Superdraft is the 13th I believe will the Dynamo trade their picks for something else, will they stand pat with the picks they have, or will they trade to get more / or higher picks? let the commentary, observations, speculation and or advice for the Dynamo organization 'Brain Trust' begin...
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) ---- The first day of the 2017 Major League Soccer SuperDraft ended in chaos Friday when the Houston Dynamo decided not to select a player in the first or second round over an apparent rules misinterpretation. The Dynamo could have bolstered the roster at the event in Los Angeles by selecting three collegiate standouts using the first round’s eighth pick plus the second round’s eighth and fourteenth spots, but club management felt the moves would not “check all the boxes.” “Approaching draft day, we became aware of our three spots in the draft’s first two rounds,” Dynamo Technical Director and General Manager Matt Jordan said. “So we contacted MLS headquarters in New York to get a copy of the press packet set for release to the assembled media. While scanning the document, I was shocked to learn clubs are not eligible to negotiate loan deals with players’ colleges. This is devastating for the future of our club.” Jordan, who served as Montreal Impact technical director for four years, appeared to credit his daily MLS Transfers twitter handle check as his source for learning the number of draft picks available to the Dynamo this season. Dynamo President Chris Canetti confirmed the club chose not to select a player in the draft’s first and second rounds due to the inability to sign players to loan deals. He indicated the club plans to skip the second day of the draft for the same reason. “I think everyone here is disappointed with the results at the 2017 MLS SuperDraft,” Canetti said. “Everyone here thought they had a strong understanding of the draft rules, and we had a plan going forward. We were all completely on the same page, and every one of us was highly motivated to win.” “Then we get a copy of the press packet – which included a wealth of information including game’s rules and definitions for targeted allocation money, general allocation money and this thing called a designated player – and we knew the results wouldn’t go the way we wanted them to go. The expectation was we’re going to take things to the next level based on what we’ve built, and we can’t reach that level without being able to sign players to loan deals from their respective colleges.” Incoming U.S. Men’s National Team Manager Bruce Arena appeared surprised when asked about the Dynamo deciding against drafting and developing aspiring talent that could one day help the national team. “Wait, the Dynamo are still in MLS?” said Arena, when approached by reporters.
This class doesn't have as many good Central defenders as last year after reading up and looking at videos, I have a couple of favorites in the combine list but I would like to see more measurables from the combine before deciding who we should get.
From the terribly-shot, grainy ass video I've been able to watch; I really like Jackson Yueill from UCLA. You know that normally I would only approve of an Argentine or Brasilian CAM, but Yueill looks interesting and GA free.
I think the team would be smart to consider giving the keys to Lucatero. Nothing he did last year at RGVFC indicates he would be ready for it - but with that speed and movement - he could really grow into the role as the season progressed.
I'm thinking that we draft him or some other GA player ... and then let them go because they will cost too much 3 years from now when they lose their GA status. Jordan / Canetti looking out for our future! Interestingly, when you look at all the players we have ever drafted, I think we got the most out of that talent... http://www.houstondynamo.com/superdraft Maybe Bruin goes on to score 100+ goals over his career or Creavalle / Sarkodie carve out a long career as spot-starters? But honestly, I think we milked these players for all they were worth, we just don't do well in the draft (aside from Cameron obviously).
When I was on the Keeper Notes Soccer Show, one year we did a draft show where I tried to make the point that historically the Dynamo had poor drafts. For many years, the prevailing company line was that Dom got the most out of drafts. I argued that wasn't true when your best drafted players of all time were Geoff Cameron (I'll give you that one); Will Bruin (flawed like a mthrfkr); and a tie at third best between Corey Ashe (@OneTerryHurlock@) & Patrick Ianni (who had his best years in Seattle).
Don't you need to do a comparison to the other teams in MLS and their draft histories in the same years -- and factor in what selections the Dynamo had -- and factor in any trades (both trading away picks and trading for picks)? My point being that it seems like a very very complex analysis is needed to determine a teams relative performance with the draft.
I want to find the original. I mean WTF. Be one thing if he went to some foreign league and played. But he abandons us back to HS, plays some in PDL, and then disappears. That from someone who was US U20 in HS. Per MLS salary data he was going to make $99k first year out. And we all remember how barren the forward position was 2009-2010. That was pre Bruin but when Ching was fading. He couldn't have been undocumented, I don't think, because he played for US youth teams and I assume they'd check. It's either that or sick of soccer, that I can come up with, but why then play for Laredo. It doesn't make much sense.
