Official 2013 US Player Draft Voting/Discussion Thread

Copy and paste:


------------------------Kennedy------------------------

-Lichaj----------Onyewu-----Parke------------Ashe-

-----------------------Beckerman----------------------

-----Rogers------------Torres--------------Convey----

----------------Altidore--------Bunbury----------------

Bench: Cannon, G. Farfan, Estrada, Agbossoumonde, Lopez, Speas, Rusin.


This is probably the happiest I've ever been with an assembled team. Imagine how much happier I'd be if I was confident Rogers would play this year. I thought my three round wing of Ashe-Roger-Convey was steal central in an around the 10th round. But, if Rogers plays, I'm overjoyed. If not, I have Gabriel Farfan ready to step in, along with Ben Speas. My goal for the bench was versatility to cover as many positions as possible.

Goalkeepers: Kennedy, Cannon.
I get an MLS All-Star and right now, the best American GK in MLS to start. Content. His back-up is one of the most decorated MLS goalskeepers in history, who likely has one strong year ahead of him. Goalkeeping tandems in this draft are usually strong anyway due to it being a position of luxury, but I'm happy with my haul here. Kennedy was my target coming into the draft and I got him so Im happy. Here's hoping Chivas actually have a good season and he gets the credit he deserves.

Defense: RB: Lichaj CB: Onyewu-Parke, Agbossoumonde, Rusin LB: Ashe, Farfan
Strengths: The center-back pairing is as good as this draft has. That does hinge on Gooch's fitness and/or playing time. Hopefully he'll get it going in 2013, he's still in his prime years and is athletic enough that his body should allow him to play on into his late 30s. Lichaj and Ashe give me great width at full-back. The starting left-back for the 2011/2012 MLS Cup runner-up Dynamo in the part of the draft I got him was a steal outright. I have strong depth here on the bench also. 'Boss has had a strong pre-season in Toronto as he looks to fulfill his potential in 2013. Farfan, although a midfielder, looks to start the season at LB. Two MLS-starting LBs on my team, not bad.

Weakness: Gooch's playing time. If he gets it, I'm sorted. If not, it doesn't look all that great for me. I'm hopeful as always. Lichaj's playing time is also a minor issue. But then again, if team's are judged on playing time and exposure, these guys still will be fine compared to other teams.

Wildcard: I think Lichaj needs a change of scenary to prosper. He's too talented to ride pine at Villa, who are a shambles. He's every bit as gifted as Chandler and at one point looked the heir apparent to Cherundolo. Hope 2013 brings him success eventually. Brad Rusin cold also see a lot of the field for the Whitecaps should their injury prone CBs drop.

Midfield: RM: Rogers, Farfan, Speas, Estrada CM: Beckerman-Torres, Farfan, Lopez LM: Convey, Farfan, Speas, Estrada

Strengths: The midfield, in general. I have a strong player at each position. The Beckerman-Torres combo is possibly the draft's best. I have the best CDM in MLS and one of the US's best play-makers who is tearing it up in Mexico right now and is playing some of his best stuff in years and is deservedly back in the national team picture. Out-wide, I am lucky to get Convey in one of the weaker positions in the draft, what's more remarkable is how far he fell. He's scheduled to start for SKC, has put in a strong pre-season and has great targets for that pin-point left foot. Another key strength: Depth, and lots of it. Farfan is my jack of all trades and again, pre-draft, he was a bench priority. Can cover all midfield positions with gusto. Lopez was draft at a weaker position for SKC, but he'll see his best action for the US U20 team in qualifying and hopefully the tournament in Turkey. Estrada can play on the wing, although that's not a preferred thing. Speas give me speed and a constant attacking threat.

Weakness: One. Robbie Rogers' personal situation. Not my business to comment. I would be happier than most if he makes a return at some point, and on a good Fire team that he could make play-off worthy. He's MLS All-star talent. My team needs him, so here's hoping.

Wildcard: Rogers is obviously a wildcard, but I've mentioned that. Convey? Although he's a known commodity and I think he will have a good year. I'm going to go with Speas. Entered the league through the Homegrown route, has done well for the Crew in pre-season. Was a college superstar and no reason why he cant show that in 2013 on a Crew team that needs his explosivness. Keep an eye on him.

