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Football/Soccer - MLS 2008 Draft Combine: Ricardo Pierre-Louis stock rising & could be a 1st Round pick
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Lee's Pierre-Louis Headed For MLS Combine
Lee University's All-American and NAIA Player of the Year, Ricardo Pierre-Louis, will be the only NAIA player among more than 60 men's soccer prospects who have been invited and will be tested this weekend in the 2008 MLS Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Top collegiate and youth prospects will train and be divided into four teams that will compete against each other on Jan. 11-15 in front of all of Major League Soccer's coaches and scouts. The event will take place just ahead of the Jan. 18 MLS SuperDraft. The draft will be aired live for one hour beginning at 2 PM (ET) on ESPN2. At 3 PM, the rest of the draft will be cover on misnet.com
The combine gives MLS coaches and general managers a final chance to evaluate talent in preparation for their draft day selections. Combine participation is by invitation only. A committee of NCAA D-I coaches from every conference, along with MLS representatives, chose seniors who have completed their college eligibility from schools throughout the country.
The rosters will also include three invitees from South America and Generation adidas players. All combine participants are automatically eligible for the SuperDraft.
"Ricardo tops the list of Lee players that have done extremely well for the university and I am extremely proud to have known him and coached him," said head coach Henry Moyo. "I have seen him improve over the years and exhibit new positive qualities as a player.
"Ricardo being invited into the MLS Combine with a chance is absolutely amazing, not just for him but for the Flames and in particular for Lee University. This is a first time for a Lee University men's soccer player.
"This means that the world sports media has its attention on Lee University," added Moyo. "It means that we are being acknowledged for having one of the finest NAIA programs in the country, and are producing quality professional caliber players. It is an exciting time in our athletic history and I am certainly enjoying every moment of it."
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- In past years, when the USA took on Mexico in soccer, it felt like a civil war at Eric Avila's house.
His parents, Julio and Maria Avila, are both natives of Mexico and rooted for "los tricolores".
But Eric has always been about the Red, White and Blue.
"Now that I am in the U.S. national team program, my parents respect both teams," said Avila, 20, a native of San Diego. "But when Mexico gives up a goal, my dad is still not very happy, to be honest."
Other than that, the Avilas must be pretty pleased with soccer these days, especially as it pertains to their son. Eric won a national championship with his club team, the San Diego Nomads, played at the University of California-Santa Barbara, where he led the Gauchos to the 2006 NCAA title and scored the game-winning goal, and is now playing with the U.S. under-23 team in Bradenton, Fla.
He took the quick trip down to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, and in his lone game in the adidas MLS Player Combine, he posted an assist.
He said the assist gave him added confidence. But when asked for a highlight fron his performance, Avila did not mention that play.
"My highlight was just lasting 80 minutes," said the player nicknamed "Avi". "We've been working very hard in Bradenton, and I was pretty sore."
After the game, he went right back to Bradenton. His next stop is Baltimore, where he has been invited to participate in Friday's MLS SuperDraft festivities. Avila is one of nine players who are part of the 2008 Generation adidas class.
"That's a good sign," Avila said of the invitation. "But I still have no idea where I will be drafted. No clue.
"I'd love to get drafted by a California team, because that's where I am from. But I will be happy no matter I go."
MAKING AN IMPRESSION: Two players creating some buzz this week are midfielder Stephen King of Maryland and forward/midfielder Xavier Balc of Ohio State.
King, who is from Medford, N.J., was a first team All-American in 2007. Small at 5-foot-8 and 153 pounds, King has made the transition from goal-scorer to distributor. After scoring 15 goals as a sophomore, he had two as a senior but added 13 assists.
Balc, a two-time Ohio Player of the Year in high school, was a first-team All-American as a senior with the Buckeyes. He was also the 2007 Big Ten Player of the Year after contributing eight goals and 14 assists, both career highs.
NOT GIVING AWAY SECRETS: Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear didn't reveal much when asked about the prospects who are competing at Lockhart Stadium this week.
"You can't really say because it's just three days, and you have to be a do a little more thorough report on them," Kinnear said. "Guys can't have their best days every single time out. You never know. There are good players in every draft, it just depends on whether they go to the right situation."
In general terms, Kinnear did say that the level of play was better Sunday than Saturday.
"The intensity was better," he said. "But it all depends on the needs for each team. We won't know for sure who the best players are until two years from now."
When asked for an obvious high pick in Friday's SuperDraft, Kinnear did provide a name or two.
