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Aaron Nielsen ,

January 11, 2015 Email

Aaron Nielsen



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Despite all the talk of a poor draft due to the increase of Homegrown signings and MLS not offering lucrative enough contracts, the 2015 MLS SuperDraft includes an interesting list of quality players. Both in the players listed in my top 25 for 2015, and the players after, I could have produced a list like I did last August for the top 100 who could go on to become assets for their respective team. Yes, players have some questions marks, and it will be difficult for most to replace both current MLS players as well compete against the increasing number of foreign signings clubs are bringing in. However, with added teams in USL Pro and the continuing development of the NASL, these names should be active within the North American soccer landscape for the next few years. This year brings a couple of interesting stories, the first being Canadian Cyle Larin, who not only I, but many have him as the top prospect in this year's draft and see him getting drafted number one overall by the new expansion team Orlando City. While this is the first year that many Homegrown players objected signing with their connected MLS team, or teams feeling that players didn't deserve the guarantee contract. Either way, they are now available in the draft and potentially interesting selections. A few Homegrown players are still in negotiations, most notably Toronto FC with Jay Chapman and possibly Jordan Murrell, and if they were in draft, would change my top 25. Although as things stand right now here are my top 25 prospects for the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. *= GA Contracted Players



1. Cyle Larin*

Profile School: UConn DOB: 04/17/1 995 Position: Forward



Height: 6'2 Weight:190 Career College Stats GP G A

SHT GW YC RC 39 23 4

72 8 4 0 BIO Larin is the most gifted player in this draft. The 19 year old Canadian has great size, speed, and other attributes you look at regarding a forward in the professional game. He has proven he can be a dominant force and score at the college level but will need to play more aggressively to have similar results at the pro level. If Larin can do this he will certainly be sought after by major European clubs.

2 . Cristian Roldan* Profile School: Washington DOB: 06/03/1995 Position: Midfielder



Height: 5'8 Weight:1 45 Career College Stats G P G A SHT GW YC RC 40 10

5 38 6 4 1 BIO Roldan was always targeted as a player who would make it to the next level. Starting from acting in Adidas television commercials to winning the 2013 Gatorade National Player of the Year in High School. It is no surprise after two seasons in University, Cristian was given a GA Contract. At Washington, Roldan proved to be a tricky player. if not a dominant one, but will have to be stronger on the ball if he wants to be a successful pro. 3 . Boyd Okwuonu

Profile School: North Carolina

DOB: 2/24/1993

Position: D efender



Height: 5 '8 Weight:175 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 8 9 0

0 0 0 5

0 BIO In terms of soccer skills today, Boyd Okwuonu is my top player in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Okwuonu has great defensive awareness and through ACC Prozone analytics, he was also the most successful passer in that conference. He is a very small defender and doesn’t provide anything regarding offense, however, I feel his academy club FC Dallas will regret not signing him when they had the chance. 4 . Conor Donovan*

Profile School: NC State

DOB: 1/8/1996 Position: C ent re Back



Height: 6' 2 Weight:1 75 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 15 1 1 4 1 2

0 BIO There were rumors when Donovan entered College that he wasn’t going to last long, and after a year the 6’2 Central Defender lasted just one season before being awarded a GA contract. Currently with the United States at the U20 CONCACAF tournament, Donovan has a lot of upside, but it will probably be a few seasons before he can an everyday starter in the MLS. Although many feel he is a future USMNT starter and will bring plenty of value to the MLS club who drafts him. 5 . Alex Bono*

Profile School: Syracuse DOB: 4/25/94 Position: Goalkeeper



Height: 6' 3 Weight:195 Career College Stats GP GS W L D SO GAA 59

59

39 17 3 30 0.80 BIO There are a number of interesting senior goalkeepers in this draft, so one might question MLS in giving an underclassman a GA contract. Although Alex Bono looks and acts like a professional keeper and with the success the Orange had in 2014, he did show signs of being pro-ready. Further proof of this is Bono being called up to the US Senior National Team training camp. 6 . Leo Stoltz

Profile School: UCLA DOB: 2 / 15 /199 1 Position: Central Mid



Height: 5'11 Wght:170 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 80 24 20 72 8 4 0 BIO Purely based on skill, Leo Stolz deserves this ranking and he has been the top player in college over the past two seasons, including winning the 2014 College Player of the Year and leading UCLA to the 2014 National Championship game. Although where Stolz is drafted isn’t as easy, since the German will count as an international roster spot and is asking for more money than MLS is willing to give. As well, much of his offense comes from set-plays which he will not be given those opportunities with an MLS club, so his role as a pro will most likely be as a holding midfielder. 7 . Nick Besler

Profile School: Not re Dame

DOB: 5/ 7 /199 3 Position: Holding Mid



Height: 6' 0 Weight:1 6 0 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 71

