Supplemental Draft Analysis

We have to start by sharing our disappointment for every MLS team passing on Akron’s Luke Holmes.  We hate to be biased, but when a local player that is technically gifted gets passed over for players described as projects, we have to draw the line somewhere.

His coach at Notre Dame College, Michael McBride, spoke numerous times about Luke’s superior fitness, humbleness, pace, leadership, the list of positives goes on and on. For those who criticized his fitness, keep in mind that Holmes actually trained with Oldham Athletic over the holidays in preparation for the draft.  Mark our words, Holmes will be a successful professional somewhere in 2012.

1.  We have differing opinions on who had the best supplemental draft.  Most analysts think the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA were head and shoulders over the rest in yesterday’s draft that lasted 76 picks. We feel strongly that Chicago and Seattle were the best.  The Fire landed two high quality players in Delaware’s Evans Frimpong and Green Bay’s Tony Walls.  Frimpong could push Patrick Nyarko and Dominic Oduro for playing time, while Walls could see some significant time in the midfield off the bench.

Seattle landed a nice pick at #34 with English international Jason Banton, who was once talked about as a first-round pick before a lackluster combine showing. UCLA’s Andy Rose came to Seattle in a trade with RSL for Leone Cruz, a player that didn’t make it for the Sounders last season.  Both Banton and Rose could push for playing time in 2012.

2.  New York had a rough draft overall.  The Red Bulls did little on Day 1 and came away with only training camp fodder in the supplemental draft.  We hope the Red Bulls will be active in the international transfer market because they have holes to fill.