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College Soccer's Best Division I Seniors Invited To Participate In 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine

Published on December 10, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK (Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009) - Major League Soccer today announced the initial list of 62 college seniors from 44 Division I schools who have been invited to participate in the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine. The annual player combine will be held at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 8-12, 2010. The schedule for the player combine is also included below.

The coaching and management staffs of all 16 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes two days before the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. At the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, considered one of the best talent pools in SuperDraft history, 42 of the 60 players drafted attended the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine; 10 combine players were selected in the first round. The 2010 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 in Philadelphia.

The list of invitees is highlighted by five players who are semifinalists for the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, NCAA soccer's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists invited to the adidas MLS player combine include Harvard University's Andre Akpan, University of North Carolina's Zach Loyd, University of California-Los Angeles's Kyle Nakazawa, Bucknell University's Conor O'Brien and University of Connecticut's Toni Stahl. The 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy finalists will be announced on Dec. 11, 2009, and the winner is announced on Jan. 8, 2010.

The initial player list was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conferences who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. Youth players from the Generation adidas program will join additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and Division I alternates to finalize the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine. The final player list and team assignments will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine will separate all players into four teams and feature two games per day at Central Brower Regional Park on Jan. 9, 10 and 12. Each team will be led by an experienced Division I coach who will be assisted by an experienced soccer professional. Davidson University Head Coach, Matthew Spear has been selected to coach Team Predator X, along with Executive Director of the South Charlotte Soccer Association Brad Wylde. Michael Noonan, head coach at Brown University will coach Team Condivo along with Leigh Cowlishaw, head coach of the Richmond Kickers of USL-2. University of California - Los Angeles Head Coach Jorge Salcedo will lead Team Jabulani along with Placer United Soccer Club Coach Nathan Williams. Todd Yeagley, head coach at the University of Wisconsin will lead Team F50i along with Larry Sunderland, Director of Player Personnel for the Chicago Fire.

The Westin Beach Resort Fort Lauderdale will serve as the official headquarters of the adidas MLS Player Combine and the host hotel for players and coaching staffs.

Media interested in securing credentials for the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine should contact Lauren Brophy (lauren.brophy@mlsnet.com) or Jonathan Kaplan (jkaplan@mlsnet.com) at 212-450-1252 with MLS Communications.

The game schedule and the 62 players selected, broken down by position and by school, are included below:

MLS PLAYER COMBINE GAME SCHEDULE

All times eastern and schedule is subject to change. All games will be held on the Main Event Field

Saturday, January 9 3:00 PM Predator X vs. Jabulani 4:45 PM Condivo vs. F50i

Sunday, January 10 2:00 PM Predator X vs. Condivo 3:45 PM F50i vs. Jabulani

Tuesday, January 12 9:30 AM Jabulani vs. Condivo 11:15 AM Predator X vs. F50i

2010 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (5): Brooks Haggerty (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill); Jovan Bubonja (University of Illinois-Chicago); Frederick Hall (Quinnipiac University); Brian Perk (University of California - Los Angeles); John Moore (Stanford University)

DEFENDERS (18): Kevin Tangney (University of Maryland - College Park); Olukorede Aiyegbusi (North Carolina State University); Tim Ream (Saint Louis University); Kwame Watson-Siriboe (University of Connecticut); Phil Edginton (University of Louisville); Ben Clack (St. Johns University); Justin Morrow (University of Notre Dame); Ofori Sarkodie (Indiana University); Martin Hadevag (University of California - Santa Barbara); Chad Borak (California State University, Northridge); Chris Schuler (Creighton University); Julien Edwards (Drake University); Kris Banghart (University of Denver); Nick Cardenas (San Diego State University); Tyler Barry (University of California - Berkeley); Adam Welch (Lehigh University); Steven Kinney (Elon University); Ryan Peterman (University of San Diego)

MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS (39): Samuel Appiah (Boston University); Carlos Villa (University of Hartford); Zack Schilawski (Wake Forest University); Zach Loyd (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill); Austin da Luz (Wake Forest University); Drew Yates (University of Maryland - College Park); Ronnie Bouemboue (North Carolina State University); Ross LaBauex (University of Virginia); Joseph Noone (Temple University); Isaac Kissi (University of Dayton); Mike Seamon (Villanova University); Othaniel Yanez (University of Louisville); Steffen Vroom (Depaul University); Fred Braun (University of Louisville); Michael Thomas (University of Notre Dame); Toni Stahl (University of Connecticut); Mike Pezza (University of Connecticut); Nelson Becerra (St. John's University); Bright Dike (University of Notre Dame); Jason Yeisley (Penn State University); Mauro Fuzetti (University of Michigan); Eric Alexander (Indiana University); Irving Garcia (University of California - Irvine); David Walker (University of California - Santa Barbara); Andrew Hoxie (College of William & Mary); Nane Joseph (Old Dominion University); Two-Boys Gumede (University of Alabama - Birmingham); Andre Akpan (Harvard University);Craig Henderson (Dartmouth College); Nick Elenz-Martin (Brown University);Kwaku Nyamekye (Harvard University); Seth Sinovic (Creighton University); Justin Davis (University of New Mexico); Kyle Nakawaza (University of California - Los Angeles); Michael Stephens (University of California - Los Angeles); David Estrada (University of California - Los Angeles); Adam Welch (Lehigh University); Conor O'Brien (Bucknell University) Collen Warner (University of Portland); Conor Chinn (University of San Francisco)

ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY SCHOOL

Boston University Samuel Appiah

Brown University Nick Elenz-Martin

Bucknell University Conor O'Brien

California State University, Northridge Chad Borak

College of William & Mary Andrew Hoxie

Creighton University Chris Schuler Seth Sinovic

Dartmouth University Craig Henderson

Depaul University Steffen Vroom

Drake University Julien Edwards

Elon University Steven Kinney

Harvard University Andre Akpan Kwaku Nyamekye

Indiana University Eric Alexander Ofori Sarkodie

Lehigh University Adam Welch

North Carolina State University Olukorede Aiyegbusi Ronnie Bouemboue

Old Dominion University Nane Joseph

Penn State University Jason Yeisley

Quinnipiac University Frederick Hall

Saint Louis University Tim Ream

San Diego State University Nick Cardenas

St. John's University Nelson Becerra Ben Clack

Stanford University John Moore

Temple University Joseph Noone

University of Alabama - Birmingham Two-Boys Gumede

University of California - Berkeley Tyler Barry

University of California - Irvine Irving Garcia

University of California - Los Angeles Kyle Nakazawa Michael Stephens Brian Perk David Estrada

University of California - Santa Barbara Martin Hadevag David Walker

University of Connecticut Kwame Watson-Siriboe Toni Stahl Mike Pezza

University of Dayton Isaac Kissi

University of Denver Kris Banghart

University of Hartford Carlos Villa

University of Illinois - Chicago Jovan Bubonja

University of Louisville Othaniel Yanez Fred Braun Phil Edginton

University of Maryland Drew Yates Kevin Tangney

University of Michigan Mauro Fuzetti

University of New Mexico Justin Davis

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Zach Loyd Brooks Haggerty

University of Notre Dame Michael Thomas Bright Dike Justin Morrow

University of Portland Collen Warner

University of San Diego Ryan Peterman

University of San Francisco Conor Chinn

University of Virginia Ross LaBauex

Villanova University Mike Seamon

Wake Forest University Zack Schilawski Austin da Luz




Major League Soccer Stories from December 10, 2009


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