With the flurry of trades going on around Major League Soccer in the two weeks since the 2012 season ended, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the 2013 MLS Draft is just five weeks away.
Teams have already commenced improving their rosters via trades, signings and the recent Re-Entry Draft.
The 2013 MLS Combine is now just a month away, and as we draw closer to that important event, we are seeing plenty of shifting and maneuvering on the SBI MLS Draft Big Board.
Today features our third edition of the Big Board, and we have some new additions to the board after some players previously considered Homegrown Players for MLS teams were made available in the draft.
The Portland Timbers continue to re-shape their roster under new head coach Caleb Porter as they are ready to make another major deal to add some quality veterans to a squad with its share of young talent.
The Timbers and Toronto FC are set to complete a trade that will send Jamaican forward Ryan Johnson and Milos Kocic to Portland for the No.
Thirteen years ago, Carlos Bocanegra was a 20-year-old college kid who had chosen to leave school early to pursue his dream of being a professional soccer player. He signed a contract with MLS and headed to Florida to play in the MLS Combine.
Notre Dame midfielder Dillon Powers, UConn playmaker Carlos Alvarez and Coastal Carolina forward Ashton Bennett were among the top players invited to the MLS Combine.
Indiana University goalkeeper Luis Soffner is fresh off winning an NCAA title with the Hoosiers and will be the lone representative from Indiana at the Combine, while Georgetown, the team Indiana defeated, will send Tommy Muller, Jimmy Nealis and Ian Christianson to the Combine.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The 2012 MLS Combine has come to a close, but not before several players
used the event to help their stock while others did not.
In a class dominated by attacking talent, several forwards and creative midfielders enjoyed
strong combines, showcasing their goal-scoring and playmaking abilities.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- If you were to ask MLS coaches which players at this year's combine
helped their cause the most, David Silva would surely be among the more common names mentioned.
The Mexican-born attacking midfielder from UCSB was one of the brightest spots at the combine,
showing the playmaking ability that his him considered a top prospect.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Dom Dwyer did not know he was heading to the 2012 MLS Combine until a
day before the event kicked off, but that did not stop him from having a decent showing at the
event that he capped off with a goal.
Dwyer helped adiZero (blue) to a 3-1 win over Prime (green) on Tuesday morning, scoring an
insurance goal in the 52nd minute of the game when he pounced on a rebound and knocked the ball
into the back of the net.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Historically, players typically improve with each passing day at the MLS
Combine, and that was certainly the case for Charlotte forward Evan James this year.
Skillful wingers in the player pool are at a premium ahead of Thursday's MLS SuperDraft, but
three of the top players available at the position are some of the more sought-after attackers
eligible for selection.
Sam Garza, a Generation adidas signing out of UCSB who can play up top or on the wing, helped
his stock considerably with his showing while playing for the adiPure team at the Combine and had a
big hand in helping set up Ethan Finlay as part of the Creighton forward's hat trick.
The final match day of the 2012 MLS Combine has kicked off as MLS coaches and scouts make their
final observations and preparations ahead of Thursday's MLS Combine.
The day's first match features the Blue and Green teams, and while there are some interesting
prospects in this game, the main event features the talent-laden and undefeated red team against
the equally impressive white team.
The big names at the 2012 MLS Combine have for the most part lived up to expectations through
two Combine match-days, but there have also been some lesser-known players who have also boosted
their stock in Fort Lauderdale.
Three of the players to help boost their draft stock are Fordham goalkeeper Ryan Meara,
Marquette midfielder Calum Mallace and Creighton forward Ethan Finlay.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The second day of the MLS Combine was the first day for Ethan Finlay,
who had arrived to the Sunshine State on Saturday. He had missed the first day of the event on
Friday to attend the Hermann Trophy Award ceremony in St.
The MLS Combine resumes action today as MLS Draft prospects look to give scouts and coaches more
to think about as we draw closer to the MLS Draft on Thursday.
Day One saw several players boost their stock, while some others struggled to make an impact.
UCSB playmaker Luis Silva, UCLA striker Chandler Hoffman, Marquette midfielder Calum Mallace,
Louisville's Austin Berry and Indiana's Tommy Meyer were just some of the players who enjoyed
strong first days.
The forward class in the 2012 MLS Combine is an intriguing one, as teams try to figure out who
the top strikers will be on the board once Akron star Darren Mattocks is taken, as expected, with
the first or second pick in the draft.
Three of the most likely candidates to go early from the forward pool are UCLA product Chandler
Hoffman (pictured), Maryland standout Casey Townsend and South Florida star Dom Dwyer.
