My top twenty in terms of talent and potential, not draft order: 1. Perry Kitchen – Akron 2. Darlington Nagbe – Akron 3. Victor Estupinan – Ecuador 4. Kofi Sarkodie – Akron 5. Jalil Anibaba – UNC 6. John Rooney – England 7. Omar Salgado – US U-20 8. Will Bruin – Indiana 9. Joao Plata – Ecuador 10. A.J. Soares – California 11. Konrad Warzycha – Ohio St. 12. Zarek Valentin – Akron 13. Corey Hertzog – Penn St. 14. Zax MacMath – Maryland 15. Paolo Cardozo – Uruguay 16. C.J. Sapong – James Madison 17.
There is great value in Round 2. Check out our thoughts on where the picks will fall. 19. Vancouver Whitecaps – FWD Joao Plata, Ecuador 20. Portland Timbers – FWD Victor Estupian, Ecuador 21. Seattle Sounders – MID/FWD Ashley McInnes, Tulsa 22. Portland Timbers – DEF J.T. Murray, Louisville 23. Philadelphia Union – DEF Curtis Ushedo, UAB 24. New England Revolution – MID/FWD Levi Houapeu, UMBC 25. New York Red Bulls – DEF Eddie Ababio, North Carolina 26. Toronto FC – MID Konrad Warzycha, Ohio State 27. Seattle Sounders – MID Stephen McCarthy, UNC 28. Columbus Crew – MID Cole Grossman,
Thanks to ISN correspondent Derrick Smith for spending his time covering the 2011 MLS Combine. His observations made on the ground were invaluable to our entire agency. 1. Vancouver – MID Perry Kitchen, Akron. Speculation has run wild with this pick. Rumors of a Darlington Nagbe deal have been denied by agents and Whitecaps officials alike. Kitchen is a special player that comes around every 10-15 years. Vancouver would be crazy to pass him up. Most likely will end up as a
Attinella has trialed in Sweden and Portugal, but is ready to be a starter in MLS. Jeff Attinella is arguably the best goalkeeper available in this year’s MLS SuperDraft. Only U-20 standout Zac MacMath can even be compared with the senior goalkeeper from USF. “I work hard, week in, week out,” Attinella commented. “I’ve been a captain for two years and believe I have good leadership skills. As a goalkeeper I am strong in the air.” Attinella has all the tools you
Forward Phil Bannister started his senior season at Loyola University Maryland with the hopes of becoming the nation’s leading scorer. He started with a flourish of goals and was one of the country’s best finishers until an unfortunate knee injury short-circuited his season. He would still claim several honors including a selection to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Senior All-America Second Team and National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-North Atlantic First Team. Now he turns his attention to the MLS
Kitchen passed on an offer from Belgium's Anderlecht to sign a Generation adidas contract with MLS. University of Akron midfielder Perry Kitchen is a versatile player that exudes confidence and has the play to back it up, a rare and deadly combination. Kitchen, just a freshman, is a U-20 national team standout as well as a member of a national championship squad and most importantly, a player with limitless potential. Kitchen is part of a new generation of American players
The 2011 draft class is simply put, loaded. MLS coaches and scouts are drooling over the talent of a deep and talented group of players with tons of potential. As always many of the players are young so they may take some time to develop, but the draft pool gets better and better each year. Several likely draftees gained the attention of foreign scouts and were linked to moves overseas. 1. Vancouver – MID Perry Kitchen, University of Akron. Kitchen
Reading United A.C. and Penn State forward Corey Hertzog will forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter the 2011 MLS Draft as a member of Generation adidas. Not long after his interview on Monday’s Reading United Soccer Scene TV show, Hertzog declared his intentions of making the jump to the next level of his soccer career. “My three years at Penn State were the best three years of my life,” Hertzog wrote to a Penn State alumnus, “I am going
The Seattle Sounders FC has signed Swedish midfielder Erik Friberg, it was announced today. Friberg, 24, played the past four seasons for BK Häcken. Friberg’s signing will be finalized upon receipt of his P-1 visa and International Clearance. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. Playing in the middle and sometimes the left side, Friberg was instrumental in winning the ball and setting-up attacks for Häcken. He also scored five times in 94 appearances for the Göteborg