A Few Draft Impressions

Sunday, January 17, 2010 | View Comments
2010 MLS SuperDraft

Though it required me to tell a small white lie to my primary employers (I say "primary" like there's a secondary one), I had the opportunity to cover the MLS SuperDraft in person for both this blog and CSRN.


You can go just about anywhere else for breakdown, analysis and the "winners" and "losers" from the draft itself. Any site worth its salt is dishing out evaluations of the players involved and the collection of talent (in DC United's case, "collection" equals one player) each team managed to acquire; while all of that is worthwhile and relevant, you know that's not what we do here at Match Fit USA.


So instead of trite declarations of how each team fared, I'm going to instead take a broader view of the draft itself, the purpose it serves, the presentation it's given and it's value to Major League Soccer.


First, the thing is a damn fine showcase for the league. Particularly when the draft takes place in an MLS city, or in this case a soon to be MLS city, it serves as a perfect gathering place for fans and clubs alike. Because the draft is always paired with the NSCAA annual convention, there's much more going on around it than it might seem. From leagues (youth, professional, adult, it doesn't matter) to vendors to players, coaches, and media, the NSCAA is a bazaar of everything soccer in the United States. There were enough training suits walking around the Philadelphia Convention Center to outfit the Bahamanian Olympic delegation.

2010 MLS SuperDraft


The MLS SuperDraft occupied the ballroom, a space plenty big enough for the team tables, stage, fan seating areas, and media. The Union fans dominated the room, of course, simply because there were more of them; and while the contingents of Red Bull and United fans in attendance (those two groups were seated directly next to each other, but on the opposite side from the Union fans/SoBs) were much smaller, they certainly made their presence felt. The location set up nicely for a new expression of the New York v. Philly rivalry to kick up a notch, with the added bonus of the DC faithful in attendance, doing their part to spice things up.


Far be it for me to slight a group of fans that essentially willed themselves a team, but I expect the Union supporters will get better with time and actual games. A nice little scene did take place in the lobby before the draft, however, with the marble construction (lots and lots of marble) of the room helping to echo the anti-New York chants emanating from the gathered Union support. Red Bull fans naturally held their ground, shouting down at the Philadelphians from the landing above. There just happened to be a lot less of them.


Beyond the crazies (and I say that will all respect) that traveled up and down I-95 to be there, the SuperDraft was an interesting insight into how the League runs one of its bigger annual events. There's no actual competition to showcase as there is at the All-Star Game or MLS Cup Final, and the attention garnered will never reach NFL proportions, but the opportunity to get on television (at least for the first round) and put the product in front of potential new eyes should never be discounted.


There will likely be a few more draft thoughts in the coming days, but take this from these thoughts; the MLS SuperDraft serves a purpose that has nothing to do with introducing young players (many of whom will contribute little or nothing for their clubs) into the league.
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