MLS selects seniors for MLS Combine

Major League Soccer announced the 54 college seniors who will take part in the MLS Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from Jan. 11-15.

Here they are (Players to watch in bold):

2008 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (5): Dominic Cervi (University of Tulsa); Brian Edwards (Wake Forest University); Andrew Kartunen (Stanford University); Casey Latchem (Ohio State University); Steve Sandbo (Southern Methodist University);

DEFENDERS (19): Scott Bolkan (Stanford University); Matthew Britner (Brown University); Eric Brunner (Ohio State University); Adrian Chevannes (Southern Methodist University); Sean Franklin (California State University Northridge); Matt Hatzke (Santa Clara University); David Horst (Old Dominion University); Andy Iro (University of California - Santa Barbara); Julius James (University of Connecticut); Jonathan Leathers (Furman University); Rauwshan McKenzie (Michigan State University); Ryan Miller (University of Notre Dame); Brandon Owens (University of California - Los Angeles); Andre Sherard (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill); Julian Valentin (Wake Forest University); Yomby William (Old Dominion University); David Worthen (University of North Carolina - Greensboro); Mike Zaher (University of Tulsa); Geoff Cameron (University of Rhode Island);

MIDFIELDERS (23): Jeremy Barlow (University of Virginia); Eric Burkholder (University of Tulsa); El Hadj Cisse (North Carolina State University); Hugh Cronin (North Carolina State University); Pavle Dundjer  (University of Illinois - Chicago); Joe Germanese (Duke University); Brian Grazier (Saint Louis University); Pat Healy (Towson University); Andrew Jacobson (University of California); George Josten (Gonzaga University); Stephen King (University of Maryland); AJ Kulp (Old Dominion University); Peter Lowry (Santa Clara University); Ryan Maduro (Providence College); Pat Phelan (Wake Forest University); David Roth (Northwestern University); Shea Salinas (Furman University); Luke Sassano (University of California); Ben Shuleva (Southern Methodist University); Dan Stratford (West Virginia University); Michael Videira (Duke University); Andy Wright (University of West Virginia); Cesar Zambrano (University of Illinois -Chicago);

FORWARDS (7): Ely Allen (University of Washington); Xavier Balc (Ohio State University); Ryan Cordeiro (University of Connecticut); Kevin Forrest (University of Washington); Joseph Lapira (University of Notre Dame); Sherron Manswell (Boston College); Lukasz Turnicz (University of Rhode Island)

What do you think of this group? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[gdub]

Iro is a legend. If he wants to stay in the US he'll def. be a high draftee. Great agility and ball control for a guy as large as Sol Campbell.

[rufus]

Peter Lowry is class for Santa Clara. Great skill for a player in the middle. He got a run with the u-23's last year when they made a trip to Japan. I think he even scored a goal or two.

Plus I played against him in high school. :)

[wendel]

i wish there were more forwards. good forwards in the MLS are like good quarterbacks in the NFL.

[Dave O.]

To be nitpicky Andy Wright is from West Virginia University. I assume that's a typo in the original list.

[Tom]

Steve Sandbo is everything that is wrong, and hopefully is changing with our youth system.

The guy was continually selected for our Nats squads from day one even though he couldn't even start in college. He was there so he must always be there I guess. You would think the kid who he couldn't beat out was good enough for a Nats call, or any of the other few dozen kids in D1 playing over him but no.

He wasn't a standout at his club and never made an impression in college yet he got in early, stayed at the U17's and went to the U20's, when he wasn't even playing in college!!!

Why you think he is one to watch I don't know. Must be th eUS hype machine in action. False hope machine that is.

No one IO know who has wathced him says he has the goods, not even his college coaches thought so, yet he has always been in, so he stays in.....all the way through. Benefits without earning it.

Welcome to how US youth soccer has been run. Sandbo is just one of the many unfortunately, he is just so freaking obvious.

Unreal. One to watch for.
Can't play for club or college, but I get trips to WC's because I am in the system. Sickening.

[Ben S]

wendel, good ACM's are more like good QBs in the NFL...they are few, far between, and control the game well.

[Mr. Goodbar]

Is Lapira looking at the MLS, Yanks-Abroad reported he has been and will train with the Rangers, and he has another trail with Aberdeen.

