JoeSoccerFan's Combine Report - Day 3

Day three of JoeSoccerFan's on site Combine coverage. This was the last day of the combine. The "super" draft is this friday. I plan to get a combine report and draft preview up sometime tomorrow.

Team Azteca

Christman, Adam - Forward - UVA
came on when Guadarrama got hurt in 1H for a few minutes. Lost the ball a few times but really didn't suck as much as usual. 2nd half playing central defender was physical (er, very physical) - perhaps this is his calling. I still don't think he's good enough to play MLS but maybe someone else will.

Cummings, Omar - Forward - Cincinnati
DNP - perhaps I was mistaken about seeing him, yesterday. Won't be the first time.

Douglass, Justin - Defender - Missouri State
Big + Played very well - breaking up plays. Still made mistakes. Not sure if he's got enough quality - willing to consider.

Guadarrama, Willy - Forward - Campell
better - but the difference is between projectile diarrhea and running stools. Has skills just doesn't know what to do with them.

Helton, Kyle - Defender - Duke
DNP?

Krizanovi, Tommy - Forward - Jacksonville
Spoke to his father before the match, they are fans of dynamo Zagreb (which is a plus for Srdan) - understands what he's doing but isn't tricky enough or quick enough to be effective here (let alone MLS)

LaBrocca, Nick - Midfielder - Rutgers
horrible - no clue (2H) - 1H - not horrible ----- average out to be partly horrible?

Marfuggi, Phil - Goalkeeper - Clemson
4th best GK here - should buy Justin Hughes dinner.

McGrane, Justin - Midfielder - Northern Illnios
ok - nothing special

Omekanda, Simon - Forward - Penn State
finally showing something - beats Dalby on dribble forces Diramondo to foul him.

Patterson, Randi - Forward - UNC Greensboro
speed, power, strength and balance. I had this kid going #1 coming into the combine, but I like a few others more - since the Combine roster was announced. He's got a lot of qualities of Davies - except doesn't really create space or beat players with dribbling skills (instead of speed).

Richards, Dane - Forward - Clemson
He continues to impress doing the things that he's good at - running at players with speed and beating them around the edge. His crosses could be better - if he wasn't a YI with 2 yrs to go.

Sambursky, Mike - Forward - South Carolina
Ty Domi (sp). He's a physical defender. He gets beat way too much. I'm not sure that he will be more than a project. He looks awfully raw out there. He's getting beat pretty regularly.

Solle, Ryan - Midfielder - Wake Forest
Just a solid soccer player. He's top notch. Not sure where he would fit in with DCU.

Soumare, Boukary - Defender - UVA
Solid play

Team Tango

Boukhemis, Karim - Midfield - Marshall
If not a gym teacher, maybe he should consider U13 coach. He understands the game, he just doesn't have enough skill - thank you, sir - may I have another

Cunliffe, John - Forward - Ft. Lewis
Looks tired - not as good in 1H - 2H much better. Capitalized on mistake for his goal which was well struch and placed.

Curfman, Steven - Midfielder - Wake Forest
ok, just doesn't have a lot of game.

Ebert, Eric - Midfielder - California
not enough skill - as a DM he plows along in the defensive midfield not adding much to his team. There are better DM options.

Findlay, Robbie - Forward - Oregon State
top class. Didn't have his best day (which was his first). Just does more; puts himself and his teammates in dangerous positions.

Harden, Ty - Defender - Washington
Watched him a little bit more today. He looked a lot better. Still don't think he's athletic, his passing is his biggest challenge. MLS Defenders need to pass (more than to gk). Think he looks better because the other team has anemic forwards.

Harrington, Michael - Defender - UNC
explosive out of the back
Hayden, John - Midfielder - Indiana
at time dangerous - reserve (maybe). Can play the game which doesn't surprise me coming from Indiana

Ibrahim, Abdus - Midfielder - None
Spent considerable time watching him. Tall and thin - he's a legit 6'. Athletic and willing to work with his teammates. His first touch fails him. He puts himself in bad positions. If you watch Dalby, he puts the ball where he can either give himself time or where he wants to go for his second touch. Abdus doesn't do this. Either he doesn't know where to put the ball or isn't able to. He won't have as much time on the ball in the MLS where defenders will close quickly. Also, his shot is lacking from the outside. He's is 15! Wow.

Kent, Jarod - Midfielder - ODU
Scored 2 goals - he can play in MLS - not because of the 2 goals. His quickness and ball holding ability along with his brashness. I was thinking a 3rd - Revs coaches seemed impressed.

Kirby, Zach - Defender - Boston
Much better - more dynamic. See Harden (poor opponents) perhaps

Moojen, Frederico - Forward - Clemson
touch horrible - tries to make the flashy pass. I don't want him. 1 year YI not worth my time

Noble, Nick - Goalkeeper - WVU
Like him - best GK that's here. 3rd/4th Round

Norman, Nate - Midfielder - Notre Dame
so-so - looked better on TV.

Smith, Jarrod - Forward - WVU
hurty hammy honest defender as a forward. Like him. 2 yr as YI.

