Duke's Andrew Wenger stands to be one of the top prospects in this year's SuperDraft. (Photo via Duke Athletic Department)

I know I’ve been slacking on my college coverage as of late. But have no fear, my SuperDraft items will really start to kick up in the coming weeks with the start of the NCAA tournament next week. The bracket comes out on Monday and this weekend we will have most of the major conferences finishing up their conference tournaments. So, plenty to watch here while MLS is on break before MLS Cup.

I won’t get into any big board or mock draft yet here. I wanted to basically throw out a list of ten guys that you should be keeping track of because they stand to be first round picks in January’s draft. A lot can and will change between now and then so some of these players could end up sliding off the boards before the Combine too.

So here is my first real watch list for the 2012 MLS SuperDraft (in no particular order).

1. Andrew Wenger (Duke) – Probably one of the most versatile players I’ve seen in years. Last year he was the top defender in the ACC (and possibly one of the tops in the country) and now this year he is scoring goals left and right for the Blue Devils. The junior will likely be a center back or right back in the pros (or even a defensive midfielder depending on who takes him). His attacking qualities though will help put him near or at the top of most club’s lists though. A lot boils down to whether or not he will leave Duke for the SuperDraft though.

2. Kelyn Rowe (UCLA) – The U-20 midfielder is seen as the top prospect in this draft by many around the country. He should be a prime target for a Generation adidas contract and will likely be one of the top three picks. His playmaking abilities are going to make him highly coveted by lots of clubs. A big NCAA tournament will certainly help his stock out.

3. Darren Mattocks (Akron) – Maybe MLS did him and Akron a service by not offering him a GA contract last year. Some said he wasn’t ready for one and luckily for the Zips he came back and has lit up the boards with goals as a sophomore. I know a lot of us had questions as to whether or not he would be able to lead Akron after all the talent that left the team last year but he has risen to the challenge in a big way. My big wonder with him will be if he decides to try to take his game overseas since MLS already kind of turned him down once. We’ll see but either way he should be a top 5 pick if he signs a GA contract this season.

4. Enzo Martinez (UNC) – Another player in line for one of the GA contracts. This junior playmaker has done well to take over for Michael Farfan for the Tar Heels in 2011. He has incredible vision and his set piece abilities have to be high on a lot of folks boards. A big NCAA tournament that takes UNC far will help him rise up the boards.

5. Brian Span (Virginia) – Another sophomore that will be high on a lot of club’s lists. I’d expect him to be in contention for a GA contract as well. He is one of the best wing players in the draft pool right now and given how tough it is to find a quality flank player in this league is – he should land in the first round – if not in the top 10.

6. Eric Schoenle (WVU) – I may be a tad biased on this one since he goes to my alma mater but Schoenle is easily one of the best center backs in the country. He’s big (6-foot-4) and is a major threat on set pieces. It all comes down to whether or not he would leave early from WVU to go to MLS. If he does, he is the first center back taken.

7. Tyler Polak (Creighton) – A left fullback with GA potential. He’s been apart of the US U-17 national team before and has stood out as one of the best fullbacks in the country. Quality left backs (or even right backs for that matter) are tough to come by in MLS so expect him to go high if he signs a GA contract.

8. Luis Silva (UC Santa Barbara) – Another talented attacking midfielder. He was on the GA potential list last year as a junior and now should be one of the top seniors in the draft. I think a strong NCAA tournament and combine could help push him into the top 10 this season.

9. Chris Rolfe (Louisville) – He’s been high on everyone’s list for years now but his senior season hasn’t been quite as good as some expected. The Cards had a lot of hype going into the season and so did Rolfe. He should still be a high draft pick if he signs with the league (though there is still some talk of him going to Europe out there) as long as he addresses concerns over his fitness.

10. Chris Balis (USF) – The lone keeper on my list today, Balis has been stellar this year for the Bulls. He’s a big kid at 6-foot-4, one that covers a lot of the goal. He helped lead South Florida to a strong year in the crowded Big East and I would expect him to be a big part of their NCAA run.

