Nuvinho
11-23-2010, 10:41 AM
MLS identifies non-seniors for possible Generation Adidas contract offers after NCAA season
By Steve Goff
The Insider has obtained a list of non-senior college players identified by MLS for possible Generation Adidas contract offers after the NCAA tournament:
Akron junior MF-F Darlington Nagbe
Akron junior D Kofi Sarkodie
Akron sophomore D Zarek Valentin
California junior GK David Bingham
Indiana junior F Will Bruin
Maryland sophomore D Ethan White
Maryland junior MF Matt Kassel
Maryland GK Zac MacMath
Maryland junior F Casey Townsend
Notre Dame sophomore MF Dillon Powers
Penn State junior F Corey Hertzog
UC Santa Barbara junior MF Michael Tetteh
UC Santa Barbara junior MF Luis Silva
The league hopes to sign between eight and 10 from this list. From what I hear, two other highly regarded players, Connecticut junior midfielder Tony Cascio and Duke sophomore forward Ryan Finley, are expected to remain in school.
For clubs, the advantage of acquiring a GA player is the accompanying exemption from the salary cap for at least two years. For the player, joining MLS early yields a larger contract/signing bonus than a senior would receive.
One of the aims of Generation Adidas is to enhance the player pool in the draft, which this offseason will take place Jan. 13 in Baltimore. However, MLS's year-old homegrown rule complicates the situation. Clubs are beginning to take advantage of the policy by signing players who pass through their youth academy. As I understand it, a club would have first rights to an academy player who decides to sign in MLS. If the team doesn't want to offer a contract, the player would then become available to all clubs in the draft.
Kassel (Red Bulls), Hertzog (Philadelphia), White (D.C. United) and Cascio (Real Salt Lake) are affiliated with MLS club academies. I'm not sure about others mentioned above. In general, most college players would go into the draft.
According to sources, MLS has also taken a strong interest in signing some of the top seniors before the draft, eliminating the risk of a club selecting a player who might be enticed to head abroad instead:
Akron MF Anthony Ampipitakwong
California D A.J. Soares
Duke MF Cole Grossman
North Carolina MF Michael Farfan
North Carolina D Jalil Anibaba
North Carolina MF Stephen McCarthy
By Steve Goff
The Insider has obtained a list of non-senior college players identified by MLS for possible Generation Adidas contract offers after the NCAA tournament:
Akron junior MF-F Darlington Nagbe
Akron junior D Kofi Sarkodie
Akron sophomore D Zarek Valentin
California junior GK David Bingham
Indiana junior F Will Bruin
Maryland sophomore D Ethan White
Maryland junior MF Matt Kassel
Maryland GK Zac MacMath
Maryland junior F Casey Townsend
Notre Dame sophomore MF Dillon Powers
Penn State junior F Corey Hertzog
UC Santa Barbara junior MF Michael Tetteh
UC Santa Barbara junior MF Luis Silva
The league hopes to sign between eight and 10 from this list. From what I hear, two other highly regarded players, Connecticut junior midfielder Tony Cascio and Duke sophomore forward Ryan Finley, are expected to remain in school.
For clubs, the advantage of acquiring a GA player is the accompanying exemption from the salary cap for at least two years. For the player, joining MLS early yields a larger contract/signing bonus than a senior would receive.
One of the aims of Generation Adidas is to enhance the player pool in the draft, which this offseason will take place Jan. 13 in Baltimore. However, MLS's year-old homegrown rule complicates the situation. Clubs are beginning to take advantage of the policy by signing players who pass through their youth academy. As I understand it, a club would have first rights to an academy player who decides to sign in MLS. If the team doesn't want to offer a contract, the player would then become available to all clubs in the draft.
Kassel (Red Bulls), Hertzog (Philadelphia), White (D.C. United) and Cascio (Real Salt Lake) are affiliated with MLS club academies. I'm not sure about others mentioned above. In general, most college players would go into the draft.
According to sources, MLS has also taken a strong interest in signing some of the top seniors before the draft, eliminating the risk of a club selecting a player who might be enticed to head abroad instead:
Akron MF Anthony Ampipitakwong
California D A.J. Soares
Duke MF Cole Grossman
North Carolina MF Michael Farfan
North Carolina D Jalil Anibaba
North Carolina MF Stephen McCarthy