Forwards: Altidore-Bunbury, Estrada, Speas
Strengths: I have the honour of having the best American forward in the draft on my team. Jozy is bustin' out all over this season. Breaking records and such is his future. I'm predicting a big summer move. He's a beast, I sincerely hope Jurgen sees sense and put him in a system where the ball can be got to him in qualifying or we're doomed. I have a few forwards that I think, in real-life, would work well in a system.

Weakness': Perhaps lack of start depth. In that Estrada is good, but not mind-blowing, and Speas is probably a better player than him, but hasnt had the exposure just yet. Bunbury's fitness is a concern but he'll sort that out. If SKC start the season strong and he finds himself frozen out a bit, a mid-season trade would be good for him to a team that needs his talent.

Wildcard: All bar Altidore. Bunbury can put this team over if he gets healthy and score bundles. Estrada is part of a crowded team but has shown he can put that ball in the net. Speas will get a shot in Columbus, he needs to seize it. If even one of the three scenarios happens, I'm golden.

 

Another copy-paste?

The Darned United

Forwards
Starters Terrence Boyd, Juan Agudelo
Backups Conor Casey
Other options Rolfe

Boyd and Agudelo are almost certainly the most talented pair of forwards in the draft. Both are very young, however, so Conor Casey is on hand to back them up.

Wide Midfielders
Starters Fabian Johnson, Chris Rolfe
Backups Danny Cruz
Other options Farfan, Evans, Warner

Johnson can race up and down his flank, while Rolfe is a threat to come inside and score. Both are very quick and a handful for defenders.

Central Midfielders
Starters Michael Farfan, Brad Evans, Franz Beckenbauer
Backups Collen Warner, Scott Caldwell
Other options Rolfe, Farrell, Orozco, McCarthy

Farfan is highly skilled yet doesn't short-change you with his work rate, while Evans is everywhere you need him to be. Beckenbauer, obviously a bit of a surprise there.

Back Line, Left to Right
Starters AJ DeLaGarza, Michael Orozco, Drew Moor, Andrew Farrell
Backups Jalil Anibaba, Stephen McCarthy
Other options Fab Johnson

An unspectacular but capable group. Three of the six have been capped by the national team, and the other three are all young defenders on the rise. Collectively, if they have any particular strength, it's their ability to shift positions and cover for one another.

Goalkeeper
Starter Troy Perkins
Backup Luis Robles

Perkins and Robles both have good European experience and are currently in their prime. They figure to be two of the better starters in MLS this year.

Conclusion
Heading into the year, I feel like I've got a strong attack, with goalscorers and set-up men who can combine in a variety of ways. And if my team is going to be one of the better ones, it will rely on that attack, since my defense is pretty average.

 

There should be a post with the picks of each of the teams for people that weren't following/tracking the draft. Regardless here is my team:

1. General Bradley
2. Super Wondo
3. Chris PartyBoy Pontius
4. Eddie The Keeper" Gaven
5. Perry the Kitchen Sink
6. Austin "Rookie of the Year" Berry
7. Jay "The Story" Demerit
8. You've Got No Chance Myers
9. Connor "The mighty midget" Lade
10. Shea "The Marquez career killer" Salinas
11. Tally "The Wall" Hall
12. Marc "The promise" Pelosi
13. Sebastian "The Leg" Lleget
14. Eric "El Gigante" Brunner
15. Brian "ChinGolazo" Ching
16. Pablo "The Maestro" Mastroeni
17. Warren "Kid N' Play" Creavalle
18. Tyler "Law Dog Don't Go 'Round Here" Deric

My most likely starting XI:
-----Pontius------Wondo------
-----------Bradley--------------
Gaven-------------------Salinas
------------Kitchen-------------
Lade--Berry--Demerit---Myers
------------Hall-----------------

Bench: Marc Pelosi, Sebastian Lleget, Eric Brunner, Brian Ching, Pablo Mastroeni, Warren Creavalle, Tyler Deric

 

Here is how Deuteronomy and Mr Martin plan on managing Deportivo Vejete:

Our core lineup will most likely be a 4-2-3-1, but a classic box midfield 4-2-2-2 is also an option, and we feel we can adapt to many different lineups as needed. We made many of our roster selections in order to provide maximum flexibility and versatility. We have many great attackers, many high-quality midfielders, a highly professional defensive unit, and outstanding depth.

