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FC Dallas could hold key to the 2010 MLS Draft

Schellas Hyndmann (ISIphotos.com)

With the 2010 MLS Draft just days away it is becoming increasingly clear that FC Dallas will be one of the key controllers of the action at Saturday's draft.

FC Dallas currently holds the No. 5 and No. 6 picks in the draft, and with a roster that is already one of the youngest in MLS, Dallas is poised to be the target of teams interested in moving up in the draft.

The young roster doesn't mean FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman has to trade his picks, not in year with a strong and deep draft class.

"Half our team is below 23 and we've got six Generation adidas players and just graduated one in Anthony Wallace," Hyndman said. "We've got the 5 and 6 spots and looking out here (at the Combine) you can see there are some pretty good players so we may be able to pick up a Generation adidas player and the other would have to be a senior player."

"There are some pretty good seniors coming up too," Hyndman said. "This draft has a pretty athletic group and you can start to see the separation between the top players and by the time the combine is finished I'm sure all of us will have a few of what we're looking for."

According to multiple MLS sources, teams are targeting FC Dallas' No. 5 pick, with the interested suitors being determined by how the first four picks shake out. Hyndman said he has yet to be seriously approached about trading his picks, but is open to talking deal and expects calls to start coming as the draft draws closer.

"I think we'll be open to opportunities because we have the No. 5 and No. 6 and for the fact that we're not really needing any more younger players," Hyndman said. "But at the same time, it may work out with the younger players because I think they're playing above their age.

"I think teams needed to come here to see the talent before they start making the calls about opportunities to trade up."

Draft picks aren't the only trade commodities FC Dallas holds. acknowledged that the club has let it be known that it is open to trading veteran Dutch winger Dave Van Den Bergh, with the team's salary cap situation being a potential driver of a deal.

"Dave is still in our plans but we've also made the opportunity for anybody else who may be interested to approach us," Hyndman said. "Right now he is in our plans. I thought he had a really good year, eleven assists and three goals on a team that just missed the playoffs.

"He brings so much technical ability, and brings so much composure on the ball," Hyndman said. "There are obviously players who are quicker and faster but he's had to deal with that his whole career and has still found a way to be on the field."

One potential destination for Van Den Bergh is New York, with sources telling SBI that Van Den Bergh is keen on a return to the Red Bulls, a club he spent two successful seasons with. The teams have yet to discuss a Van Den Bergh trade but with head coach Hans Backe now in place, a move for Van Den Bergh is something the club will consider.

Comments

  1. “it’s highly likely that Duka has been sandbagging his combine so that he can fall to NYRB’s 2nd pick.”

    This has to be the funniest comment i have ever heard. I literally started laughing when i read this. When you get into a game and are as good as duka is, you don’t think to yourself, “ok, i am not going to compete and play the best i can. Instead i am going to play well but just not to my full potential.” I guarantee you he is extremely competitive and the last thing on his mind during the game is what draft pick he is and who picks him.

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  2. I’ve never been a big fan of Van Den Bergh, but I like the way Dallas does business. Is Hyndmann the Wenger of MLS? He is buying young players cheap, and in the future will hopefully be selling them for a profit. We (DC) had such a good draft last year with out back-to-back picks. I’d love for DC to grab either the 5th or 6th and pick up a key ingredient that we’re missing.

    BTW, speaking of DC youth, did anyone else hear about Bryan Arguez trialing with Flamengo?

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  3. what about the 27th draft pick last year – Brian Shriver – North Carolina standout – I hear he is 100% now and ready to play – Does Dallas still have the rights to him? Fast – very smart – and another young player

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  4. NY will not pick a striker….that is the least of their worries

    they need midfielders most importantly and a defender and i wouldnt be surprised if its opara

    i wouldnt want seth stammler btw if i was FCD too…..he was awful last year and Dax Mccarty is a much better choice at centremid

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  5. FCD does not have a defender as a first round priority so I doubt they would go after Opara.

    I think it is going to take more than Stammler and the #2 to get BOTH FCD picks and VDB.

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  6. in your hypothesis, NYRB just got held over the coals…. there’s no reason for the deal to be done.

    FC Dallas is maneuvering from a weak position because all teams know they have a ton of youth and they want to dump DVB and his salary. Therefore, other teams can lowball them with the offers, knowing that if Dallas asks for too much they may be forced to hold onto the picks and make their team even more inexperienced; while the other teams can still get quality with whatever pick they have.

    Add to the equation that Opara is possibly as good of a central defender as the draft will ever produce and it’s highly likely that Duka has been sandbagging his combine so that he can fall to NYRB’s 2nd pick. DVB is also more on the downside of his career than the upside, and Stammler is too valuable to get rid of.

    Why get rid of your established DMid and the chance to draft a potential all-star rookie defender in order to get an aging left side mid and a bunch of youth???

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  7. I would think FC Dallas would trade for a quality striker or Central Defender more than a draft pick. I would be suprised for them to hang on to both picks but you never know with Schellas coaching.

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  8. Turd – DFC would NEVER do something as silly as that. Two for one? Get out of here. I bet they get either Bunbury or Tchani with #5. If not they still have Opara or Stahl, not to mention a VERY favorable #6.

    You must be in dream land.

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  9. I think FCD will be a dark horse team this year. Sigi Schmid didn’t look very good his first few years in Columbus, but once he got the team built the way he wanted and playing the way he wanted everything fell into place. Hyndman looked hopeless the first year or so of his tenure, but FCD really turned it on at the end and I think that’s a result of his building the team he wanted and keeping faith in his young players who made huge steps in the past year. They’re playing the way he wants them to play now, and I think one or two extra pieces in the offseason might do it for them. At the very least a playoff spot should be expected this year. Good luck to you, but I hope Chicago takes the Brimstone cup back. (finally.)

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  10. Just read on Wikipedia that the attendance for the Malawi/Algeria match was 1,000. 1,000!!! I think the local bingo hall here in Toledo on a friday night brings that in.

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  11. What are the roster restrictions on GA contracts? If they pull in a GA in the draft wouldn’t that put them up to 5? I thought the limit was 4… I know there was a grandfathering or something last year but this year shouldn’t they be up to their limit?

    Stupid MLS rules that I don’t understand. Can they bring in two GA players and have 6! players on their team not counting towards their cap?

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  12. VDB, 5th and 6th picks for Stammler and the 2nd pick.

    NY gets:
    M Dave Van den Bergh
    M Tchani/Stahl/Loyd/Duka
    F Andre Akpan

    DAL gets:
    M Seth Stammler
    D Ike Opara/F Teal Bunbury

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