LAUDERHILL, Fla. – After getting a day off on Saturday, over 60 MLS hopefuls will return to the field at the 2015 adidas MLS Combine on Sunday, with Team Nitro Charge taking on Team Predator (12 pm ET) and Team adiZero facing off with Team Nativo (1:45 pm ET).
Here’s a rundown of the comings and goings from South Florida:
MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist Andy Craven Arrives
University of North Carolina forward and MAC Hermann Trophy finalist Andy Craven arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon, just hours after attending the Hermann Trophy ceremony in St. Louis on Friday night.
Craven is the only Hermann Trophy finalist at the Combine - winner UCLA midfielder Leo Stolz is trying out with teams in his native Germany, while Syracuse goalkeeper Alex Bono is headed to Carson, Calif. for US men’s national team camp.
Though he missed Thursday’s introductory meetings and Friday’s on-field sessions, Craven – who scored 15 goals and notched five assists in 22 games for the Tar Heels in 2014 – doesn’t feel like he needs to play catchup in his abbreviated stint in South Florida.
“Honestly, no I don’t feel like that at all,” Craven told MLSsoccer.com on Saturday. “I feel like my whole life I’ve come into situations with new teams, new players and adapted…. I don’t feel like I need to play catchup at all. I’m just excited to be here and I’m ready to play.”
Former Canadian Youth International Added to Combine
Ex-Canadian Youth International Jaineil Hoilett – younger brother of QPR winger and potential Canadian international Junior Hoilett – was a late addition to the Combine, arriving in South Florida on Saturday.
Like Craven, Hoilett underwent a physical on Saturday and is scheduled to take the field for the first team in South Florida on Sunday.
The 22-year-old midfielder began his career overseas, playing for the Blackburn Rovers academy before moving to Germany, where he played in the St. Pauli and Mainz youth teams before graduating to the Mainz reserves. Mainz, who sent him on a year-long loan to FSV Frankfurt in the summer of 2013, did not renew his contract when it came up in May 2014; Hoilett has been a free agent since.
A former Canadian U-20 international, Hoilett trained with Toronto FC last summer, scoring the game-winning goal in TFC’s 2-1 friendly win over USL-Pro club Wilmington Hammerheads last June.
New York City FC Keeping Options Open Ahead of Club’s Inaugural SuperDraft
New York City FC are keeping its options open ahead of Thursday’s SuperDraft, with NYCFC head coach Jason Kreis (above) telling reporters on Friday that the team would consider trading the second overall pick in the draft.
“We consider everything,” Kreis said. “I think that we have to. I think if you make your mind up before this, before you get a final look at these guys and see what’s there where you’ll be making your pick, I think you’d be making a mistake.”
Kreis, of course, typically didn’t pick until late in the first round while he was head coach at Real Salt Lake. He said that holding the second pick on Thursday adds a different dynamic to his Combine experience, perhaps making him and his staff a bit more attentive at this Combine than in previous years.
“It’s interesting,” he said. “[In past years], I’m up in the stands watching and you’re kind of having a laugh, looking around thinking about that 19th or 18th pick you’re going to make. This year we’re picking second, so we’re paying quite close attention.”
UConn forward Cyle Larin and Washington midfielder Cristian Roldan are widely expected to be the first two picks in the draft, with NYCFC – should they stay at No. 2 – likely to select whichever Generation adidas signing slips by first pick holder Orlando City SC on Thursday.
One thing working in NYCFC’s favor ahead of the SuperDraft? The abundance of time they had to scout the college ranks last season.
“The advantage of us not playing this season was that we could get out and watch more college games than probably most teams,” New York director of football Claudio Reyna told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “We had the coaching staff available and we just could really look through the college players. We feel we’ve done enough homework where this week won’t convince us totally one way or another, but we’ll see how it plays out. We have the second pick, so we’ll have a good addition to the squad.”
MLS Clubs Begin Interviewing Potential Draft Picks
Representatives from MLS clubs spent Saturday in league meetings and interviewing Combine invitees, looking to get a feel for what potential draftees are like off the field prior to next Thursday’s SuperDraft in Philadelphia.
Different clubs take different approaches to the interview process, with several interviewing every Combine invitee and others only speaking with players they’re interested in drafting next week.
One major theme exists across several clubs, however: These interviews aren’t just used for SuperDraft prep, they’re also called into play when players from this class become available years down the road.
“Whether or not we’re able to draft a player this year doesn’t mean that we’re never going to see that player again,” said one team executive. “We want to make sure we talk to these guys, we interview these guys and we get to know these players so that [if they become available] in a year, or two or three we have a better understanding of who they are.”
