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<DIV class=decker>Bearcats' Cummings taking game to new level: the MLS</DIV><DIV class=byline>BY MARK SCHMETZER <SPAN class=byline_outer>| ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR</SPAN></DIV><P class=body>Omar Cummings, a former University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati State soccer player, and British icon David Beckham have one thing in common.<P class=body>They both will be plying their trade in Major League Soccer this season.<P class=body>Beckham has signed a five-year, $250 million deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Cummings, a first-team all-Big East forward who led the Bearcats to the regular-season Red Division championship, was picked by the Colorado Rapids in the third round of the MLS draft Jan. 12.<P class=body>He will be making considerably less than Beckham.<P class=body>Cummings, 24, suspects he couldn't be joining the 11-year-old league at a better time.<P class=body>"I don't know what the changes will be because I haven't been in MLS, but I think it's great for Beckham to join," said Cummings, the 31st overall pick. "You can tell people are getting interested. People who don't normally watch will want to get on board. It's an exciting time."<P class=body>The same could be said for the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Cummings, a native of Old Harbour, Jamaica, who spent two years at Cincinnati State before joining the Bearcats.<P class=body>He earned unanimous first-team all-conference honors in both of his seasons with Cincinnati, and he finished sixth in the Big East in scoring this past season with 21 points on six goals and nine assists, which was second in the conference.<P class=body>Four of his goals were game-winners, Bearcats coach Hylton Dayes pointed out.<P class=body>"He's a gifted athlete," said Dayes, who's had three former Bearcats drafted by MLS in the past four years.<P class=body>Josh Gardner and Jeremiah Gallegos both were picked by the Galaxy.<P class=body>"He's got the right combination of strength, speed, talent and agility, and it's very, very evident when you watch him. The second thing is, technically, he's very good. He can do things at high speed without thinking about it. Tactically, he knows where he is on the field and how to get open. He has a real good sense of where to be at the right time.<P class=body>"Couple that with his work ethic and the fact that he's a big-game player. He can win a game for you."<P class=body>Cummings was concerned that off-season surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, which forced him to miss the MLS scouting combine, might cost him a chance at getting drafted.<P class=body>Fernando Clavijo, Colorado's new coach, already had seen enough of Cummings.<P class=body>"He's mature," Clavijo said. "He's a proven goal-scorer. Hopefully, what he did in college, he can do in the pros."<P class=body>"It's actually coming along good," said Cummings, who had surgery on Dec. 5. "There's still a little bit of swelling, but it should be fine in the next week.<P class=body>"I was hoping for the best because I hadn't played in the combine. I knew a lot of coaches were interested."<P class=body>Cummings and Clavijo both are joining a team that was an MLS charter member in 1996.<P class=body>The Rapids have made just one appearance in the league's MLS Cup championship game, losing 2-1 to DC United in 1997.<P class=body>This past season, Colorado went 11-13-8 to finish fourth in the Western Division and lost 2-1 at home to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.<P class=body>Cummings' biggest adjustment might have to be to the length of the MLS schedule, which starts with a 32-game regular-season schedule.<P class=body>"All college players don't play enough games in college," Clavijo said. "That's always a concern, but basically, we think he's strong enough to handle those situations."
Cummings, a first-team all-Big East forward who led the Bearcats to the regular-season Red Division championship, was picked by the Colorado Rapids in the third round of the MLS draft Jan. 12.<P class=body>He will be making considerably less than Beckham.<P class=body>Cummings, 24, suspects he couldn't be joining the 11-year-old league at a better time.<P class=body>"I don't know what the changes will be because I haven't been in MLS, but I think it's great for Beckham to join," said Cummings, the 31st overall pick. "You can tell people are getting interested. People who don't normally watch will want to get on board. It's an exciting time."<P class=body>The same could be said for the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Cummings, a native of Old Harbour, Jamaica, who spent two years at Cincinnati State before joining the Bearcats.<P class=body>He earned unanimous first-team all-conference honors in both of his seasons with Cincinnati, and he finished sixth in the Big East in scoring this past season with 21 points on six goals and nine assists, which was second in the conference.<P class=body>Four of his goals were game-winners, Bearcats coach Hylton Dayes pointed out.<P class=body>"He's a gifted athlete," said Dayes, who's had three former Bearcats drafted by MLS in the past four years.<P class=body>Josh Gardner and Jeremiah Gallegos both were picked by the Galaxy.<P class=body>"He's got the right combination of strength, speed, talent and agility, and it's very, very evident when you watch him. The second thing is, technically, he's very good. He can do things at high speed without thinking about it. Tactically, he knows where he is on the field and how to get open. He has a real good sense of where to be at the right time.<P class=body>"Couple that with his work ethic and the fact that he's a big-game player. He can win a game for you."<P class=body>Cummings was concerned that off-season surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, which forced him to miss the MLS scouting combine, might cost him a chance at getting drafted.<P class=body>Fernando Clavijo, Colorado's new coach, already had seen enough of Cummings.<P class=body>"He's mature," Clavijo said. "He's a proven goal-scorer. Hopefully, what he did in college, he can do in the pros."<P class=body>"It's actually coming along good," said Cummings, who had surgery on Dec. 5. "There's still a little bit of swelling, but it should be fine in the next week.<P class=body>"I was hoping for the best because I hadn't played in the combine. I knew a lot of coaches were interested."<P class=body>Cummings and Clavijo both are joining a team that was an MLS charter member in 1996.<P class=body>The Rapids have made just one appearance in the league's MLS Cup championship game, losing 2-1 to DC United in 1997.<P class=body>This past season, Colorado went 11-13-8 to finish fourth in the Western Division and lost 2-1 at home to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.<P class=body>Cummings' biggest adjustment might have to be to the length of the MLS schedule, which starts with a 32-game regular-season schedule.<P class=body>"All college players don't play enough games in college," Clavijo said. "That's always a concern, but basically, we think he's strong enough to handle those situations."
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