Last day to impress coaches at MLS Combine
January 11, 2012
Fort Lauderdale, FL – Today was the final day of the MLS Combine, with two more matches played in South Florida.
Game One
adiZero (blue) won 3-1 over the winless Prime (green). Prime has surrendered 10 goals in 3 matches – it’s no mystery why they can’t win.
Mykell Bates (widgic.com)Lineups
Prime Green
1st Half
F: Darren Mattocks (Akron), Babayele Sodade (Alabama-Birmingham)
M: Brendan King (Notre Dame), Lance Rozeboom (New Mexico), Kirk Urso (North Carolina), Antoine Hoppenot (Princeton)
D: James Kiffe (UCSB), Bryan Gaul (Bradley), Tommy Meyer (Indiana), RJ Allen (Monmouth)
GK: Jhojan Obando (Providence)
2nd half
F: Darren Mattocks (Akron), Antoine Hoppenot (Princeton)
M: Eder Arreola (UCLA), Rafael Garcia (Cal Northridge), Christian Barreiro (Penn), Aldo Paniagua
D: James Kiffe (UCSB), Tommy Meyer (Indiana), Patrick Sigler (Cal Poly), Kirk Urso (North Carolina)
GK: Jhojan Obando (Providence)
adiZero Blue
1st Half
F: Evan James (Charlotte), Emiliano Bonfigli, Brian Ownby (Virginia)
M: Enzo Martinez (North Carolina), Evans Frimpong (Delaware), Kenney Walker (Louisville)
D: Shawn Singh (UCLA), Charles Rodriquez (Charlotte), Mykell Bates (Santa Clara), Warren Creavalle (Central Florida)
GK: Ryan Meara (Fordham)
2nd Half
F: Colin Rolfe (Louisville)
M: Miguel Ibarra (UC Irvine), Tony Cascio (Connecticut), Dom Dwyer (South Florida),
DM: Benjamin Ubierna, Warren Creavalle (Central Florida)
D: Shawn Singh (UCLA), Aaron Maund (Notre Dame), Mykell Bates (Santa Clara), Kenney Walker (Louisville)
GK: Ryan Meara (Fordham)
ASSESSMENT
Who had a good game (or played better than I expected)?
- Darren Mattocks (Akron) – didn’t score, but displayed other talents including defending high. He had several crosses, but his team didn’t finish. He’s a talent and cemented my expectation that he’ll be one of the first 2 players drafted.
- Mykell Bates (Santa Clara) – uncharacteristically, played center back and played admirably. He was aggressive in the air and made several timely tackles.
- Warren Creavalle (UCF) – played like his professional career was on the line, which in retrospect, it might have been. He started the first half at right back and demonstrated composure on the ball deep in his box. In the middle of the first half, he was even better playing his more familiar defensive midfield. He played with his heart on his sleeve, stopping many attacks. He is my man of the match.
- Evan James (Charlotte) – opened the scoring with another nifty goal, moving left to right and curling the ball into the corner. Later in the half, he added an assist. In a more subtle observation, he doesn’t understand where to touch the ball into space – perhaps playing too cautious. He has had a successful combine. My opinion is not going to be swayed based upon a 3 day combine after watching him play many, many more times over his career.
- Kenney Walker (Louisville) – was successful at defensive midfield and playing right back. His game is predicated upon soccer smartness and this was fully employed at right back.
- RJ Allen (Monmouth) – continued to be the victim of rough tackles. He had questionable tactics to go deep without ensuring proper defensive support/rotation.
- Eder Arreola (UCLA) – hit a sensational shot that was on goal but for a nifty diving save by Ryan Meara. He also fed Darren Mattocks who hit a half-volley that was just high.
- Rafael Garcia (Cal State Northridge) – was able to out jump Tony Cascio on a high ball. Garcia was giving up 6 inches in height. He was involved in one of the infrequent build-ups combining with Brendan King and Christian Barreiro.
- Bryan Gaul (Bradley) – played himself into a camp invite with his accomplished defense in the first half. However, he needs to clean up his distribution especially deep in his defensive third.
