The best senior player at the combine and a class all around player for a deep controlling midfield spot.
A two-time All-American, Cronin has started every game of his career at Wake. Blessed with good range, smooth feet, and good awareness; Cronin’s most impressive skills are his game reading, soccer smarts, and mental quickness. Those attributes should translate well to the next level and make him most likely to be ready right away. Cronin played attacking mid down the stretch of the Deacon’s 2007 title run, but is nominally a deeper holing midfielder. He’ll need to develop a mean streak to excel in MLS. Cronin is one of three finalists, and the only midfield candidate left, for the Herman Trophy. He’s also a MLS target for pre-draft signing.
2008: Herman Finalist, All-American First Team, Soccer America MVP First Team, College Soccer News First Team, Atlantic Coast Conference First Team.
2007: All-American Second Team, Top Drawer Soccer Third Team, Soccer America MVP First Team, Atlantic Coast Conference First Team.
Two year’s ago a MLS coach told me this kid was for real and that was before Rhing ripped off a couple All-American seasons. Like Cronin, Ring is a deep lying midfielder who is a good ball winner and has a good shot. Ring led IU in scoring in 2007 with five goals and six assists. He’s also a former US U20. Ring missed some games late this year from injury but returned in time for a good NCAA tourney run by the Hoosiers.
2008: All-American Third Team, College Soccer News Third Team, Top Drawer Soccer First Team, Herman SF, Big Ten First Team.
2007: All-American Second Team, College Soccer News Second Team, Soccer America MVP Second Team, Herman SF, Top Drawer Soccer First Team, Big Ten First Team (Un).
The best wide mid in the draft pool didn’t get to show much at the combine due to team pairings. May have slipped a little. Generation adidas.2008: College Soccer News First Team, Soccer American MVP Second Team, Top Drawer Soccer FirsT Team, ACC First Team.
A very skillful, well rounded, and strong midfielder. Athletic. Not classy like Cronin. Where does he play centrally, wide, or both?
Has signed a pre-draft contract with MLS. Lahoud is a terrific outside midfielder who can play on both sides of the field. A good defender, Lahoud is most well known for his ability to attack and take players with pace or on the dribble. he’s a dangerous scoring threat who creates disorganization with his penetrating runs. Only a couple of Atlantic Coast Conference accolades on his resume doesn’t diminish the talent on display. His 89 games played is third all-time at Wake. Like Cronin is a pre-draft target for MLS to sign.
2008: Atlantic Coast Conference Second Team.
2005: Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team, Top Drawer Soccer All-Rookie Team.
The top performing attacking wide midfielder at the combine. Can both attack and play defense. Has some pace.
The 2007 Atlantic Ten Offensive Player of the Year with ten goals and four assists, Patterson upped his production this year with twelve and five respectively and only scored a Atlantic Ten First Team nod. Patterson is a wide right midfielder or winger and is a leader for SLU on and off the field. A Birmingham native, Patterson will likely have his draft value hurt by his international status. As a youth, Patterson was a prolific goal scorer for West Bromwich Albion.
2008: Atlantic Ten First Team.
2007: Top Drawer Soccer Second Team, Atlantic Ten Offensive Player of the Year, First Team
A hard working but skilled wide midfielder, Fast enough with quick first step, but not a pure burner. Generation adidas. US U20, U17.2008: MPSF First Team
A fast, slashing type midfielder or withdrawn striker. Likes to roam about and change the point of attack.A Ghana U17 and left, but another striker on the short side. Most likely a candidate to play wide in midfield, he was named a Third Team All-American as a midfielder. 13 goals and 6 assists this year to rank 12th in the nation in points per game (1.78) and 13th in goals per game (0.72). Boateng led the Big South in points per game, goals per game and was tied for first in game-winning goals with five. Started his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Liberty.
2008: All-American Third Team, Big South First Team.
2007: Big South Second Team.
MLS Combine
Here’s one of about twenty videos I found on him. Whoever is cutting these needs to tighten them way up and give us one good one.
