MLS SuperDraft 2019: Big Board

MLS SuperDraft 2019: Big Board

1. CM FRANKIE AMAYA*
I think the top-three players in this draft draft are interchangeable. Amaya has, perhaps, the second highest upside of any player, and is safer and more polished than Buchanan, even as the youngest player in the draft. Amaya can probably play anywhere in the midfield, and he'll probably get moved around before he settles into a particular role.
2. RW TAJON BUCHANAN*
Buchanan has a higher upside than any player in the draft. He has a good combination of pace, skill, and size. I think he can help a team from the get go due to his speed and ability to take on defenders 1 v 1. His final product needs work though, and he can get lost on the pitch for long stretches.
3. M SIAD HAJI*
Haji is good on the ball, is a good passer, and does a good job picking out teammates. He has a very high upside, and should be able to contribute off the bench right away. I'm not convinced he has the athletic ability to be a star on the wing, so it remains to be seen what his best position will be in MLS.
4. CB CALLUM MONTGOMERY
Montgomery is a composed and solid defender. He's clearly the best defender in the draft, and as a domestic CB he'll be coveted at the top of the draft.
5. F ANDRE SHINYASHIKI
He shined in his one game at the combine. He's very good on the ball, and is the best finisher in the draft. I believe he can play as a center forward, or on a wing. He and Montgomery are the two most polished players in the draft. His skill and pace remind me of Chris Mueller from last year's draft but Shiniyashiki is much better finisher.
6. RW DEJUAN JONES
Jones is the fastest player in the draft, and he will be able to stretch defenses from day-one. He also shows some could control, and finishing ability.
7. ST JJ WILLIAMS*
Williams is a big striker who had a very productive year at Kentucky. Due to his size and projection, he has a very high upside. However, I don't think he's close to reaching it, like say, Cyle Larin. Some may try to compare Williams to Mason Toye, a Generation Adidas prospect from a year ago, but Toye is much better on the ball, and I think Williams will best be served as a traditional target forward.
8. LB JOHN NELSON*
Nelson looks like he can be an above-average two-way fullback. I have him listed as the best fullback in the draft, but it's very close between he and the next two. Nelson will be coveted as a Generation Adidas player.
9. ST SANTIAGO PATINO
Patino had a good combine. He's a traditional number nine, that I compare to Bobby Wood. Patino is physically strong, and has good hold up play. He's also tenacious getting after the ball in the box.
10. FB AKEEM WARD
Ward is a great athlete with tremendous recovery speed. I think he's the best defensive fullback in the draft. He's versatile, and able to play on both sides.
11. M/FB GRIFFIN DORSEY*
Dorsey was deployed as a fullback in his lone combine match, and I think he fits the part. He reminds me of Brooks Lennon--which may seem like a lazy comparison. Dorsey will have to work on the defensive end, of course, but he'll become a threat from the right side.
12. FB LOGAN GDULA
Gaul looked better defensively in the second combine game, but I still think he'll need to work on that end more before he's ready for MLS. Gdula and Dorsey have higher upsides than Akeem Ward, but the latter is ready to contribute.
13. CM SERGIO RIVAS
Rivas is one of the best playmakers in the draft. However, it's very difficult for college-tens to transition to MLS. I'm not sure Rivas has enough athleticism to play on the wing, but he did show more grit and tackling ability than I expected, which gives me hope he can play centrally for the right team.
14. CM CAMDEN RILEY
From now on, every draft needs to have that guy we anoint as the "next Julian Gressel." I think Riley could be that type of player. He has attacking qualities, but showed at the combine he'll be able to adjust as an eight or a six in MLS. Some, Ives Galarcep, say Riley will eventually land as a ball-playing CB.
15. GK DAYNE ST. CLAIR*