- Antoine Hoppenot (Princeton) – returned to his senior form, taking plays off, not getting back on defense and an occasional highlight. Hoppenot is a talented player that has a misguided over-evaluation of his worth.
- James Kiffe (UCSB) – had an assist, and he was able to get forward. He was careless with the ball allowing Warren Creavalle to take the ball. At times, his defense can be spotty.
- Tommy Meyer (Indiana) – is an accomplished passer and he had a solid stop on Colin Rolfe.
- Aldo Paniagua – scored the lone goal for Prime on a cross by James Kiffe. He doesn’t seem interested in defending, though.
- Lance Rozeboom (New Mexico) – was adequate in central midfield, but he didn’t generate much from this position. His passing was not precise enough. As the second defender was able to dispossess the ball from Evan James.
- Babayele Sodade (UAB) – left the first half early after suffering a leg injury. Although he was offside, he hit a shot that hit the wood work.
- Kirk Urso (UNC) – hasn’t impressed. He got a hard hit on North Carolina teammate Enzo Martinez.
- Tony Cascio (Connecticut) – was active early in the second half. He got brought down right outside of the box by Kirk Urso, but the foul wasn’t called. He allowed smaller players to out jump him on headers. He passing was acceptable. I like him better wide than playing more centrally. It allows him to get the ball on the move.
- Dom Dwyer (South Florida) – played right midfield, but he wound up getting centrally and converted a Colin Rolfe deflection in tight space. He isn’t adept at providing service – he seems to just hope that someone will be at the end of his crosses. I think his sole role will be to be at the end of passes not necessarily creating opportunities.
- Miguel Ibarra (UC Irvine) – irritates me. He has the quickness, but he continues to settle for not taking on defenders and getting around the corner. When he does, his crosses are exquisite. He got the ball to Charles Rodriquez who dropped it to Colin Rolfe whose shot was deflected to Dom Dwyer for the third goal.
- Enzo Martinez (UNC) – wasn’t passing as sharply as he has done over the past 2 games. He bravely challenged on a high ball against Darren Mattocks.
- Ryan Meara (Fordham) – isn’t covering the far post effectively. He made a superb diving save against Eder Arreola.
- Charles Rodriguez (Charlotte) – was assertive at center back in the first half and he was able to get forward tallying a second assist on the third goal.
- Shawn Singh (UCLA) – served an accurate long ball to Emiliano Bonfigli in the first half but Bonfigli was unable to convert. He foolishly chested a cross for a corner kick when he could have brought the ball down and held possession.
- Benjamin Ubierna – is better than what I’ve seen in the U-20 South American qualifications. He made a defensive stop on Antoine Hoppenot, but his passing and tackling are sub-par. At best, he can pass accurately at distances from 10 yards and closer. He earned the second yellow of the combine on a nasty tackle.
Who needs to improve?
- Christian Barreiro (Penn) – could not generate any viable attacks. His supportive positions are not helpful. He’s done the same thing at Penn, as well.
- Brendan King (Notre Dame) – could not control his passes. He squandered a potential chance by floating a free kick high over the goal.
- Jhojan Obando (Providence) – continues to bleed goals not entirely of mistakes. He looks tiny in the goal and he isn’t moving appreciably well either. He did make a diving save.
- Patrick Sigler (Cal Poly) – succeeded in not allowing an attacker to take the ball off his foot and score a goal for the first time this week-end. He did grab Dom Dwyer to prevent him from scooting around him.
- Emiliano Bonfigli – doesn’t present himself as a target up top. He seems to have some skill, but he doesn’t appear to know how best to utilize these skills.
- Evans Frimpong (Delaware) – is an enigma. This guy has oodles of talent, but he must have left it home, because his technical skills were brutal.
- Aaron Maund (Notre Dame) – played at the lower levels that I’ve come to expect after having 2 outstanding combine matches. He carelessly took the ball off his chest and Darren Mattocks took the ball away from him.
- Brian Ownby (UVA) – was beat on the dribble early by James Kiffe. He wasn’t involved in many plays, but he did give the ball away to RJ Allen but Mykell Bates won the ball right back.
