By Ben Knight

 

I freely admit that incoming, up-and-coming soccer prospects are not my particular area of expertise.

We’ll have a true expert – pal, colleague and utter madman Sean Keay, currently roaming the Lower 48 for MLSDraft.net – as a special guest on “It’s Called Football” this coming Saturday.  Sean’s been in Florida for the combines, and he’s off to St. Louis for Thursday’s draft.  He’s the man who “knows.”

But lack of knowledge can, at times, be a useful thing.

Knowing the intimate ins and outs of hundreds of promising NCAA prospects can, occasionally, blind one to blunt reality: players coming directly out of U.S. colleges rarely make a significant, immediate impact in Major League Soccer.

So here stands Toronto FC, holding the second, fourth and thirteenth picks in what the experts broadly agree is a packed opening draft round.  There’s even a rumour that Trader Mo (G.M. and noted draft optimist Mo Johnston) is looking to trade up to claim the opening pick.

I’ve never been to Florida, and I only passed through St. Louis once, some twenty-odd years ago.  My voice does not ring particularly loud in either locale.  So let me just scramble up here on my electronic virtual Internet soapbox, and optimistically try to bellow truth across the ever-strengthening hurricane of pre-draft hype.

Mo!  Trade the picks!!!

Okay, maybe not all of them.  Hang on to number 13, and try to scoop up injured Canadian mega-prospect O’Brian White, who was all that and the second coming before his knee ligaments got shredded.

But picks two and four have got to go.  TFC can’t wait for help in the centre of defence.  We already know FC Dallas wants the deuce pick, and could be convinced to send Canadian international brick wall Adrian Serioux back north where he belongs.

Dallas covets unanimous back-four top prospect Omar Gonzalez, from Maryland.  But as Mo and all the rest of us found out with last year’s Julius James flirtation, young defenders need time to season and mature before they can significantly wail in MLS.

Gonzalez has oceans of future value, but Toronto FC needs solid, proven professional help a year ago.  The vaunted acquisition of Dwayne DeRosario to drive the team forward could be utterly nullified without a stern and murderous upgrade at the back.  Serioux would do that job … nicely.

So what about the rest of the draft?  Well, even two first-rounders can go south on you, although Johnston does have a pretty decent drafting record (Maurice Edu, Marvell Wynne).  But high picks don’t automatically translate into contributing pros.  You need two, even three prospects to have a reasonable chance of getting one player who can start for you effectively for three years or more.

Even TFC’s current million-dollar stash of allocation money (A little MLS rule-fudger that lets you exceed the salary cap in certain limited situations) could run dry quickly.  Dealing for depth and cash could help the Reds more – and more quickly – than gambling heavily on the speed of a young player’s development.

In general, I want to see Mo dealing like a madman the next few days.  Veteran defence, cash and one good prospect sounds like a good week’s work to me.

Thoughts and comments?

Onward!