The Colorado Rapids are enjoying surprising run of success in recent weeks and a major reason for it is a youth movement led by the team's strong rookie class.
Dillon Powers won consecutive SBI MLS Rookie of the Week honors recently and now teammate Deshorn Brown has kept the streak going for the Rapids after his goal helped Colorado beat Chivas USA.
Jackie, as he's fondly called here in Springfield, was drafted in the fifth round (43rd overall) by Kansas City in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft. He's beginning his 10th season as a pro in Major League Soccer having played in 259 games, starting 205 of them, 63 of them in a Portland uniform in the two years since he was traded by Sporting KC.
Former Brown University defender Dylan Remick became the latest New England-area college prospect to earn a professional contract after signing with the Seattle Sounders FC last week.
Remick was selected by the Sounders in the second round (35th overall) of last month's SuperDraft. He featured centrally and on both wings for the club during the preseason, according to The Seattle Times writer Joshua Mayers.
A Very Special Edition Episode from the MLS Superdraft of the du Nord Futbol Show podcast is here.
dN
In this episode Bruce and Wes are in Indianapolis for the MLS Superdraft conducting interviews with many people involved in the game today, featuring Colorado draftee Dillon Powers, soccer journalists, MLS execs and insiders, former players, team executives, and fans.
Have the Chicago Fire given Corben Bone a new lease on life (or at least his career in MLS)?
Head Coach Frank Klopas seems to think so. The gaffer spoke to reporters via conference call on Wednesday as the Men in Red are in Ave Maria, Florida for the first leg of preseason training.
Bone was not one of the players who joined the club for this first part of training.
With three picks in the MLS Supplemental Draft, the Houston Dynamo selected defender Anthony Arena (18th), midfielder Nic Ryan (56th), and forward Yannick Smith (75th). All three will be invited to the Dynamo preseason camp to compete for a contract with the club.
The MLS Supplemental Draft is more or less a continuation of the MLS SuperDraft and now held separately via conference call.
I will admit, I'm not a big fan of the MLS SuperDraft. I'm realizing though that it's not so much the draft that sours me, it's the hype. Part of my dislike is that Major League Soccer tends to drive ... Continue reading →
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
The New England Revolution swapped its first round pick (No.4 overall) and Allocation Money for Toronto FC's first round pick (No.1 overall) in this year's Major League Soccer SuperDraft. With that pick, the Revolution selected defender Andrew Farrell from Louisville.
Don Garber@thesoccerdon Congratulations to the #1 pick in the 2013 #SuperDraft, Andrew Farrell (@louisville05).
Mikey Lopez, a midfielder and Generation Adidas signee, was pickedby Sporting KC in the first round of the MLS Super Draft yesterday. He will occupy an off budget roster spot.
Via Sportingkc.com:
Sporting Kansas City selected 19-year-old midfielder Mikey Lopez out of the University of North Carolina with the 14th overall selection in the first round of Thursday's 2013 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas in Indianapolis, Ind.
Two players with Colorado connections were among those selected in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft.
Drew Beckie, a defender at the University of Denver, and Taylor Kemp, a defender at the University of Maryland, each were picked. Beckie, a right back/center back for the Pioneers, went to a Columbus Crew side looking for depth on defense.
As expected the New England Revolution today selected University of Louisville defender Andrew Farrell with the first overall selection in todays 2013 MLS SuperDraft.
"We're very pleased to add Andrew to the Revolution," General Manager Michael Burns said. "We believe he is the best player available in this draft class and proactively made the deal with Toronto to move up the draft order so we could ensure he was available when we picked.
Despite his playing college soccer on the opposite coast, Seattle Sounders FC selected left-footed left back Dylan Remick with its second and final pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. A player for Brown University, Remick gets up and down the line all game long, putting in crosses from the left flank.
With the 13th pick in the MLS Superdraft, the Houston Dynamo selected Jason Johnson. The reigning Atlantic-10 Offensive Player of the Year scored 26 goals with 10 assists in three years at Virginia Commonwealth University.
