Most players taken in MLS draft have USL experience
Published on January 20, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Fort Lauderdale Strikers News Release
Miami, January 20, 2009 - In the annual MLS SuperDraft, 39 players - or a whopping 65% - with United Soccer Leagues experience in the Premier Development League (PDL) or Super Y-League were selected in the four-round, 60-player event, hinting that the future of soccer in North America already has everything to do with the USL.
Something else was very clear after last week's SuperDraft. USL's top two tiers (USL-1 and USL-1) and PDL boast a diverse assortment of talent from all over North America and beyond, much of which is more useful to Major League Soccer coaches than the raw college products.
There are currently hundreds of MLS players who have previously played for teams in USL-1, USL-2 or PDL There's also a large number of former MLS players who have made their way to the USL. In fact, every team in USL-1 has at least one former MLS player, and many teams have quite a few more. This definitely shows the ever-increasing size of and movement within the North American soccer market.
Cleveland Internationals striker Steve Zakuani was the first overall selection at the SuperDraft with Sam Cronin going second as the first of eight former Carolina Dynamo players taken.
A pair of players from the 2008 PDL Regular Season Champion Michigan Bucks highlighted the beginning and end of the draft with Peri Marosevic going fifth overall to FC Dallas and Michael Holody going 59th to the Colorado Rapids.
Marosevic tallied three goals and an assist in seven games while Holody finished his third Bucks season with a career total of 43 regular season games and over 3800 minutes played. The 2007 and 2008 PDL All-Conference selection was also named PDL All-League in 2008 and was a member of the 2006 PDL Championship squad and 2007 championship runners-up.
USL First Division Stories from January 20, 2009
- Charleston Battery signs defender Frankie Sanfilippo - Charleston Battery
- Most players taken in MLS draft have USL experience - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Whitecaps Hirano And Lyall Return For The 2009 Season - Vancouver Whitecaps
- DC United, Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake join Charleston Battery for 2009 Carolina Challenge Cup - Charleston Battery
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