Zip_ME87

Latest Mock Draft from Ives... http://sbisoccer.com/2018/01/sbi-mls-mock-draft-version-2-0 ... There are some serious changes in the latest SBI MLS Draft Big Board. Some have been driven by players either seriously boosting, or seriously hurting, their draft stock at the combine. The shift in player values is also a product of the growing sentiment that teams will be putting a heavy premium on landing American players in the draft due to the limitations of international player slots. ... ... (*=Generation Adidas Player) 1. LAFC – *Joao Moutinho, Akron, Defender (Bio) Bob Bradley takes the young Portuguese left back, who will need time to develop, but boasts an impressive skill set at a position of scarcity. LAFC could also choose to trade down, and stockpile picks and allocation money from the teams currently holding multiple first-round picks and cash to spend. ...

How have MAC Hermann Trophy winners fared in the pros? ...2010 – Darlington Nagbe, Akron The No. 2 selection in the 2011 SuperDraft, Darlington Nagbe has turned into an MLS star and US national team regular. After regular starter from his rookie season on, Nagbe after scoring 27 goals and posting 30 assists in seven seasons with the Portland Timbers, Nagbe proved worthy of a big money move for Atlanta United earlier this offseason. 2009 – Teal Bunbury, Akron Selected by Kansas City with the fourth pick in the 2010 draft, Teal Bunbury spent four years with SKC before moving to New England ahead of the 2014 campaign. The Revs regular hit 200 career MLS appearances in 2017 and is returning to Foxborough for the 2018 campaign. 2008 – Marcus Tracy, Wake Forest A star at Wake Forest, Marcus Tracy headed to Europe after his college career, signing with Danish club Aalborg in January 2009. His career got off to a promising start, but was unfortunately derailed by knee injuries, keeping him out of professional soccer since a brief stint with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2012 and 2013. ... The reason I included Marcus Tracy here is that Steve Zakuani was a Hermann Trophy finalist in 2008 but didn't win. He should have.

What coaches, scouts and GMs are saying about top prospects at MLS combine ...Joao Moutinho DF, Akron “He’s a good player, I don’t think you’ve seen the best of him yet. He’s just a freshman and he still has some growing to do I think, but from all the qualities I’ve seen so far, he’s aggressive, he likes to compete and I think that’s important for a young player. … I don’t know where he plays, he’s got a lot of good qualities as a center back so it’s hard to say that he’s going to be a left back like a lot of people are talking, maybe people are going to bring him into camp and make a decision then based on their needs.” “Really good soccer player, he’s the best player on the ball in the class. It’s just not clear where he plays. … I’d play him at defensive midfield because he lacks the pace and athleticism to play out wide and lacks the size to play center back, so I’d play him there. But that’s the issue, you’re trying him there because of a lack of other good options.” “Think he’ll transition to a left back. He’s got a great left foot, organizes well, but needs to [bulk up]. But he’ll be fine, I think his best position will probably be left back. He played center back in college, but he got forward pretty well in the games here at the Combine. As we saw when he was at Akron, there’s not a lot of players in MLS even right now with a left foot like that, so that’s a huge plus for him."...

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/01/16/bobby-warshaw-ranks-top-5-no-1-overall-picks-mls-superdraft?autoplay=true Steve Zakuani at #5 in this piece.

Here it is...

Joao at ~ 0:41 in https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/01/16/top-5-mls-superdraft-prospects-potential-make-immediate-impact?autoplay=true

From Steve’s Instagram story

updated version of the TDS Big Board, extending to the Top 75 players available. 7. D Joao Moutinho 28. M Manel Cordeiro 33. F Sam Gainford 39. D Nate Shultz 43. F Stuart Holthusen 52. D Niko De Vera 62. M Pau Belana It still makes no sense to me to have not invited Stuart to the Combine to show what he could do.

MLS COMBINE: JOAO MOUTINHO IMPRESSES, EMA TWUMASI STRUGGLES ON FIRST DAY Ives Galarcep @soccerbyives The former Sporting Lisbon product stood out among the crowd in the first day of MLS combine action, ... ...The Generation Adidas class — which features the most highly regarded players in the draft — drew most of the attention, but as a group failed to deliver the performances scouts were hoping for (with one clear exception). ... STOCK RISING JOAO MOUTINHO: Came into the combine as the highest-rated player in the draft and he showed why. His skill, poise, toughness and intelligence have him head and shoulders among the rest as a prospect. He impressed at center back even though the Akron product still projects more as a left back at the pro level, though some teams think he's good enough on the ball to play in midfield. ...

Ives had a followup tweet...