"Pat Phelan (Wake Forest) played really well," Kinnear said. "He stood out for me on Sunday. ... Patrick Nyarko (Virginia Tech) comes heavily touted. Good pace. Good quick feet. Put up some good numbers. I am sure he will be an early pick as well.
"But you don't want to say too much. You don't want to jog (a competing coach or general manager's) memory."
COMBINE NOTES:
# Ricardo Pierre-Louis is proof that you don't have to play at a major college to earn attention from MLS teams.
Pierre-Louis, a native of Leogane, Haiti, was the 2007 NAIA Player of the Year while competing for tiny Lee University, located in Cleveland. A three-time All-American, he competed for the Haitian national team last summer in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
# The one top player not at this week's combine is Notre Dame's Joseph Lapira, the 2007 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner.
Lapira has yet to decide if he will sign in Europe or enter the MLS SuperDraft. Lapira, whose mother is from Ireland, made his debut for Ireland in May 2007 against Ecuador.
# There are three players at the combine who are making the leap from preps to pros -- Josh Lambo (Chicago Magic FC), Alex Nimo (FC Portland) and Brek Shea (Texans FC) -- and all have shown potential. The three have all signed contracts as part of the Generation adidas program.
While the No. 1 overall pick in each of the last two years has been a college product (Maurice Edu, Maryland, last year, and Marvell Wynne, UCLA, in 2006), high-school age players were selected two years in a row in 2004 (Freddy Adu) and 2005 (Nikolas Besagno).
MLS Combine Day One: The good, the bad and the ugly
MLS Combine Day One: The good, the bad and the ugly
I know you're just waiting to find out who did and didn't play well at the MLS Combine. Well, I can tell you that there were some standouts in day one, but far more players who just flat failed to impress.
The first game of the day could be best described as terrible. I would go so far as to say it's the worst soccer game I've seen in years, that's all levels (high school, U-10, MLS reserve league). I had planned on doing some sort of running commentary but this match made me think better of it, at least for today.
To be fair to the players, they are dealing with the bad mix of playing with teammates they're unfamiliar with, playing in hot weather (which I'm sure some haven't done in a while) and playing knowing their professional futures could be on the line. There were jitters that will hopefully disappear after today.
These are things that always make day one at the MLS Combine shaky, but the second match of the day kept it from being a complete waste. It should also be noted that some very good players were not here, including Patrick Nyarko and Eric Avila.
On a side note, the three foreign players who are at the MLS Combine who were originally going to be in the draft are no longer going to be in the draft. They will be made available by some other means, so they will have a chance to be in MLS, and are taking part in the combine for teams to see them, but they will not be in the draft. Of the three I would say Uruguayan midfielder Jonathan Sabbatini actually stood out on Saturday.
So who else stood out? Here are some players who helped their cause today, and some who didn't:
DAY 1 STANDOUTS
RICARDO PIERRE-LOUIS: On a day when most other forwards looked pretty bad, Pierre-Louis looked dangerous. His speed, strength and willingness to go at defenders were impressive, as was the repeated occasions when he went right at and got the better of UCSB central defender Andy Iro, one of the top defenders in this draft.
JOSH LAMBO: All four goalkeepers looked good today but Lambo's stock clearly rose as teams got a look at a physically gifted goalie with good size who happens to be 17. He showed strength and quickness and while he isn't overly tall (6-foot), he's still young and has the look of the next great American goalkeeping prospect. I find it hard to believe that the Chicago Fire would pass on this kid.
BREK SHEA: He's 6-foot-3, quick, plays left wing, oh and he's 17 and Generation adidas. That's enough to get picked pretty highly right there. As one of the few bright spots of the day's first game, Shea might be creeping up some draft boards. He got down the wing and was able to get some crosses off, even if none of them led to goals. Looks like a longer-term prospect who his hometown Houston Dynamo might want to consider.
DOMINIC CERVI: Didn't have a ton to do in terms of making saves, but he did well to devour all the crosses that did find their way into his area. At 6-foot-6, he's already got coaches interested, but his display of strength and aggressiveness has him looking like the most MLS-ready goalkeeper in the group.
GEORGE JOSTEN: When you're the only player to score a goal in an entire day of action, you get credit. Josten didn't just score either. He hit a nice blast from the top of the box that the keeper had no chance on. Already considered one of the better forwards in the draft, Josten is off to a good start.
