The NWSL Collegiate Draft will be officially held at the NSCAA Convention in Indianapolis on January 18th. The draft order will be randomly selected and contains four rounds. It will be in a "snake" format where the first round will be 1-8, the second 8-1, the third 1-8, and the fourth 8-1. Didn't want this to get lost in another thread. Feel free to predict the order of those selected (32 in total).
Chris Henderson @chris_awk Re: Potential rookies registering with NWSL - Yes, they will. (Thanks,@NDCoachWaldrum) From the press release: Players who completed their collegiate eligibility in 2012 can be selected in the 2013 NWSL College Draft. Those players who have been out of college for a year or more, are former professional players, or are currently playing overseas and are out of contract, are considered free agents. Teams will be allowed to sign free agents during a specific window of time, which will be determined soon.
That's interesting two ways (at least). They used college eligibility instead of class graduated. So a red shirted senior cant be drafted nor could she simply not go back and be a free agent. The other thing is if Horan got dropped by PSG or just played out her contract, it seems she would be eligible to sign anywhere in the league.
Can't you start by doing something like Mel Kippers "best available"? I think regardless of the allocations there are some players the first 5 teams are going to take no matter who they have. I would like to think Nairn & Mewis would be pretty high on the board even for a team that gets allocated Heath, Cheney, Rapinoe & D Scott from Canada.
Players will have to announce their availability, so it's possible (theoretically) that a redshirted senior could announce entering the draft. Depends on how they write the rules.
It's prolly not too hard to come up with the 40 seniors who would fill the 32 spots, but without knowing which NTers r on each team and what order they draft in, u cant do the mock draft I crave. Ill just have to watch old soccer games instead.
I was just going by the press release but the actual rules need to be more carefully worded. If a player graduates in 2013 what difference does it make how many years of college eligibility they have left?
Here is an "early" look at a Mock Rookie Draft, without knowing the allocations or any filled roster spot yet by any of the franchises. This is based on preconceived guessing of allocations. Somehow I get the vision that Portland will end up with the #1 pick (out of luck). These predictions can and will change after we learn more about the allocations and the draft order. This is mostly in good fun (for now), but trying to anticipate (perceive) how the rosters and draft will look like. Draft order: Portland, Boston, WNY, KC, Seattle, DC, Chicago, Sky Blue (and then it reverses) 2013 NWSL Mock Rookie Draft 1.) MF - Amber Brooks (Portland Thorns) (North Carolina) 2.) F/MF - Kristen Mewis (Boston Breakers) (Boston College) 3.) MF - Christine Nairn (Western New York Flash) (Penn State) 4.) MF - Zakiya Bywaters (FC Kansas City) (UCLA) 5.) D - Rachel Quon (Seattle Reign) (Stanford) 6.) F - Caroline Miller (Washington Spirit) (Virginia) 7.) MF - Ally Miller (Chicago Red Stars) (Marquette) 8.) GK - Adrianna Franch (Sky Blue FC) (Oklahoma State) 9.) F - Tiffany McCarty (Sky Blue FC) (Florida State) 10.) D - Bry McCarthy (Chicago Red Stars) (West Virginia) 11.) D - Kat Williamson (Washington Spirit) (Florida) 12.) MF - Erika Tymrak (Seattle Reign) (Florida) 13.) D - Lindsi Cutshall (FC Kansas City) (BYU) 14.) F - Victoria DiMartino (Western New York Flash) (Boston College) 15.) D - Ines Jaurena (Boston Breakers) (Florida State) 16.) MF - Mariah Nogueira (Portland Thorns) (Stanford) 17.) F - Carlee Payne Holmoe (Portland Thorns) (BYU) 18.) MF - Bri Rodriguez (Boston Breakers) (West Virginia) 19.) MF - Holly King (Western New York Flash) (Florida) 20.) F - Megan Jurado (FC Kansas City) (San Diego State) 21.) MF - Jessica Ringwood (Seattle Reign) (BYU) 22.) F - Tiffany Cameron (Washington Spirit) (Ohio State) 23.) F - Colleen Williams (Chicago Red Stars) (Dayton) 24.) MF - Mallory Schaffer (Sky Blue FC) (William & Mary) 25.) MF/D - Casey Short (Sky Blue FC) (Florida State) 26.) F/MF - Jessica Price (Chicago Red Stars) (Florida State) 27.) D - Domenica Hodak (Washington Spirit) (Maryland) 28.) D - Tiana Brockway (Seattle Reign) (Florida State) 29.) MF - Kristin Cummins (FC Kansas City) (Texas) 30.) MF - Kristen Meier (Western New York Flash) (Wake Forest) 31.) F - Tishia Jewell (Boston Breakers) (UCF) 32.) MF - Chelsea Cline (Portland Thorns) (UCLA) -----------*I think Portland picks up Taylor Brooke as a rookie free agent right after the draft, and gives her a chance to make the team. Here is further analysis as to why these teams will select the players they do (as predicted above). Portland