Niko is having a very nice match today.

Sigi Schmid just mentioned the last time he got to draft this high was back in 2009 with Seattle (took Steve Zakuani overall #1) Sigi on Perry Kitchen...Perry is a #6; holding mid. I like his ability to organize. "If you put scotch tape over Perry's mouth, he couldn't play." (smiling) No, that's what I like about him.

FIVE QUESTIONS HEADING INTO THE 2018 MLS COMBINE (Goal.com, Ives Galercep) ...WHO IS THE TOP PICK? There is no Cyle Larin in the 2018 draft, a player nobody can pass on. If you quiz a half dozen MLS officials you might get a half dozen different responses on who they would take with the top pick. LAFC currently holds the No. 1 selection and is believed to be leaning toward Akron defender Joao Moutinho. He and Michigan speedster Francis Atuahene are considered the most likely to go with the top pick, though a team coveting Stanford central defender Tomas Hilliard-Arce could be tempted to make an offer for the clear-cut best center-back prospect. Will LAFC trade the first pick in the team's history? Let's not forget that Bob Bradley once dealt the first overall pick (in 2006 while at Chivas USA) and landed Sacha Kljestan and Jason Hernandez from the New York Red Bulls, who selected Marvell Wynne at No. 1. Bradley isn't the sentimental type, so if the right offer comes along, LAFC will take it. ... WHERE ARE THE CENTER BACKS? ...How many will go in 2018? We might only see one — Hilliard-Arce — if Moutinho is projected as a left back, which is the widely held belief. The challenge is going to be figuring out which of the rest of the central defender prospects is worth considering. Realistically speaking, there may not be another central defender taken besides Hilliard-Arce in the first round, or even in the first half of the second round. ...

On page 48 of the Combine book... MULTIPLE PLAYERS SELECTED IN FIRST ROUND FROM SAME SCHOOL In the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, 13 players were selected from just six schools – the most multiple selections from the same schools in draft history. In 2011, the University of Akron broke every record for previous MLS drafts when it had five players selected in the first round – all in the first eight selections overall. Wake Forest University had held the record with four selections in the first round of the 2010 SuperDraft. On eight occasions, three or more players from the same school have been selected in the first round, last occurring twice in the 2016 SuperDraft (Georgetown University; University of North Carolina). ... 2011 SuperDraft Akron (Darlington Nagbe, Perry Kitchen, Zarek Valentin, Kofi Sarkodie, Michael Nanchoff)

I do not understand why Stuart Hothusen was not invited. Horrible.

At that link for the Combine articles above, there is a pdf (downloadable) Combine Book. Very nice. This is on page 3 TOM FITZGERALD AWARD LEADING SCORER IN MLS PLAYER COMBINE 2005: Luke Kreamalmeyer (Bradley University) 2005: Marcus Storey (University of North Carolina) 2006: Brian Plotkin (Indiana University) 2006: Jorge Flor (Oral Roberts University) 2007: John Cunliffe (Fort Lewis College) 2007: Jared Kent (Old Dominion University) 2008: Eric Brunner (Ohio State University) 2008: George Josten (Gonzaga University) 2009: Stefan Frei (University of California) 2009: Peri Marosevic (University of Michigan) 2010: Amobi Okugo (UCLA) 2010: Andrew Hoxie (College of William & Mary) 2011: Jalil Anibaba (University of North Carolina) 2011: Joao Plata (Ecuador; Youth International) 2012: Casey Townsend (University of Maryland) 2012: Ethan Finlay (Creighton University) 2013: Kyle Bekker (Boston College) 2013: Stefano Pinho (Brazil) 2014: Steven Birnbaum (University of California) 2014: Victor Chavez (UCLA); 2015: Christian Volesky (SIU Edwardsville) Schillo Tshuma (University of Maryland) 2015: Christian Volesky (Southern Illinois Univ - Edwardsville) 2016: Tsubasa Endoh (University of Maryland) 2016: Chris Hellman (Lynn University) 2017: Jonathan Lewis (University of Akron); Cameron Iwasa (University of California, Irvine) 2017: Jonathan Lewis (University of Akron); Zeiko Lewis (Boston College)

Combine Match schedule. (same link as my previous post) It appears these will be streamed on the web. (Something to do besides shoveling snow on Saturday) Match Schedule Saturday, Jan. 13 12:30 pm ET: Nemeziz vs. Predator STREAM 2:30 pm ET: X vs. Tango STREAM Monday, Jan. 15 12:30 pm ET: Nemeziz vs. X WATCH 2:30 pm ET: Predator vs. Tango WATCH Wednesday, Jan. 17 10 am ET: X vs. Predator WATCH 12 pm ET: Tango vs. Nemeziz WATCH