A Jamaican international (played with the U-23 side during Olympic qualifiers, made his senior team debut in February 2010 against Argentina), he'll join countrymen Je-Vaughn Watson and Jermaine Taylor and raise the question on whether or not Dom Kinnear has a thing for Jamaicans with first names starting with 'J'.
Houston Dynamo get a Generation Adidas player at number thirteen. Jason Johnson. We will have a wonderful introduction for him in a bit, but for now, feast on the picture below.
via www.tropigol.com
Also, he is from Jamaica, we know how much Dom likes his Jamaicans!
Up until a few hours ago, today promised to be a fairly uneventful one for the Portland Timbers. Luckily for you, and us, the Timbers decided that it would be better to have a pick somewhere within today's SuperDraft than none at all. As such, they acquired San Jose Earthquakes second round pick (#34 overall) in exchange for forward Mike Fucito.
With the Seattle Sounders picks buried low (winning games will do that to a team) they will have to react to what the teams ahead of them do. You should also prepare for more trades. One is already in the books this morning.
MLS SuperDraft 2013 is the day that in many ways launches the season for many teams, and certainly for the 38 players drafted today.
MLS SuperDraft 2013 is the day that in many ways launches the season for many teams, and certainly for the 38 players drafted today. The Seattle Sounders pick 16th and 35th, spots that are more suited for depth in general and in this draft more likely to be defensive players.
One thing that will not happen today is that there will not be a league wide kit/jersey reveal as had long been rumored.
In a move that caught many by surprise, the New England Revolution sent thefourth overall draft selectionand allocation money to Toronto FC forthe firstoverall pick on the eve of Thursday's SuperDraft. The Revs will select first tomorrow for the first time infrancise history.
When Danny Mwanga signed a new deal with the Portland Timbers back in December, many thought he was being considered an integral part of the club's future.
So much for that.
Danny Mwanga's time with the Timbers came to a close on Thursday, as Portland dealt him to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.
Well here's a big rumor for you guys to digest during the MLS SuperDraft. According to Ives Galarcep, who has been right on a number of occasions, has just announced that the Portland Timbers have bought out the remainder of Kris Boyd's contract and the two have parted ways. Such a move would be a monumental shift away from how the Portland Timbers looked this time last year.
Well they said they were going to try to get back into the draft and here we are. On the day of the MLS SuperDraft, the Portland Timbers sent forward Mike Fucito down to the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for their second round draft pick, #34 overall.
Additionally, while the Timbers acquired Chivas USA's #2 allocation spot in exchange for either the Timbers' second round draft pick or international roster spot, Chivas USA opted for the international roster spot, thus allowing the Timbers to keep this second round pick.
For New England Revolution rookie Andrew Farrell, much has been made of his journey to this year's MLS SuperDraft, and of the pressures of being the number-one pick.
All that is behind him now, though. Farrell has been a Revolution player for 18 days, and he just returned from his first professional camp in Casa Grande, Arizona.
With the 2013 MLS SuperDraft now in the books, the writers at New England Soccer Today handed out their grades for the New England Revolution's 2013 draft performance. The Revs selected Louisville defender Andrew Farrellwith the first overall pick, UNC-Charlotte midfielder Donnie Smith with the 21st overall pick, Xavier forward Luke Spencer with the 23rd overall pick, and Indiana goalkeeper Luis Soffner with the 36th overall pick.
The MLS Combine is over. Mock drafts have been held, collegiate soccer players have been scouted and ranked; all leading up to today at noon, when the 2013 MLS SuperDraft begins. After a surprising - blockbuster might be overdoing it, but it was certainly big - trade to move up to the top spot in the draft, the New England Revolution will make the first announcement with their first-ever number one pick.
Last week during the MLS SuperDraft, one reporter had asked Don Garber about the trademark dispute between MLS and the Cascadia Cup supporters groups. It was an unfortunate time to ask him at all concerning the focus of the day really should have stayed with the guys who were being drafted. What was even more unfortunate was Garber's response.
