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MLS unveils Generation adidas class (Tracy, Grella missing from Combine roster)

SteveZakuani (ZipsSportsPhotography) 

Major League Soccer has unveiled its 2009 Generation adidas class and the nine-player list didn't have any surprises.

Led by Akron striker Steve Zakuani, here is the Generation adidas class, which should look familiar:

  • Steve Zakuani

  • Omar Gonzalez

  • Rodney Wallace

  • Jeremy Hall

  • Baggio Husidic

  • Kevin Alston

  • Stefan Frei

  • Peri Marosevic

  • Daniel Cruz

The one player not on this list who was still in talks with MLS is UCLA midfielder Michael Stephens. There is still a slim chance that he does sign.

With the Generation adidas class set, MLS also unveiled the rosters for the upcoming MLS Player Combine. Conspicuously absent from the rosters were Wake Forest striker Marcus Tracy and Duke striker Mike Grella, who have both turned down MLS contract offers and appear set to test the waters in Europe. If Tracy and Grella don't sign before the draft, their departures will put a big dent in what had been shaping up to be a strong draft. Also missing from the Combine list is highly-regarded Indiana midfielder Brad Ring (he is nursing an injury).

Here are the MLS Combine rosters and schedule of matches:

Complete 2009 adidas MLS Combine Rosters:

 

adidas adiPure

Alec Dufty (University of Evansville)

Neal Kitson (St. John's University)

Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (George Mason University)

Raphael Cox (University of Washington)

Danny Cruz (Generation adidas/University of Nevada Las Vegas)

Juan Guerra (Florida International University)

Jack Traynor (University of Notre Dame)

Darrius Barnes (Duke University)

Matt Besler (University of Notre Dame)

Graciano Brito (Quinnipiac University)

Aaron Clapham (University of Louisville)

Jokull Elisabetarson (University of North Carolina – Greensboro)

Wes Knight (College of Charleston)

Paul Nicholson (Rio Grande University)

Jean Alexandre (Lynn University)

Jordan Seabrook (University of South Florida)

Jeremy Hall (Generation adidas/University of Maryland)

Otto Loewy (Winthrop University)

 

Coaches: Bobby Clark (University of Notre Dame) and Jeremy Alumbaugh (Springfield United)

 

adidas Tunit

Stefan Frei (Generation adidas/University of California)

Trevor Banks (Old Dominion University)

Josh Boateng (Liberty University)

AJ DeLaGarza (University of Mayland)

Richard Jata (Campbell Univeristy)

Rodney Wallace (Generation adidas/University of Maryland)

Brandon Barklage (Saint Louis University)

Pav Castenada (Duke University)

Paul Gerstenberger (Boston College)

Andrei Gotsmanov (Creighton University)

Peri Marosevic (Generation adidas/University of Michigan)

Kyle Patterson (Saint Louis University)

Chris Pontius (University of California – Santa Barbara)

Matt Poole (University of Virginia)

Kyle Russell (Coastal Carolina University)

Babajide Ogunbiyi (Santa Clara University)

Daniel Revivo (Winthrop University)

 

Coaches: Cam Rast (University of Santa Clara) and Marc Nicholls (Greensboro Youth Soccer)

 

 

adidas Predator PowerSwerve

Evan Bush (University of Akron)

Sean Milligan (Dartmouth University)

Quincy Amarikwa (University of California – Davis)

Oscar Castillo (University of Connecticut)

Jeffery Harwell (Southern Methodist University)

Keum Sung Kim (Loyola University)

Akeem Priestly (University of Connecticut)

Lyle Adams (Wake Forest University)

Rhett Bernstein (Brown University)

Sam Cronin (Wake Forest University)

Doug DeMartin (Michigan State University)

Bryan Irwin (University of Portland)

Yohance Marshall (University of South Florida)

Ryan Mirsky (Southern Methodist University)

Patrick Murray (Furman University)

Steve Zakuani (Generation adidas/University of Akron)

Nick Zimmerman (James Madison University)

Omar Gonzalez (Generation adidas/University of Maryland)

 

Coaches: Caleb Porter (University of Akron) and Bobby Muuss (University of Denver)

 

adidas Tiro                                                                               

Steward Ceus (University of Albany)

Milos Kocic (Loyola College (Md.))

