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Boyd Okwuono, a defender from the Univ. of North Carolina, and Miguel Aguilar, a Univ. of San Francisco winger, hope to show strong mix performances into SuperDraft pleasure as we speak.
BY
Brooke Tunstall
Posted
January 15, 2015
9:35 AM
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PHILADELPHIA—The dreaded “Tweener” label. It’s what Boyd Okwuonu is hoping he shed with a powerful efficiency on the MLS scouting mix. And by doing so, he and that it’s going to launch him right into a excessive decide in as we speak’s MLS SuperDraft right here.
By virtually all accounts Okwuonu has the proper pedigree that ought to make him a draft decide. He helped lead North Carolina to a nationwide title earlier in his profession, he began for the U.S. U-20 staff in CONCACAF qualifying, he was the defensive participant of the 12 months within the rugged Atlantic Coast Convention as a junior, and he was an All-American this fall.
However he stands solely five-foot-nine and had a few shaky outing on the ball two years in the past for the U-20 staff at proper again, therefore the “too small for center back, not skilled enough for a full back” tweener tag.
Nonetheless, on the mix, amid a sea of six-foot-two-plus heart backs, Okwuono shined, with strong positioning and glorious timing within the air.
“I think I showed at the combine that my size doesn’t stop me from playing the position well,” Okwuono mentioned. “But I think I’ve shown that for four years at North Carolina, too.”
Certainly, moreover the aforementioned accolades, in 2012 he anchored a Tar Heels protection that gave up the fewest objectives in Division I. This 12 months, North Carolina was one of many highest-scoring groups in faculty soccer and Okwuonu was requested to do extra defensively as his teammates pushed ahead.
“Some teams want big center backs, period,” mentioned one MLS evaluator on the mix. “But if you look at how he’s done here, (Okwuono’s) not getting beat in the air. His size isn’t an issue. And if you look at A.J., he’s shown you can play at this level at this size.”
That’s a reference to Los Angeles Galaxy defender A.J. DeLaGarza, who got here out of Maryland with an identical label however has began for many of his six seasons in MLS and gained three MLS Cups within the course of.
“Guys like A.J., like (five-foot-nine former Italian national team center back Fabio) Cannavaro, they show you don’t have to be this big guy to be a good center back. I’m not saying I’m at their level, but I think I can be a good player in MLS,” Okwuono mentioned.
Like DeLaGarza, there are questions popping out of school about Okwuono’s capacity to deal with extensive gamers. In 2013 CONCACAF qualifying for the U-20 World Cup, Okwuono struggled at proper again towards Haiti and was uncovered for a purpose in a 2-1 U.S. win.
“I think I’m a better defender than I was then, and have shown I have the pace to handle wide players,” he mentioned.
A number of MLS groups appear to suppose he’s received a shot to observe the lead of DeLaGarza, who has cut up time in MLS between heart again and fullback regardless of initially not being completely snug on the ball.
A local of Oklahoma, Okwuonu performed for FC Dallas’ academy for a number of years earlier than matriculating to UNC and Dallas tried to place a homegrown declare on him but it surely was denied.
“I really like O.C.,” Dallas coach Oscar Pareja mentioned, utilizing Okwuonu’s nickname. “I had him when I was the academy coach and he did really well for us. We tried to put in a homegrown claim on him but some other teams challenged it and the league said no. It’s too bad because we really wanted him but sometimes the league does things and you don’t understand why and you have to go with it.”
A number of sources mentioned throughout his faculty profession Okwuonu didn’t practice sufficient with Dallas throughout the offseason—a standards for a membership sustaining its homegrown rights on a participant—and that’s why their declare was denied.
“But that’s very loosely and unevenly applied,” mentioned one agent. “Look at Toronto and Jay Chapman. They kicked him out of their academy and didn’t watch him for three years and the league honored their claim on him.”
Chapman, a junior All-American midfielder from Michigan State, was dropped from TFC’s academy program as a senior in highschool. A number of MLS groups needed him within the draft as a Era Adidas participant however MLS allowed Toronto to assert him as a homegrown participant and they’re at present near a deal for him to signal.
When requested in regards to the comparability between Dallas’ declare to Okwuono and Toronto’s declare to Chapman, Pareja smiled, rotated his palms up and shrugged, the common image for, “What are you gonna do?”
Okwuono as soon as assumed he’d start his professional profession in Dallas. “I had a great time playing with them and for Oscar and I thought I’d start there,” he mentioned. “But for whatever reason that didn’t happen so now I go into the draft.”
MOVING ON UP
Maybe no participant did extra in Florida to assist his professional prospects than Miguel Aguilar, an attacking participant from the College of San Francisco whose technical capacity shined amid all of the uber athletes on the mix.
