Akeem Priestley

[Tilla]

Anyone know where is this player at the moment? I noticed that he is no longer listed on the roster of Kansas City Wizards.

[Assasin]

many of our draft picks have been released. Ryan Maxwell released by New England, Lyle Adams sign with a A league team and Bucknor son got released as well.

It is sad as it seems the MLS is moving mor towards established players and is not too much into development. The only hopeful signs are that more teams coming on stream.

[Karl]

many of our draft picks have been released. Ryan Maxwell released by New England, Lyle Adams sign with a A league team and Bucknor son got released as well.

It is sad as it seems the MLS is moving mor towards established players and is not too much into development. The only hopeful signs are that more teams coming on stream.

Could it be their standards of play did not demand retention in the squads?

Surely if they were supplying great TEAM contributions the oganisations would not simply throw away contrbutors who would ensure improved performances of TEAMS!

My reasoning is players are let go for two reasons only -

i) not good enough...

...or...

ii) positive effect on entities bottom-lines!

[Assasin]

Karl it is not only our draft players ar finding it hard but also the American players as well. The MLS of late is more is moving away from developing players.

When players like Ralph anothers were drafted they were not thought to be good enough to go right away in the first squad. What is the use of the draft if the first rounders can't make your team.

The people top analysts all said they didn't expect draft picks to walk right into teams but at least they expect a few good ones to make an impact over time.

[Naminirt]

Being drafted means nothing at at this Plyer that was not drafted

Marshall earning praise with Galaxy

Passed over in SuperDraft, rookie defender fought for roster spot

03/20/2009 11:38 AM
$(document).ready(function () {simpleDateTime('2009-03-20T11:38:00Z');})By Larry Morgan / MLSnet.com Staff

• Yohance Marshall player profile
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Yohance Marshall could find playing time along a Galaxy backline still in flux.






The Los Angeles Galaxy's Yohance Marshall kept waiting for his phone to ring, but the silence was deafening.It was Jan. 15, the day of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft in St. Louis, and the University of South Florida standout was expecting to see his name among the selections. There were a number of draft experts who even projected the 6-foot-2, 170-pound defender to be taken in the first round. But he reportedly had a poor MLS Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and the longer the draft dragged on, the sicker the feeling for the 23-year-old.

By the time the first two rounds were complete and his name was nowhere to be found on the list of draftees, Marshall decided to do something else. He went out and got his hair cut.

"When they reached number 30, I kind of stopped looking," Marshall said. "It was a little tough on me, but I didn't hang my head too long."

And for good reason. The Galaxy called less than two weeks later, brought him out to southern California and he eventually made the final roster. It was quite a turn of events for the first-team, All-Big East selection and College Soccer News first-team All-American, and it was his attitude more than anything else that kept him going.

The day after the draft, for example, Marshall resumed training. He not only was determined to get better but remained hopeful he would get a chance to play somewhere. He was working out when he received a voice mail informing him the Galaxy were interested.

"I was excited when they called," he said. "They told me they wanted me to come out there for a little bit, and within two days I was flying out to L.A."

He quickly left a positive impression on his teammates. Veteran defender Tony Sanneh said he wouldn't have any objection to playing alongside the untested rookie should Marshall get a chance.

"I feel very confident in him. Very much so," Sanneh said. "He's confident on the ball, he reads the game and he's very confident. For a guy his age the only thing he needs is experience, and that will come.

"I would have no problems playing with him."

Marshall, who replaced last year's Rookie of the Year, Sean Franklin, late in last week's 1-1 preseason tie with the Chicago Fire, calls it a "fun" training camp so far, but he can't help but think back to draft day when his professional soccer career almost ended before it started.

"I know what it feels like when you see players in other sports not get drafted," said Marshall, a native of Trinidad and Tobago who has played on his team's U-17, U-20 and U-21 teams. "You expect big things and it doesn't always go your way. But it's always how you bounce back that's important.

"Don't always hang your head because there's always the end of the road. That was my mind-set, that things will happen."

Veteran defender Todd Dunivant praised Marshall's resolve.

"It's a credit to him," Dunivant said. "I don't know what happened in the combine, but I think we got a steal. He has a lot of raw talent. The biggest thing with him is he's willing to learn and willing to get better."

Marshall said he's also willing to do whatever he can to help the Galaxy, which opens the regular season Sunday against D.C. United.

"I'm ready to help in any way I can," he said. "Whether it's being on the field or on the bench, I'm willing to help in any way and guide this team in a new direction."

[Me]

Karl it is not only our draft players ar finding it hard but also the American players as well. The MLS of late is more is moving away from developing players.

.

I am not sure how you came to that Conclusion. The top half of the 2008 draft is still in the league and the teams are simply waiting on them to develop. The way the salary cap structure is the teams will always have quite a few young players.

[Assasin]

Many of the young people you are talking about is from their academy that will only result in one or two making it to a team. After 1 year and no forward progress many of these draft picks either leave the game, go to A league teams or who have a European passport head that way.

Most bigman with a college degree will not spend 2 years earning 10,000 dollar a year.

[Me]

The league's approach to the young players doesn't seem any different now to 5 years ago. If you look like you have potential in the league, they keep you around, if not you go elsewhere.

[Assasin]

that is your opinion not mine. 5 years ago there were more oppurtunity for young players to grow, now as the league grow it is demanding more season players.

That is my observation.There was more patience 5 years ago with draft picks.

[Me]

More patience with who? What are you going based on? What players are you referring to?

[Assasin]

what more you want mi say? Mi Say with draft picks.

[Me]

Which draft picks outside of the ones who did not make the squad in the first place? Draft picks not making a squad is not something unusual.

[Assasin]

Me it is happening more often now and they have scrap the supplimentary draft as well. That tell you anything?

MLS to scrap Supplemental Draft


College soccer players and pro prospects hoping to be drafted by MLS teams this winter will have a lot fewer opportunities for that to happen.
MLS has decided to scrap the MLS Supplemental Draft, multiple sources confirmed to SBI on Thursday. The four-round draft was an annual event which usually followed a week after the MLS Draft.
With MLS reducing the number of supplemental roster spots and eliminating the reserve division, the need to fill out rosters with developmental players has been reduced, this diminishing the need for the extra draft rounds.
The Supplemental has produced its share if quality players in recent years, including MLS rookie of the year finalist Kheli Dube of New England in 2008 and New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero in 2007.
The development may actually be a blessing for free agents who are not selected in the 2009 MLS Draft, set for Jan. 15th in St. Louis. Rather than being chosen in the Supplemental Draft and having the drafting team hold their rights, undrafted players will be free to try out for the team or teams of their choosing.
What do you think of this development? Saddened that your team won't be able to land any diamonds in the rough? Wondering what teams will do now to make lowball offers? Curious as to what Carlos Ruiz's trade value is now that supplemental picks are no longer available?
Share your thoughts below.

[Me]

Scrapping the supplementary draft makes complete sense. Is who you think get them 11k contracts. Most of them never workled out in the MLS anyway. More teams are coming into the league, so more roster spots and focus on their own academies

Furthermore supplemental draft limited what teams the undrafted could play for. Now trini youth like Marshall free to go sign with whichever team call him up after the draft.

Better them focus on them acadamies and the main draft. Supplemetal was a complete waste of time.

[Assasin]

Well it also tell you that they have less patience for draft picks.

At one time the supplimentary draft made some sense.