It's Really Drafty in Here!

Combine Harvest's Goals
The combine is now well under way. Games have been played, weakness exposed, and the quality of some has show through. While I would love to be at the Combine giving you on the spot live videos, interviews, and pictures that is not going to happen on a grad school budget.

Instead I am going to focus on just a few players, the players who scored goals and the keepers who posted shutouts. Of course, you can play a great game without being a goal scorer so just because there name doesn’t appear below doesn’t mean they didn’t put in a great performance.

The Combine Games
Official MLS Combine Roster

Day 1 Game 1: adiTunit beat Powerserve 2-0
Goals: Chris Pontius, Peri Marosevic
Shutout: Stefan Frei, Evan Bush

Day 1 Game 2: adiPure beat Tiro 1-0
Goal: Jordan Seabrook
Shutout: Neal Kitson, Alec Dufty

Day 2 Game 1: adiTunit tied Tiro 1-1
Goal: Peri Marosevic; Nick Perera

Day 2 Game 2: PowerSwerve beat adiPure 2-0
Goals: Quincy Amarikwa (2)
Shutout: Evan Bush

The Players
Forward Chris Pontius(USCB): 1 goal
Chris is a 6’0 170 forward for UC Santa Barbra. In the 2007 season he was the conferences top goal scorer with 11. In 2008 he was the team Co-Captian, as well as a M.A.C Hermann Trophy Candidate. In 2007 he was the Big West Offensive Player of the Year.

Listen to an Interview with Chris Pontius

Forward Peri Marosevic (Michigan): 2 goals
Peri is a 5’9 160 forward from Michigan. He has played with the US U-17 and U-20 National Team. While with the U-20 team he scored a brace against Mexico. While at Michigan he has qualified for a variety of teams, including All-Distric First Team. He holds the record for single season shot total (66). Too bad that is just shots and not goals.

Peri scores the first goal in this video.


Forward Quincy Amarikwa (UC Davis): 2 goals
Quincy is a 5’9 160 forward who is loaded with skill. He has been named to the Big West All Conference Second Team and finished the season with 5 goals in his 2007 season (2 of the game winners).

In 2008 he was named to the All American team after a season with 15 goals.

Read an interview with Quincy.

Watch Quincy hit a sweet bicycle kick.


Forward Jordan Seabrook(South Florida): 1 goal
Jordan, a 5’10 160 striker is very fast and has handled himself well during the combine. In his 2007 season he had 5 goals and 8 assists. He was ranked #42 in the nation based on assists per game. Seabrook is also a track and field star.

Watch Seabrook twist and turn in the box to create a game winning goal in the Big East Tournament Championship.


Forward Nick Perera(UCSB):1 goal
Nick is a 6’3 200 forward for US Santa Barbra. He has a great first touch and is very calm in front of goal. In 2007 he appeared in every match during the season. In the 2006 Men’s College Cup he was named the best offensive player (when he was a sophomore).

Wow a whole video dedicated to a college soccer player. I just shat myself.


GK Evan Bush (Akron): 2 shutouts
At 6’3 185 Bush has size and speed. He has been named to the All MAC First Team twice. In 2007 he started 21 games and posted 12 shutouts.

Unfortunately there are no videos of Bush in action. Weird huh?

Great MLS Draft Sites
-Pro Player Pipeline:The best breakdown and explanation of every game, notes on each player, and overall grade
-Soccer by Ives: Daily updates, you probably already visit here
-MLSnet: The official MLS site has updates and video of the combine.
-3rd Degree: The FC Dallas site has great insider observation and info
-MLS Draft: A whole site dedicated to just the MLS draft. Ooooooh

Twitter
TWEET TWEET TWEET I have a Twitter feed.

Next time on Advantage Played
On Wednesday I continue my Soccer in America series. I look at soccer at Kansas State and in the Big XI.