3rd Degree

January 13th, 2008 . By: Buzz Carrick

Day Two of the MLS Combine is usually the best day for games and this one looks to be no exception.  Six players have come in for today only form the US U23s and that raises the level of play, as well.  They will return to U23 camp tomorrow. Patrick Nyarko is also back in town from the Hermann award ceremony and takes the field.

Before I get too deep into the game I’ll give some general notes.

- Here’s the list of U23s who arrived today: Chance Myers (UCLA), Stephen King (Maryland), Eric Avila (UCSB), Julian Valentin (Wake Forest), Pat Phelan (Wake Forest), and Sean Franklin (CS Northridge).

- Anthony Beltran is hurt and again didn’t play.

- Michael Videira is listed on the rosters and in the player book, but he’s not playing.  So far I can’t find out if he’s hurt or if he’s just missing.  Although I admit I haven’t been beating the bushes to find out.

- Yesterday the sunny side was roped off for coaches but most of them sat on the shady side with the media and public.  Today they had the shady side roped off for coaches and media and gave the public the sunny side.  Not that there was much public today.  One of the worst attendances today that I can recall.

- Manswell is available today.

- Ben Shulvea is out with injury he picked up in the first game.

For today’s notes I won’t touch on everyone.  Just guys who do something worth comment or perhaps change my opinion in either positive or negative ways.  So if I don’t mention someone it doesn’t mean they weren’t there, they just didn’t do anything I felt worth mentioning.

Again, don’t quote me on all the subs; I’m not trying to write a game report.  The details of the game are not that important.

Game One: adiTunit vs. Trofeo

Trofeo in solid red again and adiTunit in yellow shirts and shorts with white socks.  Both teams have shifted formations to 4-3-3, which I was pleased to see.  Red was a mess, though, as their formation was a disaster until their coach swapped two players to straighten it out about 25 minutes in.  The 4-3-3 of adiTunit is a classic one with two holders in front of a back four, a high attacking mid behind a target striker and two wings.  Trofeo tries to use a single holder with two linking mids flanking him and then the target striker and two wings.  In the second half they make it more like a 4-3-2-1.  Final score was 1-1.

adiTunit (Yellow)

First half.

Second half.

Trofeo (red)

First half.

Second half.

Game One Comments and Thoughts

In no particular order…

- Espinoza (84) was better today as he was able to play some combinations and go at some people, but he was a tactical disaster in terms of team shape.  For some reason he and Cordeiro (87) were switched early, with Espinoza on the high wing and Cordeiro as the deep linking mid.  The problem was that Espinoza wants to play deep and Cordeiro doesn’t know how to play linking mid so he went out and hugged the line. So when you added the outside back you had three players standing 5 yards apart on the left wing.  It was a royal mess.  Both Cordeiro and Espinoza didn’t know enough to solve the problem. Their coach finally swapped them and red played much better and began to control the play.

- Balc (85) was on an island in the first half as both red wings were too deep.  He was much better in the second half when they put him next to someone to work worth.  He really does have a sweet left foot.  They gave him one free outside the box and he fired it over the top.

- Sherard (50) did little for me today  His bad throw in, lifting a foot, wasn’t a good sign. But mainly he just doesn’t have enough touch or ball skill.  He’s a bit out of control on defense and made some poor tackles.

- Valentin (93) only played the first half and he did what I expected.  Strong and tough, good reader of the game… and he got his doors blown off with pace by Brek Shea.  Valentin had to bring Shea down from behind for what should have been a PK but was instead a free right outside the box.

- Manswell (57) isn’t very fast, but looks a well-rounded soccer player. Is that enough?

- Campbell (90) might have hurt his groin early and maybe played a little tentative after that. He wasn’t as sharp in this match but I still like him.

- Sassano (89) tried to get red organized but wasn’t successful.  I still think he’s not anywhere close to good enough, but I give him credit for trying to get his team on the same page.

- Cronin (47) reads the game very well and looked quicker on the mark today.  He defends by position.  A solid technical defender.

- Cordeiro (87) is lost playing anywhere but high wing.  He might fit in as a wide mid, but he will need some coaching.  He can beat a player on the dribble when he’s in the right position.

- Barlow (45) didn’t do a whole lot except rip a real nice 35-yard shot that almost got by Allen when it knuckled.

- Shea (49) was interesting to watch as a deep mid.  Not sure he had done it before but you could see him trying to figure out how to best transition play.  His best moment was the forward run when he smoked Valentin.

- Avila (80) couldn’t get the ball when the red team was all messed up tactically. As soon as they fixed the shape and he had help, Avila began to assert himself. Really nice assist on the Red goal from him to spring Roth.  Red’s best player for me.

- I like Roth (82), he’s mobile and technically advanced.  Great ball skill, knows how to play and combine.  Anticipates and moves away from people so he doesn’t get hit.  Plays taller than his listed 5′8″.

- Latchem (10) dropped two balls in the first half that should have been easy grabs.

- Chance Myers (52) has something special.  Really nice player, wonderful feet, reads the game well, and is a terrific defender on either side.  The right’s his natural side and he was very good out there.  He’s clearly MLS caliber in my mind.

- Julius James (56) was much better today.  Active and aggressive both in the middle and wide.  He’s such a great athlete he’s very difficult to beat one-on-one.  He’s the total package.