Expect a new look Fire in 2010. (Getty Images)

The 2009 season for the Chicago Fire was expected to be a big one. Talks of MLS Cup and Supporter’s Shield were all the rage to begin the season. Early on this year it looked like the expectations were being met as the Fire lost a single game in the first three months of the season.

Then came the summer where sometimes good teams go to waste. The Fire found some injuries got in the way of a dream season as Brian McBrdie went out with a shoulder injury while head coach Denis Hamlett struggled to keep a locker room happy. The Fire defense, which was once one of the best in the league started to come up short and even more so once Bakery Soumare left town.

Down the stretch the Fire kept coming up short as injuries piled up and their home play was anything less than stellar. In the final 12 games the club only won four games while never really finding any sort of consistent play.

In the end PKs did the club in against Real Salt Lake in the eastern conference finals. Their home play at Toyota Park was still a weakness and now they head into an offseason with a load of questions.

What Went Right In 2009:
When things were clicking and all parties involved were healthy this was one hell of a club. The depth early on was there for this bunch but towards the end even that depth wasn’t enough to push them towards a MLS Cup. McBride and Blanco were still a force to deal with and guys like Wilman Conde in the back were still some of the best in the league. On any given day the Fire could beat you any way around the field they wanted to with Blanco leading the attack.

What Went Wrong In 2009:
Let’s just say expectations were not even close to being met in the Windy City. Sure they reached the conference final but this bunch had better things expected out of them to start the year. The injury to McBride was a real killer in the middle of the year as the offense really never found it’s punch even though guys like Chris Rolfe were still tough to hold up around net. Once the word got out about Hamlett and Soumare and the locker room issues there the club really never was the same again. Questions surrounded whether or not Hamlett would return and they still will for the coming weeks.

What’s Next:
A lot of changes are going to take place over the next few weeks. Blanco is going to Mexico as we know. Rolfe is out to Europe and I’d expect a few more changes to come after that. No word yet on if McBride is coming back for another year and I would imagine a lot of that comes down to who will be coaching this club next year. Hamlett may still come back for the 2010 season but one has to wonder if he really is the right man for the gig. I’d imagine we will hear about his status over the next week or so before the expansion draft. After that expect some moves to happen and some player to leave.

Who to protect and who to expose is the guessing game for the Fire. (Getty Images)

This year unlike the last couple the expansion draft caught up with me here. I almost feel like I am a little late getting these lists out for the draft which is a couple days after MLS Cup. Starting today I will release a team-by-team list of who I think will be protected and who I think will be left exposed.

Now I know I don’t have connections to every club but I will say this year seems to be a little easier to do than in year’s past. Maybe it is because I’ve been doing this for a couple years now and I am starting to get how clubs do this sort of thing.

Today I am starting at the top of the alphabet with the Chicago Fire. I know they are still in the running for MLS Cup here but they too will have to make a decision or two about who to keep and who not to keep.

Chicago is an interesting group that should see plenty of changes this winter. The two I go back and forth on are Blanco and McBride. We know Blanco has signed in Mexico for next year but has an option to return to Chicago if he wants after the World Cup. So do you protect a guy that may not come back? Or protect a high salary of an older guy who’s future is also a bit uncertain?

The one guy I could see go in place of McBride is Justin Mapp, but even his higher salary seems like a gamble to take in this draft so for now I have him unprotected. Also keep in mind Rolfe is gone after this year is up so no need to protect him.

See anyone you think I missed on the protected list? Let’s hear it.

Sacha Kljestan and Chivas head to Chicago to face the Fire. (Getty Images)

It is simple for each club, keep winning and good things happen. All the Chicago Fire needs to do tonight is win (or even draw) and they are in the playoffs. As for Chivas a win tonight and a win over the weekend could turn into a Supporter’s Shield trophy. But more importantly for the task at hand for Chivas is getting an automatic birth out of the western conference, and home field advantage.

The Fire are currently slipping their way out of things right now. While the playoffs should happen for them no matter what their current run isn’t going to help them get to MLS Cup 2009. Tonight they have to get their offense going which has been very lackluster as of late. But more importantly they need their defense to step up and get a result (no wins since the middle of August). If they can duplicate the result in New England from last week the Fire will be well on their way to an automatic bid into the playoffs.

