Our own Derrick Smith will be on the ground at the 2011 MLS Combine to give us the latest news and notes regarding the 2011 MLS SuperDraft to be held in Baltimore, Maryland.  There are always surprising performances at any combine so we will be there to bring you up to speed. 

MLS Clubs Add Supplemental Draft Selections

	ROUND 1
1	Vancouver	Michael Boxall	Defender	University of California - Santa Barbara
2	Portland	Spencer Thompson	Forward	University of California - Irvine
3	LA (from DC)	Daniel Keat	Midfielder	Dartmouth College
4	NY Red Bulls (from CHV)	Jimmy Maurer	Goalkeeper	University South Carolina
5	Philadelphia	Ryan Richter	Forward	LaSalle University
6	New England	Hunter Christiansen	Midfielder	University of Tulsa
7	Houston	Evan Newton	Goalkeeper	Old Dominion University
8	Toronto	Jimmy "JC" Banks	Midfielder	University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
9	Chicago	Amani Walker	Forward	University of California - Irvine
10	Kansas City	Sam Scales	Midfielder	Ohio State University
11	Seattle	Josh Ford	Goalkeeper	University of Connecticut
12	Portland (from DC, CLB)	Robby Lynch	Midfielder	University of Evansville
13	Toronto (from NYRB)	Steven Beattie	Forward	University of Northern Kentucky
14	Salt Lake	Jeff Attinella	Goalkeeper	University of South Florida
15	Dallas (from SJ)	Alexis Pradie	Defender	Embry-Riddle University
16	LA (from DC, LA)	Ryan Thomas	Defender	Stanford University
17	Dallas	Paul Ogunyemi	Forward	Schoolcraft College
18	Dallas (from COL)	Brayan Martinez	Midfielder	Seton Hall University
	ROUND 2
19	Vancouver	Joe Anderson	Midfielder	Coastal Carolina University
20	Portland	Raymundo Reza	Forward	San Diego State University
21	DC United	Blake Brettschneider	Forward	University of South Carolina
22	Chivas USA	Ernesto Carranza	Midfielder	Sac. State
23	Philadelphia	Josh Walburn	Midfielder	Princeton University
24	New England	Fernando Cabadas	Midfielder	Sac. State
25	Houston	Sergio Castillo	Midfielder	Creighton University
26	Toronto	Spencer Thompson	Midfielder	Michigan State University
27	Chicago	Yannick Salmon	Midfielder	Rutgers
28	Kansas City	Mike Jones	Defender	Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
29	Seattle	Corey Attaway	Midfielder	University of California - Irvine
30	Columbus	Ben Sippola	Defender	Butler University
31	New York	Teddy Schneider	Defender	Princeton University
32	Salt Lake	Drew Cost	Midfielder	Penn State University
33	San Jose	Philip Tuttle	Goalkeeper	University of Notre Dame
34	Los Angeles	Dustin McCarty	Midfielder	University of North Carolina
35	Dallas	Ariel Kekoa Osorio	Midfielder	Southern Methodist University
36	Colorado	Phil Bannister	Forward	University of Loyola - Maryland
	ROUND 3
37	Vancouver	Santiago Bedoya	Defender	Northeastern University
38	Portland	Taylor Mueller	Defender	University of Washington
39	DC United	PASS
40	Chivas USA	Curtis Ushedo	Defender	University of Alabama Birmingham
41	Philadelphia	Matt Marcin	Midfielder	Providence College
42	New England	Andrew Sousa	Midfielder	Providence College
43	Houston	PASS
44	Toronto	Scott Rojo	Midfielder	High Point University
45	Chicago	Sam Arthur	Forward	University of South Carolina
46	Kansas City	Michal Mravec	Midfielder	University of Alabama Birmingham
47	Seattle	Sean Morris	Midfielder	Seattle University
48	Columbus	Andy Adlard	Midfielder	Indiana University
49	New York	PASS
50	Salt Lake	Nick Love	Forward	Gonzaga University
51	San Jose	Victor Cortez	Defender	University of San Francisco
52	Los Angeles	Zach Johnson	Goalkeeper	West Virginia University
53	Dallas	Craig Hill	Goalkeeper	Southern Methodist University
54	Colorado	Javed Mohammed	Defender	University of South Florida