Core 4-2-3-1 Option A:
------------------------Alan Gordon-------------------------
Eddie Johnson---Landon Donovan---Alejandro Bedoya
---------------Rico Clark-------Mo Edu--------------------
Seth Sinovic--------------------------------Kevin Alston
---------------Tim Ream----Zak Whitbread----------------
-------------------------Steve Clark--------------------------

4-2-2-2 Option B:
------------------Eddie Johnson-------Alan Gordon-------------
------------Landon Donovan-----------Alejandro Bedoya-------
----------------------Rico Clark-------Mo Edu---------------------
Seth Sinovic------------------------------------------Kevin Alston
-------------------Tim Ream----Zak Whitbread------------------
------------------------------Steve Clark----------------------------

Subs:
Zac McMath,Justin Mapp, Carlos Alvarez, Conor Doyle, Kamani Hill, Jason Hernandez, Ryan Miller.

Strikers:Gordon, EJ, Donovan, Doyle, and Hill. Some serious goal production in this group, plus speed, power, experience, youth, and just a massive number of options up top to play 1, 2, or even 3 forwards as needed.

Attacking Midfield:Donovan, Bedoya, EJ, Mapp, Alvarez, Doyle and Hill. Donovan has been the ideal attacking midfielder for the US for so long, that most of us can hardly remember what it was like before him. EJ has put in some good shifts as a LM/wing for the US recently, returning to the Nat's with a bang. Bedoya and Mapp can play outside or inside, and Mapp is really a key player as our 12th Man ready to start at any time. Alvarez is a rookie, but as the #2 draft pick, he's a rare American #10 who should see a lot of minutes in MLS and be an ideal ball handling, distributing substitute for us. Doyle and Hill can play either striker, wing, or attacking outside midfield if needed. We have the talent and numbers to play 2, 3, or even 4 attacking mids whenever we want.

Defensive Midfield:Edu and Clark, plus Ream or Bedoya in a pinch. We feel like we have the best pair of DMs of any team. Edu is arguably the #1 US DM at the moment, and Rico Clark is #3 or #4 in our view. These two are going to be a real backbone for us, and are going to eat up a ton of ground and cause opposing CMs relentless trouble. It would have been nice to get a 3d true DM, but if Edu or Clark ever need a rest, we can shift things around and play with only 1 DM in any given situation. Ream has also played some DM for Bolton, and Bedoya could fill in as a #8, too.

Back Line:Ream, Whitbread, Sinovic, Alston, Hernandez, and Miller. We have 6 starters for 4 spots here. Ream may be the best passing CB in the US pool. He and Whitbread are Championship starters. We have an extremely mobile trio of outside backs. Arguably this group is as solid and deep a back line as you will find. Hernandez can start whenever Ream or Whitbread need a break, and Miller will push Alston for the starting RB spot. Miller also played CB and LB in Sweden, so this 28 year old is a quality back all across the line. And if we ever need to play a 3-man line, Ream, Whitbread, Hernandez, or Miller can all fill those roles.

Keeper: Clark and McMath. Two starters here as well. Clark was Norway's Keeper of the Year in 2012, and has tremendous quickness and reflexes. McMath is a US Youth Nat's regular and proven MLS starter in Philly.

It's just a great mix of players. We've got midfield workers, outside backs who can run all day, speed, power and muscle, good passers, ball handlers, proven defenders, quality keepers, and plenty of scorers. We've got loads of experience, but we are hardly an old team, as only Donovan, EJ, and Gordon are 30 years or older. We've got three young players, but most of the team is in it's prime between ages 24 and 30 and ready to play now, in 2013.

