MLS Combine List Released

You can see the full 65-player list for January’s predfraft combine at Goal.com.

My go-to source for College Soccer info, Joe Mauceri of College Soccer News and his own Pro Player Pipeline blog, differs a bit from the committee who made the initial selections, as some of his picks as top prospects–notably UMass and Depaul keepers Zack Simmons and Brian Visser, Michigan defender Michael Holody, and midfielders Alejandro Bedoya of Boston College and Ohio State’s Danny Irizarry.  It is worth mentioning that this is only the initial list, and more players will be added from the Generation adidas pool, NAIA, and the NCAA ranks.  Still, there is definitely a lack of seriousness for some MLS teams regarding how they scout the country’s top talent.  There is quite a low rate of success for first-round picks compared to later draft selections, and some MLS teams reportedly do not scout any college games aside from the Combine matches.

If MLS wants to be a successful platform to develop soccer in the United States, its organizations need to be more serious about doing so.

Joe Mauceri’s top prospects for the MLS Draft can be found here, and his blog with incredibly detailed scouting reports can be accessed via the first link in the list on the right.