St. Clair had an abysmal combine. However, I'm only willing to drop him so far. Goalies in the draft are very hit-or-miss, but there's still hype behind St. Clair, and he'll be taken by the fifteenth pick due to his Generation Adidas and domestic tags. On upside alone, St. Clair is a top-five pick.
16. CDM ANDERSON ASIEDU
Asiedu looks like a player who can step in and contribute immediately. He's the best ball-winner in the draft, and I may have him too low. I like Asiedu a lot, but I don't think there's much projection left in him. He's never going to offer much going forward, but he should carve out a role for several years. He'd do great coming on late in games to break up plays.
17. CB PROSPER FIGBE
Prosper Figbe is a player who impressed me a lot in the combine. He's a very physical center back, who bullies attackers off the ball. He's also significantly faster than I'd expect. He had the second fasted 30-yard dash time at the combine. I was also impressed with Figbe's passes out of the back. He's the second best center back on my board. I have him as a more athletic Lalas Abubakar.
18. CB KAMAL MILLER
Miller has good range, and is definitely a good passer out of the back. However, I have rated behind a couple others on the actually defensive part. So, I don't have him as high as others.
19. M BRAD DUNWELL
Dunwell did not have the best combine. He played as a lone number six, but wasn't able to show he could dictate play from the back. Going into the week, I wasn't sure Dunwell was a ball-winner, but he made a couple nice tackles, including one in the box against Tajon Buchanan on Wednesday. Dunwell has slipped, but he's a player I think can still contribute next year (ala Ken Krolicki).
20. FB CHASE GASPER
Gasper doesn't do anything special, but he's a solid two-way player. He's left-footed and domestic. Pencil him in as a first round pick.
21. CM TOMMY MCCABE
McCabe slipped behind Asiedu and Riley this week, but he still looks like a solid six or eight. He can win the ball in the midfield, and has solid distribution.
22. CB ALEX COMSIA
Comsia is a player I was very impressed with in the combine, and I have him higher than anyone else. He's excellent positionally. He can win the ball. He's a leader. He's a fair passer. He's a little undersized for a center back, but overall, I think he can play. He reminds me of Michael Parkhurst, and that's high praise.
23. CB JAMES HAUSER-RAMSEY
Hauser-Ramsey wasn't able to participate at the combine, but I think he has all the tools to be a center back in the MLS. He may be a little bit of a project, and need time in USL for a year.
24. CM AMIR SEJDIC
Sejdic is one of the best playmakers in the draft. However, he's not going to play as a number ten in the MLS. I don't think he has the athleticism to play out wide. So, he will have to play as an eight. He was better as a holding midfielder in the second game of the combine than he was in the first. He's not nearly as good defensively as the center mids listed above (even Sergio Rivas), but his passing is a plus skill, and I think he'll be able to break lines from deep.
25. M/FB JANOS LOEBE
Loebe played as a left back in the second combine match, and I bet that's where his home is professionally. He has good attacking attributes, and is a better than average athlete.
26. W/M TUCKER BONE
Bone is very good on the ball. He played as a free-roaming ten at the combine, but he's going to have to start out wide in MLS. He showed good vision and the ability to take on defenders.
27. W/M AMIR BASHTI
Bone and Bashti are very similar. I think Bashti's final ball is sharper, but Bone is the better on the ball.
28. CB ROY BOATENG
Boateng is a good athlete if a little undersized. I think he can be a no-frills center back.
29. FB MARCELLO BORGES
Borges struggled in the combine, but has flashed the ability to be a good two-way player on the left side. He may get hurt in the draft, because the position is so deep, and others have surpassed him.
30. FB ABDI MOHAMED
Mohamed is a good athlete on the right hand side. However, he looked very below average on the defensive end, and didn't forward enough during the combine to show his strengths. I think he has some upside, but will be a project.

