Likely quandary involves choosing developmental player or more polished one D.C. United isn’t looking to get younger in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, not with all four of the players it selected last year and four homegrown signings from the last three seasons in the fold.
Still, United can’t afford to squander its choice with the seventh overall selection, its only pick. In fact, the timing of the pick could be tricky. D.C. United may be forced to choose between a Generation Adidas player who offers promise for the future and minimal effect on the salary cap or a college senior ready to contribute right away for a team desperate to end a streak of four straight years without a playoff berth.
| MLS SuperDraft |
| When » Thursday, noon |
| Where » Kansas City, Mo. |
| TV » ESPN2 |
“We have plenty of youth,” United coach Ben Olsen said. “I don’t think we’re looking to get five new young guys. But one or two young guys that can help us, I think they’re out there.”
The biggest prize Thursday is likely to come from Akron, where D.C. United got defensive midfielder Perry Kitchen last season with the third pick. Zips forward Darren Mattocks is expected to go first to the expansion Montreal Impact, which would lead Vancouver to choose Duke standout and Hermann Trophy winner Andrew Wenger second overall.
With a chance to add attacking talent, D.C. United will need to see how things fall from there, with forwards Chandler Hoffman (UCLA) and Dom Dwyer (South Florida) and midfielders Enzo Martinez (North Carolina) and Kelyn Rowe (UCLA) all attractive as Generation Adidas signings. However, Nick DeLeon (Louisville), Ethan Finlay (Creighton), Luis Silva (USCB) or Casey Townsend (Maryland), all seniors, could arrive proven and primed for the jump to MLS.
“I think that’s the big question mark,” United general manager Dave Kasper said. “Are the GA guys ready to play, certainly the ones that will be available at No. 7, versus the senior guys who have a little more experience?”
With 19 teams, MLS has reduced the primary draft to just two rounds. A four-round supplemental draft will take place next week, but the league also has begun to shift its funds toward aiding the signing of homegrown players developed by the clubs themselves. The change in emphasis has led to the concern that the draft itself could become irrelevant in the near future, but the sense remains that this year’s class of prospects, while somewhat devoid of superstar talent, is as solid as any in recent years.
“We certainly are in favor for more funds for homegrown signings,” Kasper said. “We have an established program, and we have a history of bringing guys from our program into our first team. We want to continue to do that, and that takes more money. At the same time, the college system is still important for bringing players into our league. They’re both equally important.”
