MLS Special: Why the SuperDraft?
Many people in the U.S.A are critical about the MLS SuperDraft as it restricts a player’s rights. The club that chooses a player from the available pool of talent will have the final say on allowing the player to leave. This rule seems very odd to those
people who follow European football, but there are a lot of good things that the SuperDraft can deliver.
For starters, the team that finished previous season as the worst of the bunch is given the option of a first draft pick, and the team that won the season previously will be the last to pick a player from the pool. This is a good rule as it gives imparity
to all the teams and ensures a tougher competition.
In the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, A.J DeLaGarza, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Justin-Braun-c20148. These young players had only recently graduated from their universities and turned out to be the
best young talent in the MLS as the season started.
People being critical on the draft policy should know that established stars like http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Bobby-Convey-c7738, were all part of the MLS SuperDraft before becoming a part of the MLS elite.
The SuperDraft was introduced in 1936, by the National Football League (NFL), and 9 teams were given the option to pick recent college graduates from across the nation. After this, the draft system started becoming a top priority for all the famous sports
leagues in the U.S. and MLB, NHL and NBA started drafting in young prospects from different universities too.
The inception of the Draft system in the MLS has played a crucial role in the development of the game in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/America-c38390, and it gives every team in the league a chance to capture a player who may turn out to be a star of the future.
On Thursday, a list of 54 candidates was put up by the MLS for the 2011 SuperDraft, and Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers, being the latest expansion sides in the MLS, were given the 1st and 2nd picks respectively.
This time, the Vancouver Whitecaps made a great selection by picking USA Under-20 striker, Omar Salgado, as their first overall pick. After speculations that Darlington Nagbe or Perry Kitchen might become the first pick for the Whitecaps, it came as quite
a surprise when the new expansion franchise went for Omar Salgado instead.
The young 17-year old was himself very surprised at being the first pick and said that the decision left him speechless. The 6-feet-4 forward, who comes from El Paso, Texas, thought that he might go to Vancouver as he had a few training sessions with the
side, but was still surprised that he was actually his new team’s top priority.
Perhaps, the biggest pick of the bunch was Darlington Nagbe, who was picked by the Portland Timbers last night. The 18-year old youngster from Akron University is widely considered as the best young talent of the class of 2011, and it was believed that many
teams would be looking to snap up the extremely talented forward.
The youngster scored 7 goals while providing 13 assists for the University of Akron, as his side won the NCAA Championship.
Although Omar Salgado and Darlington Nagbe are the hottest new prospects around, there are many other youngsters who can step up to the challenge and become the future for their teams, which is why the Super Draft was a big hit.
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