*Generation Adidas player

MLS Combine 2019: Winners and Losers of the first days

The combine is well on it's way.  Yesterday afternoon all four teams played in a double header.  Today we'll examine which players won and lost in those scrimmages.  Four key players were not present yesterday.  Generation adidas prospects: JJ Williams, Frankie Amaya, and Griffin Dorsey, as well as top senior, Andre Shinyashiki, missed the first games, but will be present for Wednesday's kickoff.  It's important to note that this is not a big board.  I'm not ranking these players just yet.  I'm listing who made a favorable impression, and who did not.  Of course, there were many players who made no impression at all--you might as well call them losers too.  I am factoring performance in yesterday's games, as well as performance in the athletic drills (60-yard dash, agility drill, and vertical leap) that MLS posted yesterday.

The All-First Game of the MLS Combine Team:

G Ben Lundt

D Akeem Ward

D Prosper Figbe

D Alex Comsia

D Chase Gasper

M Anderson Asiedu

M Sergio Rivas

M Amir Sejdic

F DeJuan Jones

F Santiago Patino

F Amir Bashti

^ All college seniors, no generation adidas players

Winners:

M Sergio Rivas

College #10s don't find the field in MLS.  So, I'm still not sure what Rivas' role will be in the league.  However, he was one of the best players Saturday, and out-shined (in my opinion anyways) the consensus top play maker in the draft Siad Haji.

F Amir Bashti

Bashti looked great on the left in the attack. He's a skilled winger who has the ability to take on defenders. To no surprise, after watching the match, he scored very well in the agility testing. I'm convinced Bashti can fill a role on the bench in MLS. He's not as physically talented as Chris Mueller, but I think they have similar qualities on the ball.

M Anderson Asiedu

Asiedu boosted his stock more than any other player at the combine. He was a one man army in X's midfield. He looks like the best ball-winner in the draft. Either David Gass or Bobby Warshaw said on commentary that Asiedu reminds them of Mo Adams from a year ago, and I completely agree. Not only do they have a similar stature (Asiedu is just 5'6"), but they are gritty, unselfish ball-winners. Asiedu was downright dominate, and the two players above, Bashti and Rivas, benefitted.

D Callum Montgomery

Montgomery, a left-footed senior center back who won't take up an international roster spot, entered the combine as a likely high draft pick. He wasn't terribly tested, but he didn't do anything to hurt his stock. That makes him a winner.

D Chase Gasper

Gasper was not on my radar entering the combine, and he showed good two-way ability on the left. He played a beautiful ball through the penalty area that Ikoba should have put away. As a left-sided defender (fullback), Gasper plays a position that will be valued in the draft, but this draft is very deep at fullback, and Gasper makes it even deeper.

D Roy Boateng

Boateng only played in the second half of his match Saturday, and he didn't draw too much attention (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). However, Boateng showed well in the performance drills. He has the best vertical leap of any player at the combine (which he needs as a 6'0" center back), and was also the tenth fastest player in the 60-yard dash. I'll have a closer eye on Boateng on Wednesday when the combine kicks off again.

D Akeem Ward

Ward put in a good shift on the left in his game. He looked like the best athlete on the pitch, showing great recovery speed. I think he's a good 1 v1 defender. He also showed he can pass with either foot. I believe he's naturally right-footed, but proved he can play either way. Ward is the top fullback in the draft right now.

D Alex Comsia

Comsia had a heck of a game. He showed leadership, composure, and the ability to win the ball. He's only 6'0", but I think Comsia has a place in MLS as a third center back. Comsia was the second best CB on Saturday, and has a shot to be a first rounder.

D Prosper Figbe

Alex Comsia was the second best CB on Saturday, because Prosper Figbe was far and away the best. If Anderson Asiedu boosted his stock more than any other player, than Figbe was right behind him. Figbe was excellent on the defensive end, bullying attackers with his unmatched physicality. He also flashed some special passes out of the back, including an assist to Santiago Patino. Figbe also proved to be one of the best athletes in the draft. He finished second in the 60-yard dash, and also has the second best vertical leap. I see Figbe as a more athletic Lalas Abubakar, who rode an excellent combine in 2017 to a top-five selection.