Dreams Delayed: What to Watch for in the MLS Supplemental Draft

As the dust settles from the 2011 MLS SuperDraft floor, talented players like Greg King, Dustin McCarty and many others were left unsatisfied, knowing that they were not selected in the first three rounds. Their collective dream of being an MLS player has not been totally ruled out, but rather has been put on hold for a few days.

While it’s no guarantee that any of the draft picks, from the first to the sixth round will stick with their respective sides, being drafted can be one of the happiest days in the career of a ex-collegiate soccer player, even in the Supplemental rounds.

Many prominent MLS veterans have been picked up in the later rounds, such as Kevin Burns (CLB – 2007 Round 4 Pick 50), Kosuke Kimura (COL Round 3 Pick 35), Jeff Lawrentowicz (NE – 2005 Round 4 Pick 45), Devon McTavish (DCU 2006 Round 4 Pick 43), and 2010 MLS Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski (SJE Round 4 Pick 41) . This year’s draft has its fair share of diamonds in the rough.

Here are my top 20 players still available for selection:

1. Dustin McCarty – M – UNC
2. Jeff Attinella – GK – USF
3. Greg King – D – UConn (International)
4. JC Banks – M – Wisc.-GB
5. Lebogang Pila – M – St. Peter’s (International)
6. Ashley McInnes – F – Tulsa (International)
7. Amani Walker – F- UC Irvine
8. Steven Beattie – F – NKU (International)
9. Josh Ford – GK – UConn
10. Daniel Keat – M/F – Dartmouth
11. Matheus Braga – M – Penn St. (International)
12. Michael Boxall – D – UCSB
13. Matt Marcin – F – Providence
14. Colin Rolfe – M – Louisville
15. Phil Bannister – F – Loyola Maryland
16. Blake Brettschneider – F – South Carolina
17. Tommy Drake – M – Clemson
18. Matt Eliason – F – Northwestern
19. Jimmy Mauer GK – South Carolina
20. Karl Reddick – M – Boston College

Others:

Martin Rivas – M – Argentina – Trialed with DCU last year during their friendly aganst Portsmouth. If you read between the lines, he also didn’t make a team who had possibly one of the worst seasons in MLS history.

Brayan Martinez – M/F – Seton Hall - The 6′ midfielder holds an international status (Uruguay) and may be a flier in the later rounds.

Curtis Ushedo – D – UAB – The Toronto native had four chances to be picked up by the hometown team in the Superdraft. Simon Borg will go absolutely nuts if Ushedo gets shunned yet again. For entertainment sake, I hope he goes late.

A few more notes:

- Good talent got passed over in last week’s draft in favor of American players who do not take up an international slot. I suspect some teams will not pass on talent in the supplemental as some training camps open up this week. Yes, I said this week. Rejoice at your own discretion.

- Just as the last few picks in Round 3 on Thursday yielded some non-invitees to the MLS Combine, this round should be filled with prominent D-2, D-3 and NAIA talent that each staff has identified through their club scouts. Think of Crew defender Shaun Francis from NAIA school Lindsey-Wilson College. Who would have thought that Francis would have a spot in the starting 11 before Generation Adidas, US Youth International and fellow teammate Dilaver Duka? Not many.

- Look for Schellas Hyndman to pick up an SMU Mustang in the Supplemental Rounds. If not, hell will freeze over.

- With the resurgence and resurrection of the MLS Reserve Division, those drafted in the Supplemental Draft should stand a shot at making the 30-man roster on their respective clubs. Teams like Columbus and San Jose stick out in my mind as clubs in need of warm bodies, regardless of talent.

