http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...-mls-campus-peers-crystal-ball-two-months-out http://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft...s-blue-chippers-one-month-out-2014-superdraft
http://wvhooligan.com/2013/12/20/17738/2014-mls-superdraft-mock-draft-version-1/ First Round TeamPickPlayerComments 1Patrick Mullins, F, MarylandI do still think a lot depends on who all is in the GA class but Mullins is such a sure-thing that it will be so tough for DCU to pass on him with the first pick. 2Leo Stolz, M, UCLA*There are still some question marks surrounding the chances that he will leave UCLA early. If he does, I fully expect him to go in the top five, just way too much talent there with this German not to go early. 3Andre Blake, GK, UCONN*The Caps still have David Ousted on their roster but Blake will likely be able to compete with him on day one. 4Steve Birnbaum, D, CaliforniaOne of the better defenders in this draft. Birnbaum will step in to fill the big shoes that Chad Marshall is leaving behind.
He is the first defender off the board and they say "one of the better defenders in the draft" Talk about professional insight. I would have never guessed.
I think if Dean is on the board, we should go in that direction. Either way, we'll take a CB, thank you.
http://www.soccerbyives.net/2013/12/mock-draft-version.html Interesting; I really wish MLS would let anyone that wanted to declare for the draft.
I would agree that it has worked and still works for what he league has been and still is. My hope, while not tomorrow maybe in the next five years or so, there will be places to train those that want to be professionals but aren't quite ready for MLS. I'm not one that thinks college soccer is completely useless but I don't like forcing athletes to stay in college because the professional leagues lock them out. Obviously that statement is bigger than soccer but I don't think it's good for anyone.
I hear what you are saying but in many/most cases it is for the player's own good. One of the reasons I don't like the NBA much anymore is that while the players have a lot of individual talent, the team game is pretty much gone. Guys also do not know their fundamentals as well--and aren't as good shooters. Much of that is due to one and done. Most college players think they are better than they really are (any sport). The reality is different. One example. tOSU is one of the best programs at sending football players to the NFL. Third overall I think (ND and U$C are ahead). But if you take the number of players who got at least a game and divide by the years the NFL had been around, you get 3 maybe 4 players a year. That's not just the stars or even the scrubs but also includes the guy who dressed for one game. That's not much--from one of the best schools. Overseas it is a different story in two ways--you can make a living in the lower divisions (this is also true, to be fair with AAA baseball here) and colleges are more like grad schools and do not have big athletic programs by and large--that role is taken up by the club system. We are starting to develop that here (it's always been there to some extent in parts of the country (my hometown club having been to the Open Cup and won the O-30 cup, for example)--just not anything you could make a living at). It is also interesting that sport is one of the few places where the cocky kid often gets a better deal than the veteran. I've always been a bit surprised that the players unions go for this rather than a system where there's a base pay for rookies thus leaving more for the vets--who are the bulk of the union.
Yeah but the NBA and NFL are the worst examples; neither has a developmental strategy outside of college. While I would love to see the NBA d-league to become a developmental league it isn't really.
Point taken. Perhaps minor league baseball will be a good model for soccer here. We're never going to get pro/rel (realistically--nor do I want it). But the market for MLS is still small, making the market for minor league soccer smaller than that for baseball. The travel costs are a killer too. People always forget that when they compare our systems to Europe or SA.
Yeah I like the MLB/NHL model from an MLS perspective. From a Crew development perspective I'd like to see the Crew slowly take more control over Dayton and maybe have one more affiliate in the region. Maybe somewhere like Toledo?
SBI thinks we need cap room. Really, they have next to no idea if it is outside of DC, NY, Philly, or NE.
Actually I got a chuckle out of the 2nd draft pick for predict for us.."should be well known to the Crew coaching staff"...except there is no one on the coaching staff left.
SBI and TopDrawerSoccer was that last one. My assumption is that you are right, they are not looking deeply into our situation, but are only going off quotes from the Marshall deal. The only other possibility is that our guys are talking big behind the scenes about signings and I'd only believe that when I saw it.
I say sell all of our draft picks for the next 100 years. I think the draft is such a crap shoot its really worthless. You MIGHT get lucky...but its like pick numbers for the powerball. We know other teams will trade decent players (think brian carroll) for draft picks...we should start shipping them out now. Our academy is strong enough obviously that we wont hurt for young talent.
BINGO! Been saying this for years. First Rounders since '08: 08 - Andy Iro 09 - TRADED (for Pat Noonan) 10 - Dilly Duka, Bright Dike 11 - Rich Balchan, Justin Meram 12 - Ethan Finlay 13 - Ryan Finley Don't even trade for players; we'd be better off trading it all for allocation money.