is anyone a lock to be taken#1 in the MLS draft?

The draft is January 17, 2003 in Kansas City. They've moved it up from last year (which happened in Feb.) because teams didn't feel like they had enough time to evaluate the talent they brought into camp.

It's always difficult to say who is a sure fire bet because many top players don't sign with the league until right before the draft. Others don't sign at all and wait to see which team picks them and what offer MLS makes them. And there is always the possibility of Europe.

With that said, if you just want my speculation these are some possibilities:

Oguchi Onyewu - He's having major problems with getting authorized to play with Metz in the French league. If his appeals fall through he may return to the US and play in MLS. If he is placed in the draft, I would think he would go either #1 or #2.

Alecko Eskandarian - Star forward at UVA and member of the youth National teams. He has 20 goals and 4 assists in 14 games with Virginia. A leading candidate for the Hermann Trophy.

Nate Jaqua - Like Eskandarian, Jaqua is the main scoring threat with his school (the U. of Portland) and has been part of various youth National Teams.

David Stokes - Tall, strong central defender for UNC. Often compared to a young Eddie Pope.

Ricky Lewis - Left wingback for Clemson (although he has been playing on the right this season). He's probably the best flank defender in college right now which makes him a valuable asset.


There are plenty of other good players that may enter the draft that may go high but not #1:

Pat Noonan - F - Indiana
Diego Walsh - M - SMU
Knox Cameron - F - Michigan (only a sophomore, however)
Ricardo Clark - M - Furman (also a sophomore)
Doug Warren - GK - Clemson
Mike Tranchilla - F - Creighton

Could be the best draft ever, depending on how many quality players decide to enter it.

 

I think Gamblor nailed it on the head.

Just to add a little local info, DC United owns the first pick and the Metros own teh second. Onyewu comes from Maryland in essentially a DC suburb. Eskandarian has ties to New York and attends UVa so sorta has DC ties as well. He's scrimmaged and practiced with them before I believe.

As Gamblor said, Knox Cameron probably will not go #1 overall, but he's a 6'3" 200+ lbs. target forward who is scoring a lot for Michigan. If he continues his torid scoring pace and performs well in the pre-draft camp, he might jump up into the potential #1's list.

FYI, Onyewu's problems problems stem from Metz's financial instability and their governing body not wanting to OK a new youth contract. The word is that they like Onyewu just fine and are frustrated that the financial woes are affecting his eligibility. Onyewu continues to traid with them.

-Tron

 

And for those who wanna see if Cameron is the real deal, he is on the roster, IIRC, for the US U20 team. They will be playing their qualifiers in Charleston, SC. I don't think he'll start over Ed Johnson of the Dallas Burn, but he may get some minutes, like Edson Buddle did during the Toulon tournament (and he is now starting to get a look from the national team).

Then again, I think Bob Bradley has an idea of what and who he wants for this team, so I am not worried (unlike seasons past where I felt mgmt had no idea what or who they wanted).

 

I guess this may depend on what Bradley decides to do with Andy Williams and Mathis, but if you guys are looking for an American "#10" then Grabavoy of IU was having a great year before he got hurt. I seem him going to the Rapids to replace Valderamma before the Metros, though.

 

Grabavoy suffered a high-ankle sprain and is out of the game next weekend, but hasn't been ruled out for Charleston yet. Let's keep our fingers crossed that he's healthy - and afterwards, is ready to sign with MLS.

Chris Wingert is a possibility at the #5 slot if the Metros move either Petke or Jolley. He's a local kid - grew up in Jersey and plays at St. John's; he's big (6-foot, 175), fast, and a superior defender, second only to Stokes out of this year's crop IMHO. But the guy I'd take number one (assuming Onywu isn't offered - he's an absolutely certain, bet the house and your wife and kids, lead-pipe cinch to go number one if he's in the draft) is Guillermo Gonzalez, the current playmaker for the U-17s. He's about 5-foot-11 and has more buzz surrounding him than anyone in the Bradenton camp since Donovan. He's the one keeping Adu on the bench - yes, he's that good.

 

Thought that the league would manage to get to stay West coast. He's an LA boy. He'd seem to be a better fit there, closer to home and all.

 

I think there are a bunch of number 2s, but no true # 1. Eskandarian is as close as it gets. It really depends (for us) on what Bradley wants to do with the team, and that starts with Mathis. Since we basically have no forwards at the moment, does he draft a speed guy for Mathis to run along with, or does he go D and get offense at # 7, figuring that any forward available there will be good enough, knowing that he will sign an SI to start the season?