Thorns Good chance that at least one or two of Rapinoe, Schmidt, and Winters, will be midfielders on this team. Portland will still want to get a couple of midfielders in this draft. Statiscally, midfielders are the safest pick, and the most versatile pick. Portland will also want to get a forward in this draft, and preferably one from out west. Portland will not draft a goalkeeper. If Hope Solo is indeed in Seattle, then Henninger will want to play for Portland (because she'll want to have a great chance to start in goal). Boston Breakers The Breakers will surely go for attacking play in this draft. I don't think they'll have much luck in getting great attacking players up top (at forward) with their allocations (from USA, Canada, and Mexico). Even if Heather O'Reilly is allocated to Boston, I still think she's more of an attacking midfielder instead of a pure forward these days. Therefore, Boston will push for attacking players in this draft up top, to compliment O'Reilly. If Boston does get Mewis in this draft, it would be amazing for them to have O'Reilly and Mewis attacking, and running down the flanks. I think Mewis could be a pure forward up top in this league, but can also still be a great attacking mid. Boston will also need to get a defender in this draft. Look for them to go for forwards and attacking mids, and a versatile defender. Western New York Flash They will want to address their midfield, such as getting holding midfielders and spending many of their picks on players that can win balls. They will also want to get a forward to compliment what could be a big time forward they'll end up getting in allocation from USA or Canada. FC Kansas City Kansas City will want to get a little of everything. Their allocations will not end up being the best from USA and Canada (regardless of who they get from Mexico). I bet they end up with something like: 1 forward, 2 midfielders, 1 defender, to guarantee a player at each spot, and widespread versatility. I bet they end up with a nice draft. Seattle Reign If they get Alex Morgan and Hope Solo, and also Veronica Perez from Mexico, then they will probably concentrate more on midfielders and defenders in this draft. If they have Morgan already, then a plot to get Erika Tymrak at some point early in the draft (first or second round) would be brilliant. Tymrak can dribble through and penetrate,and is a great playmaker. She's got great passing ability. She can get the ball to Morgan. Tymrak and Morgan together would create chaos (in addition to Veronica Perez with them). Washington (DC) Spirit Assuming they mostly get midfielders and defenders in their allocation from USA, Canada, and Mexico, will mean they'll need to get a dynamic forward in this draft. Caroline Miller is the perfect draft pick for them. She's local, and she's a dynamite scorer. She has played on the biggest stage in college (ACC), and looked very dominant most of the time there over the past couple of years. Washington will focus on getting forwards and defenders in this draft. There are plenty of midfielders out there in free agency, and former Freedom or D.C. midfielders who will be back with them as well. Chicago Red Stars Here's another team that will want and need to get a little bit of everything in this draft (much like Kansas City). I expect them to get a couple of local or regional players who aren't far away from Chicago. Jessica Price is originally from Illinois. If they can get her late, it would be a great pick. If they have a latter first round pick, then Ally Miller is the perfect pick. She was great at Marquette, and grew up not terribly far away from Chicago. Chicago will go all in for Vanessa DiBernardo in the January 2014 draft, as they should. Illinois soccer fans love her, and many will go see her play with the Red Stars. DiBernardo would ultimately be one of the fan favorites overall by Red Stars fans. Sky Blue FC With Branam and Bardsley most likely not in this league (as a result not with Sky Blue anymore), I look for them to panic. They were used to winning low scoring games, and with their goalkeeper making fantastic plays to keep them in matches, and ultimately to go on to win matches. I don't see Hope Solo or any allocated U.S. goalkeepers going to Sky Blue. In fact, I see their allocation being players like Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Rampone, Averbuch, etc. (3 of those 4 players). Erin McCloud will probably be in D.C. again (as her allocation from Canada, at her #1 request). Sky Blue will desperately want to get a goalkeeper. I see them taking Adrianna Franch in this draft. Sky Blue will also need to get a forward, because they're one of the least likely teams to get a big time forward from the subsidized allocations. Tiffany McCarty would be a great pick for them, and would give them elite speed up top.