SuperDraft Analysis from Our Experts

Vancouver - The future may hold the answer to Vancouver's success in the draft. Omar Salgado has the biggest upside of any player in the draft pool, but he may be years from contributing. Akron's Michael Nanchoff is a bit of a reach at #8, but Notre Dame teammates Jeb Brovsky and Bilal Duckett were good value picks in the second and third round respectively.

Portland - The pick of Darlington Nagbe at #2 was a no-brainer. Nagbe has loads of talent and will be a star in Portland for years to come. The selection of Tulsa's Chris Taylor in the second was a bit surprising. Taylor's teammate Ashley McInnes was actually rated much higher, but went undrafted.

D.C. - Getting Perry Kitchen at #3 was simply put, a miracle. Kitchen is a once in a generation player and will be able to contribute immediately. United's future is in good hands. Getting UA defender Chris Korb in the second round was another great pick. We were shocked to see Denver's Joe Willis selected instead of South Florida's Jeff Attinella.

Chivas USA - Chivas had an excellent draft. Getting both Zarek Valentin and Victor Estupinan in the first round was quite a coup for Robin Fraser. Brown's Jon Okafor is a long-term project, but may turn out to be a special player.

Philadelphia - Maryland's Zac MacMath solves the Union's goalkeeping woes. He should be the starter within a year. UNC's Michael Farfan and UMBC's Levi Houapeu were steals in the second and third round respectively. Farfan is regarded as a complete midfielder and the best passer in the draft, while Houapeu has great potential as a pure striker.

New England - The Revolution made solid picks throughout the draft. A.J. Soares is a great talent on the backline and should be able to start immediately. North Carolina's Stephen McCarthy should be a nice option off the bench early and may develop into an everyday starter. Notre Dame's Steven Perry could evolve into something special, while Ryan Kinne is a bit of an unknown quantity.

Houston - The Dynamo organization cleaned house with their draft. Getting both Akron's Kofi Sarkodie and Indiana's Will Bruin is amazing. Sarkodie was considered as the first overall pick at one point, while Bruin was projected to go as high as #3. Sarkodie is a versatile defender who can score, while Bruin could become the second coming of Brian Ching.

Chicago - We think Jalil Anibaba may be the best defender in the draft in the long term. Anibaba had a great combine and will help the Fire right away. Jason Herrick from Maryland was an absolute bargain in the third round even though Davis Paul (Cal) was a bit of a question mark.

Kansas City - Sporting KC addressed every part of the field with their selections. C.J. Sapong (James Madison) has the makings of a great goal scorer, while J.T. Murray (Louisville) could really turn out big for Sporting's backline. Konrad Warzycha (Ohio State) will provide speed to Kansas City's midfield. At least Konrad didn't end up in Toronto, home of the Crew's biggest rival.

Columbus - The Crew raised some eyebrows with the selection of IU defender Rich Balchan in the first round. Almost everyone thought Balchan would be around in the second or third round. The Crew need Justin Meram (Michigan) to step up immediately after the trade of Steven Lenhart to San Jose. Duke's Cole Grossman could help replace Adam Moffat and Brian Carroll in the midfield. USF midfielder Bernardo Anor is the ultimate sleeper pick.

New York - Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez have to be excited about these reinforcements. Forward Corey Hertzog will liven up the RBNY attack, while midfielder John Rooney will bring even more star power to New York. Defender Tyler Lassiter (North Carolina State) has some upside, while Maryland's Billy Cortes may struggle to stick with the squad.

Los Angeles - The Galaxy have had a great offseason. Paolo Cardozo may still be a bit of an enigma, but he will turn out to be a great player. Cal's Hector Jimenez is a role player at best.

Dallas - Dallas was rather conservative with the selection of Stanford's Bobby Warshaw late in the first round. Charlie Campbell (Louisville) and Scott Gordon (Lynn Univ.) are projects that may or may not make the squad.

Colorado - Eddie Ababio (UNC) was a great pick at #18. An excellent combine caused his stock to rise considerably, but he should develop into something special. Colin Givens (Michigan State) should be at least a role player in his first season.