17 of our players are already professionals and 15 of our 18 picks are 1st team starters. 15 of our players have played on a US National or Youth National Team, or have at least been called into a National Team camp. Half our team has made various League All-Star selections. Donovan, Clark, Gordon, Eddie Johnson and Ream have been MLS top XI. Edu was the number 1 draft pick and MLS Rookie of the Year.

Thanks in large part to Landon Donovan's amazing career, Deportivo Vejete probably has more National Team Caps, more international goals and assists, and better professional scoring than any of the other Draft Teams. But it isn't just Donovan. Eddie Johnson, Mo Edu, Rico Clark, Alan Gordon, and Justin Mapp have all scored or assisted with the Senior team, Kamani Hill, Conor Doyle, and Zak Whitbread have scored or assisted for Youth National teams, and most of our field players have contributed to professioanl goal scoring.

We believe we have a top starting XI. We believe we have substantially the most depth and especially versatile, highly professional depth. We like the flexibility and options to adapt as needed. The puzzle pieces all fit into place.

 

I vote for Deuts and Martin. Their CDM pairing of Rico and Edu would be too much to break down imo. I also think Gordon would be scoring just about every game in this formation...and I don't even rate him. Also I think they'd be good managers IRL, so there it is.

I do worry about Whitbread and Ream, but again I think that CDM pairing would rarely get broken down and thus the 2 CBs wouldn't be under much pressure against most of the other lineups.

Picks that make you go "hmm" goes to Autopenalti. Interesting!

 

I thought the voting was later?

Anyways heres our team:



Subs: Eric Alexander, Omar Salgado, Gyasi Zardes, Logan Pause, Eriq Zavaleta, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Ryan Meara

If we want a more possession based lineup we can slide Alexander into the middle too

We have a rock solid D, and tons of pace & skill and will be deadly on the counter attack.

Strikers: Johannson, Wenger, Zardes, Salgado, Zavaleta. Johannsonn is one of the best American goalscorers period, he led the Danish league in scoring and just got a move to AZ Alkmaar. He's got great pace, positioning, finishing, pretty good on the ball and can even drop back as a playmaker or play as a left winger. Wenger impressed last year and scored 4 goals in limited PT due to injuries, school and the coaches formation. Expect him to have a bigger role this year like he will with our team, and in this system he could be a beast. He offers a big stronger target, and also has good pace and athleticisim. Salgado, Zardes and Zavaleta have high potential.

Midfield: Luis Silva, Nick DeLeon, Josh Gatt, Brian Carroll, Eric Alexander, Logan Pause, Amobi Okugo. Silva is already one of the best CAMs in the MLS, he is a good playmaker and goalscorer, he will be feeding Aron and Wenger. DeLeon can also slot into the CAM role, sometimes he moves there for DC and often comes inside and threads some nice through balls and has some nice link up play. DeLeon will typically be on the left wing though. Both our wingers will work back and make tackles and add plenty to the attack with their speed and skill. Carroll will do the dirty work and break up attacks, Pause will back him up and Alexander is the utility guy who can play almost anywhere, and will be used as a 3rd CM if we want to play a more possession based game. Okugo can also slot in as a CM, and Salgado will also be a backup LW.

Defense: Omar Gonzalez, Amobi Okugo, Steven Beitashour, Chris Wingert, Pause, Jean-Baptise, Zavaleta. We have a great defense anchored by former MLS Defender of the year, Finals MVP and US International Omar Gonzalez. Amobi Okugo will compliment him perfectly with his pace and passing, and he finished the 2012 season in great form as a CB. Beitashour is one of the best American RBs who has been called up to the NT a couple times, solid defender who will get forward and provide excellent service. Wingert is a rock solid LB who isn't flashy but is a really good defender who has been one of the best in MLS for a long time. Pause can cover at RB, and Jean-Baptiste and Zavaleta are 2 high potential CBs, Wenger may even also be able to slot in as a CB.

Goalkeeper:Jon Busch, Ryan Meara. Former MLS GK of the year Jon Busch is coming off a great season. Meara was off to a great start before his injury, if he can get back into form when he heals up he could take the starting job from Busch

 

Ranking the four teams that have posted so far, apart from my own.