SHEA SALINAS: Skillful winger looked comfortable on the ball and showed good vision. Worked well with the forwards on his team and wasn't afraid to go at people.
ANDY IRO: Yes, Pierre-Louis made things rough for Iro, but he was the only one. Iro is a beast. He's 6-foot-5, strong, fast and fearless. Other than his struggles containing Pierre-Louis, Iro didn't hurt his chances of being a top five pick.
LUKASZ TUMICZ: Showed some flashes, but also missed some good chances. He makes the list for at least putting himself in some good positions.
YOMBY WILLIAM: At an athletic 6-foot-4, William held his own against some highly-regarded forwards. For my money he was more impressive than his center-back partner, the more highly-touted Eric Brunner.
CESAR ZAMBRANO: Showed some good flashes of skill, but did turn the ball over on occasion. I may be overrating him on the day because he was one of the few players to show any shred of creativity in game one.
JONATHAN LEATHERS: Didn't do anything outstanding but he looked steady to me at right back. A central defender in college, Leathers will probably be a right back in MLS and didn't do badly there today.
DAY 1 LETDOWNS:
JULIUS JAMES: Widely regarded as the best defender in the draft, James didn't really stand out and actually looked smaller than his listed 6-foot. He didn't look overly aggressive and you have to wonder if he's just pacing himself. He'll get a real test on Sunday when he faces Ricardo Pierre-Louis' team.
XAVIER BALC: He went into his game today as the most highly-regarded forward on the field, but left the field as the least impressive. That's not a good sign considering how unimpressive he was at the College Cup final, though to be fair, he was going up against a very good defense.
ROGER ESPINOZA: I had high hopes for the young Ohio State winger, and he looked like he might have a good game when he came on, but Espinoza's day was shaky to say the least. He dribbled past a defender on his first possession but didn't do much else. There were no real dangerous crosses and nothing in the way of goal-scoring opportunities. There were turnovers and shaky play. I wonder what was weirder for him, playing against college teammate Eric Brunner or playing on the same team as Julian Valentin, the player who he kicked in the face and left bloody in the College Cup Final.
ALEX NIMO: Yes, he's only 17, but there was no real WOW factor with Nimo. He tried to go at defenders, and showed some good skill on the ball, but he is small (listed at 5-6 but may be smaller) and he didn't show much in the way of game-changing speed. He did more than the other players on this list but I think he's a victim of expectations and on Saturday he didn't really stand out.
CIARAN O'BRIEN: As a Generation adidas signing, O'Brien comes in with added value but he didn't really stand out in my mind. I'll be taking a closer look at him on Sunday because I heard some good things about him and want to see that skill.
That's all for now. Sunday promises to be the best day at the MLS Combine as the handful of top prospects currently training with the U.S. Under-23 national team will arrive to take part in games. Be sure to check back in tomorrow for more MLS Combine coverage.
The best thing you can say about day two at the MLS Combine is that it probably helped restore the faith of MLS coaches who might have been staring at their draft picks like expired lottery tickets.
Top prospects Patrick Nyarko and Eric Avila made their first appearances while several other blue chippers had their games show up.
The 2008 MLS draft doesn't have any ready-made stars, but plenty of players with potential that coaches can work with. We saw much more of that potential on Sunday.
Here are the players who I thought did the most for their stock, and those who are failing to make the most of their best chance to impress MLS coaches:
SUNDAY STANDOUTS
ERIC AVILA- The draft's best attacking midfielder showed why he's way up most teams' draft boards. His vision, touch and creativity were on full display. There are still concerns about him being physically equipped to handle the rigors of midfield play in MLS but on Sunday I saw a player who is always looking to make the incisive pass.
PATRICK NYARKO- Showed the tools that have many coaches pegging him to be the first player chosen. He has speed and really good touch on the ball, but it was his passing that impressed on Sunday. He didn't have any real chances to run at the defense and show his ability to create and finish a shot, but he showed enough to make you see why he's so highly touted.
JULIUS JAMES- So about the criticisms I had for James on day one? Yeah, forget them. James is big,fast, strong and poised. He's the real deal and showed it on Sunday. When you talk about the short list of MLS-ready players in this draft, James is one of them.
SEAN FRANKLIN- A friend at the draft told me to keep an eye out for Franklin and he was definitely on to something. Franklin did everything you could ask a right back could do. He shut down wingers that tried to take him one on one. He delivered crisp passes to the midfield, made smart and quick runs when he saw opportunities and even pressured defenders when he had the chance. He also has an MLS-ready physique.
