So there are quite a few, but I don't think you could build an elite MLS squad with those players. Maybe on defense, but there isn't a wealth of offensive talent there. Even with Hercules Gomez, they'd be hurting.
Not to mention the impossible task of grabbing them, especially now that it's very clear they're so valuable to Chivas USA, and they have pretty much 0 to offer in return. So it's got to be done through outside picks ups, home growns, etc, but even with home grown players they're going to struggle to try and beat out LA.
So the 1st GK in the draft is from.... Cleveland State! Hey, he was in net when Akron suffered its only loss in 2010.
Delgado was born in Mexico. If he doesn't have a Green Card, he would've been tough for most teams to pick. But SJ has international slots to burn. Definitely interesting about Yallop not being extended. I would've thought they'd keep him.
Merritt Paulson @MerrittPaulson One of the 3 guys Caleb identified as potential 2nd rd sleepers still available..
Interesting comments by Twellman about Jerry Bengtson, but Lalas ignored him completely. By the way, I know that Chris Thomas played at a small school, but I still feel like a kid who runs up 23 goals and 5 assists is worth a flyer.
Houston Dynamo take Jimmy Nealis at 37th. A talented left back from Georgetown, and could be another steal for the Dynamo.
Draft is showing the importance of exposure (presuming you play well) for these kids. A lot of kids who's stock went up because scouts saw them playing in the College Cup the last couple of years. EDIT: By my count, 14 of the 38 players taken played in the College Cup the last three years.
Could also be talent is the reason their teams have made the college cup in the last 3 years. Though I suspect its a little of column a, and a little of column b.
1.Andrew Farrell Louisville 2010 10. Eriq Zavaleta Indiana 2012 12. John Stertzer Maryland 2012 14. Mikey Lopez North Carolina 2011 15. Tommy Muller Georgetown 2012 17. Taylor Kemp Maryland 2012 18. Fernando Monge UCLA 2011 20. Ryan Hollingshead UCLA 2011 21. Donnie Smith Charlotte 2011 22. Ian Christianson Georgetown 2012 24. Kofi Opare Michigan 2010 27. Paolo DelPiccolo Louisville 2010 36. Luis Soffner Indiana 2012 37. Jimmy Nealis Georgetown 2012
Not that this is proof, but Twellman and the others sounded very sure that he was out of contract at the end of this season.
Which is extra bad news for Ribeiro and Jose Gomez, who went undrafted despite coming from the only program in the country that reached the last two Final Fours. In last year's SuperDraft, Creighton had four players taken, but none of them made an impact as rookies.
From here if anyone cares to read: http://www.goal.com/en-ca/news/4175...c-uses-favourable-draft-position-to-stockpile
I'm going to have to go back and watch that Lalas and Borg segment again. Even Lalas couldn't believe some of the crap that was coming out of Borg's mouth. And for all the grief that people give Lalas, he sure was able to identify the player that the drafting team would draft quite a few times. I know he says some dumb things but he does understand what is going on during a draft and how teams are thinking.
After one of Lalas' "predictions", Twellman pointed out that Lalas was reading texts while off camera. There's a period of time between the submission of the pick and the point when Garber/Durbin get up to the podium. During that interval Lalas was apparently being sent the player's name and then announcing it over the air before the official announcement. Incredibly obnoxious.
"Despite being complimentary of Farrell's game, Payne said that the club's young center backs, newly acquired U.S. international Gale Agbossoumonde and Doneil Henry, were "better than anybody that was in this draft," and he pointed out that both were younger, had more experience and were bigger than Farrell." Boss is not younger than Farrell. Boss is 21, Farrell is only 20.