With the first two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft in the books, we now turn our focus to the final picks of the year in the supplemental draft. There is still a lot of talent on the board and many of these players may still end up in the MLS Reserves or even sneaking onto a roster and seeing some time with “the big boys”. Remember there isn’t much difference between a 2nd round SuperDraft pick and someone taken in
1. What team had the best draft? RSL had a great draft, landing a top 5 talent in Enzo Martinez all the way down at #17. He could be a full-time starter by midseason. The selection of Sebastian Velasquz from Spartanburg may be the pick of the day if the youngster realizes his full potential. 2. Who are the best players still available for the supplemental draft? Let’s start with Akron’s Luke Holmes, who at one time was projected to be a late
1. How important is the MLS SuperDraft to the success of a club? First, I think the SuperDraft itself has lost significance when it comes to player acquisition. There is already a solid base of players, even with expansion and with academies and a wider range of international players being targeted the actual opportunity for a college player to come through the draft and make a major impact is very small. Each draft has some very good players, though. However, the top
ROUND 1 1. Montreal – DF Andrew Wenger (GA), Duke Univ. ISN Analysis – Our own Rudy Roediger was certainly right on this one. Wenger’s versatility makes him a starter somewhere on the pitch for the Impact on Day 1. One of the MLS scouts we talked to months ago said Wenger was the best player in the draft and Montreal certainly agreed. 2. Vancouver – FW Darren Mattocks (GA), Univ. of Akron ISN Analysis – Speed kills in the pro game and Mattocks
Women’s Professional Soccer held the league’s annual draft on Friday in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in Kansas City, Mo. With the first overall pick of the 2012 Draft, Atlanta Beat selected U.S. Soccer rising star Sydney Leroux out of UCLA. The Vancouver, British Columbia native missed out on attending the WPS Draft while training with the U.S. Women’s National Team in Los Angeles in preparation for the upcoming CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament. As expected, the reigning
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 Darren Mattocks making
The Columbus Crew today announced its schedule for the 2012 Major League Soccer regular season, which has it opening on the road Saturday, March 10, against the Colorado Rapids. Following a bye week, the Black & Gold will then host the first home match of its 17th season, FirstKick 2012, on Saturday, March 24, when the expansion Montreal Impact visits Crew Stadium for the first time. The Crew’s home schedule features a total of 13 Saturday games, complemented by two Sunday
Major League Soccer and adidas today announced the 2012 Generation adidas class and four additional college senior signings that will enter the professional ranks for the 2012 Major League Soccer season. These players are among about 65 top pro prospects that will showcase their talents at the adidas MLS Player Combine Jan. 6-10 at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Combine matches will be closed to the public, but fans can watch the matches live on MLSsoccer.com. Players who join MLS
For the second consecutive year, San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski will join the U.S. National Team for its January training camp as the leading scorer in Major League Soccer found himself on the list of 20 players called into coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s winter session on Thursday. The camp will convene on Jan. 3 ahead of matches against Venezuela on Jan. 21 (7 p.m. PT, University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.) and Panama on Jan. 25 (Estadio Rommel Fernandez in