http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/NextStep/1042342349/view This is my Mock SuperDraft on the new Website. I hope you enjoy it. Also, after you bookmark the site you should check out our very own Sandon Mibut's player bios for the guys in the draft. I hope you like it, but after all, what would a mock draft be without endless conjecture and second-guessing! Enjoy -Tron
I like it. Here's my mock draft, 1st of many retakes: 1. DCU- Escandarian 2. metros- Ricardo Clark They are deep enough at CD and have too many holes elsewhere. 3. Chicago- Mike McGee 4. Dallas- Shavar Thomas- possible trade here 5. DCU- Ricky Lewis- They want Shavar Thomas, but I think this spot has trade written all over it. 6. San Jose- Nate Jaqua. Team needs forwards bad. 7. C-bus- David Stokes, possibly Ricky Lewis and they may trade up to #5 to get either one. 8. LA- Guillermo Gonzalez- LA may well trade this pick or #10 though. 9. NE- Pat Noonan, possibly Walsh 10. LA- really hard to tell- Scot Thompson or Walsh if he's still available 11. DCU- Logan Pause 12. Dallas- Arturo Alverez or Walsh 13. San Jose- Roger Levesque- p[ossibly Pat Noonan if he falls. 14. DCU- Eddie Gaven You see I have a hard time fitting in Walsh and Lewis. I can't imagine them falling out of the first round but I have a hard time placing them.
The only thing really difficult to capture with a mock draft (and I think this is a very good one) is how trades change the dynamics of the selections. For instance, Columbus is likely to want to clear cap room (don't know who it would be to though). So they may seek to deal a player for a pick. KC still has a little cap room--they may be able to take a player. Earnie Stewart decision has big impacts on this draft. If he goes Dallas, they need to move a player (not a high salary). If Stewart signs with DC, they'll have a little cap room and might be a target of teams like Columbus and Chicago seeking to dump a player for a pick. Additionally, we all say Chicago will go for Magee. I wouldn't be surprised if Chicago dealt the #3 pick to LA for their top two picks or to SJ for their top two picks. Afterall, while both LA (and especially SJ) are tight under the cap, both teams trust young Americans and are more likely to be interested in one really good player than two pretty decent players. PLUS, while Chicago wants Magee, they're cap stretched, have many holes. And Magee is still young--they may prefer to try and get someone who can contribute right now at midfield and add Magee as well. And of course, everyone will be approaching DC. We still have some cap space (depends upon what happens with the forward spot) so they may be seeking to clear some cap room by giving us a player. OR, they'll see a player they really want and don't think he'll last until the second round (or whenever they pick). The thing about this draft is there are a lot of different kinds of players, guys with different technical and physical skill sets, different levels of ability. So a team may come into this looking for a D-mid who plays both ways vs. a D-mid who's a destroyer or someone who can contribute right now vs. someone with more potential in 2 years. So the actual order of selections could look very topsy-turvy.
Great report on the combine by Gersman. MLS Combine Ray Hudson lead his team to an impressive 4-1 win.
Cool website.. I've got it bookmarked already.. Sounds like Tino was very active and played well.. Looks like Hudsper has some difficult decisions to make.. Gonzales tearing up the combine at 17 years of age.. Good stuff..
I wonder if someone's gonna take Gonzalez real early, like that Hudson character. All off season I've been thinking that we'd find a left winger to help move Convey to the middle. Here's the guy to do it next year, perhaps. Tron- Care to compare Gonzalez with The Cartographer for me?
Sure Skip. Justin Mapp is 5'10 and Memo Gonzalez is 5'11, but Mapp is thicker and stronger. Memo should be fine physically this season though. Both are very technical. Memo is probably a little more technical and definitely better with his right foot. Mapp is quicker, faster, and once he beats a defender (which they both do a lot) Mapp is very rarely caught. So when Mapp beats a winger, he has the ability to carry the ball at a high pace and cross it the vast majority of times. Memo is certainly not slow, but he lacks Mapp's pace thus cannot outrun defenders when he's carrying the ball. Memo has the better vision right now. Neither is going to make a living playing defense yet. Both are scorers. Memo is an excellent placement guy and very solid on PK's, but Mapp's shot is much harder. Mapp's is almost Kreis-like, so he's a much more dangerous threat from distance. Honestly, he kinda reminds me of Stephen Armstrong from distance. Memo doesn't score many goals in the run of play, he's more of a playmaker, while Mapp is more of a triple-threat (dribble by you, cross/pass by you, or shoot on goal) so once he refines his game he'll be a defender's worst nightmare. While Memo is a winger who can play centrally, Memo is more of a central player who can play wing. But because the center of the field is so important, both young players will play predominantly on the wings until they get more experience. Mapp's most noticable traits are his lightning quickness even with the ball, and his good speed. He has a tremendous cut-back move so even when you know it's coming, you cannot stop it. He has a great first step so he can pull off the Cobi speed move as well. Memo's best traits are his dribbling and passing skills. Once he beats his man, he looks to pass the ball quickly. -Tron
A question for you both. At the end of Sandon's bios of the top draft picks, there is mention of live coverage of the draft. Could you elaborate?
