MLS Superdraft Preview

With less than two weeks until the MLS Superdraft I thought it would be fitting to do a quick rundown of what we can expect to see happen in Baltimore.

For those of you who don’t know, the MLS Superdraft allows the 14 MLS teams to pick from the newest crop of professional soccer players. Where in the past only those who had graduated from college were available to participate in the Draft, now younger players are being allowed (and encouraged) to enter the draft. These encouragements are attempts by both the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the MLS to stimulate player development.

Part of this investment into youth development is the Generation Adidas (GA) program. Generation Adidas encourages players who have a future in professional soccer to leave college early and pursue their career professionally. If the encouragement to leave school sounds a bit sinister; don’t worry, all GA players are ensured scholarship money if they decide to return to college. All Generation Adidas players are available for selection during the Superdraft and participate in the MLS Training Combine the weekend before the draft. The MLS Combine is a good chance for team scouts and coaches to get a last minute look at all the hot prospects. Teams often see the GA players as bargains because one of the rules of the MLS Superdraft is that GA player’s salaries do not count against the teams’ salary cap. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these players usually receive a relatively low pay (usually equal to or not much more than the MLS base salary.) On a side note -- as the MLS continues to get its feet off the ground, I expect the horrendously low salary cap to continue to be an issue of debate within the MLS.

Despite the fact that a majority of GA players start with a low salary, the Generation Adidas program has had its fair share of success stories and has produced some top notch American players. 2007 MLS rookie of the year Maurice Edu participated in the GA program; other former GA players include: Tim Howard, Bobby Convey, and DeMarcus Beasley. Two notable players participating in this year’s program are Virginia Tech’s Patrick Nyarko and Wake Forests’ Marcus Tracy.

So what can we expect to see in the 2008 draft? San Jose will have the first pick of the draft, and being the League’s newest team they have a lot of ground to make up. Expect to see them pick a midfielder who can hopefully provide some stability as well as prove to be a creative force for the team. Keep an eye on defenders Julius James and Andy Iro to go early as well. James has played a key role in University of Connecticut defense over the past few years, and has seen time with the Trinidad and Tobago National Team. As reported by Ives Galarcep, Andy Iro has been weighing the options of moving his professional career to England; however, if he stays in the US his MLS future could be bright. Expect to see both James and Iro go as top 10 picks.

(UCSB's Andy Iro)

The Superdraft takes place January 18th in Baltimore Maryland and is being broadcast on ESPN2. Until then, enjoy the speculation!