[Tim Crawford]

I really want Andy Iro on the Revs . . .

From the UConn side of things, where's Chukwudi Chijindu and Dori Arad?

[Tim Crawford]

Never mind, Dori isn't a senior.

[Lance]

Whichever team drafts Stephen King is going to have major banner/headline writing material. Can you imagine if he went to Chicago? "Stephen King is newest Fire-Starter"! Sorry, I know that was awful, but I couldn't help myself.

[ag nigrin]

LOL Lance! I thought the same thing...let's hope King doesn't end up in the Dead Zone!

[A Diddy]

Stephen King "Carries" the team!

[Dan]

Crazy part of this is list is that I played against Xavier Balc in high school (we shut him down by the way, but that Hudson team was unbelievable). So hard to imagine both he might be in MLS.

[smokeminside]

Tom, Ives didn't highlight Sandbo....he's just on the MLS list, which I realize doesn't address your chief concern: the guy is overrated.

[Black Tide]

I think Iro will go to either the LAG or the Revs. They both are in need of a large central defender. If I had to guess I would say the Revs pick him of because of the stream of gauchos that have gone to the program. And I have to think that Lockhead and Byrnie have mentioned him to Stevie Nicol... The other place I can see him going is LAG. I think he could learn a lot from Albright and Xavier plus anyone who has talked to Andy for 5 minutes knows he loves SoCal.

[jason]

wow Ives
you caved on the Sandbo thing, didn't you?

I think it was highlighted at first, no?

don't get me wrong
tom might be right on this one
-really have no clue about this boy -
I'd just hate to encourage more of those bitter, long-winded rants.

but
after a long day
i suppose we all need our virtual punching bags.

don't you agree tom?

[Brooks]

Hey Ives, that's actually Lukasz TUMICZ, not Turnicz. I should know, I spent my senior year in high school twiddling my thumbs on the backline while he scored highlight reel goals.

[Mike L]

To add to Tom's comments, another player selected in this, and pretty much ONLY because of connections, is the infamous Pat Healy, midfielder out of Towson. "Who?" many of you are thinking? Well, Pat is the son of Kevin Healy- the GM for the MISL's Baltimore Blast. Pat is a local kid who got on all of the top club teams, ODP, etc because his Dad helped run te teams, etc. Average player at best and was not even the best player on his college team any of the years he played there. But because of family connections, this kid is getting a look. Pathetic....

[Joamiq]

jason, are you trying to write... free verse blog comment poetry?

[jason]

why
do you find it poetic?
: )

[johnny]

David Roth our of Northwestern is a nice player. Reminds me of Brian Carrol but with much more skill on the ball.

[undrafted]

Zaher is UCLA, not Tulsa (the press release had the typo), and based on a year ago should be a decent pick for round 2-4.

I've got some tapes I hope to get to before the draft. If Iro wants to stay in the US, he should definitely go in the first round. Otherwise look for the generation Adidas signings to take half the spots in the first two rounds. IIRC Manswell looked like a legit MLS forward prospect. Cronin (WF) is one that is borderline highlightable here. Forrest had his moments. Kartunen has an interesting resume, but I haven't seen him play yet. Phelan is overrated but worth a look.

check 3rddegree for the best draft coverage

[Mike]

You have to respect the Sockers FC players. They're the ones doing really well professionally: bradley, johnson, zayner....Rauwshan McKenzie is going to be great. He's so athletic. And of course Ryan Miller is a really good player. These guys will be successful.

[undrafted]

I got Cronin mixed up with his brother at Wake Forest. So I've gotta take back my above comment.

Another possible source of confusion is J Barlow from UVA, his younger brother was also a starter for UVA this year.

[Bill in Md.]

Mike,

I hear you on the personal connections for someone like Pat Healy.

Here's the flipside: earlier this year, I met a guy from the Ivory Coast who went to high school at a public school in Baltimore, where he played forward and free safety on the football team. Obviously great size and speed for a forward, and he scored more than 20 goals as a senior. Great fellow as well. His goal to games played ratio in high school was phenomenal.

Yet he's a freshman at a college (Morgan State) that doesn't even have a soccer team. Obviously his high school coach and his parents didn't know how to market him to college coaches, which is a shame.