A tall, play making type midfielder that was unfortunately injured and couldn’t be truly involved at the combine. Pace is a question.
The Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-American, Gotsmanov led the Bluejays with 10 goals. The best pure attacking talent on the midfielder board at this stage, yet questions have been raised about pace and athleticism. At 6-1 he has the size to play in the modern professional midfield. Gotsmanov started his career at St John’s in 2004 where he was named to the Big East Third Team, but then gave up two season’s transferring to Creighton.
2008 All-American First Team, Soccer America MVP First Team, College Soccer News First Team, Herman SF, Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, First Team.
Predominantly a wide midfielder till this year, Shriver shifted up to forward and ripped off an amazing scoring season with fourteen goals and five assists to drive Carolina to the NCAA Final. While he earned a First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference nod as a striker; Shriver’s work rate, good finishing, solid crossing, determination, game reading, soccer smarts, and tenacity make him a viable pro prospect at wide midfielder or winger in the mold of a Brian Mullan. 22 career goals and 11 assists.
2008: Soccer America MVP First Team, Top Drawer Soccer Third Team, Atlantic Coast Conference First Team.
A senior Puerto Rican International, Irizarry is a two time Big Ten Second Team honoree for the Buckeyes. A holding midfielder, Irizarry can score from distance and is much more physical than either Cronin or Ring. Irizarry is perhaps the purest hard nosed defensive midfielder in this group, but is not the passer of either of the other two. He tends to play simply and quickly move the ball to more offensive minded players.2008: Big Ten Second Team.
Crazy fast wide mid, arguably the fastest player at the combine. With or without the ball he beat players to get results. Doesn’t have a clue about how to play defense. Jamaican U20 18 goals and 23 assists in college.2008: SSC First Team, Daktronics All-American.
A smooth and skilled central midfielder with great field awareness. A rung or two below Cronin but with some game to offer.The second Cardinal in school history to earn a Big East First Team spot. Led Big East in assists with eight, added two goals to finish second on Louisville scoring charts this year. A former New Zealand U14, U16, and U20. Started his career at St Francis before transferring to Louisville for his senior campaign.
A slow style play making midfielder. Great passer and ball handlers but wants to slow the pace to a deliberate style. May not fit the fast paced MLS. Dominates the mid-tier Horizon league. I’m not sold he’ll ever amount to anything in MLS.2008: All-American First Team, Soccer American MVP First Team, College Soccer News Second Team, Top Drawer Soccer First Team, Horizon League Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and First Team.
A NFL strong safety in a soccer uniform. Massive, strong, and intimidating. Good long range shot, nice passing, and a little ball skill. With some coaching I see big upside as a holding mid, but is raw in current form.2008: Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year, Offensive player of the Year. Daktronics First Team All-American, NSCAA Third Team All-American.
Tall wide mid who likes to run the field and get in crosses. Will play defense. Wasn’t fit enough at the combine.
A 6 foot 2, 190 pound left winger, Curtis exploded this year with five goals and eleven assists to earn Big West Midfielder of the Year honors. His eleven assists ties a single season school record, and seventeen helpers for his career sees him second in Davis history. A red-shirt senior and a late bloomer in soccer terms, Curtis was the Cal-Davis MVP in 2007 after a couple part-time-starter seasons.
2008: All-American Third Team, Big West Midfielder of the Year, First Team.
Lots of nifty moves but he tries to do to much. Sometimes gets in the way of his own team. Off the pace defensively and fouling to much. Could be amazing, or could be out of MLS in a month. A love/hate kind of player.An attacking mid or second forward, Jata is the kind of game changing college talent that dominates at the level Campbell play. Perhaps one of the most media savvy and hyped players in years, at least by his people, Jata will need to prove he can produce the electric performances against top tier talent at the MLS Combine. Scored a career-high 28 points in 2008 with 12 goals and four assists to lead the Atlantic Sun goals (0.71) and points (1.65) per game. Jata tied the Atlantic Sun record with seven game-winning goals. Over three years Campbell has a 20-1-1 record in games when Jata has scored. In only 57 career games, Jata collected 71 points (15th in school history) on 28 goals and 15 assists. Transferred to Campbell in 2005 after leading the talent rich Furman in scoring as a freshman in 2004 with 4 goals and 3 assists.
