I... I... I mean SuperDraft 2011!
Placing all your hopes for the future in drafting a college player has its pitfalls. Ask anyone who was a fan of the Vancouver Grizzlies, heck ask a TFC fan about Zach Herold. Luckily though, for every horror story that is out there, there are countless successes. [PAGE][/PAGE]
A survey of trusted soccer blogs and news columns says The Vancouver Whitecaps are likely to sign Darlington Nagbe with their first overall selection in next Thursday's Entry Draft.
It was announced earlier this week that Darlington Nagbe would not be participating in this years combine. This sort of move is one that normally means a player has been assured that they will be taken 1st overall, and has been asked not to risk injury during the showcase. We've seen it in the NFL and we've even see it happen in previous MLS drafts. Several other high profile draft eligible players will also forgo the combine while they attend the USMNT U20 camp.
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There have been a few questions raised around town of whether or not the club will indeed use their first overall draft pick, or deal it off to another team in exchange for a more established veteran. The idea has even been bandied about that the club will trade the pick for allocation money or an international spot.
Darlington (Nuclear Power!?) Nagbe is coming off championship season at Akron where he scored 7 goals and had 13 assists in 25 games in his Junior Year. His school's coach has quickly become one of the most highly respected voices in american soccer having been considered in the mix for the recently filled DC United coaching spot. Having guided Steve Zakuani and Teal Bunbury through his program, Caleb Porter's eye for talent, and ability to develop it, is reason enough to listen up when he is talking about how talented a player is. This years draft class features 6 potential first round picks from The Zips. Nagbe draws Porters highest praise. "He is unlike anything I've ever seen in college soccer..." and "...the best college player in the country." he recently told Mike Peticca
All in all it sounds like Nagbe is a great pick up, but should Cap's fans look to him to solve the teams scoring woes up front? By all accounts he sounds like a player who is great with the ball on his feet and is great at setting up goals. Whitecaps fans are going to be desperate for goals this year. Especially the fans who sat through low scoring draw, after low scoring draw last year in the USSF-D2.
The Whitecaps whole scenario gets even more interesting when you consider the fact that they also have TFC's 8th overall pick as well. There is always the potential for trades in an event like this. DC United are desperate to bolster their roster after a humiliating 2010 season. Houston could be looking to trade from their 7 Spot.
Vancouver really are in the drivers seat at this point.
While the 'Caps seem pretty deep at the back end of the pitch with Rochat, Janicki, DeMerit, and Knight, as potential starters already signed for the 2011 season, the real gap that seems to need to be filled is a creative playmaking midfielder. Unfortunately the two most highly rated players that fit this mold (Akron's Anthony Ampaipitakwong and UNC's Michael Farfan) are fairly undersized by the MLS standard.
While I'm not oblivious to the fact that Lionel Messi is below average height, and both Pele and Maradona were vertically challenged, it's unfair to all parties involved to make those sorts of comparisons.
I'm just hoping the 'Caps draft at least 1 kid from Ohio so I can title an article "I'm going to take my talents to Third Beach"