1. MLSNHTOWN - With such a strong and well balanced starting XI, it heads into the year as a clear favorite. The one significant weakness I'd point to is that there aren't many dependable players on the bench. Injuries could become a major headache for this team.

2. Deuteronomy and Mr Martin - For as much as I continue to have some misgivings about the composition of this team, I feel like they've covered their bases pretty well, in particular by adding Hernandez and Ryan Miller in the late rounds. Ream and Whitbread would be better described as "occasional Championship starters," though.

3. bmo180 (with ElevenBravo) - Looking at that starting line-up, I see plenty of good players, but five of them are entirely attackers and six entirely defenders. Which is to say, no real midfield, a concern that's compounded by Brian Carroll at dmid, who had a poor 2012 and may be showing the signs of age. I do like the Eric Alexander pick on the bench, but I'm still not convinced that the pieces are going to fit.

4. Sean - Rogers' departure opens a huge crack in this team. Two of his possible replacements at right mid are a left back and a guy who played a total of 64 minutes last season. And now, Sean needs Bobby Convey to have a good year, which is still possible but far from a safe bet. Add Onyewu and Bunbury to the list of question marks, and this team enters the year in limbo in spite of having a lot of potential.

To point out, I feel like all four of these teams drafted well. Every team is going to have strengths and weaknesses, and I'm just trying to explain why I rank them the way I do, not criticize anyone's choices.

 

I wouldnt call DeLeon and Gatt entirely attacking, both track back alot, Gatt played RB in 2011 and DeLeon often would sit back and let Najar get forward last year. Silva may not be a great tackler but he has a pretty high workrate too

 

Some stats from the draft:

Picks by league

MLS -- 153 (70.83%)
England -- 15 (6.94%) [10 EPL, 5 Champ]
Germany -- 14 (6.48%) [8 1.BL, 6 2.BL]
Mexico -- 10 (4.63%)
Norway -- 4 (1.85%)
Denmark -- 3 (1.39%)
Netherlands -- 2 (0.93%)
Portugal -- 2 (0.93%)
Spain -- 2 (0.93%) [1 Primera, 1 Segunda]
HS -- 2 (0.93%)
Austria -- 1 (0.46%)
Belgium -- 1 (0.46%)
Israel -- 1 (0.46%)
Italy -- 1 (0.46%)
Peru -- 1 (0.46%)
Russia -- 1 (0.46%)
Sweden -- 1 (0.46%)
Turkey -- 1 (0.46%)
retired -- 1 (0.46%)

 

Picks by Club

1 ---- 13 -- Los Angeles Galaxy
2 ---- 12 -- Philadelphia Union
T-3 -- 11 -- Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City
5 ---- 10 -- San Jose Earthquakes
T-6 -- 9 --- Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake
T-8 -- 8 --- Columbus Crew, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls
T-11 - 7 --- Chicago Fire, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps
T-16 - 6 --- Montreal Impact, Portland Timbers
18 --- 4 --- Chivas USA
T-19 - 3 --- Club Tijuana, Toronto FC
T-21 - 2 --- 1860 Munich, Aston Villa, AZ Alkmaar, Birmingham City, Hertha Berlin, Molde FK, Puebla, Santos Laguna, Stoke City, Tigres UANL, Tottenham Hotspur, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
T-33 - 1 --- numerous


Edit: Realized I forgot to account for the Ben Zemanski trade.

 

Drafting Teams by MLS-ness

16 -- Neuwerld, bmo180
15 -- MLSNHTOWN, Hararea, Harper916
14 -- Balerion
13 -- Deportivo Vejete, Sean...
11 -- Real Soccer FC
9 -- Sebsasour, AutoPenalti
8 -- MI-Soccerfan

An interesting amount of disparity here. Some comments and questions:

1. Why does MI-Soccerfan hate America?

2. AutoPenalti's number is a little misleading because it includes two domestic non-MLS players.

3. Neuwerld's roster may be largely MLS, but it only includes three Earthquakes!

4. bmo180 cried poor with regard to his MLS knowledge, claiming to be a relatively new follower of the league. However, he only took two foreign-based players, so he may have been sandbagging us!