2008: All-American Second Team, Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, First Team.
The 2006 Big West Midfielder of the Year when he led Irvine in scoring with 25 points on 10 goals and five assists. That was seventh highest single-season scoring total in UCI history. Murphy ends his career as the all-time leader in goals (33), points (85) and game-winning goals (11) at UC Irvine. Three time All Big West.2008: College Soccer News Third Team, Big West First Team.
A nice ball player with good foot skills. He wants go forward in a hurry but could use a little more pace. Never got any results for his effort.Listed as Junior on the FIU website, he’s been invited to the combine. If he can show against the larger talent there he could be moving up the rankings. Both a creator and scorer, he led FIU in points this year with 16 on six goals and four assists. Venezuelan U-15, U-17 and U-20.
A shorter holding mid with a knack for being in the right place. Made some very nice passes including one for a goal early in the weekend.An Icelandic U21 with a green card, Elisabertarson is a three time Southern Conference First Team honoree. The one season he missed out was 2006 when he missed all of spring training playing with Iceland. Played PDL with the Carolina Dynamo. Charlotte has produced a few players at the USL level the last couple years, can Jokull make the step up to MLS?
2008: Southern Conference First Team.
2007: Southern Conference First Team.
2005: Southern Conference First Team & College Soccer News FAA as defender.
A tall and strong looking above average player. In the right system he might be this year’s Jeff Cameron… or he might not.A four year starter at JMU, end his career 12th on school assist list with 21. 13 career goals to go along. Led JMU this year in goals (6), assists (5) and points (17).
2008: Colonial Athletic Association First Team.
2007: Colonial Athletic Association Second Team
2005: Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team.
A play making type who can’t quite beat people one v one at this level. Good ideas, they just don’t work here. Will be great in the USL.Stayed for 5th season after being on our rankings last year. Has been named to an All-BIG EAST Team for four consecutive seasons. In 2008 ranks third on the team in scoring with two goals and six assists. In 2006 Maduro became only the second Friar to be named a First Team All-American and the first to be named First Team All-Big East. The 2006 Providence College Athlete of the Year for a Team Sport, Maduro had a great 2007 season without earning some of the same accolades. An attacking midfielder or withdrawn forward who can both score goals and create opportunity, Maduro finished 2007 tied for the team high with his career best five goals, his six assists led the team. He has 50 career points (14 goals, 22 assists), good for 8th in Providence career points. red-shirted in 2004 with an injury.
2008: Big East Second Team.
2007: Big East First Team.
2006: All-American First Team, Big East First Team.
A play maker type midfielder that reads to slow to be a top level player. Ball to slow to come off the feet but he can dribble a little.Jamaican International and former US U23, he’s been in the Jamaican system for many years. Priestley was Big East Second Team in 2008 with 10 points, three goals and four assists, in 16 games played. As a freshman at Jacksonville, Priestly notched 11 goals with 5 assists to earn Atlantic Sun first team recognition as well as All-Rookie Team.
2008: Big East Second Team.
2007: Big East Second Team.
06 Top Drawer Soccer Fifth Team, Big East Second Team.
A Third Team All-American and unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year. A member of the 2008 New Zealand Olympic Team, a former Kiwi U20 for the 07 Worlds, and a former All-Whites U17. First All-American at Dartmouth since 1998, finished second on the team with 17 points on 6 goals and 5 assists. Missed most of 2006 with an injury so he might have another year of eligibility.2008: All-American Third Team, Ivy Player of the Year, First Team
2007: Soccer America MVP Second Team, Ivy Second Team.
Another Trinidadian playing for South Florida, the 6-0 Neaves grabbed three goals and added four assists this year to get his third career Big East nod. A four year starter at USF. A T&T U20, Neaves was recently called to the senior side.2008: Big East First Team.