Team Geist

Alvarez, Gerardo - Forward - Northwestern
Doesn't react to to other - lack of anticipation. I'm not impressed - pass

Asante, Rich - Midfielder - Syracuse
Hard to score a goal and still be the worst player - but he is. I stopped writing bad pass and started using tally marks. Forget about him

Chandler, Aaron - Forward - San Francisco
don't like. Just doesn't do anything.

Colaluca, Nick - Midfielder - UVA
Best player for his team - his goal was absolutely amazing tremendously struck with accuracy and precision.

Cunliffe, Alex - Midfield - Fairfield
mixed feelings - you can see his athletism - but he makes lots of mistakes.

Guy, Ryan - Forward - San Diego
2H battling with skill, he's quick he's worth a mid-round maybe 4th.

Hughes, Justin - Goalkeeper - UNC
dnp - best he's shown this combine

Jones, Scott - Midfielder - UNC Greensboro
2H strugged on LM; seems that he needs to be in the middle

Loftus, Chris - Forward - Duke
much better - actually saw him run. Perhaps he's a morning person. If MLS would play at 0900, he could be an all-star. Not really.

MacDonald, Hugh - Defender - Monmouth
Struggled, not MLS quality

Meier, Billy - Defender - Wisconsin-Milwaukee
painful to watch. Gets himself in good pos.

Needham, Jay - Defender - SMU
a rock in the back. When he came out - (slight hammy) - D was like a sieve.

Thompson, Wells - Midfielder - Wake Forest
hustled - just not able to turn the corner on avg speed players.

Trott, Josh - Forward - Holy Cross
not very good

Wileman, Chase - Midfielder - SMU
active and intelligent. Good skills - plays well - just so damn short - maybe.

Team Tricolor

Altcheck, Charles - Forward - Harvard
go to law school. The best thing that he did today was run over solle - providing a little entertainment for the sadist amongst the fans

Ashe, Corey - Forward - UNC
he can play. He had his hands full marking richards. Impressed with how he got back to cover richards - unfortunately, richards recovered beat ashe then got an assist

Dalby, Greg - Midfielder - Notre Dame
DNP in 1st H; 2nd Half steady nothing to good-bad; got beat once by Omekanda; question marks - quickness; like his passing and presence and leadership. Did try a 40 yard chip of the gk - nice try.

Daniels, Andrew - Forward - Brown
looking more comfortable in the back. He's got a modicum of athletic ability and he's tall and rangy. However, he's not skillful on the ball. He runs like Eddie Pope - that gait. I'm not convinced either way.

DiRaimondo, John - Midfielder - Saint Louis
he provides an interesting option in the back - I am not impressed with his midfield play even though this is where he typically plays. I don't think he'd be that effective. However as a defender (if he can defend sufficiently,) he might be an option. Just doesn't wow me.

Elcock, Edson - Forward - ODU
active and aggressive; used his quickness to score the first goal in the 2nd minute. I can see him being like that little annoying gnat that keeps popping up and being a pest. He is easily shoved off the ball - not strong enough. Has some promise.

Evans, Brad - Forward - UC-Irvine
I have him starting in 1H as AM but can't find any notes nor can I recall him playing - could be a numerical error. DNP in 2H.

Faz, Luis - Midfielder - None
just a bad player - stick him with whoever signed him as a GA!
[EDITOR'S NOTE: 3rd Degree is reporting that Faz is not a GA but instead just one of those instances of MLS not following their own rules]

Hall, Tally - Goalkeeper - San Diego State
don't want - had an atrocious goal kick that Christman was not able to convert (should have - but it's Christman).

Hohlhein, Aaron - Defender - Wisconsin
didn't impress

Marples, Nigel - Defender - Towson
had a terrible time trying to cover Patterson - he is much too slow to not have defensive coverage. I like his play.. He's just not athletic enough (quick) to stay with fast fwds.

Monteiro, Jerson - Forward - UAB
best player on the team - he was aggressive and confident dribbling atr people and not afraid to shoot - this doesn't mean that he can shoot. Erratic would be kind. Let me say the FAA put out a small plane advisory at the airfield behind his goal. Had the assist on a very calm play.

Purdy, Steve - Defender - California
DNP

Tudela, Josh - Midfielder - Indiana
Much better from the previous 2 days, demanding the ball; there's a difference between assertive and pressing. Josh went to pressing. Taking bad shots when he should pass. I think he was trying to showcase his skills.

Ubiparipovic, Sinisa - Midfielder - Akron
terrific play today. Spraying the ball onto his teammates path for shooting. He's very field cognizant. Not sure if he can play AM in MLS - maybe. He's got the skills - wonder about his speed. He's not the fastest player out there.

Ustruck, Erik - Forward - Santa Clara
2h only - so-so; beaten on the dribble several times. Hmmm. Playing RM shouldn't be too much of a stretch. Concerns.

Random Extra Goalkeeper

Konopka, Chris - Goalkeeper - Providence
ok - nothing special