5. Sebsasour had an interesting draft pattern; he started his draft with four foreign-based players, selected his 9 MLS players, and then finished the draft with five foreign-based players.

 

-----------------------Bruin-------------------------
----Cascio------------Dempsey----------Wood----
-------------LaBrocca----Larentowicz-------------
---Castillo-----Besler-----Wynne-----Franklin----
------------------------Howard----------------------

or

--------------Bruin-----------Wood----------------
----Dempsey---------------------------Cascio------
-------------LaBrocca----Larentowicz-------------
---Castillo-----Besler-----Wynne-----Franklin----
------------------------Howard----------------------
Bench: Seitz, Harrington, Meyer, Tchani, Zizzo, Hoppenot, Townsend


The success of my team depends on how well the depth of my attack fares in 2013. You know what you are going to get with Dempsey. Will Bruin had a very strong 2012 and may well take another step forward in his third professional season. On the other hand, Wood and Cascio are risks. I tried to hedge my bets with a solid depth pick like Zizzo, who may well finish the year in my starting lineup.

LaBrocca and Larentowicz isn't the sexiest midfield partnership by any stretch, but they are both solid MLS players who will provide some solid defense. I'd imagine Larentowicz would sit slightly deeper in this configuration.

I like my defense. It is slightly deficient in the height department, but I think it's above average in speed and especially in quickness. I also have the best goalkeeper in the pool, which shouldn't be overlooked.

 

Hey now, I don't hate America. I just hate the mls

 

GOALKEEPERS (2): Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Marcus Hahnemann (Seattle Sounders)
DEFENDERS (6): John Anthony Brooks (Hertha BSC), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (C.D. Guadalajara), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Todd Dunivant (LA Galaxy), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact), Sean Cunningham (Molde)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Hector Jimenez (LA Galaxy), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Ben Zemanski (Portland Timbers)
FORWARDS (6): Benji Joya (Santos Laguna), Joe Gyau (St. Pauli), Rubio Rubin (Portland Timbers), Brian Iloski (San Diego Surf), Jerome Kiesewetter (Stuttgart), Jack McBean (LA Galaxy)
​

​

 

What I enjoy about my team is the versatility that I have. While i have a few formations and starters in mind, I truly believe with my team there would be a lot of opportunity to change game to game based on matchups

But here is a couple of ideas

4-3-3

---------------------Buddle-----------------------
Magee--------------------------------------Corona
---------------------O'brien-----------------------
----------------Jones---Kljestan-----------------
Williams------------------------------------Spector
----------------Soares--Goodson----------------
------------------Gruenebaum-------------------

4-2-3-1

-------------------Buddle--------------------------
Magee-----------Obrien-----------------Corona
-------------Jones--Kljestan---------------------
Williams--------------------------------Spector
--------------Soares--Goodson------------------
------------------Gruenebaum-------------------

4-4-2 Skinny Diamond

---------------Magee------Buddle-------------------
---------------------Corona---------------------------
-----------------O'Brien--Kljestan------------------
----------------------Jones---------------------------
Williams-------Soares---Goodson----------Spector
------------------Gruenebaum-------------------

4-3-1-2

--------------Magee--Buddle------------------
-------------------Corona----------------------
------O'brien------Jones---------Kljestan----
Williams---Soares----Goodson------Spector
------------------Gruenebaum-------------------

Bench: Jann George, Justin Meram, Jacob Peterson, Will Packwood, Chris Tierney, Bryan Gerzicih, Caleb Patterson-Sewell

Breakdown:
Strengths: Clearly the strength of my team lies in central midfield. Jones, Kljestan, O'Brien and Gerzicich are all top notch central midfielders that also provide versatility in how they are deployed. Based on match ups I have the ability to go defensive or offensive int he central midfield

Weaknesses: The weakness here is at forward. If Edson Buddle has a bounce back year then this alleviates concerns but that is a big question mark at this point in time. Magee, Meram, and Peterson can all play as 2nd strikers but I see all of them more as attacking midfielders. Jann George has a load of talent but at this point could not carry the load if Buddle went down or does not bounce back

I am going to do a positional breakdown at this point based on the 4-3-3 but moving forward may change my mind on the best formation for this team.

