D.C. with two early picks; plenty of local talent
Name
Hometown
College
Position
Kevin Alston
Silver Spring
Indiana
D/M
Omar Gonzalez
Dallas
Maryland
D
Jeremy Hall
Tampa, Fla.
Maryland
M
Michael Lahoud
Annandale
Wake Forest
M
Rodney Wallace
Rockville
Maryland
D/M
Toronto FC has three picks (No. 2, No. 4 and No. 12) in the first round of the 2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, more than any other team. Is there any chance the Canadians have approached D.C. United, which owns selections No. 6 and 7, with an offer to move up?
“They’ve approached 14 teams,” said United general manager Dave Kasper.
Thus goes the crapshoot that has become the league’s annual draft of college players, a trend that looks to continue despite the consensus that this year’s crop of talent has more depth and potential for immediate impact than 2008’s group. It also boasts a heady number of players with local ties.
It would be hard for the 2009 class to have less impact than rookies did in 2008, when No. 3 overall pick Sean Franklin, a defender out of Cal-State Northridge, was the only first-rounder to make a significant impact — earning a MLS Rookie of the Year honors with Los Angeles despite being part of the league’s worst defense.
Because there isn’t agreement how valuable the best players in this year’s class might be, teams are willing to listen to offers, and it appears unlikely that the original draft order will still be in place by the time this afternoon’s proceedings are underway.
Five players with local ties are nearly guaranteed to be among the first 15 selections made, with Maryland defender Omar Gonzalez emerging as a potential No. 1 pick. He and two fellow early departures from College Park, Jeremy Hall and Rodney Wallace, have already signed multi-year Generation Adidas contracts with the league and are virtual first-round locks.
Should United keep its spots at No. 6 and 7 — “We think there will be some options,” said Kasper — a likely selection is Indiana junior and Silver Spring native Kevin Alston, another Generation Adidas player who has trained with D.C. in the past.
Alston would help fill United’s desperate need for defenders. D.C. recently announced new contracts for Marc Burch, Devon McTavish and Bryan Namoff. But Gonzalo Peralta will not return this season, and Gonzalo Martinez is also a question mark.
According to a source, United has also expressed interest in Cal goalkeeper Stefan Frei, who is the best netminder prospect since former Terp Chris Seitz was drafted fourth overall by Real Salt Lake in 2007.
