Before you check out our mock draft, check out our interview with ESPN’s Taylor Twellman. In addition to Twellman, we talked to MLS head coaches, scouts, agents, and even other journalists to make this mock draft a reality. We will have more from ISN Contributor Rudy Roediger, who will be traveling to Kansas City next week for the MLS and WPS drafts as well as the NSCAA Convention.
1. Montreal Impact-FWD Darren Mattocks, Akron, Generation adidas
The University of Akron won’t have a record year in the SuperDraft in 2012, but they will provide MLS with a player worthy of the #1 overall pick. Mattocks is a pure striker with blazing speed that does one thing extremely well: scoring goals. Reminds us of Roy Lassiter, who holds the MLS record for goals scored in a season with 27.
A member of the Jamaican under-23 player pool and a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, Mattocks scored 39 goals in 47 matches for the University of Akron. He was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year this season after scoring 21 goals. He helped lead Akron to the NCAA College Cup Championship in 2010.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps-DEF Andrew Wenger, Duke, Generation adidas
Wenger is probably the most versatile player in the entire draft. He can play virtually anywhere on the field and is a coaches’ dream.
A MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist, Wenger led the ACC with 17 goals this season, earning the 2011 ACC Offensive Player of the Year distinction. Wenger earned All-ACC First Team honors in each of his three seasons while also collecting ACC Rookie of the Year in 2009 and ACC Defender of the Year in 2010. Wenger is the first player from Duke to earn a Generation adidas contract.
3. New England Revolution-MID Enzo Martinez, UNC, Generation adidas
Martinez is a special player and will be the first off the board for the champion Tar Heels. Unlike teammate Billy Schuler, Martinez passed on overseas offers and will be a star for a Revs squad that has lacked playmakers recently.
Best when deployed in the middle of the park, Martinez is another player who fits the bill of a classic No. 10. A clean player with the ball at his feet, he sparked North Carolina’s attack with nine goals and 10 assists, finishing with 22 goals and 20 assists during three years at UNC.
4. Toronto FC-MID Luis Silva, UCSB
There is no defender other than Wenger worthy of this high pick. Toronto will look for defense later and get a playmaker in Silva here. Toronto hasn’t been the same without DeRo and Silva should make an early impact for uneasy TFC fans.
A 2011 NSCAA First Team All-American, Silva also earned All-Big West First Team honors and Big West Midfielder of the Year honors for his play in 2011. He was third in NCAA Division I in points after scoring 17 goals and adding 10 assists. Silva was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy.
5. Chivas USA-FWD Chandler Hoffman , UCLA, Generation adidas
Chivas USA has never gotten over the loss of Sacha Kljestan, but they have a glaring need at the forward position. Alejandro Moreno and Juan Pablo Angel aren’t getting any younger and the Goats already have to replace Justin Braun and Chukwudi Chujindu.
Hoffman led the Bruins to the 2011 NCAA Men’s College Cup Semifinals. He scored 18 goals in 2011, ranking first on his squad, first in the Pac-12, and fourth nationally. Hoffman was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team this season and a Third Team NSCAA All-American.
6. San Jose Earthquakes-MID Nick DeLeon, Louisville
The Quakes have the one and only Chris Wondolowski, but a player like DeLeon makes their prolific goalscorer even better. Whether he plays as a outside mid or a withdrawn forward, DeLeon will create opportunities for others and score goals.
DeLeon started every game since joining Louisville in 2009. This season he ranked second on the team in scoring with six goals and six assists. He was named a first team All-Big East selection for the second straight year. He earned second-team All-MPSF honors in his freshman year at UNLV and All-MPSF honorable mention honors his sophomore year before transferring to Louisville.
7. D.C. United-MID Kelyn Rowe, UCLA, Generation adidas
Rowe will make the aforementioned DeRo even more dangerous. He is an assist machine and has experience working with talented strikers, i.e. Chandler Hoffman.
Rowe earned Pac-12 Player of the Year honors after scoring six goals and contributing 10 assists while leading UCLA to the NCAA Men’s College Cup semifinals. Rowe was recently earned his second invite to the US U-23 training camp after having been a fixture at the U-18 and U-20 levels.
8. Portland Timbers-DEF Matt Hedges, UNC
The Timbers need defenders and this Tar Heel is MLS-ready. Hedges could be a starter on the Portland backline in Week 1. Not sure if he would go this high in other years, but this draft is absolutely stacked with mids and forwards. Not so much with defenders and keepers.
