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MLS formally announces first four Generation adidas signings

By IVES GALARCEP

Major League Soccer took its time, but finally got around to announcing the first four members of the 2013 Generation adidas draft class on Thursday, several weeks after reaching agreements with the bulk of the class.

Andrew Farrell, Walker Zimmerman, Mikey Lopez and Jason Johnson were all announced as members of the Generation adidas class.

Lopez signed his GA deal a week ago, while Farrell, Zimmerman and Johnson were among the first to reach agreements two weeks ago.

One GA signing MLS did not announce on Thursday was teenage striker Kekuta Manneh, the first player to actually reach an agreement with MLS for a GA deal this go-round. MLS could be waiting to unveil Manneh when they finalize the deal for another Generation adidas target, Central Florida striker Deshorn Brown.

Farrell, Lopez, Zimmerman and Johnson could be the first four players selected in the 2013 MLS Draft, which takes place in two weeks in Indianapolis. Toronto FC holds the No. 1 and No. 3 picks, though the team is expected to deal at least one of those picks.

What do you think of the news? Who are you hoping your team can select in the draft?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Still wouldn’t pick Lopez too high. Not sure about Johnson, either. He has a reputation for not always putting out his best effort, which makes a first round pick a little risky (though it is a limited field this year). The defenders are good top picks. I’d buck conventional wisdom if I had top choice and go with Zimmerman over Farrell. Also have seen speculation that Toronto wants Zimmerman, but may deal their top pick away for something else and hope Zimmerman is still around two picks later (they pick first and third).

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    • Not saying it will be the same thing because each individual is different, but didn’t people also have reservations about DeLeon because of supposed character issues?

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    • As a coach at Furman United – a very large 1,500-kid youth club attached to Furman University – I’ve seen Zimmerman play, many times. A boy among men at the college level (and this was at age 18)…he can do it all, and can dominate the game as a center mid and target forward as well as a center back. And he’s a tremendously high-character guy, was in fact working with some of Furman United’s elite U12 youth players (for free!) every week just because he liked them.

      Very hard not to wish Zimmerman well…and it’s very, very hard to not see him doing well. I know his coach Doug Allison raves about him and thinks his ceiling is right up there with Clint Dempsey.

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