NEW YORK - Major League Soccer, in conjunction with adidas, today announced the collegiate coaches that will lead the four teams at the 2006 adidas MLS Combine at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California from January 12-15. Seven additional college players were also selected to participate in the combine.
Indiana University head coach Mike Freitag will lead the adidas Predator Absolute team; recently named University of Louisville Head Coach Ken Lolla (formerly of the University of Akron) will guide the adidas 7406 team, Coastal Carolina University Head Coach Shaun Docking will coach adidas Plus 10; and California head coach Kevin Grimes will lead the adidas Telstar team.
Four youth coaches were selected by adidas to assist the college coaches during the Combine: Brian Doyle, Director of Coaching for the Michigan Hawks (Livonia, Michigan), will be teamed with Mike Frietag; Sean Kenny, Director of Coaching for FC Westchester (New York) will assist Ken Lolla; Brian Monaghan, Director of Coaching with the Texas Soccer Club (Austin and Houston, Texas) will join Shaun Docking's team; and Bryan Yorke, Director of Coaching for FC United (Tacoma, Washington) will be teamed with Kevin Grimes.
Seven additional college seniors have also been invited to participate in the Combine: defender Michael Dello-Russo (Maryland), midfielder Brandon Moss (New Mexico), goalkeeper Pete Dzubay (Michigan), defender Jordan Russolillo (Southern Connecticut State), forward Christopher Joyce (Franklin Pierce), goalkeeper Adam Schuerman (Connecticut) and goalkeeper Ryan Carr (Hartford).
Goalkeeper Chris Dunsheath (Bradley), midfielder David Walters (Penn State), and midfielder Josh Alcala (South Carolina), who were originally selected to participate, will not be able to available to take part in the Combine.
The adidas MLS Player Combine brings together the top senior collegiate soccer players and Generation adidas players for four days of training and matches under the watchful eyes of scouts, coaches, and general managers from all 12 MLS teams in the days leading to MLS SuperDraft.
The Combine concludes five days before the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, which will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Friday, January 20, 2006 (12 p.m. ET). Of the 48 players selected in the four rounds of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, 39 had participated in the 2005 adidas Player Combine, including New England Revolution draftee Michael Parkhurst, a Generation adidas player and Major League Soccer's 2005 Gatorade Rookie of the Year.
adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. adidas America is a subsidiary of adidas-Salomon AG. For more information about adidas soccer please visit www.press.adidas.com.