Seattle - Getting GA defender Michael Tetteh in the second round is an absolute steal for the Sounders. Juan Leone Cruz, Servando Carrasco, and Bryan Meredith will provide competition for existing players, but not much else.

Toronto - The draft was more about numbers for Toronto FC. They selected five, but Joao Plata is the only lock to make the team. Plata was the star of the combine, but that hasn't meant much historically. His small frame may be an issue, but he is certainly a threat to score early and often in America's top-flight.

San Jose - The Quakes got great value with the selection of Anthony Ampaipitakwong in the second round. Many thought the Akron midfielder would go early in the first. Ampaipitakwong is a difference maker on the pitch and could be a starter right away.

Real Salt Lake - RSL's only choice, midfielder Jared Van Schaik (Portland), may prove to be nothing more than training camp fodder.

Salgado Goes 1st Overall in 2011 MLS SuperDraft

ROUND 1

1. VANCOUVER - FWD Omar Salgado,  U.S. U-20 National Team

2. PORTLAND - MID Darlington Nagbe, University of Akron

3. D.C. - MID Perry Kitchen, University of Akron

4. CHIVAS - DEF Zarek Valentin, University of Akron

5. PHILADELPHIA - GK Zac MacMath, University of Maryland

6. NEW ENGLAND - DEF A.J. Soares, University of California

7. HOUSTON - DEF Kofi Sarkodie, University of Akron

8. VANCOUVER - MID Michael Nanchoff, University of Akron

9. CHICAGO - DEF Jalil Anibaba, University of North Carolina

10. KANSAS CITY - FWD CJ Sapong, James Madison University

11. HOUSTON - FWD Will Bruin, Indiana University

12. COLUMBUS - DEF Rich Balchan, Indiana University

13. NEW YORK - FWD Corey Hertzog, Penn State University

14. CHIVAS - FWD Victor Estupiñan, LDU Quito (Ecuador)

15. COLUMBUS - FWD Justin Meram, University of Michigan

16. LOS ANGELES - MID Paolo Cardozo, Quilmes AC (Argentina)

17. DALLAS - DEF Bobby Warshaw, Stanford University

18. COLORADO - DEF Eddie Ababio, University of North Carolina

ROUND 2

 19. VANCOUVER - MID Jeb Brovsky, University of Notre Dame

20. SEATTLE - MID Michael Tetteh, Univ. California, Santa Barbara

21. SEATTLE -  DEF Juan Leone Cruz, Southern Methodist Univ.

22. PORTLAND - MID Chris Taylor, University of Tulsa

23. PHILADELPHIA - MID Michael Farfan, University of North Carolina

24. NEW ENGLAND - MID Stephen McCarthy, University of North Carolina

25. NEW YORK - MID John Rooney, Macclesfield Town FC (England)

26. TORONTO - DEF Demitrius Omphroy, University of California

27. SEATTLE - MID Servando Carrasco, University of California

28. COLUMBUS - MID Cole Grossman, Duke University

29. SEATTLE - GK  Bryan Meredith, Monmouth University

30. NEW YORK - DEF Tyler Lassiter, North Carolina State Univ.

31. D.C. - DEF Chris Korb, University of Akron

32. KANSAS CITY - DEF J.T. Murray, University of Louisville

33. SAN JOSE - MID Anthony Ampaipitakwong, University of Akron

34. LOS ANGELES - MID Hector Jimenez, University of California

35. DALLAS - MID Charlie Campbell, University of Louisville

36. COLORADO- DEF Colin Givens, Michigan State University 

ROUND 3

37. VANCOUVER - DEF Bilal Duckett, Univ. of Notre Dame

38. NEW YORK - MID Billy Cortes, University of Maryland

39. NEW ENGLAND - FWD Steven Perry, Univ. of Notre Dame

40. CHIVAS - MID Jon Okafor, Brown University

41. PHILADELPHIA - FWD Levi Houapeu, Univ. Md. - Baltimore County

42. NEW ENGLAND - MID Ryan Kinne, Monmouth University

43. TORONTO - MID Matt Gold, Ohio State University

44. TORONTO - MID Junior Burgos, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

45. CHICAGO - FWD Jason Herrick, University of Maryland