Nice job WPS_Movement. Very comprehensive. Granted we won't know the draft order, until maybe even the draft day itself, so we don't know for sure who each team will pick but nice job. I disagree with a few things.. (would put Quon lower and Tymrak higher for one) but I like it.
I think this to a good extent depends on what the exact rules are about who can be drafted and who, based on those rules, wants to enter into the draft pool. My first read of the description of who can be drafted is that the players must have exhausted their eligibility in 2012. This would exclude players who have a year of college eligibility left but have completed their degree requirements. But, I wonder if they really mean they won't consider a player who has completed her degree requirements, but has a year of eligibility left due to a red-shirt season, who wants to enter into the draft pool. If they will allow a player who is in this situation to enter into the pool, I think we might see a players or two drafted, maybe pretty high and maybe very high, who isn't on your list. And, along the line of defender free agents teams might go for ASAP, I could see both Seattle and Portland wanting Kate Deines.
We would also need to know how non-US work eligible players would be handled for the draft. I assume that US labor law means no special treatment for Canadian or Mexican citizens, even if they are sponsoring part of the league. Most foreign students are eligible to work in the US for a year in the US without an additional visa (called Optional Practical Training). I believe athletes have been able to use the OPT to play professionally (the advantage of an OPT employee is you don't usually pay FICA). Will NWSL treat these athletes as part of the foreign player cap for the year or not?
It's a fairly thorough list but I'd throw it out pretty quickly since the draft order used seems like it was completely randomized. I'm expecting the teams to have their allocation results 'ranked' like what happened in WPS, so I'd expect Portland (which seems to be drawing lots of NTer attention) to be late in the draft order, (not first,) as I would expect for Seattle and maybe DC or KC. I think a team like Chicago would be very early, if not first; maybe Sky Blue as well. Of course, I'm making those assumptions based on US WNT hints we've gotten, but I wouldn't be surprised if the other allocations had similar location bias.
See there thai. Good Sport! I think its a bit of wild conjecture & made up junk in the trunk and what not, but hes a good sport. I will nod your top 10 except . . . I don't see Tymrak & DiMartino falling to second round, and Franch will probably go to the first team in the draft who didn't get Solo. Shes an outstanding goalie to still be in college.
OK, wait a minute...u allocated Portland Wambach and Rapinoe (not sure if u were giving them Sinc as well) and they get first pick in the draft????? Im demanding a league investigation! U must already have ur Thorns season tickets ordered. Nice job on the picks tho. Ill post mine later in the day. Im not using the "lucky Portland" scenario either. UPDATE I just did my official blind draw with lil pieces of paper KC Chi WNY Port Sea Bos DC Sky
I think Wambach and Sinclair will be split between Portland and Western NY. Wambach has two homes (Portland and Western NY). She will want to finish her career with one of them. The draft order will be a "blind draw". I don't think you can rig a draft order by feeling sorry for a franchise, based on allocation. The allocation is supposed to be as close to equal as possible, anyways. And people are forgetting that this is a reverse type draft. The team that gets the #1 pick in the first round, has the last pick in the next round, and so on. I would like to have around the #7 pick in this draft, if I had my choice. You still get a top notch player, and then a top 2nd round pick as well, so you end up with "Two of the Top 10" overall picks in the draft. You can fill immediate "needs" that way much better. For example, look at Chicago. #7 pick, and #10 pick. Ally Miller and Bry McCarthy will probably end up being two of the best young (24 and under) midfielders and defenders respectively in this league. Guaranteed starters for you right away, as long as they're healthy and come in hungry. Miller has so much upside in the midfield as an overall player at every part of the field, it's scary. McCarthy is a smart, athletic, physical, ball hawk of a defender, who can also take free kicks and corners accurately. I look forward to your mock draft.
