Pleased to use my 8th pick on Nick Lima, the 24-year-old San Jose Earthquakes and USMNT fullback. Steady defender who mainly plays right back but also can fill in at left back. He's burly, having played high school American football as a running back. Provides quality service/crosses on offense and, as a former college soccer forward with UC-Berkeley, has a cannon of a leg and can score goals. His play in MLS drew the attention of Bundesliga club Hertha BSC who invited him for a training stint a couple months ago, where he played well in a friendly against 2. Bundesliga side Erzgebirge Aue. Furthermore, he made Berhalter's final USMNT roster for the upcoming friendly against Panama. I doubted whether Lima would fall this far and he seems to be a great value pick. @zlebmada gets the next two picks before it's my turn again.
I’ll take Danny Acosta and Alex Muyl with my 8th and 9th picks. Acosta is a talented left back who ran afoul if his coach at RSL in 2018 and needs to bounce back with a solid season in 2019 in Orlando. The raw ability is there to be a national team contender. Excellent passer. Tough defender. At this point the off-field/locker room concerns are not enough to scare me away. Need a left back bad. Muyl is an occasionally dangerous, hard-working attacker/midfielder for the New York Red Bulls. I’ll play him on the right wing, he will work his ass off and score a goal every 600 minutes. @ChuckMe92 is up.
My #9 pick and shirt goes to Brandon Vazquez, the 6-foot-3 Atlanta United target forward. He likely won't be more than a bit player for the reigning MLS champions, but he should be part of their squad and under the tutelage of League MVP Josef Martinez. Vazquez could very well be as talented as a few of the other young forwards drafted earlier, such as Ebobisse and Sabbi, but has much stiffer competition for playing time at his high-flying club. Brandon Vazquez (@Brvndonv) scored a brilliant free kick goal last night in U.S. U19 MNT's 1-0 win over Spain. pic.twitter.com/zKs5IrwGh8— J.R. Eskilson (@JREskilson) July 30, 2016 Internationally, Vazquez has been called up at youth level by both the US and Mexico, and has gone with the US. Hopefully he is in contention for the US U23s whenever their camps start up. 1. Pulisic 2. Mendez 3. C. Roldan 4. Holmes 5. Palmer-Brown 6. Glad 7. Green 8. Lima 9. Vazquez @Kevin8833 is on the clock.
With my 9th pick I select Keegan Rosenberry right back just recently moved to the Colorado Rapids. A very solid and consistent MLS performer had fantastic numbers last season according to whoscored, an average match rating over 7, over 80 percent pass success, and recovered over 5 balls per game which is extremely high. I was worried about patching together a backline but it is now looking very good with Rosenberry and Sweat I have two very strong defenders to lock down their side but are also reliable in possession, maybe not constant attacking forces but I don’t need that with the attacking players I have I can afford to play steady and reliable outside backs rather than constantly bombing forward wingbacks. @thedukeofsoccer you're up!
9th rd: Chris Mueller, winger/fw, Orlando. Mueller was runner-up to Corey Baird for rookie of the year. Favorite until hitting a mental/physical wall later on in the season. Should have been called up to Jan. camp with the dearth of attacking mid/wing talent. Can play about 5 spots on the field (versatility is key) because of his work-rate and positional sense. Can beat players 1 v. 1 with quicks and more advanced moves for young American player. Decent technically. Sometimes pulls out unique passes, but could work on speeding up his release. Notorious for hard work in the offseason so he should keep improving. @Lookingforleftbacks your time is now.
With the 101st pick of the draft, I will proudly select Lynden Gooch. RW for Sunderland AFC. The proud owner of a new 3 1/2 year deal, Gooch has 5 goals and 8 assists this season in League One, and another goal in 2 FA Cup matches. @Matthew Hartman is on the clock
With my 8th pick I'm taking Brenden Aaronson. He's currently the starting 10 in Philly, and while I'm not convinced they aren't about to sign a AM player in that spot, the potential is there for Aaronson to turn himself into the suprise of the season in MLS. My team: 1) Brooks 2) Dest 3) Arriola 4) Ebobisse 5) Baird 6) Villafana 7) Jones 8) Aaronson @truefan420
Extremely pleased that one of the players we considered with our last pick is still on the board. Once again we are selecting a vet. Edgar Castillo come on down... he’s going to be preforming as our LWB. In that role his ability to attack and contribute to possession will be highlighted while his defensive shortcomings will be protected and hidden. Check whoscored if you’re a doubter. @AutoPenalti you’re up
We select Tim Chandler. He is due back--from injury-- in February, a time frame which, per the rules, makes him a fieldable player. He is the best fullback in the pool. He has a WS average of 7.0 in 124 B1 starts at RB. Displaying his versatility, he averaged 6.9 in 24 starts at RM. He hasn't been at this best with the US, but will shine under our more tactically minded regime. @jond is on the clock.