46. KANSAS CITY - MID Konrad Warzycha, Ohio State University

47. SEATTLE - MID Alex Caskey, Davidson College

48. COLUMBUS - MID Bernardo Anor, Univ. of South Florida

49. TORONTO - MID Joao Plata,  LDU Quito (Ecuador)

50. D.C. - GK Joe Willis, University of Denver

51. CHICAGO - FWD Davis Paul, University of California

52. REAL SALT LAKE - MID Jarad Van Schaik, University of Portland

53. DALLAS - DEF Scott Gordon, Lynn University

54. NEW ENGLAND - FWD Alan Koger, College of William & Mary

ISN Mock Draft #2: 16 Hours and Counting

Thanks to ISN correspondent Derrick Smith for spending his time covering the 2011 MLS Combine.  His observations made on the ground were invaluable to our entire agency. 

1. Vancouver – MID Perry Kitchen, Akron.  Speculation has run wild with this pick.  Rumors of a Darlington Nagbe deal have been denied by agents and Whitecaps officials alike.  Kitchen is a special player that comes around every 10-15 years.  Vancouver would be crazy to pass him up. Most likely will end up as a defensive midfielder.

2. Portland – DEF Kofi Sarkodie, Akron.  Everything points to Nagbe going here.  I have a gut feeling that skipping the combine will backfire just a bit for Nagbe, who is still a top-three pick. 

3. D.C. United – FWD Darlington Nagbe, Akron.  United needs help up front. Period. Nagbe will fill a need and still be a great value, considering several outlets still maintain Nagbe is going #1. 

4. Chivas USA – FWD Will Bruin, Indiana.  A great combine performance puts Bruin almost up with Nagbe.  Bruin is a true striker and should be able to make a difference in his first year.

5. Philadelphia Union – DEF Zarek Valentin, Akron.  Zalentin would add to a strong foundation for the Union. McInerney and Mwanga provide punch in the attack, while Zalentin helps protect Mondragon (who has been linked to a Philly move for months) in goal.   MacMath will fall to the Sounders at #11.   

6. New England Revolution – FWD Omar Salgado, U.S. U-20s. Salgado is a project, but could be the best striker five years out.  Nicol's job is safe so this pick is easy enough to make based on potential aline. 

7. Houston Dynamo – FWD Corey Hertzog, Penn State.  The youngster will certainly learn from veteran Brian Ching, who isn’t getting any younger. 

8. Vancouver Whitecaps – DEF Jalil Anibaba, North Carolina.  The best defender at the combine in the eyes of most scouts.  Excellent performance at the combine against elite competiton.

9. Chicago Fire – DEF A.J. Soares, California.  Chicago needs defenders and Soares is a senior with loads of experience.  Great value at this position.

10. Sporting K.C. – DEF Michael Tetteh, UCSB. The run on defenders continues.  Tetteh, a late Generation adidas signee, is a good value here considering Kansas City's woeful depth in the defense.  He will provide speed from the backline. Think of him as a rich man's Shaun Francis.

11. Seattle Sounders  –  GK Zac MacMath, Maryland. Goalkeepers don't usually go in the top 10, but Philadelphia appeared interested.  Apparently the Union are now looking for a defender early so MacMath will fall and become Keller's understudy in the legend's final season. Not a bad gig after all.

12. Columbus Crew – MID John Rooney, England.  Rooney will bring a big-name to the Crew, who have lost a bit of their identity.  The 20-year-old mid can shoot from range and can be feisty yet controlled when defending.  Everyone was impressed with him at the combine.  He may have been a 2nd round selection or at best a late 1st round selection before Ft. Lauderdale. Reportedly ran a 3.93 in the 40. 

