SoccerAmerica is conducting a poll on the top MLS draftees. The list includes, as near as I can tell, everybody who has signed or otherwise declared for the draft. And there, at the top of the list for Forwards: Freddy Adu. The only other U17 team members listed are Gonzalez and Gaven, both of whom have acknowledged signing with MLS, and Jonathan Specter, who is considering an MLS offer and a ManU offer. So IF in fact Freddy IS available to be drafted, do you draft him? Here's the link. I'll let you decide if they're kidding: http://www.socceramerica.com/poll/december2002Poll.asp
I wrote them and asked about that.. Last time I asked them a question about an apparent error it was gone the next day so maybe this will be too.. I was also under the impression there was the 16 year age limit but maybe there are exceptions or maybe the poll writer just didn't do his or her's homework.
A list of what? How was this list constructed, half of these underclassmen have not indicated an interest in this year's draft. This is a rediculous list. If they are trying to put out a list of future potential pro's that's great but title it as such.
to be honest, i hadn't heard chad marshall had signed either it would be great if he had, but i've heard nothing on him... just people wanting him to sign
?? Does a player go to a place like Stadford and then come out early? I have only seen Marshall play one game (Nat. Final) and I don't see why people would think he needs to come out now. I only see a solid player for is okay in the air. IMO he has only a remote chance to make the 23's.
Re: ?? he's been a regular on the u-20's and only 18 and i can think of another stanford athlete that came out early... chad hutchinson, the cardinals offered him quite a bit of money to give up football and play baseball... that didn't pan out after a few years (made it to a couple of stints with the big league club though), so he signed with teh dallas cowboys in this past offseason he's dallas' starting qb right now it doesn't matter where you go, it matters if it's best for you... and in my opinion, if you are good enough to go, get the hell out of college... it's a horrible, horrible, horrible wasteland that will retard most everything you have learned about the game
In the last SA I got, I think they quoted the U-17 coach as saying Adu could make an MLS roster right now. I have never seen the kid play - but that is a pretty amazing quote. I have no idea if he is eligible for the draft - but I would say that he should not go pro before age 16. I know a couple kids like Convey played in MLS before they graduated high school - and that even seems a bit much to me. Can he really be that good? And is so, I hope he is a pretty grounded kid and doesn't burn out before age 18. He won't get as much attention as that HS basketball player who was on ESPN last week - but it is still pretty mind boggling that a 13 year old gets a one page bio in Sports Illustrated. Just rambling.
I agree about players less than 16 being pro - but where was Everton hiding Wayne Rooney? 16 year olds don't just walk up, get thrown into FA Cup and EPL games and score winning goals. The training, time with the team, etc... are coming from somewhere. Obviously England, and other countries, have various team affiliated youth programs, but how old was Rooney when he first sat on the Everton bench? Bob Feller was 15 when he threw his first pitch in Major League Baseball. At some point, young is too young. I just don't know what that point is. I do know, that 13 (Adu's real age) is too young.
This question will become especially poignant if Freddy lights up the U17 world championships next year. He'll be 14 at that point, and I imagine you'll see some European clubs step up to the table in a BIG way at that point (Bigger than Inter has already done).
Re: Re: SA Lists Freddy Adu As Draft Eligible Ellinger said as much in the SI piece on Adu getting the National Old Spice Athlete of the Year or whatever it was that he got recently.
DING DING DING DING DING DING DING !!! Also, since MLS teams retain their rights to a player for two years regardless of whether they actually sign with the league, if I were running an MLS team, I'd seriously consider taking a flyer after the second or third round. Can't have him until 2005? Fine, I'll wait.
Okay.. Well this sounds like a really good idea.. Sign Freddy now! If the MLS "By-Laws" have a minimum age requirement, change it and we can call it the "Freddy Clause" from now on!
Is there a min. age for signing a player, I don't think they'd allow him to play until 15, which is when Quaranta was playing right? If that's the case, he's on pro 40 min salary at the Bradenton Academy studying his accelerated programs to finish high school and when he joins his MLS team 2 seasons down the road, he can play another one or two before MLS cashes him and he join Inter or Barca alongside Saviola.
Please excuse my ignorance, but I'm confused by this statement. How can the league claim rights to players who haven't signed? Is this just in relation to other MLS teams (like baseball) or is it a global blanket? For instance, if the Revolution draft me but I choose to sign with Arsenal instead does Arsenal have to compensate the Revs in any way? I don't know much about contract law but I can't see how a contract could be binding if it never existed.
He means if a certain player is drafted by a team, even if that player was to sign for Arsenal or whatever, should that player ever decide to return to the MLS within the span of 2 seasons the team that originally drafted the player will get first dibbs to sign the player in question or the right to refuse the player thus making a lottery draft or whatever MLS decides to do that week.
Yes, exactly. MLS is a league fighting for survival and rules are often made to be broken, changed or modified in any way possible to create a road to success. This zigzag approach shouldn't surprise anyone on these boards. Just follow the history of any US professional league and you'll see similar stories. That's just the nature of developing leagues run by humans.