Chivas will have to do a good job containing Chris Rolfe, Brian McBride and company while getting Maykel Galindo involved early in the attack. It also wouldn’t hurt to see Sacha Kljestan come up with a big performance tonight as well. Defensively they can’t allow crap goals to the Fire like they did last week against San Jose.

Both clubs know what they are playing for here and each control their fate in this but I have to wonder a bit about where the Fire are at right now. I do think they will play well like they did a week ago but something about their play at home this year just makes me believe Chivas comes in and steals this one away here. I think this one ends on level terms seeing the Fire go through to the playoffs.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, Chivas 1

For more interviews go here.

Below is the Rolfe interview, enjoy!

There are plenty of goals this week, especially since we had a 6-3 game and a 3-2 game.

Order of video: Frankie Hejduk, Maicon Santos, Dave van den Burgh, Jeff Cunningham, A.J. DeLaGarza, Dax McCarty, David Ferriera, Jeff Cunningham, Edson Buddle, Chris Rolfe, Jamison Olave, Josh Wolff,  Steve Zakuani, Fredy Montero, Dwayne De Rosario, Conor Casey, and Nana Attakora

“I’m very excited, as I think Aalborg is as well,” Rolfe told Goal.com on Wednesday afternoon. “It’s a new opportunity and something I’ve always wanted to do.”

The contract with AaB, as Aalborg is known, is for three years. Terms have not been disclosed.

From the Goal.com report, it said that talks fell apart between Rolfe and MLS/Chicago for a new contract. Aalborg also offered to buy Rolfe in the summer transfer window, which MLS rejected. In a way I have to say that is a bad move on the league’s part because now they get nothing in return for him. They could have at least gotten some compensation in the form of a transfer fee for Rolfe but instead will lose him for nothing this winter.

This move along with the transfer of defender Bakary Soumare last month are showing that things aren’t going so well in the Windy City right now. Chicago is set to lose more than just Rolfe this winter as several key players are in the final years of their contracts.

Rolfe joins another American striker Marcus Tracey at Aalborg. Most remember Tracey for balking at a MLS contract this past winter before the league’s draft.

All I can say is this move is good for Rolfe. He wasn’t being used properly by Chicago manager Denis Hamlett and now he has a shot at making things in Europe.

Blanco and Wilman Conde look to shutdown the Galaxy tonight. (Getty Images)

Week 23 in Major League Soccer gets started a little early. Tonight we get a primetime clash on ESPN2 as the Chicago Fire host the LA Galaxy. Now of course this game has lost a little appeal with David Beckahm (and Eddie Lewis) being suspended for a red card in last week’s game against Seattle. But it should still promise to be a good game between two of the league’s upper level clubs making a push for the Supporter’s Shield.

The Fire are on good form right now as they have only lost once in their last seven matches. LA on the other hand as we just mentioned stumbled a bit last week at home in the loss to Seattle, but even that was their first loss in a while.

Tonight’s game will be without David Beckham and Eddie Lewis but the Fire will also be missing Bakery Soumare.

I think tonight’s game will get bogged down a bit in the midfield but look for Chicago to control the pace there. LA will get a little lucky as the weather has been raining there today in the Windy City from what I’ve been told. If the rain can slow down things it could be to the visitor’s advantage.

Chicago will do well to slow down Landon Donovan and company. All the Fire need to do is get on the board and camp on the lead. They do well with the lead and holding teams to little offense. I look for them to do just that as Blanco and company look to inch their way up the standings. Chicago wins a nasty midfield battled game tonight thanks to Chris Rolfe and Blanco.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, LA 1

Order: Chris Rolfe, Mike Banner, Steve Zakuani, Fredy Montero, Maykel Galindo, Eduardo Lillingston, Chad Marshall, Eddie Gavin, Dwayne de Rosario, and O’Brien White

Order of goals: Kai Kamera, Ricardo Clark, Chris Rolfe, Peter Lowry, Pablo Mastroeni, Conor Casey (1 and 2), Robbie Findley, Alejandro Moreno, Robbie Rogers, Landon Donovan, and Jeff Cunningham.