13. New York Red Bulls – MID Anthony Ampaipitakwon, Akron. Ampaipitakwon's didn't really stand out at the combine.  However, he is still a great value at this point of the draft. Getting to play with Marquez and Henry is pretty exciting. 

14. Real Salt Lake – FWD Jason Herrick, Maryland. RSL is looking for a trade here, but not sure who the partner will be. Otherwise they will choose a striker.  Post-combine Herrick is a better choice than Michigan's Justin Meram. 

15. San Jose Earthquakes – MID Michael Nanchoff,  Akron. Nanchoff will be the last GA player to be drafted.  An injury leading up to the combine and stellar combine performances by others cause him to drop this far. Great value for this pick.

16. Los Angeles Galaxy – FWD Justin Meram, Michigan. Losing Edson Buddle means the Galaxy will need some scoring punch.  Meram is the best striker left.

17. FC Dallas – MID Michael Farfan, North Carolina. Dallas needs some depth in the midfield. Farfan can pass and defend and display creativity.  They will look for a replacement for Jeff Cunningham later in the draft.   

18. Colorado Rapids – FWD C.J. Sapong, James Madison.  Omar Cummings, the best pure striker in MLS, is finally getting attention in Europe and the Rapids may want to groom someone into his replacement.  Sapong put himself on the map at the combine.  We initally thought Colorado might go with Ashley McInnes, but the Tulsa striker/midfielder has seen his stock fall a bit in the past week.

Round 2

It Really is a Super Draft: ISN Mock Draft #1

The 2011 draft class is simply put, loaded.  MLS coaches and scouts are drooling over the talent of a deep and talented group of players with tons of potential.  As always many of the players are young so they may take some time to develop, but the draft pool gets better and better each year. Several likely draftees gained the attention of foreign scouts and were linked to moves overseas. 

1.  Vancouver – MID Perry Kitchen, University of Akron.  Kitchen is hands-down the top pick in the draft.  Earlier linked with Anderlecht, this player has unlimited potential.  He could be the next great American midfielder and eventually join other Yanks overseas in England.  Kitchen excelled in the nation’s best program as a freshman, amazing. Huge upside. 

2.  Portland – DEF Kofi Sarkodie, University of Akron.  Portland can’t go wrong with this pick, Soccer America’s Player of the Year for 2010.  Expansion teams should be built around a solid defense and Sarkodie is the best all-around defender in the draft.  A can’t miss pick for the Timbers, Sarkodie finished the 2010 season with 8 goals and 6 assists.  Versatile player.

3.  D.C. United – FWD Darlington Nagbe, University of Akron.  United’s cupboards are bare.  Aside from teen phenom Andy Najar, the 2010 season was a big bust.  Nagbe would be an instant scoring threat and would do well paired with new acquisitions Joseph Ngwenya and Josh Wolff.  There is little depth at the forward position with the release of Danny Allsopp and the retirement of Jaime Moreno.   

4.  Chivas USA – DEF Zarek Valentin, University of Akron.  Everyone assumes that Omar Salgado will be the choice here at number 4.  Salgado has ties to Chivas de Guadalajara, but the club needs someone to replace Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan.  Valentin is a safe pick here early in the draft.  Don’t be surprised to see Chivas reach to draft Anthony Ampaipitakwon, someone with creativity and pizazz to fill a need left by Kljestan. 

5.  Philadelphia Union – GK Zac MacMath, University of Maryland.  Everyone thinks the Union will select local product Corey Hertzog.  No chance.  They already have a nice pair of young strikers in Danny Mwanga and Jack McInerney. We actually have IU forward Will Bruin rated higher than the Reading native anyways. The Union will solve their goalkeeping woes by selecting the best keeper in a deep class.  I know that Faryd Mondragon has been linked to Philadelphia for over a month, but he is a short-term solution at the age of 39.  The run on U of A players is over. 

