Part 3: Leitch discusses the draft, scouting within MLS & youth development

With the offseason in full swing, sjearthquakes.com sat down with Quakes interim general manager Chris Leitch about the club’s vision for the busy months ahead.

SJEQ: How will the team prepare for the MLS SuperDraft? Are there plans to scout the NCAA Tournament and/or Player Combine?

Leitch: “We’ve been scouting since the start of the college season and we have a pretty extensive process in that. The staff does a very good job of watching games and making sure that we’re talking with our contacts within the college world because we know that every year, that’s an important part of it. In addition to our normal scouting, we will host a combine where we take a closer look at the local college players as well as other players we have on our radar. The Player Combine provides another extensive opportunity to watch the prospects that you’ve seen and know about from around the country.

“We also try and do a good job of taking these top players and putting them on our PDL team [Burlingame Dragons FC] over the summer to get more time with them and truly see what they’re like both on and off the field, training habits, etc. Our PDL team helps in that area, especially with the local talent.”

SJEQ: Do you place any additional emphasis on acquiring players that have had experience success within MLS?

Leitch: “100 percent. Known quantities are extremely valuable. As I mentioned before, there will always be the chance that a foreign player will have trouble transitioning to MLS. So with guys that have had success in this league, you get a clearer picture of all the variables attached to that player. Can he handle the style of play in MLS? Can he deal with the rigors of the league, like travel? It just depends if the player, who is currently on another team within the league, matches what you’re looking for.”

SJEQ: Last offseason, FC Dallas selected Urruti in the Re-Entry Draft and he finished the year with nine goals and four assists in 30 games. Is there value to be found through this mechanism?

Leitch: “Yeah, there’s a lot of value to be found through all of the player acquisition mechanisms, whether it’s the Re-Entry Draft, Waiver Draft or free agency. When you look at the totality of all the mechanisms within MLS, there is a multitude of ways to acquire talent and we will do our due diligence to get the most out of each of them.”

SJEQ: The Quakes have put a lot more emphasis on their youth system recently. When do you think the club will start reaping the benefits of its investment?

Leitch: “Well that’s the thing with the youth system – it takes some patience. That can be frustrating at times because, at least on a First Team level, you want results and are expected to deliver them immediately. In youth development, it’s a bit different. You have to have more patience and understand that you’re developing them for tomorrow and not just today. I can already see those benefits right now, maybe not tangibly on the field at Avaya, but we have a number of prospects within our youth system and currently in college that we feel will make a strong impact with the First Team at some point. If you took a snapshot of our youth system right now, I’m impressed by the amount of players that have risen above their peers. You’re looking at national team players, college national champions, leading goal-scorers in the country within the development academy, foreign national team players – two of them. I’m excited by the amount of players that have excelled and are heads and shoulders above others in their age range.”