre Delgado Midfielder San Diego Paolo DelPiccolo Midfielder Louisville Uwem Etuk Midfielder/Forward West Virginia Ryan Finley Forward Notre Dame Ben Fisk Midfielder Washington Shaun Foster Defender Hofstra Joe Franco Defender CSUN Jordan Gafa Defender North Carolina John Gallagher Defender Penn State Jose Gomez Midfielder Creighton Scott Goodwin Goalkeeper North Carolina Brenton Griffiths Defender USF Coleton Henning Midfielder/Forward Furman Ryan Hollingshead Midfielder UCLA Erik Hurtado Forward SCU Larry Jackson Goalkeeper SCU Taylor Kemp Defender/Midfielder Maryland Korey Kindle Defender/Midfielder Bakersfield Jonathan Mendoza Midfielder Stetson David Meves Goalkeeper Akron Fernando Monge Midfielder UCLA Tommy Muller Defender Georgetown Colin Murphy Midfielder Boston College Jimmy Nealis Defender/Midfielder Georgetown Tommy (T.J.) Nelson Midfielder SMU Kofi Opare Defender Michigan Leston Paul Midfielder USF Dillon Powers Midfielder Notre Dame Andrew Ribeiro Defender/Midfielder Creighton Devon Sandoval Forward New Mexico Eric Schoenle Defender West Virginia Donald Smith Midfielder Charlotte Blake Smith Midfielder/Forward New Mexico Yannik Smith Forward Old Dominion Luis Soffner Goalkeeper Indiana Luke Spencer Forward Xavier John Stertzer Midfielder Maryland Brad Stuver Goalkeeper Cleveland State Chris Thomas Forward Elon Dylan Tucker-Gangnes Defender Washington Emery Welshman Forward Oregon State Danny Wenzel Defender Wake Forest Daniel Withrow Goalkeeper Marshall Paul Wyatt Midfielder/Forward James Madison