I agree on Tymrak over Quon. However, I'm drafting (in this mock draft) based on my perception of what other teams want and desire, not my own. The soccer fans and experts out west love Rachel Quon. They think she's an Ali Riley lite type of player. Yes, she can do some of the same things as Ali, from a lite perspective. Not quite the pure defender as Ali, but she can start an attack, and push forward, and has excellent skills on the ball for a defender when pushing up an attack. She's great on the counter attack, for a defender, much like Ali Riley is. She's a full-field player, end line to end line. Seattle will want that player to compliment Morgan. But then I've got Tymrak falling all the way down to the 2nd round (and to Seattle to boot). Why? Because the top notch midfielders above her (Brooks, Mewis, Nairn, Bywaters, etc.) will get drafted ahead of her. And then teams like Chicago will go for local players (or midwest players). With Tymrak being all the way from Florida (and no NWSL teams down in the southeast), I have her falling to the 2nd round. I'm predicting she'll be the steal of the draft, by whoever gets her (if she falls to the 2nd round).
OK I made some changes to my allocated players. Removed some players who apparently have commitments. Added Press who I guess is still negotiating. Also threw in the Canadians tho the placing was by need more than anything. Draft order (by blind draw) KC-Chi-WNY-Port-Sea-Bos-DC-Sky KCFC Stewart CAN M/D Timko CAN D Heath US M Press US F Mitts US D 1. Adrianna Frank GK Ok St 2. Tiffany Cameron F OSU 3. Renae Cuellar F Ok U 4. Kristen Cummins M TX Chicago Red Stars Booth CAN D MacLeod CAN GK Cheney US M/F LePeilbet US D Rodriguez US M/F 1. Rachel Quon D Stan 2. Colleen Williams M/F Dayt 3. Casey Short M/D FSU 4. Haley Kopmeyer GK Mich WNY Flash LeBlanc CAN GK Moscato CAN D Morgan US F O'Hara US D/M Levin US M 1. Christine Nairn M Penn St 2. Inez Juarena D FSU 3. Megan Jurado F SD ST 4. Jessica Price M/F FSU Portland Thorns Schmidt CAN M Sinclair CAN F Rapinoe US M Buehler US D Loyden US GK 1. Amber Brooks M NC 2. Ally Miller D Marq 3. Mariah Nogueira M Stan 4. Tiana Brockway D FSU Seattle Reign Scott CAN M Kyle CAN F Solo US GK Leroux US F Cox US D 1. Zakiya Bywaters M UCLA 2. Erika Tymak M Flor U 3. Kat Williamson D Flor U 4. Jessica Ringwood M BYU Boston Breakers Wilkeson CAN D Julien CAN F O'Reilly US M Boxx US M Klingenberg US M 1. Kristen Mewis M BC 2. Bry McCarthy D WV 3. Vickie DiMartino F BC 4. Carlee Holmoe F BYU DC Spirit Selsselman CAN D Gayle CAN D Wambach US F Krieger US D Lindsey US M 1. Caroline Miller F Virg 2. Holly King M Flor 3. Mallory Schaffer M W&M 4. Domenica Hodak D Maryland SkyBlue FC Chapman CAN D Matheson CAN M Rampone US D Lloyd US M Barnhart US GK 1. Tiffany McCarty F FSU 2. Lindsi Cutshall D BYU 3. Jen Hoy F Prin 4. Tishia Jewell F UCF
Comments...as I mentioned somewhere else, I went on the theory that teams would put a high emphasis on local players helping boost attendance. That's how Quon ended up going so high. If trading were allowed Chicago could have gotten Quon at the bottom of the round and another pick to boot, maybe. With KC I thought Franch was worth the top pick as I didnt allocate them a GK and she's local again. She also might be the WNT goalie in waiting. I think it balanced out pretty well. Even SkyBlue who picked last ended up with three players I really like (McCarty,Cutshall & Hoy)
The more I think about it, this makes sense. If I think "money" for the league, I put Sinclair in Portland and Wambach in WNY. Wambach is a big draw for either team. Sinclair, on the other hand, has a very loyal and large fan base in Portland from her University of Portland days, probably in the 2500 fans range, who will come out just to see her play -- especially if Rapinoe is on the team too. Sinclair is known elsewhere in the US, but nowhere near as well as in Portland. So, Christine in Portland and Abby in WNY maximizes attendance for the league. Of course, this depends on the two players being willing to play in those areas. I'm guessing Christine would be more than happy to play in Portland. Would Abby be happy to play in WNY?