Strikers: Edson Buddle, Jann George, Jacob Peterson
Buddle will highlight this unit. He is the big body who can hold up the ball and connect play with the wingers and central midfield. He also has a knack for finding the back of the net and we are expecting him to have a comeback year for the Rapid this season. Jann George provides speed off the bench and a high work rate. George would come in and play the role of a poacher for this team. Peterson is a player that can play striker or winger for our team.

Wingers: Joe Corona, Mike Magee, Justin Meram
We love the players we have at winger. Corona is a young creative player who can move all over the field for us. Magee and Meram are workhorses who can provide good service from the flanks but are also capable of pinching in and finding the back of the net. Magee has been a workhorse for the Galaxy and Meram had a good season off the bench for the Crew last year. Good speed, good passing and good finishing makes for good wing play and that is what we have here

Central Midfield: Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan, Conor O'Brien, Bryan Gerzicich
Pull 3 of these 4 names out of a hat and plug them in and you will have the best central midfield in this draft. All 4 of these players are playing at a high level and can rotate through the positions in the central midfield. Jermaine Jones has been a rock at Schalke and for the Nats. He has been playing as an 8 but for us he would be the designated 6 who cleans up everything in front of the defense and gets the ball forward quickly for the attack. Gerzicich would also mainly play the 6 for us. He is a good defensive midfielders who is positionally sound and makes the smart play with the ball. Kljestan and O'brien would play as duo 8's with Jones rotating in at that spot. O'Brien and Kljestan are both in great form at their clubs and are able to score from distance and break down defenses with searching balls that play their teammates in.

Fullbacks: Jonathan Spector, Sheanon Williams, Chris Tierney
My fullbacks are all solid defensive players who can get forward and play a good ball in. In Spector we get a workhorse who has experience in England and for the National team. Spector can play all over the field us, is a good defender, and is excellent in service. Sheanon Williams is a youngster who is coming in to his own. He should see the field a lot this year and we expect him to have a big year for the Union. In Tierney we have a versatile player who can play on both sides of the field, is a free kick specialist, and always finds himself with a few assists each season.

Centerbacks: Clarence Goodson, Aj Soares, Will Packwood, Jon Spector
If Packwood was healthy I would love my centerbacks. However I am happy with Goodson and Soares. Goodson provides experience and leadership, is good in the air, and is positionally sound. Soares is a player who pairs well next to Goodson. Speed will give them some fits but their positonal ability should be able to mask that for the most part. Neither are great passers out of the back but that is not what will be expected of them. The central midfield will come back to pick up the ball and start the attack

Keepers: Andy Gruenebaum, Caleb Patterson-Sewell
Gruenebaum is one of the top keepers in the mls. He had a great season for Colombus last year and we expect himt o have another stellar year. Patterson-Sewell is a young kid playing in La Liga in Portugal. He at the curent time is a backup but he had loads of talent and potential and we would expect him to be solid if called upon.

 

all really good teams except for 1 imo, not counting mine, my rankings would go:

1. Martin/Deut & MLSNHTOWN- Cant decide between those 2, both really good all around, but not a fan of Ream or Lade, both are really mistake prone. I'm a NY fan and think Lade should be a winger really
3. MI-Soccerfan- Need Buddle to produce, I think he will bounce back. Maybe not the best width but definitely the best passing team in the draft, and his mids can all win the ball back too except for maybe Magee..Not a fan of Goodson though
4. Balerion- Deuce, Howard, Bruin and Besler is a really good core. Solid defense, best GK, lots of goals between Deuce, Bruin. Cascio could have a nice yr, and a solid holding mid duo.
5. Sean..- Solid all around team, could use some better cover for Gooch though, and losing Rogers will hurt
6. Hareara- D could be a little weak, I dont really rate Orozco, and Farrell is unproven and may be a CB. Otherwise I really like it
7. Autopenalti- ...I like the Hedges-Brooks pairing alot anyway

 

Here are a couple of line-ups for my team. I have the starters in the 4-3-3 in bold with their back-ups under them. The back-ups for the 4-4-2 would be similar.