All information and news regarding the return or theft of the Cascadia Cup trademark.
Last week during the MLS SuperDraft, one reporter had asked Don Garber about the trademark dispute between MLS and the Cascadia Cup supporters groups. It was an unfortunate time to ask him at all concerning the focus of the day really should have stayed with the guys who were being drafted.
With the Houston Dynamo drafting Jason Johnson last week in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, many have assumed it closes the door for the return of Macoumba Kandji to the club. During an interview with Monica Gonzalez in the latter part of the draft, Dominic Kinnear mentioned Kandji had moved on.
Kandji and his whereabouts have been unknown thus far, but today a team in the second division of France gave him a mention on Twitter.
Well, the 2013 MLS SuperDraft is in the books and the Houston Dynamo appear to have come out with another quality performance. With the 13th and 37th pick, Dominic Kinnear managed to leave Indianapolis with a speedy forward and a left back - two positions that were needed in the depth department. Obviously, only time will tell if these two players will live up to the hype they're receiving today, but there is nothing that would indicate they won't.
With the 37th pick in the 2013 Superdraft, the Dynamo selected Georgetown left back Jimmy Nealis. A member of the second team All-Northeast player, he was a big part of Georgetown's run to the College Cup this year, converting the final kick in the shootout victory over Maryland that advanced them to the final (where they lost out to national champion Indiana).
There were still a few really talented players left on the board, and the Houston Dynamo did not disappoint in selecting Jimmy Nealis with the thirty-seventh overall pick of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. We knew the Dynamo had a need at Left Back, and they addressed it.
This closes the Dynamo picks for the day, and unless something happens with a trade or signing, this will conclude our initial live coverage of the draft as well.
With the 30th overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, the Chicago Fire selected Yazid Atouba Emane. Atouba is a player from Cameroon. On the face of things, this might appear to be like when the Chicago Fire selected Patrick Nyarko in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Atouba is quite different from Nyarko though.
With the 30th overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, the Chicago Fire selected midfielder Yazid Atouba Emane. The 5'6" Cameroonian most recently played for Rainbow FC Bamenda in Cameroon.
Here's Matt Doyle's instant reaction from MLSSoccer.com:
After their first pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft ended up a bit differently than most fans had hoped, the Philadelphia Union once again went against the idea of a left back by selecting Stephen Okai.
The Ghanaian born midfielder played at the University of Mobile in the NAIA and succeeded in turning many heads during his time in the lower division of collegiate soccer.
Seattle Sounders FC needed a forward and a center back, and it got both in the same 2013 MLS SuperDraft pick. Indiana University's Eriq Zavaleta starred for the champion Hoosiers in the 2012 College Cup and assisted the winning goal in their 1-0 win over Georgetown in the final.
Zavaleta, 20, scored 18 goals in 24 games his sophomore year.
D.C. United selected University of Maryland defender Taylor Kemp with the 17th pick in the first round oftoday's MLS SuperDraft. Kemp, a four-year starter for Sasho Cirovski at Maryland, will provide depth at the left back spot for the Black-and-Red. Kemp is known for his ability to get forward and hit in quality crosses combined [.
Forward Kekuta Manneh, a former Development Academy player with the Texas Rush and Lonestar, was the No. 4 pick of Thursday's MLS SuperDraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps.
At Thursday's 2013 MLS SuperDraft, Chivas USA selected midfielder and former LAFC Academy player Carlos Alvarez with the second overall pick.
Draft day is finally upon us. We may not know whether D.C. United's 2013 first team roster will include names like Andy Najar or Raphael Augusto or Hamdi Salihi, but in just a few short hours, we will know who our next Rookie of the Year candidate could be, joining the ranks of recent draftees Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen and Chris Pontius.
The MLS SuperDraft is set for a noon kick-off on Thursday so we thought a business bits devoted to the happenings in Indianapolis would be our ode to the draft. We'll start with the broadcast, where the first overall pick (now owned by the Revs), will be shown live on SportsCenter. The rest of the draft will be streamed by ESPN3 and other outlets.