2

3 13 1 2 0 BIO There are a lot of things to like about Nick Besler; the success of his older brother Matt in MLS, the fact he played at Notre Dame and won the 2013 National Championship, and that has been a consistent player throughout his college career. The concerns are Besler looks purely to be a holding midfielder or may move to a defender like his brother as there hasn’t been many signs that Nick can be effective on the offensive end, although his passing numbers were good. 8 . Ramon Martin Del Camp o Profile School: UC Davis DOB: 7/5/93 Position: Centre Back



Height: 6' 3 Weight:200 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 70 3 2 17 2 7 2 BIO Born in Mexico and playing at relatively small school, Del Campo put himself on the MLS map after a successful 2013 college and PDL season and being called up to the United States U23 training camp this past summer. Ramon was signed to an MLS contract after fears he might sign with a Mexican club, and outside of his great size it is yet to be seen how effective he will be as a pro. 9 . Khiry Shelton

Profile School: Oregon State

DOB: 6/26/1993 Position: Forward



Height: 6' 3 Weight:175 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 41 19 13 60 4 2 0 BIO Others rank Shelton higher then myself, so first I’ll raise my concerns. Throughout his college career Shelton has been injury prone, with 2014 being his first full season after missing games his first three years. Oregon State also tends to play a weak out of conference schedule, so some stats might be misleading. That being said, he has good size, speed and showed this season to be involved in the buildup and could be the only true winger with pro potential in this draft. 10. Romario Williams*

Profile School: Central Florida

DOB: 8/15/1994 Position: Striker



Height: 5'10 Wght:1 7 0 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 52 18 3 62 7 10 1 BIO Did Williams need to be given GA contract this off-season? That answer is probably no, as the Jamaican forward has not proven himself of being a pro quality player and you add to the fact his school Central Florida only won two games in 2014. Williams is your typical MLS GA contract of potential over accomplishments, and despite the failures in this category, Romario does provide an MLS club a speedy/active option upfront at no cost to the salary cap. 11. Eric Bird

Profile School: Virginia DOB: 1/15/1993 Position: Attacking Mid



Height: 5'11 Wght:185 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 71 15 10 64 5 11 0 BIO Despite Bird’s school Virginia winning the 2014 College National Championship, his draft ratings have fallen a bit this season. This is partly to do with his position, as Bird played an attacking midfield role most of the season and did not provide as much offense as expected from this position. However, Bird can still be a useful MLS player with his willingness to tackle and passing ability in more box-to-box role. 12. Axel Sjoberg Profile School: Marquette

DOB: 3/8/1991 Position: Centre Back



Height: 6' 7 Weight:190 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 63 11 7 24 3 5 0 BIO Sjoberg has been one of the players I have touted, and like Pedro Ribeiro last year and others previously, what I like about the 6’7 Swedish defender is his ability to make an impact which is necessary for all draftees being a new player on the team. Sjoberg was dominant with his size in college, but that being said, he will count as a foreign signing so will have to prove himself early on if he wishes to remain in MLS long term. 13. Oumar Ballo

Profile School: UMBC

DOB: 4/1/199 1 Position: Defender/Mid



Height: 6' 2 Weight:190 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 64 5 3 1 5 0 6 0 BIO UMBC were the Cinderella team of the 2014 National Tournament, although anyone who follows them closely knew they had a number of interesting players, lead by Oumar Ballo. Ballo's main attribute is his athletic ability, although it is still uncertain what his best position is, either as a defender or a holding midfielder and he will have to improve his ball playing skills to be a long term MLS player. 14. Fatai Alashe

Profile School: Michigan State

DOB: 10 /21/1993 Position: Midfielder



Height: 6'0 Weight:160 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 86 8 7 3 7 2 20 0 BIO Jay Chapman's midfield partner Fatai gave the Spartans great strength in the middle during their 2013 and 2014 National tournament runs. Known for his soccer awareness and limiting his mistakes, Alashe can be very useful to an MLS team, providing depth both in the midfield and if necessary a defensive role, although right now doesn’t seem to have the skillset to be an everyday starter. 15. Skylar Thomas

Profile School: Syracuse DOB: 7/27/1993 Position: Centre Back



Height: 6' 3 Weight:180 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 56 8 1 17 3 10 2 BIO Another central defender with great size, however, as a Canadian we can call Skylar Thomas our own. Thomas has always shown great strength, especially in the 18-yard-box, although there is some concern regarding him being too aggressive. Thomas will need to continue to learn and remain injury free, but he could become the next Doneil Henry with a greater offensive output. 16. Andrew Wolverton

Profile School: Penn State

DOB: 6/4/1993 Position: Goalkeeper



Height: 6'6 Wght:222 Career College Stats GP GS W L D SO GAA 72 70 38 23 8 32 0.53 BIO There have been a number a key senior goalkeepers this college season that have disappeared when it comes to mock drafts and prospects. Players such as Tyler Miller, Tomas Gomez, Earl Edwards, Spencer Richey, Charlie Lyon can all potentially play at the next level. However, I like Wolverton partly because of his size of 6’6 and athletic ability, and also he produced great results for a school Penn State who were mostly average when he attended. 17. Connor Hallisey

