I am not really inform about this "second division" could you guys make a team out of the BEST 21 SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE SECOND DIVISION?? and the best coach to direct this B NATIONAL TEAM
It's hard to do this right now because a lot of players who could make this list are trying to catch on with MLS or foreign clubs. I'm talking about players like Leighton O'Brien, McKinley Tennyson, John Wolyniec, etc... In terms of it being a B National Team, I think that is highly misleading as many of the stars of the A-League are fairly old - by soccer standards - and a B-national team would mostly be for younger players not quite ready for the senior team. That said, I'll toss out a couple of names. NOTE: I'm only doing Americans as you said you wanted this for a B-National Team. *John Conway F, Charleston -Former A-League MVP turns 33 next week but he still puts the ball in the hole. http://www.charlestonbattery.com/team_roster.asp?pid=29 *Preton Burpo, GK, Seattle 30-year old GK was all A-League last year and has been called up to MLS in the past. http://www.seattlesounders.net/roster/?id=13 *Marco Ferruzi, M, Minnesota - 32-year old attacking mid has been one of the league's most conistent players since joining in 98 after spending one season with Tampa Bay Mutiny. http://www.mnthunder.com/news/default.asp?id=804 *Andrew Gregor - D, Seattle - Former Crew and Wizard, 27, holding mid was all A-League last year after missing time in 99 with an irregular heart rhythm. http://www.seattlesounders.net/roster/?id=3 *Josh Henderson, F, Charleston - 25-year old Former Dookie has averaged double figures in goals the past 4 A-League seasons. http://www.charlestonbattery.com/team_roster.asp?pid=675 *Greg Howes, F, Portland - 2000 Rookie of the Year, 26, is a consistent scorer both outdoors and indoors for the Milwaukee Wave. http://www.milwaukeewave.com/players/?id=7 *Brian Piesner, M, Atlanta - 24-year old flank mid was All A-League last year and has been called up to the Metros in the past. http://www.atlantasilverbacks.com/players/piesner.html *Mark Schulte, D, Minnesota - Big (6-3) 25-year old was All A-League last year. http://www.mnthunder.com/bios/mark_schulte.asp *Scott Schweitzer, D, Rochester. He's 31 but a 5-time All A-League players and two-time A-League Defender of the Year. Probably the best A-Leaguer of the past 5-6 years not to play in MLS. http://www.rhinossoccer.com/rhino.asp?n=17 Temoc Suarez, M, Rochester - Former Burn player, 28 next week, is one of the league's top playmakers. http://www.rhinossoccer.com/rhino.asp?n=22 And, if the guys I mentioned in the beginning of the post return to the A-League, they would go on this list as well. I'm sure others who follow the A-League more closely will have other players to add to this list. Finally, there are several players joining the A-League for the first time to keep an eye on who might warrant inclusion, ranging from young former MLS players who were once hot-shot propsects like Jamar Beasley (Charleston) and Antonio Otero (Hampton Roads) to rookies who didn't get drafted in MLS for some reason like David Testo (Richmond) and Curt Spiteri (Portland) to aging war-horses who've been through the MLS, and even national team, wars like Ted Chronopoulos (Charleston) and Roy Lassiter (Hampton Roads). Having said all that, again, I wouldn't consider these guys a B-National Team by any means as for most of them there is usally a pretty good reason why they aren't in MLS and there are likely players more worthy of inclusion in a hypothetical B-National Team in MLS. That doesn't mean that some of these guys wouldn't warrant consideration for one, it just means that being the best in the second division doesn't automatically mean you deserve consideration for the national team programs, even a B-Team.
For the most part I agree with the above. With one exception. The inferences that the players in the A-league are "older". Certainly there are players that are "old" by soccer standards but still contribute. The A-league/USL is a breeding ground for talent that could play at an MLS level but can not for one simple reason. The MLS has only 10 teams. That means that they can only fill so many roster spots with young talent. Their are 19 A-league teams. More teams = more oppurtunity to train, play and improve.
Leighton O'Brien is in camp with the Sounders and I'm expecting him to play in the season opener on May Day. But Sweden's Boden are reporting that he'll fly over the big pond to join Boden on or around May 5.
The Impact's stars (in 2003): - Eduardo Sebrango: Tied for best goalscorer in the league in 2002 - Gabriel Gervais: soon a known name, an absolute rock in defence - Mauro Biello: Captain and most famous Impact player
Rhinos, I saw a guy mention some of our better players but heres two who should make a name for them selfs soon.... Defender Ryan DiNunzio. He played solid in all freindlies and in the several league games he got to play him. He's only 22 and has won a starting job on the Rhinos defense at Left back. Midfielder Yuri Lavrinenko. He started most of the matches last season and played awsome, esspicially late in the season. By far one of the better Rhinos players now, great shot and awsome passing ability. Hes only 25. Last season he started all games at Right Wing but Coach Ercoli might make him into a attacking Right Back becasue hes good defending also and play Suarez/Hayes on the wings and Steenkamp/Mladenov in central mid. He was born in Ukraine but is looking to get citizenship.
Sandon I think you meant Paul Conway of the Charleston Battery. I would also add John Wilson, D, Ryan Trout, M/F, and Dusty Huddock, GK, all of the Battery in that list as well. Dusty had the stat of a goal keeper last year in the A-league. Both Wilson and Trout were in MLS camps in the preseson but neither were offered more than league min. less than they make now.