A former US U18 and a three year starter for the Bruins, Leopoldo is the co-leader in assists in the Pac-10 this year with nine. Thirteen goals and seventeen assists in his career. Leopoldo undoubtedly has talent but at 5 foot 7 it’s going to be very difficult for him to play in the intensely physical MLS. I’d like to rank him higher, but not getting a combine invite with this kind of resume isn’t a good sign. Two-time First team Pac 10 with a second team nod in 06. Trained with Paulista in Brazil in 2004.2008: Pac-10 First Team.
A big part of the improved Maize and Blue with eight goals and five assists. Two-time Big Ten First Team. He concludes his career in second on the U-M all-time assists list (21) and fifth in both goals (15) and points (51). Again though size is a factor in the modern MLS.2008: Big Ten First Team.
A four time Mid-American Conference First Team player and former US U20 pool member. Had his best year as a senior with career highs in goals (6), assists (9), shots (52) and points (21). Knocked Ohio State out of the second round of the NCAA tourney with a header with only 5 seconds left in the second overtime. Overshadowed on the terrific Akron team by their sensational underclassmen.2008: Mid-American Conference First Team.
A player I wish I could rank higher. A good midfielder who’s game I enjoy. He’s never put it all together and getting hurt here can’t help.One of my favorite players in the entire draft, I love this kid’s game. Harwell has a terrific motor plus the pace and skill to beat defenders one on one. A good passer, he had a goal and six assist this year for the ponies, the assists tied for second in Conference USA. In four seasons with the Mustangs, Harwell had 32 points on six goals and 20 assists. A former US U20 pool player. In order to make it as a pro Harwell will need to better his training and off field habits. The potential and physical tools to be a really good wide midfielder or even outside back are there, he just needs focus and professionalism. A strong combine will be key for him.
Another player I enjoy watching play and I would have loved to rank higher, Callahan is a smooth and confident midfielder with good field awareness. There just may not be enough athleticism for the MLS level, although I really hope I’m wrong about that. How good is the Atlantic Coast Conference when he makes the second team there and then makes Second Team All-American?2008: All-American Second Team, Atlantic Coast Conference Second Team.
A terrific fast rising talent in 2007 with 8 goals and 8 assists, DeFreitas was derailed in 2008 by injuries. Has played PDL with the Des Moines Menace. Tall and lanky, Defreitas has the talent to make it as a pro if he can get the injuries cleared up. Ends his career with 18 goals and 22 assists.2007: College Soccer News Third Team, Conference USA First Team
A average player without all that much remarkable skills. He’d be down a group… except that he’s a lefty. And left mids are hard to find.The first player in Penn history selected to the MLS Combine. Unanimous All-Ivy First Team in 2008, finishes his career with 20 assists. Led Quaker three of last four years in assists and was twice team MVP. Eight career goals including four game winners.
A starter most of his four years at State. Finishes his career with 7 goals and 12 assists. A key part of the Spartan Big Ten Tournament and Regular Season Championships this year. Played PDL with the strong Michigan Bucks team in 2008 and the West Michigan Edge in 2007.2008: Big Ten First Team.
A four time MPSF honoree with three straight First Team nods. Led the quickly rising Denver program this year with 0.41 assists per game. Canadian. 9 goals and 17 assist for his career.2008: MPSF First Team.
Speedy winger type but doesn’t have the skills to beat people one v one.A left footed wide mid, a three year starter for UW after transfer from Highline Community College where he lead the team to Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges title in 2004. During the regular season led the Pac-10 in points per game (1.18) and was fifth in overall points (20). He tallied career-highs in goals (seven) and points (20), with six assists. Again at 5′7″ size could be an issue.
The “other wide player” on Wake’s great teams the last 4 years, Franks is totally overshadowed by his teammates. He’s a good defender and solid two way player that may yet have some usefulness. No accolades in the Atlantic Coast Conference isn’t a worry. It’s entirely possible I have him way to low, he’s just never stood out at Wake with all that talent.Combine List
Hard working and fit, with an awesome engine. But not enough skill to go with it.I once heard Sigi was scouting him as a potential pro, so people are obviously aware of his talent. Started his college career with New Mexico, scoring the Lobo goal in the College Cup to get UNM to the final. Transferred to SLU for final two years. Led the Bilikens in assists in 2007 with five, broke lose in 2008 with seven goals and 10 assists. Including his first two seasons at New Mexico, Barklage has fifteen goals and 24 assists in his collegiate career. He’ll likely be a midfielder or withdrawn striker if he makes it as a pro. Depending on where he plays at the combine I may move him to the midfield rankings. Former US U17.
Played 2005 and Vanderbilt before transferring to the talent mill that is Furman. The latest in a strong line of good midfielders for the Paladins. Five goals and a team leading six assists in 2008.2008: Southern Conference First Team.
2007: Southern Conference First Team.
2005: Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team.
Plays nervous and behind the pace of action. Struggled to keep up.A former US U18 defender, Castaneda was predominantly a midfielder at Duke, although he did play in the back. Will he revert back to defense at the pro level? It’s very possible as he has the size and athleticism. Led Duke in minutes in 2008, started 62 of his 75 games played, and logged the second most minutes on the team in 2006 and 2007. Part of the Duke defense that posted 10 shutouts in 08. For his career, he tallied two goals and five assists. Depending on where he plays at the combine, he might get moved to the defender ranking post combine.
A Bosnian midfielder with some promise, Hamzagic had his college career derailed with a blown ACL at the end of 2007. Returned in 2008 but only made 11 starts although he did grab 3 goals and 5 assists in that short time. Has he fully recovered? They say a ACL takes a year to get back on the field and then a year to return to top form. The injury will scare some teams, but he might be a real steal late in the draft or as a free agent. Ends his career with 15 goals and 18 assists. Has a green card.2007: Atlantic Ten First Team, Top Drawer Soccer Third Team
Jafta is a bit of an enigma as the tiny 5′6″ midfielder was a three-time PDL Team of the Year honoree for the Michigan Bucks while playing his college ball at tiny Lindsey Wilson College in the NAIA. Once on the MLS Generation adidas interest list, Jafta was obviously never signed. A 2007 NAIA All-American. From South Africa.2008: PDL Team of the Year
2007: PDL Team of the Year, NAIA First Team All-American, First Team Mid-South Conference.
2006: PDL Team of the Year, Mid-South Conference Second Team
A Brit, Klukowski led Central Connecticut with eight goals, five assists and 21 total points. A four time Northeastern Conference honoree, three in the first team. Klukowski was captain of England’s U-18 team in 20052008: Northeastern Conference First Team.
2007: Northeastern Conference Second Team.
2006: Northeastern Conference First Team.
2005: Northeastern Conference Rookie of the Year, First Team
A hard nosed battling d-mid, Peterlin has little offensive production but has good range. Started his career at UC Santa Cruz before transferring to Poly.2008: Big West First Team.
Vermont’s playmaker, Crasilneck is tied for seventh in the nation with 10 assists, tying the UVM single-season record. He also has scored three goals including two game-winners. A three time All-American East honoree.2008: Ameirca East First Team.
A unanimous All-Ivy selection in 2008 after he led the league with 9 assists. Finished his career tied for 5th on the Crimson’s all time list with 23 helpers. How much of that is feeding Andre Akpan is hard to say, perhaps it’s the other way around.2008: Ivy First Team
Tied for the team lead with 15 points in 2008 with a team high six goals out of midfield. Named to the 2008 PDL Team of the Year playing for the Reading Rage.2008: Patriot League First Team, PDL Team of the Year (Reading Rage).
Along with Rod Dyachenko, one of two Rebels in shcool history to make the MPSF First Team three times. Led the MPSF with 9 goals. Neagle finishes his career at UNLV ranked ninth in goals with 27, while his 60 points put him in a tie for eighth place.2008: MPSF First Team.
