Zip_ME87

Thanks. “Cincinnati was the team I was hoping for,” Lundt said. “I’m really happy that I get to stay in Ohio. It really became home for me." I'm glad Ben is staying in Ohio, too. I hope Ben and Abdi can each make their team's roster.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/01/11/2019-mls-superdraft-grades FC Cincinnati GRADE: A+ It was a strong day for the expansion team, which made headlines by bringing in five picks from the Philadelphia Union and also going out to get LAFC’s first-round pick. Not only did FC Cincinnati recoup some of that allocation in a trade with the Red Bulls, they made their younger roster and deeper. Frankie Amaya has plenty to prove but adds an attacking edge to central midfield. Logan Gdula boosts their right back depth and looks nearly-pro ready. Toss in Tommy McCabe, a young central midfielder that has experience with the U.S. Under-17 national team, and if one of Jimmy Hague or Ben Lundt can slot in at goalkeeper, and it’s a very good day for the new franchise. Draft summary: Traded first-round pick (No. 16 overall) and second-round pick (No. 25 overall) to RBNY for $100,000 in General Allocation Money Frankie Amaya (Round 1, #1) Logan Gdula (Round 1, #13) Tommy McCabe (Round 2, #29) Jimmy Hague (Round 2, #30) Ben Lundt (Round 2, #37) New York City FC GRADE: C Trading up to add Luis Barraza seemed like a bit too early for the Marquette goalkeeper, who was the Big East goalkeeper of the Year in 2018. Abdi Mohamed likely faces long odds for a roster spot. If he does, he needs to find a path to playing time, there’s a chance he can continue to develop and emerge as an MLS-caliber right back. Draft summary: Traded first-round pick (No. 19 overall), $75,000 in General Allocation Money to LA Galaxy for No. 12 overall Luis Barraza (Round 1, #12) Abdi Mohamed (Round 2, #43) Hopefully, Ben and Abdi can make the most of the MLS pre-season. Being Akron players, both are accustomed to hard work.

Abdi Mohamed to NYCFC at #43. (Round 2, #19)

Ben Lundt drafted by FC Cincy at #37. (Round 2, #13)

MLS announced today that they are naming their annual MLS Coach of the Year Award in honor of Sigi Schmid. Edit

Not a Zip, but congratulations to Medina's John Nelson who went #10 overall to FC Dallas.

I didn’t mean to imply that they wouldn't consult Wil. My point was that he can’t just go to Celtic of his own accord.

Wil is not a free agent. He has a contract with the Crew which was recently signed. His going to Celtic is a Columbus Crew/Celtic decision. (Transfer fee $$$) @fknbuflobo & @ZipsVoice you both hit the keys that for this to be good for Wil, he has to get into the starting 11, and be involved in competitions beyond the Scottish Premiership.

It's wonderful that those 2 teams are so highly regarded. However, if the rest of the league = MLS, then the competition is no better than MLS except perhaps when those teams play each other. Personally, I'm not excited about Wil Trapp potentially going to Celtic.

My interest is how does Scottish Premiership compare to MLS? Would Wil Trapp really progress more with Celtic than with the Columbus Crew? My opinion is no. I don't think that Perry Kitchen gained anything by going to the Scottish Premiership. I'd hate for Wil to have a similar experience.

Thanks. I also didn't recognize the acronym. English Football League Championship https://www.efl.com/clubs-and-competitions/sky-bet-championship/ ESPN refers to it as ELC ... http://www.espn.com/soccer/standings/_/league/eng.2

Wiebe: 5 Big Questions the day before the SuperDraft ...With the schedule officially out, what match am I most looking forward to in 2019? Three words: Hell is real. That sign, which you see on the drive from Columbus to Cincinnati, is the inspiration for the name of the rivalry between the clubs, a moniker both have embraced, and rightfully so. It’s awesome, and I expect the games and environments to live up to that billing. It’s organic and chosen by the supporters. Chisel it in stone. For both, 2019 promises to be a historic campaign, which up the stakes even more. Salvation came to Columbus, and they celebrated heartily on Wednesday as Tim Bezbatchenko and Caleb Porter were introduced as the club’s first president and head coach under the new ownership group led by the Haslam and Edwards families. The club has a future again, and that future is extremely bright. You can listen to both outline their visions on Thursday’s ExtraTime Radio. FC Cincinnati, meanwhile, are preparing for Year 1 in MLS. They’re undefeated against their in-state rivals thanks to a 2017 U.S. Open Cup victory at Nippert Stadium. They’ve got an established fan culture, a new stadium on the way and a chip on their shoulder. They might need a pick-me-up in August, and the rivalry could provide that. The drive is less than two hours. Those are gonna be some incredible away days...

Watch the 2019 MLS Player Combine games live on Wednesday Team Nemeziz vs. Team X (Ben Lundt) kicking things off at 10 am ET, followed by Team Copa (Abdi Mohamed) vs. Team Predator at 12:15 pm ET.

Jonathan Lewis admires positive approach of USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter