With the third pick in the 2012 Major League Soccer Super Draft the New England Revolution selected UCLA and U.S. Under-23 midfielder Kelyn Rowe. The creative midfielder has a lot of upside and is known for his skill on the ball. To get an idea of the upside, here are some clips of the midfielder.
The New England Revolution selected 22-year-old center back A.J. Soares with the sixth pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. (Courtesy Major League Soccer)
By Kevin Koczwara
The New England Revolution allowed a league leading 50 goals in the 2010 Major League Soccer season, and had a minus-18 in goal differential. Injuries plagued the team, and Steve Nicol shifted the squad almost every game, trying to find the perfect fit. It proved especially difficult for a team without a true identity or a true goalscorer, and a battered and bruised bunch playing out of position because there just weren’t enough bodies left on the bench.
At 9-16-5 (31 points) the Revolution missed out on the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in nine years, and it became clear in the Revolution’s 3-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls in the last game of the season that New England needed to make some big moves, starting with the MLS SuperDraft.
With the sixth pick in the draft, the Revolution selected A.J. Soares, a 22-year-old central defender from the University of California.
By Kevin Koczwara
Major League Soccer doesn’t follow the same rules the rest of the world goes by. It doesn’t have to, it is still a new league in comparison to the one’s in Europe or in South America. The MLS needs time to grow, time to stretch its big, lengthy arms out and grow to understand itself and its place in the world of professional sports.
The MLS needs to start examining how leaves fans confused. By not following the basic principals that other professional leagues have found so successful, the MLS has exiled some fans while making itself look second rate at times. And this league is good and getting better by the year and keeps being forgotten because of all the changes.
This isn’t the time to leave people behind.
The Re-Entry Draft is another example of a league trying to figure out how to make it a fair competition that keeps all the teams and fans happy. It gives team’s with less fortunate records the chance to pick up the best free-agents before the better clubs can come in and pull a New York Yankees kind of swoop. Wait, I mean more like the Philadelphia Phillies.
By Ryan Fleming
Yes, it’s that time of the year again. And no, I’m not talking about the start of baseball, though, that is starting as well. I’m talking about the start of the MLS season.
We’re just a little more than a month away and already teams are making preparations and practicing in hopes to be the new MLS Champion. It’s the time when the cleats are dusted off, the pitches are reseeded (those that are real grass) and the players new to their teams meet their comrades.