6.  New England Revolution – FWD Will Bruin, Indiana University.  Enter the replacement for Revs legend Taylor Twellman, who recently retired due to concussion issues.  Bruin will be given time to grow and develop alongside midfielder Shalrie Joseph, one of the best in MLS. The IU product has been on the radar of MLS scouts for some time.      

7.  Houston Dynamo – FWD Corey Hertzog, Penn State University.  Dominic Kinnear was looking for a striker and he gets a good one in Hertzog, who some rate as the top forward in the draft.  The youngster will certainly learn from veteran Brian Ching, who isn’t getting any younger. 

8. Vancouver Whitecaps – DEF A.J. Soares, University of California.  Vancouver adds some bite to the defense with this senior defender. A can’t miss pick at #8.  Vancouver has built a strong nucleus with Kitchen and Soares. 

9. Chicago Fire – DEF Jalil Anibaba, University of North Carolina.  Gone are Wilman Conde and C.J. Brown. The Fire need help in defense and Anababa fills a need.  Could be paired with promising youngster Kwame Watson-Siriboe and veterans Gonzalo Segares and Dasan Robinson.

10. Sporting K.C. – DEF J.T. Murray, University of Louisville. Kansas City needs defenders period.  They may have to reach and draft strictly on need.  Shavar Thomas, Birahim Diop, Nick Kounenakis, and Matt Besler are not going to strike fear into anyone’s attack. 

11.  Seattle Sounders  –  FWD Omar Salgado, U.S. U-20. Seattle can find a goalkeeper later in the draft to groom behind Kasey Keller.  That is their only pressing need so they can draft for value.  They can’t pass up Omar Salgado and may even dangle him as trade bait or give him time to develop into Blaise Nkufo’s replacement.  Salgado falling this far is the biggest surprise in the entire draft. 

12. Columbus Crew – MID Anthony Ampaipitakwon, University of Akron.  The Crew can’t pass on this talented midfielder.  The loss of Adam Moffat and Brian Carroll doesn’t hurt so much with the development of Dilly Duka and the drafting of Ampaipitakwon. 

13.  New York Red Bulls – MID Michael Nanchoff, University of Akron. The final Generation Adidas signee will certainly fall late in the first round.  A selection here makes sense for New York, who could use some help on the wings.  One MLS scout told us that Nanchoff was the best player on the field at the College Cup. 

14. Real Salt Lake – FWD Ashley McInnes, University of Tulsa.  Versatility is the name of the game for McInnes.  Alvario Saborio needs a partner upfront and McInnes can fill that need and help out in the midfield as well.  Losing Robbie Findley to Nottingham Forest seems like a big deal, but he had a rough 2010 club season and can easily be replaced.  Losing Nick Rimando or Kyle Beckerman would have been much worse.

15.  San Jose Earthquakes- MID Michael Farfan, University of North Carolina.  The Quakes will get good value with their pick, getting a creative midfielder late in the first round. The senior standout has the potential to develop into an everyday starter who can be relied upon in the attack. 

16.  Los Angeles Galaxy- MID John Rooney, England.  I am going out on quite a limb here, but LA often does just the same. Maybe this is the first step in bringing in big brother Wayne to MLS in 2015.  The Galaxy have the luxury of taking a risk since their team is so deep at every position.  The Galaxy have no immediate needs, especially with today’s signing of veteran defender Frankie Hejduk. 

17.  FC Dallas – FWD Justin Meram, University of Michigan.  The loss of Jeff Cunningham makes this a smart pick.  Meram could easily go higher, but this is a deep class at the striker position.  Expect Maryland’s Jason Herrick to also get a look.

18.  Colorado Rapids – FWD Jason Herrick, University of Maryland.   Colorado could easily move up with some wheeling and dealing, but there is great value even with the final pick in the first round.  An elite player is likely to fall to the Rapids, who may be in need of a striker if overseas interest in Omar Cummings continues.  Personally I feel that the Jamaican international is the best forward in all of MLS and his loss would leave a huge hole in the Rapids attack.

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