4-3-3

----------------------Sapong--------------------
------------------(Davies/Findley)
Nguyen---------------------------------Findley
(C. Clark/Hurtado) ------------(Zusi/Nguyen/Hurtado)
----------------------------Zusi-----------------
---------------------(Nguyen/Holden)
-----------------Holden-------------------------
----------(Morales/McCarty)
---------------------McCarty-------------------
---------------------(Morales)
Pearce-----Schuler--------John----Sarkodie
(Woolard) -(Pearce) -------(Opara)--- (Morales)
---------------------Rimando------------------
---------------------(Knighton)

4-4-2

--------------Sapong--------Findley------------
----------------------Holden--------------------
----------Nguyen---------------Zusi-----------
---------------------McCarty-------------------
Pearce------Schuler---------John----Sarkodie
---------------------Rimando------------------


GK- Rimando, Knighton

DF- John, Pearce, Schuler, Sarkodie, Opara, Woolard

MF- Zusi, Holden, McCarty, Morales, Nguyen, Hurtado, C. Clark

FW- Sapong, Findley, Davies

FWDS: While I don't have the strongest group of forwards, I feel like I have a good group with the potential to be one of the strongest groups by the end of the year. Sapong has had two good seasons with SKC and should be starting somewhere along their front three. With a good start to the season I could see him with a Gold Cup call-up. Findley and Davies are both looking to get their careers back on track, with Findley back at RSL and Davies at Randers. I'm hoping at least one of them can do that.

MF: I feel like I have a strong deep group with a mix of young players and players entering their prime. Zusi has cemented a place on the national team, McCarty was one of the top center mids in MLS last year(and is still only 25), Nguyen showed a ton of skill in his first year in MLS, Morales is playing for Hertha Berlin(who looks like a lock to be promoted), C. Clark should get decent pt at LA, and Hurtado is a first round draft pick with good potential. Last but not least Holden is finally back to playing for Bolton. He has yet to make a first team appearance in league play, but if he can get back to pre-injury form, I'll have one of the best center mids in the draft.

DF: I'm very happy with my defense. The only one in this group that is not a regular starter for their club is Opara, and with SKC's schedule, he should get a decent amount of playing time. I'm hoping that George John gets a call-up to the Gold Cup. He's a very good center back and pretty underrated by a lot of people imo. If any of you watch any FCD games, keep an eye on him. My other center back, Schuler, is going into his first season as a starter with RSL. On the left I have Pearce, who can also play in the middle, and Woolard, who is a starter at DC. Sarkodie is on the right and he was a very good and dangerous attacking right back for Houston last year, beating out Andre Hainault for the starting spot mid season. Backing him up is Morales.

GK: Rimando is my number one and is consistently one of the top keepers in MLS. Backing him up is Brad Knighton who looks to be going into the season as Vancouvers number one.

Overall I am very happy with how my team turned out. I'm especially happy with my midfield. I feel like I have a good mix of strong tacklers and a lot of technical ability. This draft was a lot of fun and there was some good discussion going on throughout.

 

Several random thoughts about this process.

1. We were very blessed to have one of the top three picks( Donovan) to build our team around.
2. I admired the way that those who did not have one of these top three, went about their selections.
3. The big question Mr. Martin and I had was to select Rico Clark with our fifth selection. We had already selected Mo Edu with our third pick, but believed he was the best player.
4. We liked the attacking options we selected,throughout, and were particularly pleased with Conor Doyle and Kamani Hill with our 14th and 15th picks.
5. We grappled with drafting a player we needed (like an outside back) or going with a better attacker and waiting to fill the need.
6. Pleased at the end to have gotten Jason Hernandez and Ryan Miller, two solid MLS'ers.
7. It goes without saying that Mr. Martin was an excellent partner and early he could almost predict the next players drafted.
8. We believe our selections from our 10th through the 18th made the difference in our squad.
9. It was one of the fun experiences, I have enjoyed on BigSoccer.