M Amir Sejdic

Sejdic had a goal and an assist in his match. His pass to DeJuan Jones was special. He's a very good college play maker. I don't know what that makes him in MLS though. Sejdic played as a #10 in the first half of his match, but he was brought back in in the second as a #8, and Team Copa immediately scored on a counter attack upon his return. I watched Sejdic leisurely track back, and was absolutely disgusted. I don't know if he can be an eight in MLS, and that's worrying. I could have listed Sejdic under "winner," "loser," or "neither." However, I think he showed very good attacking ability, and game-changing passing. He has yet to show me he has a place on an MLS roster though.

M/F Tucker Bone

Tucker Bone entered in the second half of his match, and was an absolutely difference maker. He showed good ability on the ball, and plays quick. It was not surprising to see Bone had the second fastest agility time in the performance drills.

F/M DeJuan Jones

DeJuan Jones was one of the biggest risers from the first game of the combine. I mentioned prior to the match that Jones may have to transition to fullback in MLS, but he played very well as a right winger. Jones scored the opening goal of the combine, beating the back line with his game breaking pace, controlling the pass, and finishing well. Jones was a constant threat on the right. Jones was the big winner in the performance drills. He had the fastest time in both the 60-yard dash, and the agility drill. Expect Jones to be a top-ten pick.

F Santiago Patino

With JJ Williams missing, Santiago Patino was the best #9 on Saturday. He's very physically strong, and showed very good hold up play, even if he wasn't always able to connect with teammates. Patino reminded me of Bobby Wood. Not only due to his strength (and average height), but his runs through the seams.

D Sean McSherry

McSherry was not on my radar. Now he is. He was one of the best two-way fullbacks on Saturday, and showed well in the physical drills.

F Nils Bruening

Bruening was another player I wasn't watching entering the draft, but had a very good match on Saturday. Bruening played on the wing, and looked surprisingly fleet of feet for his size (he's 6'3").

D John Nelson

Nelson was one of the few Generation Adidas players who made a positive impression on Saturday. he has a reputation as an attacking full back, but looked good both ways.

Losers:

G Dayne St. Clair

St. Clair had a dismal match, and he made a mistake that directly led to (Maryland teammate) Sedjic's goal. He'll still be a first round pick as a generation adidas goalie, but I think the top-five buzz has cooled.

D Abdi Mohamed

This draft class is deep at fullback. Mohamed looked poor defensively, and failed to make an impact going forward.

M Brad Dunwell

Dunwell wasn't terrible, but he needed to be better. He's not a ball-winner, and he couldn't make a game-changing pass often enough

F Sebastian Elney

Elney looked absent.

M Hassani Dotson

Dotson was dominated in midfield, and made some simple mistakes.


M Geoff Dee

He was the #6 for Team Nemeziz, while Sejdic dropped to the #8. That's a bad midfield pairing. They got burned on a couple of plays.

Neither, but still on my Radar:

D Marcello Borges

Borges saw a lot of the ball, but he wasn't a difference maker. He struggled defensively. I still think there's more to him than what he showed, but other fullbacks are overtaking him.

F Janos Loebe

Loebe scored. He also showed to be one of the fastest players at the combine in the 60-yard dash. However, he made some bad decisions going forward, and missed players running into space.

M Camden Riley

I'm still not sure what Riley is in the midfield. He didn't make an impact in his match.

F Don Tchilao

Threatened a little bit on the right, but was completely overshadowed by Rivas and Bashti.

F Eduvie Ikoba

Ikoba was most notable for leaving his jersey at the hotel, meaning he had to wear a black-T on the pitch. He should have scored on a cross from Gasper. He did well in the performance testing proving to be one of the more athletic players at the combine.

D Logan Gdula

I've seen many people say Gdula was one of the most impressive fullbacks, but I disagree. First, he entered the combine as the second or third best fullback to begin with. Yes, he showed good ability going forward--that is not a surprise. He scored a really nice goal as well. He even proved to be quicker than I expected in the performance testing. However, I don't know how good of a defender he is right now, and was my greatest concern entering the combine.

M Tommy McCabe

McCabe was supposed to be one of the best holding midfielders in the draft, and possibly the best ball-winner. He was neither on Saturday. McCabe had a quiet match.