- Colin Rolfe (Louisville) – has trouble creating space to release his shot. Even the assist he got on the third goal to Dom Dwyer, his shot was blocked. He was able to get a through ball and in this instance Rolf was able to get off a shot with both RJ Allen and Tommy Meyer converging on him. Rolfe was too passive while looking for his shot or to receive the ball.
Who didn't play/missing?
- Chris Estridge (Indiana) – didn’t play because of a minor injury to his upper calf.
Game Two
Andrew DuranMany players were missing from both teams enabling many players to re-enter the match after half time in unfamiliar positions.
Lineups
adiPower Red
1st Half
F: Lucky Mkosana (Dartmouth), Chandler Hoffman (UCLA)
M: Jason Banton, Greg Jordan (Creighton), Luis Silva (UCSB), Yuri Gorentzvaig
D: Hunter Jumper (Virginia), Gienir Garcia, Matt Hedges (North Carolina), Aubrey Perry (South Florida)
GK: Brian Rowe (UCLA)
2nd half
F: Lucky Mkosana (Dartmouth), Yuri Gorentzvaig
M: Alec Purdie (Indiana), Calum Mallace (Marquette), Tony Wells (Wisconsin Green Bay), Jason Banton,
D: Hunter Jumper (Virginia), Gienir Garcia, Justin Chavez (Tulsa), Aubrey Perry (South Florida)
GK: Brian Rowe (UCLA)
adiPure White
1st Half
F: Luke Holmes (Akron), Ethan Finlay (Creighton), Kohei Yamada
M: Kevon George (Central Florida), Arthur Ivo (Southern Methodist), Michael Green (New Mexico)
D: Tyler Polak (Creighton), Andy Rose (UCLA), Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Connecticut), Nick Blake (Connecticut)
GK: Chris Blais (South Florida)
2nd Half
F: Luke Holmes (Akron), Ethan Finlay (Creighton)
Sam Garza (UCSB)
M: Kevon George (Central Florida), Kohei Yamada, Andy Rose (UCLA)
D: Diogo de Almeida (Southern Methodist), Austin Berry (Louisville), Andrew Duran (Creighton), Michael Green (New Mexico)
GK: Chris Blais (South Florida)
ASSESSMENT
Who had a good game (or played better than I expected)?
- Andrew Duran (Creighton) – scored the lone adiPure goal on an Ethan Finlay cross that ping-ponged in the box. He had moved to defensive midfield when Kohei Yamada departed and Andrew Jean-Baptiste entered. Duran was competent, playing more calmly on the ball. He even got Calum Mallace in the air on a fake cross. Duran interfered with Lucky Mkosana on a long Calum Mallace cross that hit the post and would have been tipped in without Duran’s play.
- Ethan Finlay (Creighton) – is an honest player who defends all over the field. He has boundless amounts of energy and he’s confident on the ball. He’s a player.
- Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Connecticut) – solidified the defense in the second half after multiple goals were scored. He used his big body to make 2 consecutive blocks in the first half. In the air, he is hard to beat, out jumping Lucky Mkosana.
- Greg Jordan (Creighton) – provides exceptional service including introducing more risky balls that have a higher upside than a safer negative ball. He is the ultimate team player – moving to right back and making several timely tackles on Creighton teammate Tyler Polak.
- Calum Mallace (Marquette) – had the prettiest goal of the combine. He took a quick touch from Lucky Mkosana. Then, he allowed 2 defenders to over-run him before hitting a 35 yard chip that hit the underside of the cross-bar. It was beautiful. Mallace is a smart player who understands how to play the game. He needs to be more careful on the ball and not allow defenders to swipe it away from him. He nearly had an earlier goal on a long “cross” that hit the post and almost was knocked in by Luck Mkosana.
- Lucky Mkosana (Dartmouth) – scored the first goal taking an early cross by Gienir Garcia smoothly off his chest and finished with calmness from 6 yards.
- Tony Walls (UWGB) – started the corner kick that eventually led to a goal. He headed the ball with authority and it was not cleared. Lucky Mkosana hit the rebound and it was redirected by Alec Purdie. Walls passed the ball almost exclusively to Jason Banton, getting the ball wide successfully. He was positive in his passing and he shut down the middle of the field.
Who was adequate?