I would like to get either Eskandarian or Cameron at # 2 and Diego Walsh at # 7, but I am not sure he would take 2 offensive guys in the first round. I think Mathis needs a speed guy that will run onto then end of his passes and do the running work while Mathis plays slightly withdrawn. If Faria was a finisher he would have been perfect for this, but he could never finish the chances he was given. If either Alecko or Cameron can develop into that role we would be in business, Cameron especially as we had a habit of launching high balls into the middle that no one ever got to the end of. As Clint is a shortie, I say draft a tall forward. Nothing was more painful last year (fianl NE game excepted) than watching us play the Fire and thump cross after cross into the box with no hope of getting a head to them.

Unless of course Bradley looks at Mathis is a forward mid playing tucked behind the 2 strikers. We saw that with ill effect on occassion last year, but he was serving Diallo and Faria and only playing at about 50% hustle. Maybe Bradley goes defense with both picks, getting a D and a D-Mid, figuring that SIs will take over up top.

Wish the draft would get here sooner. We gathering at Hale's?

 

I think that's a pretty accurate statement at this point. I just know I'm going to scream bloody murder when the guy I slagged off from Central Oshkosh Engineering Community College picked 25th overall comes out and scores 15 next year and we draft some schmuck from UCLA whose career highlight will be picking the lint out of Mathis's toes.

You said it, my friend. It all revolves around what BB (hopefully not NS) does with the SI slots and cap-room. After what we've seen from Ruiz and Garcia this year, I'm wondering if a trip to Guatemala is in order...

I've got a hunch Cameron is staying in school or trying to move along to Europe after the U-20s - either way I just don't see him in the League. It's too bad though, because I think he'd be a great fit alongside Mathis. As for Alecko, I've just never been a fan of him. The name "Johnny Torres" comes to mind.

And Walsh is overrated crap. The Ct. Wolves ought to keep a roster spot warm for him.

See, this is the problem. Cameron is a Conor Casey/Brian McBride type, not a speedster. Alecko is a withdrawn, Mathis type. Neither really fit the bill for what we need. I hate to say it, but Pat Noonan - the finisher for Indiana and a (blech) 4-year college player - might be what the doctor ordered. He's neither terribly tall nor terribly fast, but neither is Carlos Ruiz or Taylor Twellman.

Clint isn't really that short, and is pretty good in the air to boot. He hasn't scored a lot of goals with his head for the Metros because that's not what he's been asked to do, but this coming year as an out-and-out striker (no way Bradley's playing him in the hole IMHO), we'll see him use the noggin more. And the need for a tall forward is a red herring to boot, because if we're playing hoof-and-hope, we're screwed anyway.

No, what we really need is a garbageman. A guy who will be in the box to pick up the s**t goals we never get. The more I think about this, the more I think we should draft Noonan. Damnit.

Tall = Brian McBride. Tall also = AJ Wood.

If we're drafting by physical attributes alone, I say we pick up Tara Reid.

It's always an option of course, but I just don't think it's likely. Asking Clint to control the team just hasn't worked that great in the past - I don't think it plays to his strengths. If anything, I could see him taking the role Dema played for Chicago during Wolff's numerous injuries - a second striker with midfield capabilities.

Unless Ricardo Clark comes out, there's not a d-mid worth taking that early. And the other problem is that d-mids don't develop very quickly - Moore was about as good a rookie d-mid as I've seen in this league, and we all want him replaced is a good frame of reference. Of the four defining d-mids of MLS - Armas, Mastroeni, Mulrooney, Maissoneuve - three were laughably bad for their first several years.

Sure. Love to.

 

Bradley is smart.

He doesn't need much to make the Metros do better than this year.

#1 Ditching Diallo = $250k in Cap room.
#2 Losing Ramos = $150k in Cap room.
#3 Renegotiating Balboa = $100k in Cap room.

That leaves close to $500k to fill the two allocations the Metros have coming to them.

With the second pick in the Super Draft - the Metros can pick a guy like Eskandarian as a P40 and further free up dollars since he wouldn't count against the Cap.

Eskandarian could provide the depth to the Mathis and Mr. X (foreign player) that would be brought in.

The talk about the MetroStars job being a tough challenege - is only true for one guy OZ.

Bradley is going to have a team that on paper is still dangerous - but with the benefit of being able to use 1/4 of the Salary cap to find the missing 2-3 pieces to sort all the $hit out.

Finally - Bradley has the best track record of any MLS coach/GM in terms of finding/developing talent.

OZ picked Shak - Bradley picked Bocanegra
Bradley discovered Bonseau
Bradley developed Beasley
Bradley believed in Razov when the Galaxy cut him
Bradley picked Wolff
Bradley picked all of the Polish Fire players - and cut them/traded them precisely when their tanks were empty.
Bradley saw the value in Thornton
Bradley picked Jim Curtin
Bradley picked Kelly Grey
Bradley picked/developed Dema Kovalenko
Bradley developed Sergi Daniv (Dir picked him)
Bradley also pulled off the Chris Armas deal
Bradley even took Waldo under his wing and helped him turn in his best MLS performance last year.

