MLS Combine, SuperDraft from a Local Perspective

As most of you are well aware, the MLS SuperDraft will be held next Thursday at the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.

As always the SuperDraft is preceded by the MLS Combine where a select number of chosen players participate and are looked at by MLS Clubs but other lower division teams will also have representatives there.

Minnesota Stars head coach Manny Lagos is in Florida observing the combine. Lagos was at last year’s combine as well and told IMS previously that he will make contact with and sometimes advise players who he feels may need to spend time in Division II before making the step to MLS. The NASL Division II combine will be held February 4, 5 and 6 in Ft. Lauderdale.

This year, Minnesota’s Ben Sippola was chosen to participate in the MLS SuperDraft. The former Shattuck Academy and then Butler University player wasn’t on the original list. But with Perry Kitchen, Zac MacMath, Omar Salgado, and Zarek Valentin participating in the U-20 National Team camp and University of Akron forward Darlington Nagbe not able to participate, it opened up a number of spots. The seven added players are all college seniors. They are: Andy Adlard (Midfield, Indiana), Charlie Campbell (Midfield, Louisville), Alex Caskey (Midfield, Davidson), Ryan Kinne (Forward/Midfield, Monmouth), Matt Marcin (Midfield, Providence), Ben Sippola (Midfield, Butler) and Chris Taylor (Midfield, Tulsa).

Midfielder Sippola was a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy and named the 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year. He was also honored as the Horizon League’s Offensive Player of the Year, the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 Horizon League Men’s Soccer Tournament and was named first team Academic All-America.

The 2011 MLS SuperDraft will be held Jan. 13, at 12 pm ET and the first round will be carried on ESPN2. The following rounds will be carried on MLSsoccer.com.

All the Combine games will be available to watch via live streaming here.

Here is the game schedule with times listed as ET.

Saturday, January 8
1:45 p.m. AdiPower vs AdiPure Central Broward Regional Park
3:30 p.m. Jabulani vs AdiZero Central Broward Regional Park

Monday, January 10
11:15 a.m. AdiPure vs. Jabulani Central Broward Regional Park
1:00 p.m. AdiPower vs. AdiZero Central Broward Regional Park

Tuesday, January 11
11:15 a.m. AdiPower vs. Jabulani Central Broward Regional Park
1:00 p.m. AdiPure vs. AdiZero Central Broward Regional Park

Click “read more” for the entire MLS Player Combine roster and teams they will play on.
2011 Adidas MLS Player Combine Rosters: