Gotta love a good draft rumor the week leading up to the SuperDraft. If you told me a week ago about this idea I probably would have laughed it off a bit but the more I look into the better it sounds on both ends. Several reports including SBI are saying that Toronto and Seattle could be trading picks in this week’s draft.

Toronto would move up to #1 and of all things Seattle would take some allocation and move down to #4. Yup, that would mean Toronto would own the top two picks. After all the talk about Toronto shipping the second overall pick to the best buyer this deal sounds more reasonable for Toronto.

Apparently this is all stemming from a poor MLS Combine for a couple players that Seattle had in mind for the top pick. Mainly Steve Zakuani isn’t living up to his billing at the Combine so far. Sure Combine results are tough to tell anyways from year to year but they do hold weight with clubs.

Plus the idea of getting some extra allocation for the expansion club is a smart move I think. Moving down to number four won’t be a big swing in the quality of player they could draft. Not to mention there could still be a outside shot that Steve Zakuani would fall to that spot if they were there. Toronto would be at the top two and would probably take Stefan Frei and Sam Cronin with the top picks. Some believe they will take Cronin only to deal him to someone else. Which I could see them do it with Omar Gonzalez as well.

Honestly I like this deal for both clubs if it turns out to be true. Toronto gets better in possible in areas they need help with; Mo Johnston gets to play the trade game like always; and Seattle gets some solid allocation and a good prospect for Sigi Schmid.

What do you all make of this possible pick swap between these two sides? It could be a domino effect that could change a lot of things in this draft.

The draft pool is starting to get a little deeper as we head towards this month’s SuperDraft. Word out of the Windy City and now comfirmed by SBI that University of Illinois-Chicago midfielder Baggio Husidic will sign a Generation adiadas contract with MLS.

Some see Husidic as the top attacking midfielder in this draft. His size (at 6′1″) gives him a good advantage over a few others in this draft. Also to go along with this size, his speed is also seen as one of his better assets.

I see Husidic as a mid-first rounder that could move up the board if he continues to impress in some workouts. The need for an attacking midfielder in this draft will be interesting to watch for a few clubs.

Husidic joins a pretty strong Generation adidas class that already includes Maryland defenders Omar Gonzalez, Rodney Wallace and midfielder Jeremy Hall, Akron striker Steve Zakuani, Cal goalkeeper Stefan Frei and Indiana defender Kevin Alston. Some reports suggest other targets Peri Marosevic and Michael Stephens are close to signing and could end up doing so by sometime this week.

Some more names are being added to the league’s Generation adidas list for next month’s draft. Steve Goff is reporting that Indiana junior Kevin Alston has signed with the league as a part of the Generation adidas program.

The defensive back was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree. He was a part of a stellar backline that produced 10 shutouts this year, including eight against top ranked opponents.

He has decent size and speed and will probably be a good fit with many of the clubs in the league.

More names on the way I am told…could see up to 15 names on the list but more than likely it will be around eight or nine.

Okay, I finally got around to writing this up. I’ve already previewed a slew of players but I figure I need to go ahead and talk about guys that we definitely know are coming to the draft because they are seniors!

To follow up on the other draft discussions click here and here. To view the full list of players that will be at the MLS Combine next month, click here.

Okay now that we’ve back tracked I’ve done more homework on some seniors to keep an eye out for (that’s why it has taken me a week or so to wrap this one up). As always, feel free to pipe in your own discussion on the matter below.

1. Brad Ring (Indiana) – Some regard him as the best defensive midfielder in the draft. I think he is right up there. After watching a little bit of his school play this year I do know that Ring (right) is very savvy in the middle. Plus I love his ability to get forward on free kicks and set pieces. Continue Reading…

Two players from the National champion Maryland side have possibly signed Generation adidas contracts with the league today. Craig Stouffer of the Washington Examiner reporting today that defensive midfielder Omar Gonzalez and winger Jeremy Hall are expected to sign with the league.

Hall and Gonzalez are the first of a group of players the league is expecting to sign. Many are expecting this draft to be very deep in talent (but don’t they always say that?).

Both guys should be potential first rounders in this year’s draft. But the combine and other workouts could change that outcome (anyone recall Eric Avila fall to the second round last year after being hyped as a top four pick?).

More players are expected to sign in the coming weeks.

Leave it to Buzz Carrick to find an actual GA list. Apparently he knows someone, who knows someone, who has a list…or something like that. Either way Carrick usually comes through very well on these GA lists every year.

Below are the players on the list he was able to uncover. Keep in mind this isn’t the official list but as Carrick puts it a good starting point.

• Stefan Frei – GK (California)
• Gale Agbossoumonde – D (US U17)
• Kevin Alston – D (Indiana)
• Omar Gonzalez – D (Maryland)
• Ike Opara – D (Wake Forest)
• Baggio Husidic – M (UIC)
• Michael Stephens – M (UCLA)
• Andre Akpan – F (Harvard)
• Cody Arnoux – F (Wake Forest)
• Daniel Cruz – F (UNLV)
• Jeremy Hall – F (Maryland)
• Peri Marosevic – F (Michigan)
• Steve Zakuani – F (Akron)

We won’t get an official list from the league until next month but I am willing to bet a good chunk of these guys will be on that official list from the league. We could still see some guys from the U17 roster join this group but for the most part not too many of them are making a buzz right now.

I hope to have more SuperDraft talk up here tomorrow.

Sam Cronin leads Wake Forest into the College Cup Final Four. (via Wake Forest)

With the College Cup this weekend here in Dallas I felt it was a good time to bring up the SuperDraft yet again and mention some players to watch out for this weekend. I’ve had a few emails over the last couple weeks asking me to continue on my SuperDraft talk that I started back at the beginning of last month. I wanted to wait until we were closer to the College Cup before I did and so here we are now.

Last month I mentioned a few players to keep an eye out for. Today its along the same lines but more for this weekend’s Cup, with a few others sprinkled in there that didn’t make it that far.

I pretty much feel like Wake Forest is in the driver’s seat for this weekend’s Cup. It’s theirs to lose at this point but don’t sleep on St. John’s, that’s the one club that could upset them in the final. Then again so could UNC or Maryland, two schools that know Wake better than anyone else that is left. Still, after watching Wake over the past few weeks, they look hungry as ever to finish the job and win the College Cup.

1. Marcus Tracy (Wake Forest): Some people have him very high on their draft boards, and after seeing a few clips of this speedster I can see why. He may be this year’s Patrick Nyarko, lots of pup before the draft but he won’t end up number one to Seattle. I still see him as one of the top strikers of the bunch for this year. He’s a very big part to Wake Forest and their dominate offense.

Continue Reading…