CHANCE MYERS- Myers didn't have a ton of touches on the ball on Sunday but what he did with those chances left several coaches impressed. He's fast, agressive and also has the touch and vision to deliver pin-point passes out of the back. Teams looking for athletic left backs, like the Red Bulls, will be trying to find a way to take him.
ALEX NIMO- Nimo got the chance to take on defenders and he did so repeatedly, with some successful results. His shiftiness made some defenders drop off of him and give him some space but I still didn't see any real blazing speed. He's a nice young player to be sure but he's clearly a real long-term project.
PETER LOWRY- Smooth central midfielder showed why some coaches think he's MLS ready, scoring a pair of goals on Sunday after helping set up Saturday's only goal. Not a flashy player but gets into good positions, makes crisp passes and has a good workrate. He's a Top-20 player for my money.
El-HADJ CISSE- Big and strong forward scored a nice blast of a goal but I wonder about his speed and ability to create chances for himself on the next level.
DOMINIC CERVI- Has emerged as the best goalkeeper in the draft. Another good day for the 6-foot-6 Tulsa kid. How well has he played? U.S. Under-23 national team coach saw him play and has called him into the U.S. Under-23 national team camp in Bradenton.
JON LEATHERS- Not the biggest defender you'll find but he reads the game extremely well and always looks to be in the right position. After looking good at right back on Saturday he played central defense on Sunday with good results. A nice run forward that he capped off with a 20-yard goal must have surely caught the eye of the coaches who were still paying attention.
RICARDO PIERRE-LOUIS- Continues to show good skills and speed and creates decent chances for himself, but he has yet to score a goal and that may start to prove worrisome to some coaches. That said, he has already shown enough to have teams think about him as a second-round option. If he shows up on Tuesday and scores some goals, then he might start thinking about first-round possibilities. Probably not though.
ANDY IRO- Didn't stand out as much today as Saturday but he's still one of the top two defenders in the draft (along with James).
YOMBY WILLIAM- A pretty good day for the big central defender, including a play where he raced down an attacker who broke in behind the defense on a breakaway. He has the size and speed and, while he's raw, he's certainly impressed some coaches.
Now, there weren't too many players who were truly bad but there were highly-rated players who failed to standout. Here are some:
XAVIER BALC- Better Sunday than Saturday but I'm still waiting for the special qualities that are going to make a team consider him in the first round. Had a chance to show off his free kick skills but sent a close-range free kick into the stands.
STEPHEN KING- May have been the least impressive of the U.S. Under-23 players who made their Sunday debuts. He's a good player but a few coaches wonder if he's really an impact player.
ROGER ESPINOZA- Like Balc, Espinoza played better on Sunday but he still isn't finishing off plays with good crosses or shots. He can certainly run at people and passed a bit better on Sunday, but he still looks several years away from being a real MLS contributor.
CASEY LATCHEM- If you're sensing an Ohio State them it really isn't my intention. Latchem looked pretty bad on Sunday and is arguably the worst goalkeeper here. Doesn't look overly quick and he bobbled a couple of easy possessions. Nerves may have played a part but given how well the goalkeepers have been playing here, Latchem has a lot of ground to make up on Tuesday.
JULIAN VALENTIN- If there's a player who has fallen woefully short of his expectations, I feel as if Valentin is it. He looks slow and has failed to impress on either day Sunday. I really don't see him being an MLS defender but there are coaches who rate him so he'll get his chance. (UPDATE) As it turns out, Valentin is still dealing with issues stemming from the facial injuries he suffered in the College Cup final. This may have contributed to his less than stellar showing on Sunday. I still see him as a mid to late second round pick at best.
CIARAN O'BRIEN- I'm still waiting to see something out of O'Brien. He was better on Sunday but for me, I still haven't seen him be a player that makes sense as a first-round pick, even with his Generation adidas designation.
I'm sure there were other players who I missed, but these are the players who I feel really stood out and the ones who didn't play up to expectations. There were other players who were disappointing, but these are the ones who actually came in highly rated.
