Photo by ISIphotos.com
With the 2009 MLS season in full swing, one of the big story lines of the new season is the arrival of one of the best draft classes in recent memory. With nine MLS draft picks earning starts in week one, and many of those players expected to play key roles this season, 2009 could very well become the year of the MLS rookie.
Major League Soccer is chronicling the lives of some of those draft picks in a new video series called Rookie Life: Diary of a Draft Pick. The series will follow rookies such as Stefan Frei, Sam Cronin, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. Delagarza, Chris Pontius, Steve Zakuani and Jean Alexandre from their experiences at the MLS Combine straight through their first MLS seasons.
Here is the second episode of the series:
What did you think of this episode? Which rookies are you most looking forward to watch progress in MLS this season?
Share your thoughts on this series and this episode in the comments section below. You can see the first episode of the series after the jump:
I think TFC is helping put this together?
That sucks for Jata. Hopefully he can find another team in the league, maybe even USL or even a small team in Scandinavia.
He looks like a good player. Scored some nice goals in college.
Ives, your the man. Am I still censored?
Jata was cut. It’s here near the bottom, where it says final roster. But that seemed to be based more on the Fire’s stocked midfield, than Jata’s skill.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4910-Chicago-Fire-Examiner~y2009m3d15-Fire-draw-with-Galaxy-in-final-preseason-match
Jason, that is actually how you pronounce my name.
Ives, didn’t they mispronounce your name, or do I have it wrong?
Great program. Interesting to watch them up-close and hear their anxieties/feelings as things unfold.
Nice article
Well done on the video Ives. Pretty cool, interesting to find out a little more about these guys.
Nice video. I like getting to know the players. MLS did a good job with this.
I hope Jata stays with the fire but I haven’t heard anything official yet. I don’t know if he even played during pre-season. His speech was fantastic, very heartfelt. I hope he makes it.
Ives do you know anything?
still buffering…
Buffering till the day I die…
why didn’t Chris Pontius go sooner? I mean he went early but did you see him in the Galaxy game? This kid is good his goal was unbelieveable.
Hey Ives,
Given your rave review of Toronto FC TV recently, you should know that from what I understand some of the folks behind TFC TV are also producing this Rookie Life segment as well.
Cheers.
Ive seen video of Jata on youtube, looks like he has a nice freekick on him as well.
Seems like a nice series of videos. It’s nice to get to know the young players better and what it’s like preparing for the upcoming season as a rookie. Ive’s well done in the video
richard jata is very skillful and quick i hope he does well, oh and nice cameo ives you should pursue a career in film.
I don’t know if Jata was cut or not but as long as he stays on my FIFA09 I’m happy. Dude serves a nasty cross on that game.
As with everything these days, the copy could use some serious editing. It’s a lamentably dying art.
Some interesting insights, nothing mindblowing or profound. But it’s footie, not philosopy, so there you go.
Very nice. I look forward to the next episodes.
pretty sweet video. nice to put personalities to MLS players. Sweet cameo by Ives.
Jeff I agree, it makes you feel like you know them, or you apreciate them more because you can actually see what they go through. I enjoyed this i didn’t watch the first one because I thought it would be dumb, but I’m definetly going to check it out.
Was Richard Jata cut from the Fire already?
Richard Jata’s speech was classic.
So far it’s a nice series. Very well done, and good move for MLS… when fans get to know players a little better they start to feel invested and a little more connected… good grass roots move.
I think over the length of a career.
Frei will turn out to be the best of this class.
just finished watching both,I loved watching this,it really inspires me since I’m in college.
way to get that tv time Ives!
steve zakuani is amazing