- Ciaran O’Brien (83) has really nice field awareness of what’s around him.  I expected more special moments I must say.  Good player, but I’m not convinced he’s a first-rounder at this point.

- Kulp (81) was twice as good as a right back, his natural position, than as a left.  But that’s not saying a whole lot.

- Cisse (55) was much better as a wing than he was as a pure forward.  He combines well and can run at guys to effect.  He scored a nice goal on a combination play with Sabbatini through the middle.

- Of the three South Americans here, Sabbatini (42) is the one worth signing.  He’s a capable linking or attacking mid.  Great awareness, tight possession touch, terrific in combination, and advanced thinking and anticipation.

- Stephen King (41) is a solid two-way midfielder but doesn’t blow me away.

Game Two: Predator PowerServe vs adiPure

This was a fun one, at least from the stands, as PowerServe (green) got rocked 4-0.  I thought Green was the weakest team coming into the game and that appears to be true.  PowerServe is in sold green and adiPure is in all white.  Both teams stay in the 4-4-2 from the first day, although green uses a flat four in the second half.

Predator PowerServe (green)

First half.

Second half.

adiPure (white)

First half.

Second half.

Game Two Comments and Thoughts

In no particular order…

- Germanese is quickly becoming my favorite player here (which is not the same as being the best player).  Quick, light on his feet, and nimble with the ball.  He’s putting the outside back under constant pressure.

- Ely Allen has a wonderful motor. He’s all over the place and is quite a good player.  He’s not much of a target striker but he’s a solid withdrawn striker partner and makes a great wide mid.  He’s also a lefty.

- Cervi for my taste is the best keeper here.  He’s strong, confident, and agile.

- Sean Franklin is fantastic.  He’s a prototype modern professional outside back.  Great defender who can really run and cause danger in combination down the line.

- For a forward, Josten does a lot of high defensive work.  But never gets into a danger spots today.

- Zaher was better getting forward today, less stay-at-home.  He did struggle a little with Salinas’ pace.

- Grazier I liked much better as a wide mid.  He had some good ideas and tried to play in combination.  He plays with his head up and has fairly good awareness.  When they moved him centrally in the second half however I was really disappointed.  He just doesn’t look good in there at all and left Jacobson to do all the heavy lifting.  Stay wide kid.

- You could almost copy the above statement and make it about Cameron.  I just didn’t like him in the middle; he was getting lost.  He was much more effective wide when he could find room to work.  He reminds me of the kind of player Nicol likes.  Tall, rangy, can run, and beat someone with the ball.

- McKenzie had another good day.  He’s quick, athletic, strong…  good defender.  I like him.  Worth a mid-round pick for sure.

- Fernandez is an intelligent defender, he knows how to play.  Quick enough, too.  But I just don’t know if he’s worth a full roster spot.

- Brunner at left back?  Yes. Seriously.  He’s fast enough, a lefty, and he can defend well out there.  Being able to play two spots has to raise his value.

- Salinas can really move. He’s got real pace and a fantastic engine.  Nice player.

- Pat Phelan was everything I thought of as a center back in the first half.  Great defender with good feet who can pass out of the back.  In the second half he played D-mid where he played this year for Wake.  I still believe his future is as a center back.

- Chevannes again had a disappointing day.  He was beaten for pace by Pierre-Louis and did nothing but lose the ball when he went forward.

- Speaking of Pierre-Louis, he’s been the most dangerous forward at this combine.  And that includes Nyarko.  He’s kinda long-legged and doesn’t have wonderful touch, but for some reason he’s always getting chances and getting into dangerous spots.  One wonders if it’s service from Lowry that makes him dangerous.

- You can see what makes Patrick Nyarko such a big prospect. He’s a wonderful athlete with great soccer skills.  Today he spends too much time coming way back to midfield to try and get the ball and doesn’t get to use any of his skills in danger spots.

- A second good day for Lowry.  He did the hard work yesterday to set up the goal, twice today someone else did the hard work and he finished cleanly.  Two well-taken goals for him both off Allen/Nimo combinations on the left side.  He consistently gets into good spots and finds players in even more advanced positions.  He’s the white team’s best player overall, I think.

- Tough, tough day for Sipos today as he scored two own goals.  The first was a long ball by Leathers that he deflected.  The second was a cross he headed into his own goal.  I feel bad for him- no one wants a day like this one.

- Leathers played center back today and was good.  Although I liked him considerably better out wide.  He’s got plenty of speed to be an MLS player despite being a bit short for a defender.

- I again like Healey. He’s such a smooth and understated player.  He really reads the game well and anticipates where he’s gonna go with it. I wonder if he’s got another intensity gear and how well he can defend & tackle.  Sometimes I just have a fondness for a guy and Healey is one of those guys.

- Horst is again Green’s best defender.  I think he’s got what it takes as he showed some pace today to go with the good physical defending.

- Hard to blame Kartunen for any of the four goals, but four goals is a lot.  He didn’t make any errors, but didn’t make any saves to keep them in it either.

Monday

It’s a day off tomorrow so I’ll try and get the forward rankings up.  There’s one more set of games Tuesday for me to report on and then I’ll do a combine wrap up.  All four rankings will be updated post-combine.  I’ll also have a mock draft the morning of the SuperDraft and our 7th annual Draft Day Chat Room will be up and running for the draft room.  Once I find a place to host it, that is.

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