M Andrew Samuels

Samuels had a terrible first half at right back. Amir Bashti and Chase Gasper owned him. He did better in the second half when he was moved to his more natural holding midfield position. Keep him there.

D Wouter Verstraaten

Verstraaten suffered because the midfield in front of him was terrible, and could not control the ball. He's a potential first round CB, and I'll give him a pass.

D Kamal Miller

Miller is a left-footed "domestic" center back, meaning teams will want to draft him. He was just ok in his match. He did not look spectacular, and may have been responsible for Bashti's goal.

M Siad Haji

Haji was alright, but didn't look particularly special in this match. It's always difficult for creative players to enter the combine and stand out with a cast of players they've never played with.

F Ryan Sierakowski

Sierakowski suffered due to poor service. He's a second tier #9 in this draft.

F Tajon Buchanan

Finally, Buchanan failed to connect with teammates, and seamed a little lost out there. He's young, and he's fast, and he has good size. Buchanan has all the tools to be a special player.

MLS Combine 2019: Evaluating the teams

The MLS Combine is one of the sports events I am most invested in each year, even though, it matters very little in the grand scheme of things. Any evaluation of the combine needs to begin with caveat that even the best of players this week will play very little in MLS next season, if at all. With more allocation being allotted to teams, and consequentially, more young, promising international players coming into the league, as well as, homegrown signings becoming a prominent mechanism for college players to join clubs, the draft is becoming less-and-less important. Still, success stories remain. Julian Gressel and Miles Robinson were taken by Atlanta United two drafts ago, and played a role in their MLS Cup run. Gressel has become a key player on the league's best team in fact. Jeremy Ebobisse, also a member of the 2017 draft, established himself as a starter for MLS Cup challenger, Portland. On a quick look (very quick), it appears only three players finished the season playing more than 1,000 minutes: Brandon Bye, Ken Krolicki (who had a dismal combine, and slipped out of the first round), and Chris Mueller. The latter topped the three, and was a contender for MLS rookie of the year (won by RSL homegrown, Corey Baird.

This is my, now annual, look at the MLS combine teams. These teams will face each other over the course of two matches, beginning tomorrow. I'm looking to evaluate which players are best served by their assignments, and pick out the players who could shine.

TEAM X

Team X has no Generation Adidas (talented underclassmen, handpicked, and signed by MLS with special contractual perks) players on it. However, it does feature three of the draft's four most talented seniors. Andre Shiniyashiki was one of the best college players last year, and led the league by scoring (and points) with 28 goals. However, he's undersized at 5'9", and plays a premium position that MLS teams usually look elsewhere for. He needs to have a good combine to prove that he has the ability to score at the next level. Luckily for him, he'll have the best senior playmaker behind him, Sergio Rivas. Rivas was a  very good college player, but college central playmakers aren't often valued in the draft. He'll have to prove he can handle a position on the wing, because I don't think he has the grit to slide into a box-to-box role. Callum Montgomery completes the elite senior triumvirate. He's the best defender in the draft, and he's left-footed. That means his named will be called very early the day of the draft. He'll look to stabilize an otherwise solid, but less than spectacular defense, which includes center backs Roy Boateng and Brendan McDonough, right back, Rece Buckmaster, and left back, Chase Gasper. Boateng is likely the best prospect in that group. In the midfield, Camden Riley is an interesting prospect to watch. TopDrawerSoccer's Travis Clark describes him as, "a talented attacker who can score and create goals" while, Ives Galarcep (of goal.com and SBIsoccer) lists him as a defensive midfielder on his big board. Without the athleticism to play wide, Riley will probably have to make it as a #8 in MLS. Riley is one to keep an eye on for the next week, I think there's some similarities between he and Julian Gressel. Anderson Asiedu is likely to be the defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3 lineup. Joining Shinyashiki up front is a trio of decent prospects: Amir Bashti, Don Tchilao, and Shinya Kadono. Bashti and Tchilao are former Pac-12 rivals (Bashti attended Stanford, Tchilao went to Oregon State). They both had good seasons (Tchilao had seven goals and nine assists,  Bashti had seven goals and six assists); Tchilao is the bigger and more physical of the two.