Goalkeeper helped lead Wake Forest to first-ever NCAA championship
By Walter Villa / MLSnet.com Staff
Edwards recorded shutouts in his first two games between the pipes at the MLS Combine. (Andy Mead/MLS)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Brian Edwards takes plenty of abuse for his thin beard and mysteriously hairless upper lip, but perhaps more goalies should adopt the look if it will help them play like the Wake Forest star. On Saturday, in his adidas MLS Player Combine debut, Edwards posted a shutout. On Sunday, he was perfect again, although he only played the first half. Then in Tuesday's final day, he watched as his adiPure team allowed their first goal of the Combine, in a 4-1 rout of adiTunit.
He also led Wake Forest to its first-ever NCAA soccer championship this past season, beating Ohio State 2-1. Edwards, a fifth-year senior who came back for one more shot at the title in 2007, made four saves and earned Defensive MVP honors for the College Cup.
But it was during that game that Edwards' rather odd facial hair caught the attention of ESPN's Eric Wynalda. The former U.S. national team star teased Edwards repeatedly about not being able to grow a proper mustache.
"After the game was over and we had won the national championship," Edwards said, "I got alll these text messages. None of them congratulated me on the win, they were just texting me about what Eric had said."
And although Edwards has never met Wynalda, he did watch the game tapes and found it amusing.
Wake teammate Julian Valentin had perhaps the best line when he called Edwards' beard a "chin strap."
Added Edwards: "I don't ever shave. I am 23 years old, and I am just physically unable to grow a mustache."
Edwards paused and then went in for the kill on his teammate Valentin, who has had stitches on his face five times because of soccer accidents.
"But at least," Edwards said, "I have a prettier face than Julian."
All jokes aside, Edwards has been impressive at the combine. Edwards was told by Wake coach Jay Vidovich that a few teams were looking at him, although no more specifics were given.
"He doesn't want me to focus on that," Edwards said.
Of course, from now until Friday's SuperDraft in Baltimore, that is probably all Edwards will think about. In fact, he is already keenly aware of which teams might need a young goalie.
"I know Joe Cannon just left L.A.," he said. "San Jose only has one goalie. D.C. is down a couple."
FINAL DAY OF PLAY: Edwards' adiPure team completed a sweep of all three of their Combine games, defeating adiTunit 4-1 in the final game Tuesday at Lockhart Stadium.
The drama was over early. After just six minutes, George Josten (Gonzaga University) put adiPure into the lead. Alex Nimo set off on an overlapping run on the left and laid the ball off to Matt Hatzke (Santa Clara University). Hatzke crossed into the box where Josten settled the ball at the penalty spot and banged into the left corner.
Three minutes later adiPure doubled their lead, when defender Eric Brunner (Ohio State University) dribbled about 40 yards up the center of the field and let fly from all of 25 yards to find the back of the net. adiPure made it 3-0 in the 15th minute when Ricardo Pierre-Louis (Lee University) beat a player in the area and slotted home inside the left corner, and then Josten scored his second of the game in the 21st minute, converting a Pierre-Louis cross.
Cesar Zambrano scored adiTunit's lone goal four minutes into the second half. A long ball down the left flank found Brek Shea (U.S. U-17/Texans FC), who swung a cross into the middle of the box that Zambrano (University of Illinois-Chicago) hammered home first-time from close range.
In the day's first game, Predator PowerServe won their first game of the weekend, defeating Trofeo 1-0. The game's only goal came in the 18th minute when Kevin Forrest (University of Washington) beat goalkeeper Matt Allen from the edge of the area after left back Mike Zaher (UCLA) found him with a pass from the left flank.
Trofeo goalkeeper Josh Lambo continued the play that has made him among the more highly considered goalkeepers in the Combine, the Generation adidas signee making a number of quality saves after the break to keep his team in the game.
Given it was the third game in four days for the 60-plus players in the Combine, both halves were reduced to 35 minutes in length in each game.
COMBINE NOTES
Valentin was not at the combine Tuesday because he is home in Lancaster, Pa., seeing a doctor about the stitches on his face. Valentin also plans to see a plastic surgeon at Wake Forest in an effort to keep from bleeding as easily on headers.
Defender Andy Iro, who was born in England, said that had he been raised in the U.S., he likely would have played football. At 6-5 and 210 pounds, Iro said he would have played wide receiver or gained some weight and become a tight end.
So what did the players do during Monday's off day? Rest mostly, eat a lot, and hang out at the hotel pool. At least that was the routine for El-Hadj Cisse and his roommate Hugh Cronin. The two were teammates at North Carolina State.
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Edwards recorded shutouts in his first two games between the pipes at the MLS Combine. (Andy Mead/MLS)
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