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MLSNet.com
As part of our coverage of the upcoming 2009 MLS Draft mls-rumors.net caught up with Sean Keay, the founder of mlsdraft.net. Sean's site is quickly becoming one of the top sources for MLS Draft information.
1. Hi Sean, can you tell us a little bit about mlsdraft.net, and how the site came to be?
Well I opened up the site in September 2008, the reason I opened it was because last year I was writing MLS Draft stuff for a canadian sports Channel called The Score and 3-4 articles just wasnt enough to make me happy with the work I was doing. So I said, well lets step it up a bit and write profiles on players, do multiple mock drafts and then goto the combine and draft.
Since then I have been working with my webmaster Terry Dobbs and MLS Writer Rudi Schuller to try and have new articles daily or atleast 3-4 a week.
I watch all the College games I can on TV/Internet.. plus I work for a sports station and can get feeds across north america so its pretty sweet. Since day 1 till now our readership has never gone down and I expect it tokeep going up until the draft is over. Once the draft is over, i'll startscouting again and try to have at least 100-200 profiles next year. This is only the start of it.
2. How would you rate this year’s draft class in comparison to prior years?
This years draft class is very deep, there are about 15-20 players in this draft who have the potential to be useful MLS player in the next few seasons. If I was to compare it to another year it would be either to the ’07 or ’04 classes.
In ’07 it was such a deep draft, guys like Abdus Ibrahim, Brad Evans and Robbie Findley went in the 2nd round and already two of the three of them are starters on there respective teams.
The same goes with the ‘04 class, with a few top dogs in the names of Chad Marshall and Freddie Adu. This draft was also sprinkled with a few guys who could turn into the next big thing and one turned out to be the star of the draft in Clint Dempsey. The ‘04 draft also had some late round goalkeepers make it big. Zach Wells, Will Hesmer and Matt Pickens were all taken in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. I expect the same thing to come from this draft in respect to goalkeepers.
3. Who do you rate as the top player in the 2009 Draft, and what do you like about this player?
My favorite player in this years draft has to be Steve Zakuani, I have watched him play a few times as well as his highlight videos. This guy is just on another level when you watch him play. He reads the game like no one else in the NCAA. He is on the level where he can do what his brain wants him to do on the field, where as others in the league try to do the magnificent, he does the magnificent. When someone comes through a youth academy like Arsenal’s then you have to already know how to play the game properly. If he was to fall anywhere past the 2nd pick I would be shocked.
4. Can you give us the top player by position in the draft?
Goalkeeper – Stefan Frei (Cal)
Defender – Omar Gonzalez (Maryland)
Midfielder – Chris Pontius (UCSB - prefers to play on the wing so he can get more touches)
Forward – Steve Zakuani (Akron)
Defender – Omar Gonzalez (Maryland)
Midfielder – Chris Pontius (UCSB - prefers to play on the wing so he can get more touches)
Forward – Steve Zakuani (Akron)
5.What player would you consider to be the most overrated in this draft?
Overrated eh, I think it’s unfair at this time to say that one guy is overrated since I have only seen most players in 3-4 games a year. But I will say that one guy who hasn’t impressed me as much as he gets praised would be Yohance Marshall. He has the size to play and he did well on his South Florida team, but he may be a bit to raw to make the next level. If a college stud like Julius James can’t cut it as a starter in the MLS we may see the same with Yohance. With that being said don’t ever count him out; he has all the physical attributes to be a good player.
6.What players from this years draft class can make an immediate contribution to their clubs?
It all depends on where each player is drafted to; of course if a centre back was to find its way to LA and Toronto they would make an immediate impact because they would be starting. So I think it’s a no brainier to say that the likes of an Omar Gonzalez will be making a contribution to his club right away.
7. Last year unheralded rookies like Kheli Dube, Luke Sassano, and Geoff Cameron significantly contributed to their clubs, do you see any player who may be taken at the end of the draft or even go undrafted that could surprise and be a contributer to an MLS side?