Now all he has to do is find two foreign players and a few P40s to round out a refocused Mathis and the Metros.

Piece of cake...for Bradley.

 

I guess the only real question then is, where are we going to slot in the five or six Clint Mathises that Nick is busy developing?

 

On the basis of physical attributes, I would say no. [Vehemently]

 

I think you overstate the amount of cap-room available and don't the Metros have two allocations coming. The will have to go out and find foreign players to fill their open slots. But, on balance the Metros are in a good position to improve their team through the draft and acquisitions. Bradley is smart.

The main thing here is Metros should be getting players with all their picks who at least have a potential to make the club. Getting a pro-40 with one of those picks would be ideal, too. Still, the Metros need to rebuild their offense, which really went into the crapper at the end of the season.

Again this is overstatement. Bradley will be a good for Mathis and their are some good young players on the team. He has a good eye for talent and developing players. If he has a weakness it might be loyalty to some of the aging veterans like Hristo Stoichkov who in the last couple of years has spent too much time on IR to justify his salalry.

 

Sounds familiar.

 

I completely disagree with both of these statements. Eskandarian is much better than Torres ever was. And Diego Walsh is a great NCAA player. He probably should have entered MLS last season. The only reason he might have trouble in MLS is because he doesn't have a green card, so someday he'll count as a senior int.

I'd be quite happy with the following draft:

#2 - Alecko Eskandarian - our 3rd forward on the bench.

#5 - Diego Walsh - a true attacking mid that can come in off the bench and add firepower. Gives cover for Andy Williams. This is the role that Lisi was supposed to serve, but failed miserably at. This makes Lisi trade bait.

#12 - Mike Tranchilla - He'll probably still be around in the 2nd round. Great pick to be our 4th forward and give us depth. We do still have this 2nd round pick, right?

Of course, I'd love to get a quality defender as well. My choice would be Clemson's Ricky Lewis. Perhaps we could trade someone like Chrono or Lisi and get another 1st round pick.

 

According to MLSnet.com, we have no second or third round pick. Our #12 was given to Dallas, and our #22 went to New England. Our third pick is #32 overall (the second one in the fourth round), and our fourth and final pick is #42 overall (the second one in the fifth round). We also gave our sixth round pick to Dallas.

http://mlsnet.com/content/02/mls1030draft.html

 

Too bad. A high second round pick like the one we had would have been great. Bradley may still trade to get more picks.

 

Good analyses! I too see Wingert at the Metros, but not in the first round. He's good, but a bit underrated IMHO.

As for "Memo" Gonzalez, if he signs with MLS there is no way he goes anywhere but LA. I think he'll be the #8 pick, and become their substitute left mid.

-Tron

 

Why do you say that?

 

While I think your statement on his loyalty is correct, The Hristo Situation was based on his good performance during the 2000 season, it was expected that there was at least one good year, and I think him taking 2 was part of the deal. And then he crapped out for the first and went into surgery for the second.

 

Seriously.

 

Great, another UN Int'l School graduate hits it big.

In my day, there were quite a few of trust fund party schools in the city. UN Int'l School was THE BIGGEST.

But that was in the late 80s early 90s.

 

Wingert would be nice fit for the Metros as well. Not sure if I'd take him over Stokes or Lewis, though. But I thought I read somewhere that Wingert is Masur's "boy", so he would be coming back to St. Johns for his Senior year.

 

No doubt that both Ricky Lewis and David Stokes would be drafted ahead of Chris Wingert, but both might be gone by the 6th selection, so that's not really saying much. The real question is whether Wingert lasts until the third Metros pick, which he probably will not, so they may need to trade for a pick. Other wing backs like CJ Klaas of Washington might factor in as well, leaving open the possibility that Wingert slides down in the draft.

As for the #32 pick, I wouldn't be surprised to see them grab Eddie Gaven of the U-17's if he's signed. He's a tall (6'0) skinny central attacking midfielder playing in the shadow of Memo Gonzalez at the moment, but he's local and has a lot of skill.

I think Memo will go to LA with the #8 pick because they're opening a new stadium. The rules state that for one of those players to be signed a coach needs to get things prepared for him. This means he needs to specifically request that he's signed by the league (with a certain cap number), set up a full living arrangement, tutoring plan, mentoring plan, etc. Not many of those are filed with the league from what I understand. Then the league must approve the plan. The kid can only be drafted by a team that does.

I can see the league "discouraging" the other teams from filing that paperwork or picking him before #8. The kid is a great player and a bridge to the Mexican immigrant community.

He's also local to southern California, so he and his family would be happiest there. He's worked out with the Galaxy several times, Sigi knows him well, and the team is comfortable with Memo and vice versa. I would be shocked if the league didn't encourage teams to not draft Memo higher than #8 overall (LA's first pick).

-Tron