The 2012 edition of Major League Soccer's SuperDraft is scheduled for Thursday, January 11th at the NSCAA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Here's what you need to know in advance of the Draft.
Will it be televised?
Yes, the opening round of the SuperDraft will be shown live on ESPN2 starting at noon ET. The later rounds will be on MLSsoccer.com The first round of the draft has been televised since it moved to the NSCAA Convention in 2003.
What is the link with the NSCAA?
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America stages an annual convention that is well attended and takes place in January. Major League Soccer moved the draft to take advantage of that crossover audience. Previously, the draft was held at Disney World's Wide World of Sports complex and wasn't on TV.
Has it always been called the SuperDraft?
No. MLS used to hold an entry draft along with several other drafts in its early years. The SuperDraft combined the college draft and the supplemental draft. MLS still has multiple drafts of course. November's expansion draft is one example, along with the waiver draft. Last year, the supplemental draft returned as a separate draft, with MLS dropping the Fourth Round of the SuperDraft. This year, they're dropping the third round.
So it's not quite as super as it once was?
Even the Commissioner says it isn't. The reality is, with the 2012 Draft cut to two rounds, only 38 players are going to be chosen and teams have other development avenues for players. While Commissioner Garber says the Draft will be with the League for a long time, he also said: “I think at some point most of the players in our league will come out of academies....” That future is now for teams such as Dallas, which has promoted a number of players from their academy, and only has one pick in the draft, at press time.
What does that say about college soccer?
Whatever you want it too. Even a two-round draft will end up with some of these picks never playing meaningful minutes at the professional level and undrafted players getting opportunities that could turn into careers. It's still seen as a worthwhile exercise. If MLS really believes there were only two rounds worth of talent, there's no real point of pride in extending the draft an extra round. After all, the mainstream interest is in round one.
Who has the first pick?
Montreal, benefitting from a year with only one expansion team.
Who has the most first round picks?
Though the current list is subject to change based on late trades that can happen while a club is on the clock during the SuperDraft, Toronto is the only team that currently has two picks in the first round, holding the 4th and 12th slots. Again, though things are likely to change that leaves New York as the only team currently without a first round pick.
Is there a lock for the first pick?
Montreal is probably choosing between Duke's Andrew Wenger and Akron's Darren Mattocks. College Cup MVP Ben Speas has already joined Columbus as a homegrown player, something everyone in Major League Soccer figured would happen. That opens up the draft class a bit, but it's still Wenger and Mattocks at the top of the heap.
What else should I look out for?
We're paying attention to the goalkeepers. There aren't many, and it's going to be interesting to see where UCLA keeper Brian Rowe ends up.
