The Montreal Impact went with the consensus best overall talent in selecting Duke’s Andrew Wenger with the No 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
Wenger is not considered to have flashy skills, but is seen as a solid MLS player that will likely be in the league for many years. He was the most outstanding player in college last year – not always a great indicator of MLS success – and it was thought that Vancouver desperately wanted him.
The best player in the draft was likely Kelyn Rowe, but there was some suggestion that he indicated that he would not report to a Canadian team. New England was always the suggested destination for Rowe and the Revs did, indeed, select the UCLA product.
All three Canadian teams were front and centre in the draft, with Vancouver selecting second overall and Toronto the only team with two selections in the first round.
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And, with Wenger off the board, Vancouver’s first selection was anti-climactic. The consensus selection was forward Darren Mattocks from the powerhouse program at Akron. Although college soccer has a well deserved reputation for not being the best breeding ground for pro soccer players, the program at Akron can be seen as an exception. It takes pro development seriously.
Thought to be the best attacker available the only knock on Mattocks is that as a Jamaican he will take up an international spot
With the No 4 selection Toronto grabbed attacking midfielder Luis Silva from UC Santa Barbara. According to Paul Mariner, Silva was the player TFC most wanted from the draft.
An attacking midfielder with some gaudy stats, Silva was considered the best player at the combine. Although the 2012 draft class isn’t thought to have many potential all-stars, Silva is a player that might make fans take notice – he’s fast and technically solid.
Toronto’s second pick of the first round went to try and fill a hole. Defender Aaron Maund of Notre Dame at No 12. Maund is solid physically and said to be good in the air. If he gets time – and it’s by no means a sure thing – he could help Toronto deal with its set-piece issues.
With the first pick of the second round Montreal selected Calum Mallace from Marquette. He’s a long-shot prospect that will probably top out as a depth player. At No 21, that’s about as good as you can expect.
The Whitecaps went with an even bigger long-shot with their second round pick. At 22, Indiana’s Chris Estridge is likely as good as he’s going to be – a 22-year-old still playing college soccer.
CSN will have more analysis on today's selections over the next day.