SuperDraft: The best players available for Tuesday's Rounds 3 & 4

2014 MLS SuperDraft generic

There are only 39 picks left to be made in the 2014 SuperDraft and still plenty of talent up for grabs. Here are the players that you'll likely see among those selected on Tuesday afternoon:

GOALKEEPERS:Similar to what we saw on Thursday, expect only one or a maximum two goalkeepers to be claimed.


  • Kees Heemskerk (College of Charleston): Ajax product is not as spectacular as No. 1 overall pick Andre Blake, but Dutchman can do it all in goal.
  • Raphael Ville (UAB): The Frenchman and Clarefontaine academy product is a no-assembly-required type of GK. Ready to use out of the box.
  • Brian Billings (Bradley): Explosive American 'keeper who has a knack for the big-time save. Has a shot as a third-string in MLS.
  • Rafael Diaz (St. John's): Wiry, athletic 'keeper with the lanky arms that help him make the game-changing save. Has physical skills that make him a good long-term project.
  • John McCarthy (LaSalle): Brave, agile goalkeeper who is bit erratic because of his daring. But his athleticism means the upside is significant.


CENTER BACKS:It was like Toys R' Us on Christmas Eve when it came to center backs last Thursday. Ten of them were snapped up, leaving only a few left on the shelf:


  • Nicholas Walker (Fairleigh Dickinson): Trinidadian might be weak with the ball at his feet, but you can't beat him in the air or on the ground.
  • Julian Ringhof (San Diego): German can do it all in the back. It should be enough to overcome the international tag.
  • Josh Phillips (Gonzaga): Great header of the ball, who'll get picked because he's left-footed.
  • Fatai Alabi (UAB): Under the radar. Played d-mid in college, where he ran the show for UAB. But he'll be a stand-out centerback with great feet in MLS.
  • Ken Tribbett (Drexel): Another NCAA d-mid, who'll be a centerback at next level for his calm on the ball, his prowess in the air and an exceptional soccer sense.
  • Richard Marquez (Redlands): Comes from a D3 school, but showed at the Combine that he has the goods to be an MLS centerback.
  • Patrick Slogic (Cornell): Moves like the big man he is, but still might be a cheap insurance policy for a team out there.


LEFT BACKS: It was already a weak class at the position, but we've scratched together the final eligible candidates.

  • Paul Dillon (Marquette): Dominant attacking left back who pings a great ball. But gets forward so much that coaches question his defensive abilities.
  • Travis Golden (Campbell): College centerback who'll make the move to left back in the pros because of his mobility. Can also be a playmaker from the back.
  • Mayowa Alli (Bucknell): Tough and built like a brick house, but can teams afford for him to be poor with his feet?
  • Ryan Thelen (Michigan State): Can serve a good set piece and also has a long throw-in, but he's not a lockdown defensive player.
  • Sage Gardner (Ohio State): Smart player and good leader, but does not have MLS-level athleticism.


RIGHT BACKS: You'll get plenty of athleticism with this group, but don't expect great crossing or passing.

  • Michael Harris (Washington): If you can get past the fact that he owns the most impressive flip-throw you've ever seen, Harris is also an excellent 1-v-1 defender.
  • Devante DuBose (Virginia Tech): Some consider him the fastest player in college soccer. Also has impressive leaping ability. But he's a project on the ball.
  • Chase Wickham: Honest, hard-working Canadian who's compared to DC United's Chris Korb.
  • Zach Ellis-Hayden (Cleveland State): Athletic enough to get up and down the flank, but he lacks in technique and it reflects in his crossing.
  • Danny Welsh (UC Santa Barbara): The athletic Scotsman will be a converted centerback as a pro because he can run up and down the line and chase down anyone.


CENTRAL MIDS: An underrated group, a few of which could go on to have solid careers.


LEFT MIDS: Whether your team is looking for a speed merchant, or a possession player, there's plenty of variety on the left-mid menu.

  • Aodham Quinn (Akron) -- Has the intriguing combination of size, technique and a left foot. Best suited in a diamond midfield.
  • Kadeem Dacres (UMBC) -- Inverted winger who has a unique weapon: the speed to beat players at will and get to the end line.
  • Kristopher Tyrpak (Houston Baptist): The 2013 PDL player of the year is a speedy, hard-working winger who can also be dangerous in the box.
  • AJ Corrado (Indiana): A clean, well-rounded player like many Hoosier products. Most comfortable starting out wide and pinching inside. Good connector, but not one standout skill.
  • Stefano Rjissel (W Connection): Surinamese striker played out wide at the Combine and showed plenty of mobility and enterprise. Yet can be erratic and out of control.
  • Alex Martinez (NC State): On appearance he's reminiscent of RSL's Sebastien Velasquez. Seeks out the 1-v-1 battle more than his passing brother, Enzo, before joining RSL.
  • Jason Plumhoff (LaSalle): Former Bayern Munich youth product. Inverted winger, who can score and deliver the killer pass. Reigning A-10 offensive player of the year.
  • Isaac Ikyurav (Sacramento State): The West Coast version of UMBC's Dacres. Exceptional quickness makes him great in the 1-v-1.


