Of the six MLS rookies with a goal or assist so far this season, five were taken in the first or second round of the 2007 SuperDraft.
Adam Cristman, meanwhile, was selected in the fourth round by New England. The former Virginia forward was the fifth-to-last pick (48th overall), but he leads all rookies and is tied for third in the league with three assists. He also scored his first goal of the year in the Revolution’s 3-2 win at Los Angeles last weekend.
“It was the goal-scoring side of him that we weren’t sure of, which is why we took him so late in the draft,” said Revolution head coach Steve Nicol. “But when he came in preseason, he scored in every game we put him in. So we were obviously delighted. It’s nice for him to get off the mark.”
New England (4-1-2) is currently Major League Soccer’s best team, and with five starts in seven games, Cristman has become an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. It’s an award the Revolution has captured in two of the last three years: Michael Parkhurst won in 2005, following Clint Dempsey in 2004.
Cristman, a Glen Allen, Va., native, knew of New England’s history of successful rookies, but more importantly, he saw an opening when veteran forward Pat Noonan was sidelined by a sports hernia.
“I saw it as a situation where they didn’t have that many forwards so immediately was thinking I would have the opportunity to hopefully get some kind of time,” said Cristman.
As a late-round draft pick, he earns a paltry $17, 700 and lives with a host family outside of Foxborough, but the 6-foot, 180-pounder could be more prepared for the long grind of the seven-month MLS season than some of his younger — and richer — colleagues.
“A lot of these guys leave school early for Generation adidas and things like that,” said Cristman. “After being here, the reserve games they play are good games, but it’s hard to match the intensity of the college season in the ACC.”
Drafty feeling
» Adam Cristman played high school soccer at Mills Godwin outside of Richmond, winning a Group AAA state championship in 2003, preventing a dynasty by West Springfield, which won the title in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
» Two-thirds of New England’s starts this season (52 of 77) have been made by Revolution draft picks. In contrast, more than half of D.C. United’s starts (28 of 55) come from players acquired by other means.