This is a tough question, since if I knew the answer for these kinds of questions I would be working for a MLS club, but I will give it a try!
The soccer world on the internet has been bombarded by the love of Richard Jata (Campbell), and I’m on that bandwagon. His family has done a great job raising awareness of this kid and at least put him in the mind of the top writers in the country when writing rankings. He does have some skill and ability and was the top player in his conference last year.
Another guy who I was surprised never found his way to the combine was Joe Zimka the goalkeeper from NIU. He is from a smaller program which usually hinders players, but when you set an NCAA record for goals against average I figure you should at least get an invite. If DIII standout Kai Kasiguran can get a shot, why cant Joe.
8. Are there any rumblings of clubs trying to move up or down in the draft?
There are a little bit of rumblings at the moment, with Toronto having three picks they have to be looking to shop 1 or 2 of them. As simple of thinking this is, White is on there radar and they believe he will be back for the season next year. Dallas is said to be looking for a centre back in either Omar Gonzalez or Ike Opara so they will have to be looking to trade with either LA or Toronto. I don’t expect Serioux involved with the Toronto deal, since Mo has already traded him twice. D.C. may be interested in trading one of there two picks if the players they desire go higher in the draft.
9. Do you think College Soccer is an adequate training ground for young American players to develop?
I believe that College Soccer is a great start for any young player to get a taste at a “professional” style of training. But there are things that need to be done to make sure that it’s a lasting staple in the MLS pyramid though. It starts with turning athletes in to the whole package. Don’t let kids rely on their speed and strength anymore, too many times we see raw players who are 22 years old coming into the MLS needing to learn how to play with the ball at there feet. Marvell Wynne is a great example, a guy with all the athletic ability in the world and very little touch on the ball. Coaches let him get by with his speed and strength without teaching him the basics. It is only now where he is starting to turn into a complete player when it should have been done 4 years ago.
10. Looking forward to 2010, what players can we keep an eye on for next years MLS draft?
I’m sure there are a lot of underclassmen we all like but the guys who really excite me for the upcoming years are: Jovan Bubonja, Casey Townsend, Danny Wenzel, Corbin Bone, Mike Pezza, Andre Akpan, Ofori Sarkodie
good to see your bringing some quality writers onboard.
^
I'm usually not the grammar nazi but shouldn't a "quality writer" know the difference between there, their and they're.
It's like reading a seventh grade paper.
Perhaps you mean "your" and "you're" :)
Anways, nice work.
From what i can recall TFC had Serioux once, we traded him to Dallas for Ronnie Obrien, which was a really good trade cuz Adrien was out for 6 months with a broken leg. Can anyone recall him at TFC a second time?
Im a fan of Sean Keay but i gotta differ here. Im certain Serioux will be coming home.
Mo traded Serioux while he was at NY, prior to the start of the season.
because Obrien didn't miss any time with Toronto right?
That would be Canadian with a CAPTIAL 'C'.
And I don't believe Serioux was ever on the Red Bulls.
He was part of the TFC expansion draft from Houston I believe and then trade to Dallas.
Then again... I could be wrong.
He was signed on a Free from Milwall to the Metrostars because his family needed him closer to home. Then a month or two after he spend pre season in new york he was traded to houston.
Rudi Schuller "MLS writer" pffftt! Whatever. what has he had published besides his opines on Sean's fanboy site?
Sean Keay on MLS Rumors? I thought U-sector weren't "media whores". :)
Funny stuff.
Hey I'm "Anonymous" too, maybe I can also take a hard stand against people without actually using my name.
Gotta love teh internets.
Hey man, i didnt make the trade, plus when Obrien WAS fit, he was the best player on TFC so it seemed like a reasonable trade.
Regardless thanks for the heads up on him playing, well, being on the NJRB roster, much appreciated
I think this guy "mines" big soccer, 3rd degree, Ives, Goff, player bio's, etc., whoever, wherever then cuts, pastes and rolls it out as his own.
the fact is usector are always calling people on "the other board" media whores when usec themselves are worse. fact is fact, not a hard stand.