By DAN KARELL
Looking to further their growth and reach in the Caribbean, Major League Soccer has invited 24 players from 16 different nations to the first-ever Caribbean Player Combine.
Set to take place from Jan. 2-4 in St. John, Antigua & Barbuda, the combine will offer the players, ranging from 18-to-24-years old, a chance to make it to the MLS Player Combine from Jan. 10-14 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Nearly all of the players set for the combine have earned caps for their senior national teams, and a few have played in the USL Pro division before, including Antiguan and Barbudan duo Quinton Griffith (Charleston Battery and Stefan Smith (Charlotte Eagles).
MLS is partnering with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to set up this three-day event, which will be watched by numerous scouts from around the league.
Here’s a full look at the 2014 Caribbean Combine roster:
CARIBBEAN PLAYER COMBINE ROSTER
Name – Age – Position – Country
Damian Bailey – 22 – M/D – Anguilla
Quinton Griffith – 21 – M/D – Antigua & Barbuda
Stefan Smith – 24 – F – Antigua & Barbuda
Leroy Oehlers – 21 – D – Aruba
Drewonde Bascome – 21 – M – Bermuda
Ramon Sealy – 22 – GK – Cayman Islands
Quinton Christina – 18 – F/D – Curacao
Malcolm Joseph – 20 – D – Dominica
Delbert Graham – 20 – M – Dominica
Vladimir Pascal – 21 – M – Guadeloupe
Steven Davidas – 21 – M – Guadeloupe
Jean Ismael Voltaire – 19 – D – Haiti
Luckner Junior Horat – 19 – D – Haiti
Kemar Lawrence – 21 – D/M – Jamaica
Kendall Allen – 21 – D – Montserrat
Joseph Marrero – 20 – M – Puerto Rico
Samuel Soto – 21 – M/F – Puerto Rico
Jose Sandoval – 22 – M – Puerto Rico
Jamal Francis – 20 – GK – Saint Kitts and Nevis
Eden Charles – 20 – M – Saint Lucia
Stefano Rijssel – 21 – F/M – Suriname
Miguel Darson – 20 – D – Suriname
Kavon Ceasar – 19 – D – British Virgin Islands
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What do you think of this list? Know of any of these players? Glad to see MLS reaching out into the Caribbean?
Share your thoughts below.