*It looks like Andre Shinyashiki has been signed by MLS. That makes me really excited, because it makes me believe at least one team believes Shinyashiki is good enough to make their roster this year. Shinyashiki is from Brazil and would use an international roster spot.

Top players on my watch list:

• D C.Montgomery
• F A.Shiniyashiki
• M S.Rivas
• M C.Riley
• M/F A.Bashti
• F D.Tchilao

TEAM COPA

Team Copa is highlighted by two Generation Adidas forwards, the best senior midfielder in the draft, and a solid defense, which includes the most interesting goalie in the draft, Dayne St. Clair. St. Clair just won a national title with Maryland, and has signed with MLS as a Generation Adidas contact. His position as a GA goalkeeper is an interesting one. I heard Bobby Warshaw on the podcast, ExtraTime Radio, say that it would be very advantageous for a team to take St. Clair as a GA player, and take advantage of his contract exceptions, and he would retain GA status basically until he was ready to become the starter. JJ Williams and Griffin Dorsey will be the players to watch on the frontline. Both are Generation Adidas players. Williams is a massive striker (6'4) from Kentucky. He will garner attention for his size and ability to lead the line. He scored 18 goals last season. Dorsey is a winger from Indiana, and has played with the youth national teams, and has been called up to the U-20 team by Tab Ramos. Dorsey should be in a good position to provide service to the best target man in the draft. Another forward worth watching is Sebastian Elney, who was a teammate of St. Clair at Maryland. Janos Loebe could lineup on the left side of the midfield, but Ives Galarcep has him listed as a LB on his big board. It'll be interesting to see where he's placed on the team. Loebe finished last season with seven goals and eleven assists. The midfield will revolve around Brad Dunwell. Dunwell could be a top-five pick. He was the leader of one of the nation's best teams, Wake Forest. Dunwell sets the tone and pace of play for his team in the midfield, but he doesn't have great ability going forward. He'll have to prove he has the ball-winning ability to be a #6 in MLS. Playing beside Dunwell will be Joey Piatczyc. Piatczyc is a #10 out of West Virginia who will have to prove he can play as a #8 in MLS. He's in a good spot playing with Dunwell, as Dunwell will give Piatczyc the freedom to go forward. The backline is anchored by James Hauser-Ramsey and Scott DeVoss. The 6'3" Hauser-Ramsey is the better prospect of the two entering the combine. Abdi Mohamed will flank the two center backs on the right. He's one of several really good right back prospects in the combine, and should get opportunities to go forward. On the left is one of the best LB prospects, Marcello Borges. I see this team as a 442. I think Williams should succeed with good attackers like Dorsey and Piatczyc. The fullbacks should be able to move forward freely with a pair of good center backs, and Dunwell providing cover. I'm a little worried about Loebe. LB could be his best shot of a MLS career, but he has Borges and Dylan Greenberg fighting for minutes there already. 

Top players on my watch list:

• F JJ Williams
• M B.Dunwell
• G D.St. Clair
• F G.Dorsey
• D A.Mohamed
• M J.Piatczyc
• D M.Borges

