Dallas, TX – In the bristling heat with some days that had severe windy conditions at the US Development Academy playoffs and showcase, I assessed the incoming college freshmen grouped by conference and school for the games that I was able to attend. On each day, there were two groups for playoffs and I was able to attend a few of the showcase matches as well.

The level of parental participation and organization is vastly differently between clubs. For example, Irvine, Lonestar, and St. Louis Gallagher Missouri have a parent that hands out lineups of their teams and they are available to answer questions for both college coaches and media. These parents were extremely instrumental in helping me to fill any gaps that I had on their teams. I would suggest other clubs might want to copy this model to better inform/sell their players.

ACC

Boston College(m)

• Christian Johnson (New York Red Bulls) – came on in the first half to replace Scott Thomsen who appeared to have suffered from a quad injury. Unfortunately, Johnson limped off right before half-time (and was replaced at half-time). During his limited time, Johnson hustled on the right side causing problems for the Sockers.

Duke(m)

• Jake Butwin (Albertson SC) – stuck Lassiter Tolar (CASL Chelsea FC) early in the first half, but did nothing else notable.
• Sean Davis (New York Red Bulls) – didn’t impress his will in the first half, but dialed up his game in the second half. He jump-started the attack with an early goal in the second half retrieving a rebound and perfectly placing his shot. He’s a good player with professional tools. He added an assist for Brandon Allen’s goal in stoppage time.
• Andrew Morales (CASL Chelsea FC) – is comfortable on the ball. He made an intriguing tackle on Timothy Parker (Albertson SC) transitioning an attack. He needs to improve his passing.
• Matthew Slotnick (Albertson SC) – didn’t positively impact the match. He is a good passer, but I’d like to see better runs off the ball.

Maryland(m)

• Keith Cardona (New York Red Bulls) – is a goalkeeper with a big frame and a big foot. Even against the wind, he has the strength to drive the ball far up the field. He made several key saves early to keep his team in the game.
• Dan Metzger (New York Red Bulls) – didn’t control the game in the first half, but dialed up his game in the second half. He’s very good on both sides of the ball. Metzger won’t necessarily show up on the stats, but he subtly provides support to make his team better.

NC State(m)

• Monbo Bokar (CASL Chelsea FC) – scored the first goal, battling Albertson’s Michael Lobben and physically beat him off the ball. Then, Bokar beat Timothy Parker on the dribble before hitting an accurate shot that came off the far post and into the goal. He needs to refine his touch to be better placed for his next touch. He’s very talented and extremely fast. I like the way that he can create space for himself. He left in the second half after suffering a minor injury – minor in that he was able to leave under his own power.

North Carolina(m)

• Jonathan Ray (CASL Chelsea FC) – is a battler on the ball and he is comfortable when he is dribbling. His passing is inconsistent. Early in the game, he faked a shot that brought Michael Lobben to ground before unleashing a shot. If he continues to develop, Ray could be a quality player.
• Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler (CASL Chelsea FC) – is the best player on this talented team. He’s a good dribbler – he lit up Michael Lobben in the second half. I like the way that he turns. He has boundless amounts of energy.

Virginia(m)

• Kyle McCord (New York Red Bulls) – is a powerful, tall, left-footed forward. He wins more than his chance of 50/50 balls, because of his dogged determination. McCord is going to need to finish more of his chances, if he expects to see game-time action at UVA.
• Grant Silvester (California Development Academy) – is the third outstanding back for CDA. He understands the game and he has the ability to get forward and he is an honest defender. He needs to improve on his trapping and his passing on the run.

Virginia Tech(m)

• William Witherspoon (Sporting KC) – had a nice chest pass early. But he and teammate, Jordan Rideout kept getting in each other’s way. In the second half, trying to turn and shoot in a single motion, he squibbed a shot lightly into the middle of the box that Rideout hit first time for the first goal of the game. An assist from a poorly struck ball – some people live right!

Wake Forest(m)

• Samuel Fink (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro) – didn’t show me much though he played for the entire game – perhaps the sun, heat and 4 games on this day impacted me. I’ll give him a pass.
• Thomas Haws (Lonestar SC) – is graduating in 2012. He is one of the best players on his team, already. He anticipates well stealing a pass and immediately transitioning into the attack. His ensuing square pass was off-target. He tracks opponents down like a starving dog fighting for table scraps. Haws had trouble getting back late in the first half in the Texas heat.
• Sean Okoli (Seattle Sounders) – Wow! He’s an exceptional forward. He passes, runs off the ball, plays hard defense up-top. Generally, an honest forward – a typical Jay Vidovich forward.

Coming Thursday: Atlantic 10