I'm sure someone like Nigel Brooks may know the real story - IIRC he signed, maybe came here for a few days then got homesick or girlfriend was pregnant and Dom didn't want a kid not 10,000% into it
But for $99k the g/f comes here, insurance, Medical Center, etc. No debt, no career, friends can move to Houston. I get where maybe Dom runs him off. But then "I got a contract," make us run you off. Or trade you within MLS. Not disappear off to Laredo. I know people who played on Laredo, they weren't any better than I was. He's a US U20 with a nearly 6 figure salary. He was going to get a year and a half probably unless he was a total embarrassment. Which I don't remember anyone saying. But yeah we are dealing with a kid. But then I wasn't that dumb a kid. At that age every college visit I was like where do you see me playing, do you see me starting day 1, what kind of scholarships do you have, am I up for one, etc. But that's because I was engaged, some of my friends who were good at this but deep down could care less were some of the ones who disappeared. The ones who cared, one guy went back to school in his late 20s with eligibility and he still played small college soccer while he finished his degree. So I half wonder what was on his mind.
Well, since we probably have zero international slots - it probably limits our flexibility in this draft because a lot of the better players in the draft are internationals. Defenders Robinson and Nerwinski with good measurables. Outside back Odoi-Atsem as well. Certainly one of these guys might fall to three. Now, how technically competent are they? Speed Test (30-meter dash) Name School Position Time (seconds) 1. Jakob Nerwinski UConn D 3.87 2. Miles Robinson Syracuse D 3.88 Guillermo Delgado Delaware F 3.88 4. Zeiko Lewis Boston College F 3.89 Chris Odoi-Atsem Maryland D 3.89 6. Dominic Oduro [Int'l Invitee] D 3.90 Brian Wright Vermont F 3.90 8. Niko Hansen New Mexico F 3.91 9. Abu Danladi UCLA F 3.92 Ethan Kutler Colgate F 3.92 Agility Test (5-10-5 shuttle) Name School Position Time (seconds) 1. Zeiko Lewis Boston College F 4.20 Ethan Kutler Colgate F 4.20 3. Chris Odoi-Atsem Maryland D 4.22 4. Jakob Nerwinski UConn D 4.25 5. Dominic Oduro [Int'l Invitee] D 4.28 6. Eddie Sanchez Portland M 4.30 7. Daniel Johnson Louisville M 4.31 8. Robby Sagel Penn State D 4.32 9. Julian Gressel Providence M 4.33 10. Marcus Epps USF F 4.34 Power Test (vertical jump) Name School Position Height (inches) 1. Chris Odoi-Atsem Maryland D 36.5 2. Miles Robinson Syracuse D 34.5 Jakob Nerwinski UConn D 34.5 4. Niko Hansen New Mexico F 33.5 5. Marcus Epps USF F 32.5 Nick Depuy UCSB F 32.5 Jonathan Lewis Akron M 32.5 8. Guillermo Delgado Delaware F 32 9. Aaron Jones Clemson D 31 Ethan Kutler Colgate F 31
I had a chance to make contact with Felix Garcia a couple of years ago through someone involved with the Laredo PDL team and decided not to pursue it. At that point, I think he saw how he threw it all away and the last thing he wanted was a reminder. From what I could piece together: he was mentally weak (not from an intelligence, but from a confidence level) and he had familial pressures on him from both his and his partner's family. Add to that that Dom was not the baby sitting type and you get the idea why it didn't work. I'm convinced a teacher-type coach (Rongen, Cabrera) would've made it work. Juve is right, he had speed, height, touch, finishing skills, and a U-USMNT pedigree. It's incredible you would go from that to being out of the game without a couple of people failing you.
Combine scrimmages: Johnson AM from Louisville and Dunladi F from from UCLA looks interesting. Yueill (our projected pick) scored a left footed shot. The Hume brothers garnered some notice for their play (6'5" twins - think of drafting both and calling them the Dynamo twin towers).
I have seen some CBs high in mock drafts but once they signed Garcia to a MLS deal that doesn't make a ton of sense. On paper, Machado & Leonardo, backed up by Agus and Garcia, with Anibaba as utility player also capable. Draft another CB and you're either drafting for RGV -- when we are in a rebuild and need players -- or you have to ship out one of the backups. Outside back is where we need numbers and help. I don't know how this draft is for that. The name that intrigues me is Dominic Oduro. No the other one. Who knows what he is as a player because he bounced around, but Man City academy, FC Nordsjælland. The Maryland kid, I don't know how excited I can get at a former CB at a name school who got drummed out of the first round of the NCAAs by Providence 5-4 on 4 second half goals, and who doesn't have a ton of youth national pedigree.
he may be great but he is an international he is not GA and I don't uave the patience of waiting 7 years until he becomes a good player by MLS stabdards (like the namesake in MTL)
The problem with our draft history is not the ones who stuck and were ok pros for a career or a while. With the percentages that's ok. I do wish we had more Cameron bonanzas but that's not what kills us. What kills us is the flush rate. Neither of last year's picks made the team or played a first team league minute. Our luck with the HGP and the draft, the only way we get kids in is loans from outside the county. And then it's basically MLS trades and the free agent market. And even the loan kids are veterans.