Combine rosters, schedule Go Team Tango and Team Predator Team Tango (Blue) #18: GK - Eric Dick (Butler) #46: D - Tristan Blackmon (Pacific) #48: D - Brandon Bye (Western Michigan) #44: D - Niko de Vera (Akron) #50: D - Tomas Hilliard-Arce (Stanford) - Signed senior #51: D - Joao Moutinho (Akron) - Generation adidas #53: D/M - AJ Paterson (Wright St.) #40: M - Pablo Aguilar (Virginia) #41: M - Pau Belana (Akron) #45: M - Jose Carrera-Garcia (California) #49: M - Harry Cooksley (St. John's) #52: M - Edward Opoku (Viriginia) - Generation adidas #43: M - Oliver Shannon (Clemson) #42: M/F - Chris Mueller (Wisconsin) - Signed senior #47: F - Arthur Bosua (Columbia) #54: F - Afonso Pinheiro (Albany) #58: F - Mac Steeves (Providenc) #55: F - Alan Winn (North Carolina) Team Predator (Red) #12: GK - Jeff Caldwell (Virginia) #67: D - Cory Brown (Xavier) #62: D - Alex Bumpus (Kentucky) #64: D - Justin Fiddes (Washington) #68: D - Markus Fjortoft (Duke) #72: D/F - Mark Segbers (Wisconsin) #73: D - Nate Shultz (Akron) #74: M/D - Thomas Vancaeyezeele (Charleston) #60: M - Mo Adams (Syracuse) - Generation adidas #61: M - Rafael Andrade Santos (VCU) #63: M - Manuel Cordeiro (Akron) #70: M - Xavier Gomez (Omaha) #66: F - Jon Bakero (Wake Forest) - Signed senior #65: F - Sam Gainford (Akron) #69: F - Giovanni Godoy (UC-Irvine) #71: F - Jordan Jones (Oregon St.) #75: F - Albert Ruiz (Florida Gulf Coast) #76: F - Leon Schwarzer (San Francisco)

Gass: Five players to watch at the 2018 adidas MLS Player Combine 4. Joao Moutinho (Defender/Midfielder, Akron) A product of the Sporting CP youth academy, Moutinho was a part of an international-heavy Akron squad. He played as a left-footed, left-sided center back during most of his time in college, displaying great technique and a good range of passing. It will be fascinating to see if he will be moved farther up the field during the Combine to show off his skills at central midfield or perhaps even at left back.

EDIT: Fun listen...The stuff about the moped accident and going to play college soccer at Akron, the references to LeBron and Romeo Travis, whose name Steve doesn't say but we Akron fans know, the discussion about Darlington Nagbe, the comments about Caleb Porter...fun stuff. http://www.natebowling.com/podcast/2018/1/7/ep-24-twenty-years-from-now-yallwill-all-claim-you-loved-colin-kaepernick-and-other-musings-steve-zakuani-color-analyst-seattle-sounders 2:00: Steve summarizes the backstory of his youth that begins in the Congo (then Zaire) and life in English Council Estates (projects) in Tottenham. American soccer saved his life. Steve found that, in America, one could play soccer and go to a university. He was on this way to the University of Akron (where Lebron is from and we find out more about that at 45:00.)... ...Hot Take 5 Your thoughts on the Sigi Experiment in LA. Your thoughts on Darlignton Nagbe moving to Atlanta. What’s up with Caleb Porter? In reference to the US Men’s National Team: if I make you technical director of US Soccer, what do you do? Who are the soccer writers who you read first, who do you trust? Who is doing good work? Just before the 8 minute mark he starts talking about Akron.

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The LA Galaxy secured a steely reinforcement for their midfield on Monday, signing Perry Kitchen after acquiring his MLS rights from D.C. United. ... ... “Perry has proven himself to be a top midfielder in Major League Soccer during his time with D.C. United,” said LA Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid in statement provided by the team. “He has continued to progress during his time in Europe and we are confident he can bolster our midfield. At only 25 years old, Perry is already an MLS veteran and will be a great addition to the LA Galaxy on and off the field.” A hard-edged, box-to-box dynamo, the Indianapolis native was a key contributor in D.C. from 2011-2015, starting at least 30 games every season as the anchor of the Black-and-Red midfield. ... ... Drafted by D.C. with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft after a sterling NCAA season at Akron, Kitchen notched 10 goals and 10 assists in 158 regular-season MLS appearances, earning the attention of the US national team staff during Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure. ...