With my 9th pick I select Omar Gonzalez of Atlas. I picked him because I needed a CB. Still appears to be a Liga MX first XI quality player. Very solid defensively but has holes in his game going forward. @ShaftBrewer yippee
Give me Perry Kitchen and Andrew Gutman. I almost took Kitchen last round for my squad. I have been a huge fan of his game for years and am surprised he has not developed into a more established international. Some bad advice and moves abroad to the wrong sides seemingly ended his USMNT career, but he adds the bite in the midfield I need behind Acosta and Lletget. He will log lots of time with Jona dos Santos for the Galaxy this season. I'll take Celtic new-boy Andrew Gutman who should be announced soon. He was a dominant player for Indiana the last year, and won the Hermann. Nowadays NCAA players, even those who dominate, don't translate to the professional game, but Gutman is a powerful attacking left back. He'll slot in behind Celtic talisman Kieran Tierney who could be on the look to move soon, and battle Honaduan Emilio Izaguirre for PT. A couple LBs to push him to be a better player. Personally I think he starts for the Fire if he signed a HG this year. @ShaftBrewer
I select Matt Polster who's currently signing with Rangers as my RB. Kid has always been solid and shown flashes of higher level quality. Unfortunately stagnated. Hopefully a change of scenery at Rangers brings more out of him. Today was in Paris getting his visa. @Eleven Bravo @ @IndividualEleven
We select Justin Morrow. At 31, and an MLS lifer, his chance with the NT has passed. But he has gained the tactical nous and consistency to go with the elite physical tools. This past season saw him excel at LCB, LB, LWB, and LWF, as TFC struggled with injuries. He is now one of the most complete left-sided defenders in the league. @AutoPenalti
We'd like to select Mr. Brad Guzan. Still a top 3 goalie in the US pool and is coming off a great season with ATL. @Matthew Hartman is up!
With my 9th pick, I will select Shaq Moore of Levante(?). His club situation is obviously... not good, and he’s probably been passed on the NT depth chart, but he’s still a capable right back with some ability to go forward. My team: 1) McKennie 2) Amon 3) Bello 4) Soto 5) Parker 6) Carleton 7) Marshall 8) Hines-Ike 9) Gooch 10) Moore @thedukeofsoccer is now on the clock
10th rd: Tim Melia, GK, SKC. Has arguably been the best keeper in MLS the last few years. A younger Nick Rimando in the sense he's not a big keeper, but compensates with mobility and anticipation, plus is rather smooth with his feet. Has won many games almost single-handedly for SKC in true USNT keeper fashion. Don't know why he hasn't been given an opportunity. Maybe because he's at a tweener age, but that doesn't impact this game, and he's a keeper so many good years left at 32. Draft to date: 1. Adams, 2. Novakovich, 3. F Johnson, 4. Zimmerman, 5. Cameron, 6. Morris, 7. S Davis, 8. De La Torre, 9. Mueller, 10. Melia @Kevin8833 you're back on the attack.
Although it is tempting to get back on the attack again I will go the responsible route and take my keeper, so I select current national teamer Sean Johnson. @ChuckMe92 you're up!
Even though he will likely never get a USMNT cap, I'm going to select Sounders keeper Stefan Frei, who has been among the best if not the best keeper in MLS the last few years and, like Melia, is still just about "age 28" or so in goalkeeper years and thus very much in his prime. @zlebmada gets the next two picks.
I'll take Jacori Hayes and Tim Melia. Hayes was one of the highest-rated American CMs in MLS on WhoScored in 2018 even though he lost his job mid-way through the season. He's got kinks to work out, but he's mobile, intelligent, reasonably technical and defensively stout. A good compliment to Durkin in a double pivot and a decent shuttler who can help connect Durkin and Ledezma in my 3-man midfield. Melia is not in the real national team picture, but he's a good goalkeeper and I need one of those. @ChuckMe92 is up.