any idea who the next wave will include besides adu? i'd assume chad marshall might be one of them (europe might be an option)... watson as well any hints or the sort?
I'm sure Sandon and Gersman have a decent clue about it. I'm hoping for the older college players to go. Knox Cameron, Ned Grabavoy, and C.J. Klaas are some guys I'd like to see make the move. Is Szetela graduating with Adu? I think he'd be able to make a pretty quick impact. I'm definately looking forward to see who comes out for the draft.
Chris Wingert, Adolfo Gregorio and Seth Stammler (who was on the 23s tour of Portugal last winger but hasn't been called in since) are all seniors so obviously they'll be pros next year. From Rongen's team, I expect a bunch of them to go pro. There was topdrawersoccer article that quoted some of them and they seemed to all be leaning towards it. Chad Marshall reportedly has offers in Europe. I suspect he'll take them. Ned Grabvoy allegedly does too, though I don't know it that's spin or not. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in MLS this spring. CJ Klaas, Ryan Cochrane, Steve Cronin and Knox Cameron seem like really good bets to turn pro. (Cronin, being a GK, might go back for his senior year since he'll play). I would be very surprised if three weren't in the MLS draft. Drew Moor reportedly transfered to IU to get better prepared for pro soccer and to get more exposure towards MLS scouts. He's only been a Hoosier for a semester so it doesn't sound like he has deep ties to the program. I can easily see him turning pro though I haven't heard anything new about it. I don't know enough about Clint Dempsey to know how much interest their is in him from MLS, though obviously being on the U20 team will help his stock. Furman is just a mess right now so if he has a P40 offer, I suspect he'll take it. I don't see there being much demand for Jordan Harvey or Ford Williams to turn pro this winter, but you never know. From the U18 team, Hunter Freeman has had two years of college soccer. He hasn't done great but he's shown flashes. More to the point, he's a wing back who can play on either side and MLS teams would like that versatility on their bench, especially when its roster exempt. I've heard a lot of the UVa players are unhappy and its no secret Freeman want to turn pro so I'd look for his name. Teammate Will Harvey has a chance to be the starting D-mid on the next U20 and Olympic teams and he supposedly had P40 interest coming out of HS. He's one to watch as well. Ramon Nunez, who isn't a US citizen yet but who is in the U18 pool anyway, had a strong year at SMU. With Dallas picking high in the draft, chances are pretty good he could stay home so I could see him turning pro, too. Forward Chad Barrett had a great freshman year at UCLA but I'd be surprised if he turned pro now. Greg Dalby was solid in the back for Notre Dame but I don't see him leaving quite yet, either. Danny Vasquez, a Florida HS senior in the U18 pool has also drawn pro interest but I read he orally committed to a college - forget which one - so he may wait on the pros. From the U17 pool, I'd look at Jamie Watson of UNC. There are rumors flying he's turning pro. I don't know if any of the other college kids from that team are looking to leave quite so soon, though Steve Curfman and John DiRaimando had strong freshman years. I imagine this will all clarify itself over the next month. As always, there will be some surprises both ways. Hope this helps.
Doesn't the rule forbidding the international transfer of children apply to the 16 year-old Szetela? If he doesn't have a Polish passport, he would be stuck with the USA or nothing. But even with a Polish passport, playing anywhere in Europe but Poland would be an international transfer, right? EU work permits don't determine citizenship. Clearly, since he's two years older than Adu, his wait time would be lessened, but the FIFA rule is the same. As Vistula pointed out on the Metrostars board, Szetela's mother is a widow and a single mother. Don Garber should do right by him: offer him a substantial P-40 contract and have him play for the Metrostars, letting him live at home with his mother. When he can legally transfer to a foreign club, then we can talk about "Europe bound," but rules is rules.
But he does have a Polish passport and the big Euro clubs are interested. When is he old enough, 17? How old was Spector when he signed with United? Plus do you really think he will get playing time with the Metros? Do you want a 16 year old running your midfield?
all he needs is an eu card... then he can play inside the eu polish card will do the trick if he has it
I thought his father was an IU alumn or something like that. I doubt that the school, Furman, which managed to help get Rico Clark as last year's #2 draft pick needs more exposure to MLS scouts. Anyway, I thought Moor should have left college after last season. I started paying attention to him at the end of the season (I don't watch defenders that much) because I noticed how well he distributed the ball out of the back. We need that in the MLS. IU has him listed at 6'-0" but he didn't seem that tall to me. He strikes me as smallish for the next generation of central defenders but I could easily see him acting as a central defender/stopper type player in the MLS. I'd like to see him go pro. Maybe he has something to prove in college. I would make a large bet that there is interest for the MLS in him. He is a tall strong player with great foot skills. He is not being challenged at Furman by any of their opponents and is well ahead of his teammates. He needs to go pro. Hopefully he has the motivation to do it. I'd hate to see him just go through the motions next season. I'd rate Watson's chances of going pro higher than DiRaimondo. Watson is a good player but not great. I doubt he will be a first game starter but in the right situation could find a late season role on an MLS team like Gaven found at NY/NJ. DiRaimondo is in a good situation at SLU. That team playes a very dynamic game and he is matched up well with his teammate Will John. I doubt he will go pro as there is not much incentive for him to do so. What about Kyle Helton??
