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2012 MLS Combine: A Look Ahead (and a final pre-Combine MLS Mock Draft)

Nick DeLeon (ISIPhotos.com)

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

Comments

  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.

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  2. 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.

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  3. 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.

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  4. 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.

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  5. Why are all the 1st round players positions listed w/ a single letter, but the 2nd round players have their positions spelled out?

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  6. 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?

    Reply

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