A ahead in faculty, Aguilar scored simply 15 objectives in 4 seasons at a program that by no means made the NCAA Match throughout his time there. Regardless of his restricted productiveness, he demonstrated sufficient talent that a number of coaches advocated he be invited to the mix.
They have been proper to take action.
After a quiet first day, Aguilar had a purpose and an help for staff Nativo in its 4-3 loss to Group Predator. “He showed a lot of skill today, a lot of technical ability, and opened up a lot of people’s eyes,” mentioned one MLS coach.
Eddie Soto turned USF coach final winter after eight seasons as an assistant at UCLA, the place he coached towards a few of the greatest gamers in faculty soccer. Soto envisions Aguilar being an efficient flank midfielder in MLS.
“I’ve been around a lot of good players at the college level and he’s one of the best one-v-one attackers I’ve seen in a long, long time. His ability to change pace and direction and still have control of the ball is special,” Soto mentioned. “He’s capable of assault guys in house, begin and cease, begin and cease.
“Not many gamers can try this.”
Moreover, Soto mentioned Aguilar can and can do the soiled work defensively required on the extensive midfield place. “We played Stanford and there was a play where we lost it in transition and Jordan Morris got free on a breakaway,” Soto mentioned in reference to the Cardinal’s U.S. nationwide staff participant. “Miguel made a 70-yard run and tracked him down in the box and blocked his shot.”
Aguilar mentioned he can play both flank, largely due to his mom.
“I’m actually naturally a lefty,” he mentioned. “But for whatever reason my mother didn’t want me writing or playing with my left foot so she made me switch to my right. So that’s helped me be very comfortable with both feet and I think I can play both sides.”
He’s optimistic his sturdy exhibiting will hear his title known as as we speak. “I feel pretty comfortable with my performance at the combine and hope the right people saw what I could do,” he mentioned.
OUT OF SIGHT, NOT OUT OF MIND
Yearly a participant that wasn’t on the mix sneaks into the primary day of the draft, which this 12 months features a whole of 41 picks. (There’s an additional decide as a result of Chivas USA traded its first spherical decide in 2015 to Toronto two years in the past.)
A number one candidate to be first participant who wasn’t invited to the mix to be picked is Navy’s towering heart again Joe Greenspan. Regardless of a pending navy dedication, he’s hoping to play in MLS this 12 months earlier than starting his deployment on the finish of 2015.
Greenspan wasn’t initially planning on coming to the draft however a number of groups requested to fulfill with him so he’s made the brief drive from Annapolis, Md., to Philadelphia. Colorado, Toronto, and D.C. United have all expressed curiosity within the defender.
At six-foot-six, Greenspan, a two-time All-American, can be one the tallest gamers in league historical past however the deft toes that allowed him to play his first two seasons as a ahead and his capacity the learn the sport are a part of what makes him interesting to professional scouts. If he didn’t have a navy dedication he’d be a sure-fire first spherical decide.
Different gamers who weren’t on the mix who might hear their names known as are Alex Shinsky from Maryland; Jovan Blagojevic from Division II Simon Fraser; and Virginia Commonwealth’s Kharlton Belmar.
Shinsky got here to Faculty Park amid large expectations because the nationwide highschool participant of the 12 months however battled accidents for 3 seasons that restricted his effectiveness. However he was lastly wholesome this 12 months and started to point out what the highschool hype was all about, making the All-Huge Ten first staff.
He’s a artful participant with a willingness to take gamers on one-v-one, and the pace to play extensive. “He showed this season why he’s going to be a left mid in MLS next year,” Terrapins coach Sasho Cirovski mentioned after one among Maryland’s postseason video games final fall.
No participant from a Canadian faculty has ever been picked within the MLS draft however then once more, Simon Fraser—situated in Vancouver, British Columbia—is the one Canadian faculty that competes with the American groups within the NCAA. Blagojevic, a ahead, scored 18 objectives in as many video games for the Clan and was a Division II All-American.
“We’re starting to get some calls on him” mentioned Simon Fraser coach Alan Koch. “He’s a goal scorer and that always gets teams’ attention.”
You’ll be able to’t educate pace, because the cliché goes, and Belmar has a lot to burn. A Virginia Seashore native, Belmar had a powerful junior season in 2013, scoring eight objectives and two assists for the Rams then adopted that up final summer time with a powerful exhibiting for the Portland Timbers’ U-23 staff within the PDL.
Nonetheless, he solely scored 4 objectives this season, a giant motive why he wasn’t invited to Ft. Lauderdale. Nonetheless, that pace isn’t going wherever.
“He’s the fastest attacking player in college soccer,” mentioned a scout for a Western Convention staff. “He’s raw, but someone will take a chance on him.”
Brooke Tunstall is a veteran journalist who has coated Main League Soccer since its first participant dispersal draft. Comply with him on Twitter.
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