NEW YORK - Major League Soccer today announced the initial list of 54 college seniors from 36 Division I schools who have been selected to participate in the 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine. The annual player combine will be held for the third consecutive year at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California from January 12-15, 2006.
The coaching staffs and general managers from all 12 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes five days before the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. The 2006 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Friday, January 20, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pa. in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. 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.
The initial list of players for the 2006 adidas Player Combine was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conferences, who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. Youth players from the Generation adidas program will join additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and Division I alternates to finalize the 2006 adidas Player Combine. These players will be announced in the near future.
The 2006 adidas MLS Player Combine will separate all players into four teams and feature doubleheaders at The Home Depot Center on the mornings of January 13, 14 and 15. Players will arrive on January 12 and participate in organizational training sessions that same afternoon at The Home Depot Center. The Torrance Marriott will serve as the official headquarters of the adidas MLS Player Combine and the host hotel for players and coaching staffs.
Following are the names of the 54 players selected, broken down by position and by school:
2006 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (4): Ray Burse (The Ohio State University); Eric Kronberg (University of California); Chris Dunsheath (Bradley University); Andy Gruenbaum (University of Kentucky).
DEFENDERS (15): Kenny Bertz (University of Maryland); Chris Lancos (University of Maryland); Daniel Wasson (University of Tulsa); Kyle Veris (The Ohio State University); Tyson Wahl (University of California); Trevor McEachron (Old Dominion University); Jeff Curtin (Georgetown University); Cory Farabi (Drake University); Justin Moore (Clemson University); Anthony Noriega (George Mason University); John Queeley (North Carolina State University); Danny Wynn (St. Louis University); Jordan Harvey (University of California - Los Angeles); Willis Forko (University of Connecticut); Stephen Shirley (Virginia Commonwealth University).
MIDFIELDERS (17): Josh Alcala (University of South Carolina); Brian Plotkin (Indiana University); Blake Camp (Duke University); Danny Kramer (Duke University); Jeff Carroll (St. John's University); Mike Chabala (University of Washington); David Chun (Southern Methodist University); Brian Devlin (Penn State University); David Walters (Penn St. University); Yohann Mauger (University of Akron); Dan Paladini (California State University, Northridge); Matt Wieland (Creighton University); Lance Watson (University of New Mexico); Jorge Flor (Oral Roberts University); Darren Spicer (Princeton University); Mpho Moloi (University of Connecticut); Justin Moose (Wake Forest University).
FORWARDS (18): Mike Ambersley (Indiana University); Jason Garey (University of Maryland); Kyle Brown (University of Tulsa); Calen Carr (University of California); Matt Groenwald (St. John's University); Duke Hashimoto (Southern Methodist University); Brian Civilikas (Old Dominion University); Tony Donatelli (Temple University); Ross McKenzie (University of Akron); Omar Jarun (University of Dayton); Jimmy Klatter (Eastern Illinois University); Aaron King (North Carolina State University); Karim Dietz (Birmingham-Southern College); Jeff Rowland (University of New Mexico); David Leung (Oral Roberts University); Ryan Johnson (Oregon State University); Kelechi Igwe (Santa Clara University); Dominic Oduro (Virginia Commonwealth University).
ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY SCHOOL
* Finalists for 2005 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy
University of Akron
M Yohann Mauger
F Ross McKenzie
Birmingham-Southern College
F Karim Dietz
Bradley University
GK Chris Dunsheath
California State University, Northridge
M Dan Paladini
University of California (Cal-Berkeley)
F Calen Carr
GK Eric Kronberg
D Tyson Wahl
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
D Jordan Harvey
Clemson University
D Justin Moore
University of Connecticut
D Willis Forko
M Mpho Moloi
Creighton University
M Matt Wieland
University of Dayton
F Omar Jarun
Drake University
D Cory Farabi
Duke University
M Blake Camp
M Danny Kramer
Eastern Illinois University
F Jimmy Klatter
George Mason University
D Anthony Noriega
Georgetown University
D Jeff Curtin
Indiana University
F Mike Ambersley
M Brian Plotkin
University of Kentucky
GK Andy Gruenbaum
University of Maryland
D Kenny Bertz
F Jason Garey
D Chris Lancos
University of New Mexico
F Jeff Rowland
M Lance Watson
North Carolina State University
F Aaron King
D John Queeley
The Ohio State University
GK Ray Burse
D Kyle Veris
Old Dominion University
F Brian Civilikas
D Trevor McEachron
Oral Roberts University
M Jorge Flor
F David Leung
Oregon State University
F Ryan Johnson
Penn State University
M Brian Devlin
M David Walters
Princeton University
M Darren Spicer
Santa Clara University
F Kelechi Igwe
Southern Methodist University
M David Chun
F Duke Hashimoto
St. John's University
M Jeff Carroll
F Matt Groenwald
St. Louis University
D Danny Wynn
University of South Carolina
M Josh Alcala
Temple University
F Tony Donatelli
University of Tulsa
F Kyle Brown
D Daniel Wasson
Virginia Commonwealth University
D Stephen Shirley
F Dominic Oduro
Wake Forest University
M Justin Moose
University of Washington
M Mike Chabala