RIGHT MIDS: Believe it or not, some of the best players in this category are left-footed as the inverted winger movement continues to take root.

  • Luca Gimenez (Wake Forest): Not your typical Brazilian in the college ranks. Runs in behind the defense -- not skills and dribbling -- are the name of his game.
  • Fabio Pereira (Michigan): UCLA Spaniard Victor Munoz was selected in Round 2, which gives hope to the technical Brazilian with the sublime right-footed set-piece delivery.
  • Zach Bolden (Denver): As steady as they come. The two-footed Bolden puts the work in on both sides and can become a solid role player in MLS.
  • Franklin Castellanos (Iona): Red Bulls U-23 player who provides great service from the flank with his left foot. Explosive first step and great technique, but he'll struggle with athleticism.
  • Sunny Jane (Maryland): Speedy, elusive winger who's good on the dribble. Became an assist-man with the Terrapins.
  • Chris Griebsch (Hofstra): The German is the tricky, clever type with a professional left foot and a dangerous shot. No athleticism or pace, but plenty of skill.
  • Abraham Keller (Dayton): Former Swiss youth national teamer is one of the best inverted wingers in college. Can place the ball anywhere with his left foot, whether on a set piece or in the run of play.


ATTACKING MIDS: MLS teams rarely look to colleges for their attacking midfielders. These guys better be prepared to multi-task.

  • Alex Sweetin (St. Louis): One of the most technical, unpredictable creative mids in all of college soccer. Can be the Steve Neumann of Day 2 of the SuperDraft.
  • Enrique Cardenas (UC Irvine): Probably the shortest player coming out of college. But make no mistake, he's solid and feisty. Flashes of ex-Galaxy maestro Mauricio Cienfuegos.
  • Justin Portillo (Coastal Carolina):  While Cardenas is small and stocky, Portillo is small and slight. Are his pro-level soccer skills enough to get him picked?
  • Vaughn Spurrier (Temple):  Former Crew academy player is a good 1-v-1 specialist who excels in his work in tight spaces. Stands out for being a good athlete. But is he a better athlete than soccer player?
  • Patrick Huang (UAB): Lightning quick with exceptional skill. Won't be an easy fit in MLS -- he'll need a technical/possession team like RSL -- because of questions about his durability and defense.
  • Abraham Villon (San Diego State): Great soccer mind and deft passer, who'll need to show he can overcome his shortcomings when it comes to size, strength and defensive work.
  • Gonzalo Frechilla (FIU): Technical, hard-working player who ran the show at FIU and was always around the ball. His competitive side at times got the best of him and he was known to lose his composure.


FORWARDS: If the opening day of the SuperDraft belonged to center backs, Rounds 3 and 4 will have the mark of the forward, with a strong West Coast bias.

  • Wojciech Wojcik (Bradley): Ultimate target man. And he's left-footed. That combo is going to work for someone in MLS. Think of him as a left-footed Brian Ching.
  • Pete Caringi (UMBC): This player has a nose for goal. Makes the right runs at the right time. Sneaky like Wondo.
  • Mackenzie Pridham (Cal Poly): Will chase and harass defenders all day long. Canadian version of Dom Dwyer.
  • Victor Chavez (UCLA): Mainly played out wide at the Combine and showed plenty of hustle. But we didn't see the goal-scoring exploits of college days.
  • Reinaldo Brenes (Akron): Hardworking Costa Rican forward who can play anywhere along the front line. Keeps defenders on their toes with his slicing runs in behind.
  • Jordan Ongaro (San Diego State): Another fox-in-the-box goal scorer like Caringi, who also picks his moments to ghost into the box. Canadian's athleticism and toughness are concerns.
  • Beto Velasquez (Cal Northridge): Talented attacking player, who likes to combine with players up top. But can he work defensively and press up top in MLS?
  • Kene Eze (Rutgers): Dynamic forward with tremendous pace. Needs to get better at finishing and reading the game, but the raw talents will be too tempting to pass up.
  • Christopher Santana (UC Irvine): Enviable combination of athleticism, smarts and power. Chivas Guadalajara also took notice, once offering him a contract.
  • Goffin Boyoko (UC Santa Barbara): You can see the years as a French youth national team player when he's on the field. His understanding of the game is on another level.
  • Achille Campion (UC Santa Barbarba): Flashy Frenchman might have been injury prone in college, but when he was on the field he always scored goals. Dark horse.
  • Miguel Gonzalez (Seattle): Not big, fast or strong, but he's a lethal finisher. Coaches don't think he'll transition to be an MLS winger. Will someone still take a shot?