Vancouver – The future may hold the answer to Vancouver’s success in the draft. Omar Salgado has the biggest upside of any player in the draft pool, but he may be years from contributing. Akron’s Michael Nanchoff is a bit of a reach at #8, but Notre Dame teammates Jeb Brovsky and Bilal Duckett were good value picks in the second and third round respectively.
Portland – The pick of Darlington Nagbe at #2 was a no-brainer. Nagbe has loads of talent and will be a star in Portland for years to come. The selection of Tulsa’s Chris Taylor in the second was a bit surprising. Taylor’s teammate Ashley McInnes was actually rated much higher, but went undrafted.
D.C. – Getting Perry Kitchen at #3 was simply put, a miracle. Kitchen is a once in a generation player and will be able to contribute immediately. United’s future is in good hands. Getting UA defender Chris Korb in the second round was another great pick. We were shocked to see Denver’s Joe Willis selected instead of South Florida’s Jeff Attinella.
Chivas USA – Chivas had an excellent draft. Getting both Zarek Valentin and Victor Estupinan in the first round was quite a coup for Robin Fraser. Brown’s Jon Okafor is a long-term project, but may turn out to be a special player.
Philadelphia – Maryland’s Zac MacMath solves the Union’s goalkeeping woes. He should be the starter within a year. UNC’s Michael Farfan and UMBC’s Levi Houapeu were steals in the second and third round respectively. Farfan is regarded as a complete midfielder and the best passer in the draft, while Houapeu has great potential as a pure striker.
New England – The Revolution made solid picks throughout the draft. A.J. Soares is a great talent on the backline and should be able to start immediately. North Carolina’s Stephen McCarthy should be a nice option off the bench early and may develop into an everyday starter. Notre Dame’s Steven Perry could evolve into something special, while Ryan Kinne is a bit of an unknown quantity.
Houston – The Dynamo organization cleaned house with their draft. Getting both Akron’s Kofi Sarkodie and Indiana’s Will Bruin is amazing. Sarkodie was considered as the first overall pick at one point, while Bruin was projected to go as high as #3. Sarkodie is a versatile defender who can score, while Bruin could become the second coming of Brian Ching.
Chicago – We think Jalil Anibaba may be the best defender in the draft in the long term. Anibaba had a great combine and will help the Fire right away. Jason Herrick from Maryland was an absolute bargain in the third round even though Davis Paul (Cal) was a bit of a question mark.
Kansas City – Sporting KC addressed every part of the field with their selections. C.J. Sapong (James Madison) has the makings of a great goal scorer, while J.T. Murray (Louisville) could really turn out big for Sporting’s backline. Konrad Warzycha (Ohio State) will provide speed to Kansas City’s midfield. At least Konrad didn’t end up in Toronto, home of the Crew’s biggest rival.
Columbus – The Crew raised some eyebrows with the selection of IU defender Rich Balchan in the first round. Almost everyone thought Balchan would be around in the second or third round. The Crew need Justin Meram (Michigan) to step up immediately after the trade of Steven Lenhart to San Jose. Duke’s Cole Grossman could help replace Adam Moffat and Brian Carroll in the midfield. USF midfielder Bernardo Anor is the ultimate sleeper pick.
New York – Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez have to be excited about these reinforcements. Forward Corey Hertzog will liven up the RBNY attack, while midfielder John Rooney will bring even more star power to New York. Defender Tyler Lassiter (North Carolina State) has some upside, while Maryland’s Billy Cortes may struggle to stick with the squad.
Los Angeles – The Galaxy have had a great offseason. Paolo Cardozo may still be a bit of an enigma, but he will turn out to be a great player. Cal’s Hector Jimenez is a role player at best.
Dallas – Dallas was rather conservative with the selection of Stanford’s Bobby Warshaw late in the first round. Charlie Campbell (Louisville) and Scott Gordon (Lynn Univ.) are projects that may or may not make the squad.
Colorado – Eddie Ababio (UNC) was a great pick at #18. A great combine caused his stock to rise considerably, but he should develop into something special. Colin Givens (Michigan State) should be at least a role player in his first season.
Seattle – Getting GA defender Michael Tetteh in the second round is an absolute steal for the Sounders. Juan Leone Cruz, Servando Carrasco, and Bryan Meredith will provide competition for existing players, but not much else.
Toronto – The draft was more about numbers for Toronto FC. They selected five, but Joao Plata is the only lock to make the team. Plata was the star of the combine, but that hasn’t meant much historically. His small frame may be an issue, but he is certainly a threat to score early and often in America’s top-flight.
San Jose – The Quakes got great value with the selection of Anthony Ampaipitakwong in the second round. Many thought the Akron midfielder would go early in the first. Ampaipitakwong is a difference maker on the pitch and could be a starter right away.
Real Salt Lake – RSL’s only choice, midfielder Jared Van Schaik (Portland), may prove to be nothing more than training camp fodder.
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