And exactly how much "extensive scouting" do you really think any of these teams have done. Real scouting. The kind that takes a scouting staff to conduct. Not picking up the phone and calling a coach about a player, not looking back to see if a kid was part of a U-17 Natl Team 5 years ago, not watching one Big East or ACC semi-final and final tournament. Scouting over a period of a few years. Think they do that?
After looking at the combine invitees the past few years, i really don't think hardly any scouting is done at all by the mls coaches. The MLS coaches are not interested in american college talent and the great college players that i have seen not even get considered for this so-called talent search event (what a joke) convinces me each year that the US will never improve on the world stage until they get the good ole boys OUT of the american soccer system. I don't think any of us will see any improvement in us soccer. There are too many GREAT college players that the MLS just doesn't care about... its about the so called foreign mystical influence and the GA system which chokes the real US born talent that the soccer moms and soccer dads have been developing for the past 20 yrs.. They just do not get it..there is more soccer talent in this country than anywhere else in the whole world.. Coaches you NO LONGER need to go to BRAZIL or EUROPE or SOUTH AMERICA or LATIN AMERICA to find a "football" player.. THEY are right here in the good ole USA and until we get these foreigners that are running the american soccer system out, america will never progress.. A reminder to all you great college soccer players that were dissed by this charade....you will be better off anyhow by finding a job and making more money than you could ever dream of making in the MLS...The MLS does not deserve you guys...
I know Harkes scouted a lot of Big East teams and had some scouts he trusted scout the ACC for NYRB when he was here. I would venture most MLS sides do scout when they can and have networks in place of people they trust to recomend talent and provide feedback. Not to a level like you see in the more established leagues/clubs, but something. The combine is a waste when it comes to evaluating talent because the games are effectivly scrimmages between sides that have zero familiarity with each other, and players are not even playing in any type of system of play...instead they are all trying to "stand out individually". The combine rarely shows you much. At best it provides an opportunity to see a player that flew under the radar ( i.e. Chris Rolfe) that can be a good buy in a late round. Not saying they shouldn't have it, but i think the importance of it is overstated by those that support it.
I don't know peretz48 and i would agree that northernsoccer may sound like one of those "dissed" players but there are some sensitive points mentioned in those comments that probably are being thought by a certain segment of american soccer fans that need to be said and it is time that they are not simply shrugged off. this country spends more money developing young soccer players than the entire world combined. we are not competing on the world stage and people are asking WHY! just another passionate american soccer fan so don't squelch it..
But he's made some wild assertions about the great players that MLS doesn't care about. I've watched quite a bit of college soccer, and there just aren't hidden Messis, Ronaldos, etc., roaming around. Now, I will agree that there are players that aren't brought into the combine who do have possibilities at the next level, be it MLS, USL, indoor, etc. There are players at lower-tier DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, JUCO, etc., who may need more time to develop, and have some potential. Here I will agree that some players get missed. But not talent of the first rank. News travels fast, and if someone is a real bonafide talent scouts will get out to see that player. Also, there are other ways to be seen like this: http://www.infosportinc.com/soccercombines.html A few years ago there was a player at a Cal JC. His coach thought he was quite good (much better than any other JC players) and made some calls. Scouts showed up to watch him when he played for his club team at the Nike Friendlies, and that player was picked 4th in the 2006 MLS Superdraft. His name is Yura Movsisyan.
Dont wanna spam the site, but I have a report from todays combine Right now i have the top 5 preformers of the day and the 5 dissapointments. www.mlsdraft.net Later tonight I will have a more indepth look at todays action, i just need some pizza before I do
If you're responding directly with info others are asking for, it's not spamming, even if you've posted it elsewhere, IMHO.
You don't have to look any further than Justin Braun who went from playing for a Utah adult league team in a tournament at the HDC to starting quite a few games for Chivas USA this season. Preki only saw him because he was in a local tournament, if the stories are accurate. How many more Justin Brauns are out there? Plenty. Not a Messi or something ridiculous like that, but guys who can play in MLS and are better than many of the guys currently playing in MLS, absolutely.
And even if you're just posting on your own, it's still much appreciated. How else would we know? I think you can safely assume that, on the combine thread, people want to know about the combine. So, enjoy your pizza, and then get back to work.
Here's JoeSoccerFan's first report: http://proplayerpipeline.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/2009-mls-combine-day-1-game-1/ JSF, I and everyone here thank you in advance for your work. The detail and content are fantastic.
I have no way of judging anyone, since I'm not there, but if I go on Joe's report it sounds like maybe a few of the GA boys are disappointing. Well, whichever MLS club recommended a particular player must draft that player if no one else does, even if they're now regretting the choice. But, they have three days to impress (or disappoint), so all is not lost.
If you think Wallace and Gonzalez played well today you're clueless, nothing personal. That first game was crap, both teams played like 15 year-olds. It was some of the worst soccer I've seen in years.
I know we talked after the games Joe, but what exactly does 'work rate" mean? Lahoud covered nothing, and ran around aimlessly. This isn't soccer, it's 'kick the ball as far as you can and hope someone gets on the end of it". It's hard for anyone to play when most of these guys don't know the first thing about how to play simple.
The first day usually sucks. and today was better than the last two years for sure. as for grading this talent... everyting is relative. Sometiems they are good only in comparison to this level. but since this is the level MLS is drafting... it is what it is.
It certainly is. I'd just say that nuance isn't a strong point of many, if not most, of these players. I didn't see last year. To be completely honest, while it's fine that the big shots stay at the at the Marriott and go on cruises, the players get to try and perform on a pitch that is complete shit, and certainly doesn't help enhance the chances of seeing good soccer. It's the story of US Soccer, and has been for quite some time. It just pisses me off.
absolutly. I'm with you there. This field ain't great. The fields at HDC are better but this is usually the rainy season. Dallas field are nice but the weather can be hit and miss. not sure what the other options are this time of year.