By FRANCO PANIZO
The MLS offseason is not even a full three days old yet, but teams can already begin preparing for the 2014 adidas MLS Player Combine.
MLS released details about its annual combine on Wednesday afternoon, including the dates of the event and the names of 50 NCAA Division 1 seniors that have been invited to participate. Some of the more notable names on the list for the combine, which runs from Jan. 10-14 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., are 2012 Hermann Trophy winner Patrick Mullins of Maryland and Georgetown player Steve Neumann.
NCAA Division 1 alternates, Generation adidas signings, youth internationals and other eligible players will be announced in the coming weeks. Top players from the first Caribbean player combine will also be added after that competition wraps up in January.
A committee of NCAA Division 1 coaches from every conference and MLS representatives selected the invitees, all of whom completed their college eligibility this season.
The 2014 MLS SuperDraft will take place in Philadelphia, Pa. on Jan. 16.
Here is the full list of 50 invited seniors:
| Reinaldo | Brenes | University of Akron | F | San Jose, Costa Rica |
| Robert | Derschang | University of Akron | D/M | Englewood, Colo. |
| Aodhan | Quinn | University of Akron | M | San Diego, Calif. |
| Eric | Stevenson | University of Akron | M | Columbus, Ohio |
| Steve | Birnbaum | University of California, Berkeley | D | Irving, Calif. |
| Alec | Sundly | University of California, Berkeley | M | Capistrano Beach, Calif. |
| Ryan | Neil | University of California, Berkeley | M | Mission Viejo, Calif. |
| Enrique | Cardenas | University of California, Irvine | F | Coachella, Calif. |
| Victor | Chavez | University of California, Los Angeles | F | Fontana, Calif. |
| Victor | Munoz | University of California, Los Angeles | M | Madrid, Spain |
| Mackenzie | Pridham | California Polytechnic State University | F | Toronto, Ontario |
| Kingsley | Baiden | University of California, Santa Barbara | M | Ajumako, Ghana |
| Tyler | Gibson | University of Charlotte | M | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Thomas | McNamara | Clemson University | M | West Nyack, N.Y. |
| Pedro | Ribeiro | Coastal Carolina University | M/F | Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
| Kees | Heemskerk | College of Charleston | GK | Zaandam, Netherlands |
| Mamadou | Diouf | University of Connecticut | F | Dakar, Senegal |
| George | Fochive | University of Connecticut | M | Paris, France |
| Zach | Bolden | University of Denver | M/F | Denver, Colo. |
| Daniel | Lovitz | Elon University | M | Wyndmoor, Pa. |
| Joey | Dillon | Georgetown University | D/M | Rochester Hills, Mich. |
| Steve | Neumann | Georgetown University | M/F | New Hope, Pa. |
| Kristopher | Tyrpak | Houston Baptist University | F | Dripping Springs, Texas |
| Jacob | Bushue | Indiana University | D | Champaign, Ill. |
| AJ | Corrado | Indiana University | M | Zionsville, Ind. |
| Nikita | Kotlov | Indiana University | M | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Harrison | Petts | Indiana University | M | Zionsville, Ind. |
| Jimmy | Ockford | University of Louisville | D | Yardley, Pa. |
| Patrick | Mullins | University of Maryland | F | New Orleans, La. |
| Pete | Caringi | University of Maryland Baltimore County | F | Perry Hall, Md. |
| Kadeem | Dacres | University of Maryland Baltimore County | M | Rosedale, N.Y. |
| Mark | Sherrod | University of Memphis | F | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Kevin | Cope | Michigan State University | D | Canton, Mich. |
| Michael | Calderon | University of New Mexico | M | San Jose, Costa Rica |
| Michael | Kafari | University of New Mexico | M | Accra, Ghana |
| Kyle | Venter | University of New Mexico | D | Aurora, Colo. |
| Alex | Martinez | North Carolina State University | M/F | Rock Hill, S.C. |
| Fabian | Otte | North Carolina State University | GK | Muenster, Germany |
| Grant | Van de Casteele | University of Notre Dame | D | Plano, Texas |
| Rafael | Diaz | St. John’s University | GK | Rockaway, N.J. |
| Adnan | Gabeljic | Saint Louis University | F | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Alex | Sweetin | Saint Louis University | M | Overland Park, Kan. |
| Ben | Sweat | University of South Florida | D | Palm Harbor, Fla. |
| JJ | Koval | Stanford University | M | Camarillo, Calif. |
| Romena | Bowie | Virginia Commonwealth University | M/F | Saint Mary, Jamaica |
| Luca | Gimenez | Wake Forest University | M/F | Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Jared | Watts | Wake Forest University | M | Statesville, N.C. |
| Taylor | Peay | University of Washington | D | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Spencer | Richey | University of Washington | GK | Seattle, Wash. |
| Nick | Hagglund | Xavier University | D | Cincinnati, Ohio |
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What do you think of the list of invited seniors? Think there is anyone that was include/omitted that should not be? Which prospects excite you the most?
Share your thoughts below.
Yet another omission was SDSU’s J. Ongaro, the top goal scorer in the PAC 12 this past season.
Very surprised not to see the Big West Defensive POY Marco Franco excluded as well as UCLA’s 4 year starting CB Joe Sofia. Midfielder Zach Barnes from Creighton was also a curious omission given Cal midfielder Neil and UCLA Munoz being both included.
I Wouldn’t be surprised to see these three omissions still be drafted with a number of attendees playing themselves out of consideration at the combine.
Thoughts?
Are only seniors allowed to participate or is there a separate combine for under classman?
They all compete together. They are just still deciding on which underclassman are getting generation addidas contracts. They divide up into four teams with various names like “adizerro or addipure”. Also, some foreigners are invited . And the games should be available via internet stream.