I think these kids esp the goalie have to consider about 2005 Expansion and how they could go higher if they stay for another year. I talked to Hunter Freeman about turning pro b4 but he's definitely enjoying college life in UV. I joked about coming out this year b/c the metrostars need a wing back (come to think of it, we don't even have a 1st round pick). I really want to see Corey Ashe come out since he plays similar to DMB.
I think that Ashe could have some problems at the pro level because of his size. I know size doesn't matter as much in soccer, but iirc Ashe is only about 5-5. You do bring up an interesting point, with the possibility of 4 new teams in 2005, the draft for that season will be very interesting.
But wouldn't you think these guys would benefit from coming out now and getting a year of pro experience before expansion? That way, they would probably be able to help an expansion team or fill a slot on their team (because of losing someone in a likely expansion draft) better instead of being counted on to contribute their first year as a pro. I would not be surprised to see MLS bump up developmental slots again by two so the talent pool for expansion is 20 players larger.
Yeah i think it goes both ways. But a 1st round player getting drafted by an expansion team would most likely get playing time. You can't say that for an establish team.
DMB doesn't miss sitters and cross the ball out of the park. DMB's tactical ability isn't limited to "run faster". Try "plays similar to a young Cobi Jones" and I'll agree.
Re: Re: Assessment Rongen should convert Ashe to LB at the first U-20 camp in January. The left midfield is the deepest position in the youth pool. 81- Davis 82- DMB 83-Convey 84-Mapp 85-Alvarez 86-Ashe The best player in the '85 age group (Arturo Alvarez) is a natural left sided player. The second best offensive player Chad Barrett is a speedy left-footed player, although he can play forward. Ashe is a decent two way player. He works hard on the defensive side of the ball and his speed would allow him to get forward. Our current system doesn't produce many LB that can get forward and contribute to the offense, so it would make sense. The only outside leftbacks on the current U-20 team are former Bradenton players. Harvey doesn't start at UCLA, but Rongen is forced to use him because of our lack of depth. Simo would be the starter but he was injured. Pearce is the other alternative and he didn't make the U-17 team. Whitbread might play here in UAE, but his devlopment took place outside the US.
I would take Kyle Helton at LB over Ashe any day. Yes it is a harsh assessment of Ashe. Usually I am very supportive of the players on the field. Rarely do I criticize them. 99 times out of 100, I feel that they put out for us, the fans, and we should support them regardless. Ashe is the 1 out of 100 players that I do criticize. I don’t feel he does enough to take care of the ball at his feet nor does he think on the field. He is a frustrating player to watch because you can see that he COULD do it if he would just slow down, take care of the ball and think. Too many times I've see the nice cross come in and seen him put it over the cross bar or have seen the ball laid nicely into the corner and him cross it over the cross bar. He play seems to epitomize the problems with this summer's U17 team and was the U17 captain to boot.
Seem like it is just mental rather than the physical skills. If that's the case, let the dude grow and develop his game in college. You can't give up on him b/c you can't teach speed.
Slight correction. I asked about this in another thread a while back, and a British poster wrote that Poland doesn't join the EU until next spring. So that would preclude Danny from going over this winter, if true. It's the same deal with T-Ho and Hungary. The Work Permit would only have kept him out of England for a year anyway, which is probably why he got the WP despite having, in many ways, a much weaker case than Convey.
Originally posted by Sandon Milbut "From the U18 team, Hunter Freeman has had two years of college soccer. He hasn't done great but he's shown flashes. More to the point, he's a wing back who can play on either side and MLS teams would like that versatility on their bench, especially when its roster exempt. I've heard a lot of the UVa players are unhappy and its no secret Freeman want to turn pro so I'd look for his name. Teammate Will Harvey has a chance to be the starting D-mid on the next U20 and Olympic teams and he supposedly had P40 interest coming out of HS. He's one to watch as well." I am thinking this was a typo and Sandon meant Will Hall the D-mid for UVA. Great list Sandon. Thanks for all the info. http://www.timesdispatch.com/servle...2056638&path=!sports!colleges&s=1045855934926 "Presently,he has one player,freshman midfielder Will Hall, who could bail ahead of time."
Attacking Minded, do you know how Helton has played this year? He was one of my favorite players at the U-17 WC, but I haven't heard much about him since.
Voros, we've already had the Helton thread and we all know eachother's feelings about him, who outplayed him, his soccer abilities, boxers or briefs, etc. I was just wondering if anyone caught any Duke games this year and how well he played.