…. And, voila, you have yourself several opportunities to see your club improve their chances greatly. When I did my draft analysis several weeks ago I fully expected to see some of the cuts made that we're seeing happen in rapid succession at this time. With MLS down-sizing their rosters ahead of their season openers many of the teams in the A-League will be busy trying to snatch up some of the talent that fell through the cracks in the first division's system. The MLS waiver draft gives those clubs first crack at the talent that their rivals were forced to unload because of varying issues but I have a hunch that many talented players will find their way onto A-League rosters in the next couple of weeks.
MLS veterans such as Carlos Parra, AJ Wood, Travis Mulraine, and Mauricio Ramos have decent chances of finding a new home in MLS even though they didn't get picked up in the waiver draft. Other players such as Eric Lukin, Yuri Lavrinenko, Ryan Trout, and Teofilo Cubillas, Jr. all have fairly good chances of being picked up by other MLS clubs as well. Lavrinenko, Cubillas, Trout, and Lukin all have a boatload of potential to help MLS outfits in the future. Now where and when that future is realized is another story. In the long run these younger players may want to spend some, or more in some cases, time in the A-League to develop their professional game instead of taking up space on an MLS bench. On the other hand they may want to take their chances at earning first team play in the top division.
The guys mentioned above are who I think will spend some time in the not too distant future on the rosters of MLS clubs. So what about the other guys? There are several players who were picked in the A-League draft who now appear ready to sign with those clubs. Caleb Norkus, Pablo Webster, and Ryan Lee all look to be at the threshold of promising careers in the pro soccer arena. All three of these players should be picked up with any amount of luck by the clubs that drafted them.
Former North Carolina standout, Caleb Norkus, has a terrific shot of finding his way onto the Charlotte Eagles roster. After the waiver draft concluded with only Andy Williams and Ben Stafford going to the New England Revolution and D.C. United, respectively, the Eagles had to like what they saw. Norkus now appears poised to join the promoted D3 champs to prove he can make his mark on pro soccer. For those who saw him play in college it's easy to expect good things from the former Tar Heel. He plays the ball well with a good first touch and he also has fairly good vision on the field. Overall, it appears that Norkus should have the opportunity to provide help for Dustin Swinehart in Charlotte's offensive third.
Pablo Webster, late of the Kansas City Wizards via Clemson University, also appears poised to find a role within the A-League. The defender was drafted by the Charleston Battery and should find a slot with that club now that he's cleared waivers. He spent time in college playing alongside youth national team members Oguchi Onyewu and Kenny Cutler. Webster should be a good addition to the depth becoming available to the Battery's back-line. With the addition of Webster the Battery now look to have acquired two promising young defenders that came out via the draft this year as they were also able to snatch Pablo Nassar from under the noses of the Atlanta Silverbacks. The Pablos could prove to be a formidable force for the Battery in years to come.
Ryan Lee is another interesting player that came out of the cuts made by MLS especially considering that San Diego will be well served to sign the former Stanford defender. On a tight budget this season possibly signing a player who has a tremendous upside such as Lee is of almost critical importance. Lee looks like quality for seasons to come and it would be a coup for the Flash to acquire the defender. It was a mild surprise to see him slip away from the Colorado Rapids but in the long run he may make another foray into MLS. For the time being, though, it appears that his future lies in Southern California with the Flash.
Overall, a lot of players got frozen out by their MLS clubs and now look forward to the possibilities that having a top-notch second division creates. Players like those mentioned above and Russell Payne, Kerwin Jemmott, Tony Soto, O'Neil Peart, John Carroll, Esmundo Rodriguez, and many more will look to ply their trade in the A-League this season so that they may find their way to MLS or even foreign fields someday. For now they'll have to look forward to helping clubs like Milwaukee, Charleston, Richmond, Atlanta, and the rest of the league close the gap between themselves and Rochester and Minnesota… but that's a story for another day.
Send your comments to the author or
Join us to discuss this article at usldiscussions.com