- Austin Berry (Louisville) – didn’t stop Jason Banton’s dribbling run (nor did other defenders). He did exhibit a snazzy touch to get around Lucky Mkosana. Berry stopped Luis Silva on a long run. Lastly, he cleaned up a mess from a long Calum Mallace cross.
- Chris Blais (South Florida) – made a ton of saves or the game could have been much worse.
- Sam Garza (UCSB) – wasn’t as impactful as he was on Sunday. He fed Nick Blake into the middle, but Blake squandered his numerous chances.
- Luke Holmes (Akron) – worked with Polak advancing the ball up the left side. With Polak overlapping, he unwisely played the ball centrally. Many of his passes were negative and he never challenged Aubrey Perry on the dribble. Like a few other internationals, he took long ill-advised shots that had little chance of scoring.
- Tyler Polak (Creighton) – was even better today, getting forward working with Holmes in the first half. In the second half, he came off the bench to play left midfield and showed some bright moments. He exerted himself in the defensive corner to force a turn-over.
- Kohei Yamada – wasn’t as impacted as he was on Sunday. He’s quick and willing to take on defenders. He blew by Hunter Jumper on the dribble in the first half.
- Jason Banton – scored a goal with a mazy run. He plays for himself lacking any quality tactical understanding. He doesn’t play nicely with others. Selfish. After he scored his goal, he retired for the day.
- Justin Chavez (Tulsa) – was only called upon to clear a corner for a quiet defensive second half for him. He is solid, but perhaps just a tad short. He has impressed me with his play at the combine.
- Gienir Garcia – provided the assist on the first goal with a picture perfect entry ball to Lucky Mkosana. He was too ambitious firing long hopeful balls that had little chance to be a goal. He competently played both left back and center back. Versatility is very important.
- Matt Hedges (UNC) – gets in proper defensive positions to block shots and/or clog passing lanes.
- Chandler Hoffman (UCLA) – didn’t get involved with much of the attacking activity; content to wait for something to happen.
- Hunter Jumper (UVA) – showed that he can serve accurate long balls to his forwards. He was eaten alive by the quick Kohei Yamada on the dribble.
- Aubrey Perry (South Florida) – recovered from his dreadful first day to play competently if not spectacularly.
- Alec Purdie (Indiana) – was able to beat Michael Green on the dribble but his shot was off target. Near the end of the game, he turned the ball over on a sloppy trap. He scored a goal redirecting the Lucky Mkosana rebound shot.
- Brian Rowe (UCLA) – continues to be a competent, but nothing special goal keeper.
- Luis Silva (UCSB) – coming off the bench instantaneously created several opportunities with pin-point passes to Lucky Mkosana. He had a shot that was blocked by Austin Berry.
Who needs to improve?
- Nickardo Blake (Connecticut) – was competent as a right back and a failure as the center striker. He could use his speed to get in goal scoring positions, but lacked the polish to finish his opportunities.
- Diogo de Almeida (SMU) – had a high aimless cross that was easily defended.
- Kevan George (UCF) – looked awkward playing his normal defensive midfield. His passing to his overlapping wingers was poor. He made a nice tackle on Luis Silva.
- Michael Green (New Mexico) – was dreadful as a right back, his crosses were low and easy to defend. He fired a low hard shot.
- Arthur Ivo (SMU) – left the game early in the first half after firing an open inaccurate shot. He did feed Ethan Finlay, but his shot was high.
- Andy Rose (UCLA) – struggled as a center back including losing his mark, Lucky Mkosana for the first goal. His passing is controlled and accurate. He could develop into a center back, but he just isn’t ready to be one now at any level. When he returned to defensive midfielder in the second half, he was much better.
- Yuri Gorentzvaig – lacks any semblance of a work rate. While he’s competent on the ball, he isn’t interested in defending. His long range shots were ineffective.
Who didn't play/missing?
- Kelyn Rowe (UCLA) – has left the MLS combine to start training with the U23 team in California.
- Casey Townsend (Maryland) – didn’t play.
- Karo Okiomah (High Point) – didn’t play.
- Nick Deleon (Louisville) – continued to mend from a slight injury that he carried into the combine.
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