I think i read somewhere that the draft will be live on the Crew website? Or maybe that it was their play by play anouncer calling it. Dam, you guys on the east coast need to go to bed, almost 1am there.
Tron and Sandon, very cool work, dudes. You probably don't have the time, but I think it would be extremely beneficial for many of us if you guys could reach a consensus and seed the players by position. You could update their seeding based on Combine performance, coachspeak, etc., and make following the Combine a lot more informative for many of us who don't know the youngsters too well. I'd happily compile your input if that would be a help. Maybe focus could be limited to the top 20 with at least 5 players in each position. For the past couple of years Columbus Crew has had a webcast of the draft. Very cool and they have that dry midwestern wit. If we don't have live tv coverage, I recommend it. Log on early. GM
Neat stuff. A bit optimistic thinking DC could get Esky AND Clark but that would be awesome. Brian Carroll that low??? a steal for sure for NE! Will be interesting to see how it compares to the real thing.
Re: Re: Mock Draft Brian Carroll that low doesn't surprise me too much. This is shaping up to be the deepest draft in years (granted we've still yet to see how they will perform).
Here is how I see it falling: 1.DC United Alecko Eskandarian - no brainer pick for a team that could not score for about 600 minutes or more 2.Metros Diego Walsh - Bradley gets a young midfielder to replace Tab Ramos 3.Fire Mike Magee - the player the Fire have had targeted all off season 4.Burn Ricardo Clark - After missing out on Walsh Burn take best D/H-Mid in draft 5.DC United David Stokes - After just missing out on Clark, Hudson takes young Pope clone after seeing the kid play at the combine 6.Quakes Guillermo Gonzalez - taken to learn from Landon and eventually replace him (sticking it to LA is just a bonus) 7.Crew Ricky Lewis - a possible starter who can fill other outside back spot from Hedjuk 8.LA Nate Jaqua - good forward for a deep LA side 9.Revs Pat Noonan - good late sub to pair with Twellman when late goals are needed 10.LA Eddie Gaven - LA has time to wait on him to devlop
I would expect the Revs to draft Gaven, Thomas, Tranchilla, Dunivant, Alvarez or Pause before Noonan. What the Revs need most is a left-footed defender or midfielder. Ricky Lewis or Memo Gonzalez may be the ideal remotely possible picks. Many of you will have seen that Noonan was playing R mid in the combine - a position that the Revs aren't looking to fill at present.
i don't really follow college soccer much so i appreciate this information. can anyone tell me roughly what percentage of MLS draftees actually stick to teams?
Jon, Nicols was interviewed at the Combine. He indicated that except for the players in the NE (which eliminates quite a number of the P-40s), he hasn't seen most of the players before or at the most--one time. My experience is that coaches in such situations are more likely to go with "known quantities"--such as players they've had a chance to see a number of times. Also, I don't think Noonan is much of a reach in this instance. I'd heard Serna may not be ready by opening day, expansion comes up in a year (so teams will potentially lose some good players), Nowak is definitely in his last year, and Cullen/Hernandez are much more effective at D-mid than A-mid (I know Rev fans beg to differ on that account). So despite the run to the finals, I think there are a lot of positions that the Revs wouldn't mind some help at. Also, for what it's worth, I'd heard a faint rumor about Chicago approaching Dallas for their first round pick. It sounds as if Chicago is interested in acquiring more shots at the talent in this draft. They'll likely be talking to LA, Dallas, DC and SJ.
What could Chicago be able to give up? I believe that they would be looking around but not sure there is much left that they would be willing to give up. Armas sure he could bring at least a 1st rounder but at this point Chicago almost has to keep him. Razov coud not get that in return and Dallas has little use for him. Brown is not worth that and DMB is another keeper (talent and low cap number).
For what it's worth, I've heard the same rumor about Chicago-Dallas. Dallas wants 2 things right now - another capable forward and more depth at left mid. If they get Stewart, obviously the first need is met. There isn't really a good left mid in the draft. However, the Fire happen to have recently acquired a certain left-footed 18-year old left-footed midfielder so I could see a move involving the No. 4 pick and said left-footed player.