9. Chicago Fire-FWD Casey Townsend, Maryland
The Fire could use some help up top and Townsend is the answer. Some might see South Florida’s Dom Dwyer going here, but Chicago already has players in that mold in Patrick Nyarko and Dominic Oduro. Townsend will score a handful of goals in 2012.
A MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, Townsend garnered First Team All-ACC honors for the second straight year. He was one of the country’s top goal-scorers in 2011, producing 17 goals as a captain for the Terrapins, and ended his collegiate career as Maryland’s third-leading goalscorer all-time.
10. Columbus Crew-FWD Sam Garza, UCSB, Generation adidas
This looked like an easy pick a week ago, but the Crew have been busy bringing in new players like Chilean midfielder Milovan Mirosevic and Costa Rican forward Olman Vargas. Not to mention a DP signing sometime in 2012!
While the Crew will be the league’s most improved team in 2012, a player like Sam Garza is still hard to pass up. The Crew get a great value even at #10.
With UCSB, Garza contributed 17 goals and 10 assists, and was named Big West Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year and All-Big West First Team in 2010. While at the University of Denver, he was named the 2008 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Newcomer of the Year before transferring to UC Santa Barbara. Garza competed in U-20 World Cup qualifying for the U.S. in 2009.
11. FC Dallas-FWD Dom Dwyer, USF, Generation adidas
Putting Dwyer on the field with David Ferreira and Brek Shea should give opposing coaches nightmares. Speed kills and Dwyer is one of the fastest players in the college game.
As a forward, Dwyer scored a number of his goals this season, 16 in all, by poaching tallies in a variety of ways. He developed an uncanny ability to get in behind defenses, making it a long day for opposing keepers.
12. Toronto FC (from NYRB)-DEF Austin Berry, Louisville
Berry had a solid performance in Day 1 and 2 at the Combine and now finds himself just above UConn defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste. The former Cardinal could be an immediate starter, helping to shore up a shaky Toronto backline in front of Stefan Frei.
13. Philadelphia Union-DEF Andrew Jean-Baptiste, UConn, Generation adidas
The Union are loaded at forward, midfield, and keeper. So they look to the UConn defender, who has size and strength. He is a bit of a project, but Philly has time and with that Jean-Baptiste may develop into an All-Star.
Signed after his sophomore season at UConn, the 2011 Big East Conference player of year scored two goals from his defensive position this season. Jean-Baptiste was also a member of the U.S. U-20 National Team as well.
14. Colorado Rapids-MID Jason Banton, Youth International (UK)
The Rapids could certainly benefit from the versatile and speedy 19-year-old. Banton could replace the departed Sanna Nyassi or be the long-term replacement for Conor Casey, who is not getting any younger. Banton will be much more successful than last year’s publicity stunt from the UK named John Rooney.
15. Seattle Sounders FC-FWD Lucky Mkosena, Dartmouth
With Steve Zakuani and O’ Brian White coming back from injury, the Sounders would be lucky to have Mkosena for depth. We think the Dartmouth frontman could be this year’s C.J. Sapong.
16. Sporting Kansas City-MID Callum Mallace, Marquette
Mallace’s stock has risen because of the combine. He would certainly give SKC a no-nonsense upgrade at the holding mid position.
17. Real Salt Lake-MID Tony Cascio, UConn
RSL needs midfield depth after losing Andy Williams and Collen Warner. Cascio fills a need and could move up top as needed.
Cascio entered the 2011 season as a Preseason All-American and a member of the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, after being named an NSCAA First Team All-American and Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2010. He was named to the 2011 All-Big East Second Team this season after being named to the first team in 2009 and 2010.
18. Houston Dynamo-MID Kirk Urso, UNC
Some consider Urso to be the best defensive mid in the draft.
19. LA Galaxy-DEF Tyler Polak, Creighton, Generation adidas
A late addition to an already impressive GA class, Polak could help fill in on the backline after the devestating injury to Omar Gonzalez in Germany.
In two seasons at Creighton, Polak started every game he played in, making total of 44 appearances and playing a shade less than 4,000 minutes. Polak picked up 35 caps for the US Under-17 squad including playing every minute of the 2009 U-17 World Cup campaign at left back.
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