Profile School: California DOB: 2/9/1993 Position: A M/Winger



Height: 5'1 0 Wght:155 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 72 12 17 42 4 3 0 BIO Hallisey is another player who, despite being picked for player of the year award in college this season, has gone missing from many prospect and mock lists. He isn’t the most athletically gifted and saying he can play wing is bit of a stretch, although scouts in Western USA said that he was the best player they saw this year in a league, which includes Stolz and Shelton. With lack of offensive fire power in this draft, both in scoring and creating, Hallisey might be worth the risk. 18. Sagi Lev-Ari

Profile School: CSU Northridge

DOB: 7/4/1989 Position: Striker



Height: 6' 1 Weight:1 83 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 64 42 5 89 17 4 0 BIO The date of birth is not an error, as Lev-Ari played professionally in Israel before coming to America and playing college soccer. Although there is no true forward in this draft compared to Sagi, and with Larin expecting to go early, if a club wants help up front Sagi might be the best option. There are issues regarding speed and strength, although it is comparable to a lot of MLS players and what I like about Sagi is his finishing ability something no other player can claim in this draft. 19. Dan Metzger

Profile School: Maryland DOB: 8/6/1993 Position: Midfielder



Height: 5'9 Weight:155 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 88 8 3 21 3 9

0 BIO Dan Metzger was a New York Red Bulls Homegrown player, so like Okwuonu it is interesting to see him in the draft. He was highly touted in the youth ranks, was part of the US national team system and played four years at one of the top soccer universities. Metzger is a very technical two-way player and although he hasn’t translated this to standout results, he was improving with each year in college and could be a quality pick in the draft. 20 . Andy Thoma

Profile School: Washington

DOB: 4/29/1993 Position: Full Back



Height: 5'11 Wght:170 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 78 1 7 18 1 10 0 BIO With the full back position is fairly weak in this draft, especially left-back, and Andy Thoma has been given an MLS contract and rated fairly high on some writers' mock draft. Personally, I think there are players on the open market or in USL Pro/NASL who can fill the role better, but Thoma is a decent player with good speed and has shown some ability to cross the ball. If his contract is below the cap minimum this would provide further value. 21. Jose Ribas

Profile School: Creighton DOB: 4/1/1993 Position: Defensive Mid



Height: 5'9 Wght:1 50 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 81 4 17 28 2 13 1 BIO Although listed by many as a full back, I prefer Ribas in a defensive midfield position because what the Ecuadorian lacks in speed, he makes up in how he sees the game in front of him both in distributing passes and on back tracking. He doesn’t have the athletic skills of others in the draft and will count as a foreign signing, although I feel Jose’s soccer awareness is as good as most in this draft. 22. Seth Casiple

Profile School: California DOB: 5/15/1992 Position: Midfielder



Height: 5'9 Weight:155 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 75 6 24 31 1 7 0 BIO Casiple was a very good college player, however questions remain if he can translate this into the pros. Most of his assists in college did come from set plays, although he does have a good touch and an ability to cross. The biggest issue might be finding a position, does he have the strength to play in the centre or the speed to play on the wing, although his soccer IQ should provide a club added depth. 23. Aaron Simmons

Profile School: UCLA

DOB: 6/19/1993 Position: Centre Back



Height: 6'0 Weight:166 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 82 8 1 14 2 9 0 BIO No one will question Aaron Simmons athletic ability, however during his college career, first at SMU and then the final two seasons at UCLA, Aaron struggled in terms of being a 90 minute player. Part of the issue could be positions, as he is quite light for his height and will need to add weight if he wants to be a centre back at the pro level. He also could potentially play holding midfield or in a full-back position. 24. Sergio Campbell

Profile School: UConn DOB: 1/12/1992 Position: Centre Back



Height: 6'3 Wght:192 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 73 0 2 5 0 7 1 BIO UCONN's struggles on the field didn’t help with Sergio Campbell's draft reputation and some other Huskies players. Despite a disappointing 2014, you can’t question his athletic ability, or the fact that he has been capped by the Jamaican National Team. Campbell still needs to improve his soccer IQ, especially on set plays, but the fact Campbell played midfield as a youth should help his draft status. 25. Otis Earle

Profile School: UC Riverside

DOB: 1/17/1992 Position: Left Back



Height: 6'0 Weight:1 70 Career College Stats GP G A SHT GW YC RC 58 5 11 17 1 6 1 BIO I personally don’t rate Otis Earle in my top 25 players in this year’s draft, although the fact MLS have already given him an MLS contract means some MLS clubs do and it would be a huge surprise if he is not drafted in the first round. You can’t argue with Earle's pedigree, including being the son of former EPL player Robbie Earle, although Otis failed to show me anything significant in college to prove he is ahead other players, including ones who play full back. Aaron Nielsen has worked within the soccer/sports industry for over 15 years. His statistical analysis brings the beautiful game in a whole new light. The detailed player data and prospect lists he produces are used by many scouts, agents, and football insiders around the world.You can find updating stats regularly at ENBSports

