A few important dates are marked on the calendar by the Impact technical staff. January 12, 2012, is one of them.
The 13th annual MLS SuperDraft is scheduled for 12pm EST in Kansas City, Missouri, where the Montreal Impact will have the first overall pick; a selection that can become an important piece of the Impact’s future. As such, the club’s technical staff had a lot of scouting to do on U.S. college players.
The technical staff sat down with Impact Media to breakdown some of the top level talent available. In four days, one of these six players should wear the Impact jersey (alphabetical order).
Nick Deleon - University of Louisville – Midfielder/Forward
Finishing the year tied for second on the team in scoring with six goals and six assists in 22 games played, Deleon was named a first team All-Big East selection for the second straight year. He is a dynamic winger that likes to run at defenders with his speed and dribbling abilities. He is also able to come inside with a clever run. He links up well with the forwards in good combination play.
Matt Hedges - University of North Carolina – Defender
Named 2011 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Hedges tallied six goals and one assist while anchoring the league leading Tar Heel defense to an impressive eight shutouts. He is a solid defender with good feet and good speed. His positioning and defensive capabilities are very good. He is solid in the air and in a one on one situation.
Darren Mattocks - University of Akron – Forward
The All-MAC First Team selection, and a member of Akron's 2010 College Cup-winning team, scored 21 goals in 22 matches for the Zips in 2011 as the team’s top striker, which was the second-highest goal total in U.S. college soccer. Mattocks is very fast and he likes to get behind defenders with his speed and timely runs. He has a good work ethic and is able to finish well. He has the ability to get on the end of crosses with his quickness inside the box.
Kelyn Rowe - UCLA – Midfielder
Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, Rowe scored six goals and added 10 assists in 24 games this season. He is dynamic and very explosive. He likes to find pockets between the defense and midfield. He likes to combine with the forwards and release the wingers with quality passes. He is very good in tight spaces. His quality and decision making is very good.
Luis Silva - UC Santa Barbara – Midfielder
Named a 2011 NSCAA First Team All-American, Silva tallied 17 goals and 10 assists in 22 games. He is very elegant in his play. He is able to support the attack and score goals from midfield. He has very good dribbling abilities and is capable of playing the final pass. His quality and decision making is very good.
Andrew Wenger - Duke Blue Devils – Defender
Selected to the 2011 NSCAA All-America first team, Wenger has won on Friday the Hermann Trophy for the nations best College Soccer Player. He is a versatile player that has had success playing as a center back and as a forward. He is very athletic and strong technically. He is a competitor and has a very good soccer mind.
More info on the draft
After Montreal makes the first overall selection, the following eight picks will go to clubs that did not qualify for the 2011 playoffs, in reverse order of regular season finish. From 2nd to 9th pick: Vancouver Whitecaps FC, New England Revolution, Toronto FC, Chivas USA, San Jose Earthquakes, D.C. United, Portland Timbers, and Chicago Fire.
The remaining 10 picks will be determined by the order in which teams were eliminated in the playoffs, combined with reverse order of regular-season finish: Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Toronto FC (trade with NY Red Bulls), Philadelphia Union, Colorado Rapids, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo, and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The 2012 edition of the draft will be reduced from three rounds to two, and will be held in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention for the eighth straight year.
A four-round Supplemental Draft will be held on Tuesday, January 17. Both events are set to follow the 2012 adidas MLS Player Combine, which is taking place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, until January 10.