TEAM NEMEZIZ

Team Nemeziz lacks a truly exciting prospect (they may not have a top-10 player according to many draft boards). However, they are solid throughout. The best prospect entering the combine is left back, Akeem Ward. Fullback is a position of strength in this draft, and Ward will need to show his two-way potential to emerge from the pack. Speaking of that fullback depth, Nemeziz may have the best set of fullbacks of any combine team. Logan Gdula, Wake Forest, will start on the right, opposite Ward. Gdula will be one of the best fullbacks going forward in the draft. He tallied fourteen assists during the college season. He has the talent to be the first fullback taken in the draft, especially if he proves himself on the defensive side during the combine. Playing in central defense will be some combination of Alex Comsia, Prosper Figbe, and Lennart Hein. Figbe and Lennan would cost a team an international roster spot, so don't expect either to be on an MLS squad next season. Comsia is a little undersize for a center back, but a good combine could boost his stock. The midfield should be very solid for Nemeziz. Tommy McCabe is the best ball-winning midfielder entering the combine. Then there's Amar Sejdic, the captain of the national champions, Maryland. He's another college #10 that will have prove he can be a #8. Sejdic is a player who could fly up boards over the next week. He's good on the ball, and has the intangibles; if he proves effective playing in a deeper role he (like Joey Piatczyz for "X") could make a Gressel-esqe impact in MLS. Geoff Dee and Hassani Dotson are both more holding midfielders, and will look to separate themselves in the combine. DeJuan Jones is the archetype speedy winger that gets moved to a fullback position at the combine, i.e. Brandon Bye and Mark Segbers in 2018. Jones is another player who could drastically improve his draft stock if he shows defensive acumen (and if his speed proves to be the best in the draft). Unfortunately or Jones, Gdula is also on his team, and I don't know how many minutes at RB the coach will take from him. The front line will be led by Santino Patino. Patino is a #9, who scored twelve goals during the college season. He'll be the primary focus on offense, so we should get a good look at him during the combine. Patino is joined upfront by Abdou Mbacke Thiam of UConn. Thiam scored fourteen goals during the season. Thiam is behind Patino on experts' draft rankings right now. Tucker Bone is a winger. He should get ample playing time, and has a couple of productive #9s to feed. Nemeziz lacks a Generation Adidas player, but they are a balanced team. I expect them to play 433. They're fullbacks and central midfield are strengths. 

Top players on my watch list:

• D A.Ward
• F S.Patino
• M T.McCabe
• M A.Sejdic
• D L.Gdula
• F/D D.Jones
• F/M T.Bone

Team Predator

Team Predator leads all teams with four Generation Adidas players, which means, there will be a lot of focus on this team. They may have the three best prospects currently in the draft in fact: Frankie Amaya, Tajon Buchanan, and Siad Haji. Frankie Amaya is the youngest player in the draft, but he's supremely talented, and has played for the youth national teams. Again, Amaya is very young (he won't turn 19 until September), and he's also very small (just 5'4"). A team probably isn't drafting Amaya for this season. Said Haji is one of the best playmakers in the draft. He's capable of playing on the wing in addition to playing centrally. He should go very high. Tajon Buchanan is the man who stands to benefit from Haji's skills. Buchanan is a sophomore from Syracuse. Syracuse has now produced a Generation Adidas player in each of the last five years (Buchanan, Mo Adams, Miles Robinson, Julian Buscher, and Alex Bono). Buchanan will be tried out both in a central role and out wide. He's one of the most versatile strikers in the draft. Predator's fourth GA is left back, John Nelson. Nelson seems like the overshadowed member of the GA class, but MLS teams always need domestic left-footed defenders. Joining Nelson on the backline are center backs, Kamal Miller and Wouter Verstaaten. Those two are solid CB prospects who will be trying to emerge as the top center back after Callum Montgomery. Andrew Samuels is yet another national championship winner at Maryland. He's a defensive midfielder that may be called in to play right back. Joel Rydstrand of Creighton and Javi Perez of Pittsburgh will round out the midfield. Ryan Sierakowski  is a #9 from Michigan State, and he may get the opportunity to play between Haji and Buchanan at some point; that could be very beneficial to his draft stock. Team Predator has some of the most exciting players at the combine. However, I'm little worried that this team will be outmatched in the midfield. Thankfully the backline should be steady with two of the better center backs at the combine. 

Top players on my watch list:

• F T.Buchanan
• M S.Haji
• M F.Amaya
• D J.Nelson
• D K.Miller
• D W.Verstraaten
• M/D A.Samuels
• F R.Sierakowski

That's my take on how these teams look. I'll check back in after the games today. It's a double header beginning at 12:30pm EST (Youtube, Facebook, Mlssoccer).