The 2012 MLS Combine is set to kick off this afternoon in Fort Lauderdale, and SBI will be providing coverage throughout the next five days, as players look to improve their stock ahead of the MLS Draft.
The Combine will be live-streamed on MLSSoccer.com, while Fox Soccer and SBI will feature extensive coverage, including game recaps, player rankings, video interviews and breakdowns of all the action.
The rosters have finally emerged for the Combine teams, with all the draft prospects being placed on four teams that will play a round-robin format in matches to be played today, Sunday and Tuesday. The rosters are made up mainly of college players, but does include seven youth international players signed by MLS.
Andrew Wenger, the top prospect in the draft, is the lone top player who is missing the Combine. A loaded travel schedule made coming to Fort Lauderdale a difficult proposition for the Duke product, but he is expected to attend the MLS Draft.
The Generation adidas class is now set at nine players, and here is my Fox Soccer piece on how MLS put together that class (along with a breakdown of each player).
Before the action begins, and before SBI launches a Match Day Commentary of the action, here is a final Pre-Combine MLS Mock Draft, which lists the players I see being drafted next week:
2012 MLS MOCK DRAFT
1- MONTREAL IMPACT
Darren Mattocks, Akron, F
2- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
Andrew Wenger, Duke, CB
3- NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Dom Dwyer, South Florida, F
4- TORONTO FC
Nick DeLeon, Louisville, M
5- CHIVAS USA
Kelyn Rowe, UCLA, M
6- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Tyler Polak, Creighton, D
7- D.C. UNITED
Enzo Martinez, North Carolina, M
8- PORTLAND TIMBERS
Matt Hedges, North Carolina, D
9- CHICAGO FIRE
Casey Townsend, Maryland, F
10- COLUMBUS CREW
Luis Silva, UCSB, M
11- FC DALLAS
Andrew Jean-Baptiste, UConn, D
12- TORONTO FC
Aaron Maund, Notre Dame, D
13- PHILADELPHIA UNION
Tony Cascio, UConn, M
14- COLORADO RAPIDS
Sam Garza, UCSB, F/M
15- SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Chandler Hoffman, UCLA, F
16- SPORTING KANSAS CITY
Callum Mallace, Marquette, M
17- REAL SALT LAKE
Mykell Bates, Santa Clara, D
18- HOUSTON DYNAMO
Colin Rolfe, Louisville, F
19- LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Austin Berry, Louisville, D
SECOND ROUND
20- MONTREAL IMPACT
Brian Ownby, Virginia, Forward
21- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
Andy Rose, UCLA, Defensive Midfielder
22- NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Tommy Meyer, Indiana, Centerback
23- CHICAGO FIRE
Kirk Urso, North Carolina, Defensive Midfielder
24- CHIVAS USA
Lucky Mkosena, Dartmouth, Forward
25- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Arthur Ivo, SMU, Attacking Midfielder/Left Winger
26- COLUMBUS CREW
Chris Estridge, Indiana, Left Back
27- PORTLAND TIMBERS
Greg Jordan, Creighton, Defensive Midfielder
28- CHICAGO FIRE
Evans Frimpong, Delaware, Left Winger/Forward
29- COLUMBUS CREW
Kevan George, Central Florida, Defensive Midfielder
30- SPORTING KANSAS CITY
Andrew Duran, Creighton, Centerback
31- NEW YORK RED BULLS
Ryan Meara, Fordham, Goalkeeper
32- PHILADELPHIA UNION
James Kiffe, UCSB, Left Back
33- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Babayele Sodade, UAB, Forward
34- SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Miguel Ibarra, UC-Irvine, Attacking Midfielder
35- PHILADELPHIA UNION
Ethan Finlay, Creighton, Forward
36- REAL SALT LAKE
Michael Green, New Mexico, Right Midfield
37- HOUSTON DYNAMO
Lance Rozeboom, New Mexico, Defensive Midfielder
38- LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Eder Arreola, UCLA, Left Midfielder
I dont think Enzo drops to 7
Davies couldn’t make it in MLS…
They need to re-up Dawkins…He is a legitimate playmaker when healthy.
=1
I don’t understand Sodade’s ranking above Luke Holmes. I watched both play last summer. When Holmes was on the field, players were yelling for him. When Sodade was on the field players were yelling *at* him.
Though Holmes is not really a forward as he is listed on the combine roster. Going forward he needs to be a mid of some sort.
I’m addressing the Fox piece as much as the SBI one, but Charlie Davies shows a strong young player can make it without MLS; Marcus Tracy, once a US callup now out of contract (and is he still Dynamo property? I know they picked him years ago), plagued by tendonitis, shows they may not make it. Mixed bag.
One thing I’d say is that if MLS drops its salaries past a certain point, and you still have a chance of being picked by a team here that rots you on the bench, it might be more lucrative for similar career risk to be in Europe or elsewhere.
I basically agree with the poster re Houston drafting a DM, they’ve signed Moffat, Camargo, and Sturgis. I’m only a fan of Camargo from that set — Moffat is nothing but a monthly strike on net — but we’re full up, even more than I’d like. Particularly considering Bruin is already in place, Cruz was not optioned, Freeman was lost to Reentry, and neither Ashe nor Sarkodie impresses, I’d think the prime directive would be right wings and L/R wingbacks. Maybe a young GK in a late round to fill Newton’s 3rd keeper clipboard holder role.
Considering Nguyen’s stint in Vietnam, as well as the small presence of former MLS players from foreign lands in Australia/NZ, I’m surprised no one really ends up in the A-League, if just for novelty’s sake. If Fred and Tony Lochhead can play there, surely some enterprising kid here could go there and “boomerang” back here later with a similar CV to the Scandinavians — and perhaps with a surfboard and a tan instead of toes lost to frostbite.
Arreola is coming to San Jose at #33 you can write it down in stone right now and get it tatoooed on your chest. They currently have no left midfielder on their roster with the Simon Dawkins loan still up in the air.
I know mock drafts are extrememly difficult to do and a work of fiction, but Houston drafting a DM to sit behind Moffat, Camargo and Sturgis doesn’t really make sense.
Why would NE take Dwyer over Hoffman? Hoffman had more goals and assists and is 6’0… Dwyer is only 5’9.
Jake Gleeson and Josh Saunders [started 2011 as backup] are two I can name.
And Matt Magee…. 🙂
I, I, I work oooout!
One Goalkeepter taken? Do we have a glut of excellent reserve keepers in MLS?
I hope this is wrong.
Arreola makes perfect sense for LA, but now they need a CB as well.
This reminded me why I need to stick to just reading the article and not looking at the comments section.
Why are all the 1st round players positions listed w/ a single letter, but the 2nd round players have their positions spelled out?
Wow, according to the pic above, LMFAO has entered the MLS draft? SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS!!
Ives, I think i remember reading a story about how De Leon, Rolfe, Mares and some other players were arrested on drug charges. Have you heard any of that?
why Hunter Jumper not being drafted at all, you once had him as high as #12, i think… ?