Personally I don't think he is anywhere near Cobi Jones. To me Ashe is more of a Brian West clone. I just don't see enough skill for him to have a huge impact.
Disclaimer: I like Ashe. probably not a hue impact. But never thought Jones had a huge impact. You can't teach speed. I would take Ashe in the 2nd round as a P40. depending of course on who else gos P40.
I guess you would have to consider the kids that moved up to play w/ the u20's last weekend the top candidates. If had to guess Zimmerman and Sarkodie are two leading candidates(but that is just a guess on my part). Everything you read about Zimmerman seems to be very good and i was impressed w/ Sarkodie when i first saw him come on as a sub for the US 87's last year during the nike friendlies in FL. Soroka the winger is small right now and would be best suited for a couple years in college. According to Top Drawer soccer Soroka is already committed to St. John's for next season.
Of course in basketball and probably hockey/baseball, players go pro breaking their college commitments all the time. So he probably still could get pro. For these high school kids, what's better, a 12 game MLS reserve season with maybe some more games here and there and practice with the full team? Or a 18 game college season with a few playoff games and 5 PDL games thrown in? Will MLS move to get more p40s and get them earlier (out of high school) now that there will be a reserve league? Today I think Gazidis said "fully fledge reserve league" or something like that in his comments during the Donovan conference call. So it seems MLS will market it as such (in the general sense not trying to get attendance).
Not that anyone really asked but here are some guys I hear romors of coming out.... Jamie Watson (told me this week he is in "talks" with MLS.) Drew Moor (MLS level source said he is coming) Hunter Freeman Blake Camp Michael Parkhurst Watson is the only one I can document, the rest are ones people have mentioned to me directly but I can't document. And I hear Corey Ashe will not leave college early due to family insistance on education.
I watched Blake Camp yesterday and he showed no indications of being ready for MLS. Although he scored a goal, he played poorly and showed little touch on the ball. He is, however, like almost everyone on Duke, huge. Maybe he just had an off day, but I'm surprised to see him rumored for P-40.
Maybe I should have said "contract talks" or something like that. According to Jamie he had initial discussions, now the league is asking teams how many would want him etc... Jamie is waiting for MLS to come back to him. All of which is fairly normal procedure. He is also looking at agents.
Re: Jamie was "in talks with MLS" last year, too. That's not me, and Jamie was wearing a Carolina pullover. But it was something like that. Watching the SMU loss to Tulsa when I talked to him.
Buzz, Speaking of Tulsa, are you hearing anything of Ryan Pore, (21 goals, 11 assists in 21 games for a team in the QFs) being considered/interested in P40? On a similar note, I would expect Maryland's Jason Garey to get a lot of P40 interest. If I was betting money, I'd wager that either Pore or Garey, both of whom are juniors, would win the MAC Hermann Award and that would certainly increase the odds that MLS would want to get the winner into a P40 deal. One thing I am heartened by is the talk that Hunter Freeman and Tim Ward, both defenders, are interested in going P40. One of the fatal flaws in Olympic qualifying - besides having Mooch as the coach - was the lack of pro experience for so many of our backs. Traditionally, MLS has done a poor job getting defenders who are still age-eligible for the U20 and U23 teams in P40 deals and as such our backs are always a problem area on our youth national teams. Here's hoping this is a sign that is changing... and that a few more backs turn pro early this winter.
Yes, but nothing beyond what you guys are hearing around here or in print. No little birdie has spoken to me. UNlike Drew Moor where a little MLS burdie says he is coming. Exaclty, I actually wrote the same thing on the defenders page on my list. I think this area specifically will be a target this year. Or it should be with expanded reser rosters. It has been neglected in the past in favor of P40 mid and forwards. One name I really want to see on the P40 list is Brandon Owens out of UCLA.
Agreed. And UCLA/U20 teammate Marvell Wynn, a right back, too. Steve Purdy of Cal and the U20 team, who is 6-3, as well.
I just wonder though if the expanded rosters and the possibility of reserve play and less training restrictions as opposed to the NCAA might make a kid like this go to get to the level of MLS a little faster than he would in college.
I think that's the whole point, more training with better coaching and players. Most of the P-40's will not have an immediate impact but they will develop sooner than in a college enviornment. Hence they are "developmental players."
I was talking to a few UVA players at a party a couple weeks ago and asked about Freeman. They were all but saying that he was going to go pro, FWIW.
Nice, he seems like he's going to be a good addition to MLS. As a P-40 he could go in the first round.
I understand that. My point was that the carrot is a little more enticing this time around with the promise of real reserve competitions for guys who might not be ready, but will get to that point faster via pro development as opposed to college. In other words, MLS can get players like baseball instead of basketball, which tries to discrouage people who might not play a lot for the first team.
I'm told that Chris Mahaffey, who was a standout freshman for Georgia State (where former YA Aaron Shepherd now plays) in 2003 but isn't there this season, may join MLS.