An unheralded player I took a liking to at the 2007 College Cup. Here’s what I wrote about him at the time. “He’s got some real balls and guts, and isn’t afraid to throw his body into physical danger and “get stuck in” as the Euro-philes like to say. Big enough and fast enough, he also works quite hard and loves to crash the box. He’s got both the mentality and game to make it if he keeps working. He could be a wide midfielder, or perhaps might be a great converted outside back like Jonathan Bornstein.“ This is the kind of player the old developmental roster was made for that might slip through the cracks this year. Ends his OSU career with 7 goals and 13 assists.2007: Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
A tough holding midfield type player, Lewis started his career at St John’s where he was second team Big East before transferring to North Carolina. Virtually ever present in the Tar Heels midfield during their NCAA runner-up run this year.2005: Big East Second Team, College Soccer News All-Freshman Team.
One dimensional tackler, ever single pass he made at the combine went backward.Four year starter for the Cavs is a versatile player who can play in both midfield and defense but has been primarily a defensive stalwart for the Cavs over his career. Broke out on the score sheet with 3 goals and an assist this year after grabbing only 2 assists in his previous three years. Listed as a midfielder on the combine list but might have a better shot in the back line.
Arguably the worst player at the combine. Did almost nothing right.2005 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, the first in LMU history. Kim went on to build a solid resume with two NCAA Tournament appearances, two Horizon League Tournament championships, a League regular-season title, an overall record of 40-28-12, and three First Team All-Horizon League nods. He led the Ramblers with five assists this season and ranks tied for fifth all-time with 18 in his career at Loyola. Played PDL with Chicago Fire U-23. Red-shirted in 2004.
2008: Horizon League First Team.
2007: Horizon League Second Team.
2006: Horizon League First Team.
2005: Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, First Team.
Transferred to Adelhi from Missouri Valley College then ran off two straight Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Year awards his final two and three straight Atlantic Soccer Conference First Team nods overall. Figueiredo is eighth in the nation this year in goals per game (0.83) and 14th in points per game (1.72). Ends his career with 34 goals and a total of 69 points. Brazilian.2008: Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Year.
2007: Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Year, First Team.
An Israeli and four year starter for UConn. Stepped up as a big game player in his junior year by scoring all four of his goals that season in the UConn post season run. 11 goals and 8 assists in his career.Combine List
Missed four games with an ankle injury in 2007 but had shown some talent for the Billikens as a holding midfielder prior to that despite his size. Vanished in 2008 only playing 11 games, apparently due to injury.2007: Atlantic Ten First Team
2006: Top Drawer Soccer Fourth Team, Atlantic Ten First Team
2005: Atlantic Ten Freshman of the Year, Atlantic Ten Second Team
Some injuries derailed his senior year a bit, but he still made 12 starts and grabbed a Conference USA 3rd Team nod. In his career, Turnbull has totaled 16 assists, good for third-place all-time in the UK record books. Turnbull is a former Canadian U20. A lefty.2008: Conference USA Third Team.
Stisser led LMU with a career-high four assists and was second overall with three goals and 10 points. Started his career at Coastal Carolina before transferring out west.2008: WCC Second Team.
[...] Buzz Carrick, 3rd Degree: “Crazy fast wide mid, arguably the fastest player at the combine. With or without the ball he beat players to get results. Doesn’t have a clue about how to play defense.” [...]
[...] what I wrote about him in my rankings where he was #18 in midfielders. Listed as Junior on the FIU website, he’s been invited to the combine. If he can show [...]
[...] The attacking midfielder drew the following critique at the recent combine from Buzz Carrick: [...]
[...] Buzz Carrick, 3rd Degree: “Crazy fast wide mid, arguably the fastest player at the combine. With or without the ball he beat players to get results. Doesn’t have a clue about how to play defense.” [...]
[...] what I wrote about him in my rankings where he was #18 in midfielders. Listed as Junior on the FIU website, he’s been invited to the combine. If he can show [...]