Ryan Maxwell (University of Tampa)

Michael Lahoud (Wake Forest University)

Chris Salvaggione (UNC – Charlotte)

Kevin Alston (Generation adidas/Indiana University)

Calum Angus (Saint Louis University)

Evan Brown (Wake Forest University)

Graham Zusi (University of Maryland)

Chris Clements (University of Tulsa)

Dylan Curtis (University of California – Davis)

Alex Grendi (University of Pennsylvania)

David Hertel (Michigan State University)

Ryan Maduro (Providence College)

Baggio Husidic (Generation adidas/University of Illinois – Chicago)

George John (University of Washington)

Ross Schunk (Redlands University)

Nick Perera (University of California – Santa Barbara)

 

Coaches: Chaka Daley (Providence College) and Janusz Michallik (National Director of SoccerPlus Camps)

 

MLS PLAYER COMBINE GAME SCHEDULE

All games are open to the public. All times eastern and schedule is subject to change.

 

Saturday, January 10    

2:30 PM                        Predator PowerSwerve vs. adidas Tunit (Lockhart Stadium)

4:30 PM                        adiPure vs. adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)

                       

Sunday, January 11      

3:00 PM                        adidas Tunit vs. adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)

5:00 PM                        Predator PowerSwerve vs adiPure (Lockhart Stadium)

                                               

Tuesday, January 13                 

9:15 AM                        Predator PowerSwerve vs adidas Tiro (Lockhart Stadium)

11:15 AM                      adiPure vs adidas Tunit (Lockhart Stadium)                   

 

What do you think of the rosters? Are you disappointed to see Tracy and Grella skip the Combine? Which team do you think is the most stacked? Which match-up would you like to see in person?

 

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. nate is a great player,even when he was still playing at his home town pampistard,now i think he wants to prove he has gained experience.

    Reply
  2. @Posted by: Todd | January 07, 2009 at 02:43 PM

    The combine, while imperfect, isn’t a TOTALLY dumb idea. Rather than looking at tapes of a player playing against inferior competition, he is now being put on a team of other prospective professionals playing against other prospective professionals. It’s a step up from what he has been playing and does give teams and idea if the 30 goals he scored last year were a result of playing against weak teams or if he has some actual skill. It has some value, it’s not foolproof but it’s still better than simply relying on college performance.

    Would teams 1,2,3,4 or a,b,c,d be more professional? I’m not sure why it matters since none of it will be televised or covered by most of the media.

    The criteria are being good and having someone in a position in power in MLS giving you an invite.

    Reply
  3. As much money as Adidas pumps in to MLS, they could name one of the teams the Adidas Power Rangers and I wouldn’t care.

    Reply
  4. “The initial player list was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conferences who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches.”

    The Combine is sponsored by the League’s national jersey and gear sponsor adidas… So not amateurish at all considering the League is being paid a lot of money by adidas.

    Reply
  5. This combine idea has to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen. You can’t judge a player’s potential just by watching them for a couple of days. Also, what is up with the names of the teams. Very amateurish on behalf of MLS. Does anyone know what the criteria is in order to be invited to the combine?

    Reply
  6. 3 players missing that will be on MLS teams:

    Brad Ring-Indiana

    Michael Stephans-UCLA

    Ancil Farrier-Southern Connecticut

    Reply
  7. Man, I went to a soccer camp at Bowdoin College in Maine 6, 7 years ago and Chaka Daley was one of the coaches… crazy to see that name again

    Reply
  8. I think this list is a bit disappointing when you think of the amount available talent MLS wasn’t able to land. No Opara, Tracey, Grella, Stephens, any of the touted U17s, and really, U20s minus Cruz. And I don’t think Cruz is going to be the real deal. What once was hailed as a deep draft before signings were announced, seems to have come back to earth and is a avg draft with a few potential stars, and lots of role players. I guess I dont blame MLS as much as I am just disappointed in them for not being able to land more of these guys.

    Reply
  9. The rosters look fully comprised of college players. I recall last year Brek Shea attended the combine after signing GA (he was committed somewhere but went GA instead). Are there no youth standouts in attendance because there were none that signed GA, do they only get invited if being signed GA?

    Reply
  10. if tracy ends up not in the mls i hope he plays in the epl not the german league..he will become a better player playin in the epl

    Reply
  11. Predator Poweswerve seemed to be the toughest of the four teams with Adams, Cronin, Gonzalez and Zakuani on the squad.

    Hammerby would be a great place for Tracy to land. There must be significant interest for him to forego the draft completely. I recall players being drafted in the past and then going across the pond.

    Reply
  12. Tracy is reportedly being picked up by a scandanavian team…. just so happens when that report came out, Davies was also being reported to being linked to some German sides…. rumor is Hammarby is hoping for a relatively close swap….

    not sure if i read that on here or no short corners

    Reply

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