MLS Signs Five to Generation adidas Contracts
By Phil Naegely
On Thursday, Major League soccer announced the signings of five collegiate soccer stars to Generation adidas (GA) contracts. Earlier in the week, American Soccer Now first reported four of those five. While many players like Stanford’s Jordan Morris have elected to remain in school, five talented underclassmen have decided to take the step to the next level.
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The 2015 MLS SuperDraft class is relatively week, but the league’s singings of GK Alex Bono (Syracuse), DF Conor Donovan (NC State), FW Cyle Larin (UConn), MF Cristian Roldan (University of Washington), and F/M Romario Williams (University of Central Florida) somewhat strengthen the draft class.
As explained by the league in a press release, “Players who join MLS as part of the Generation adidas program receive the opportunity to develop their game and hone their skills at the professional level. In addition to training and playing with one of Major League Soccer’s 20 professional clubs, Generation adidas players receive educational grants to further their college education. Generation adidas players do not count against an MLS team’s salary budget.”
Historically, Generation adidas players are drafted within the top-5 and sometimes top-10 depending on the number of GA players in a given draft class. Last year, GA player and UConn goalie Andre Blake made history being the first goalie to be taking first overall in a MLS SuperDraft; he was drafted by the Philadelphia Union.
This year it is expected that Cyle Larin will be the first player taken overall by Orlando City SC, yet nothing is official until Don Garber calls the first pick over the loud-speaker next week in Philadelphia. It will be a busy next couple of days for these players and the others who were invited to the MLS Combine looking to impress the 20 MLS teams and their respective scouts.
Next: Alex Bono Leads Syracuse to Unprecedented Success
The MLS Combine will also lead up to the 2015 MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia. The draft will take place on Thursday, January 15th starting at 12pm. Even though this year’s draft class has been called “weak” compared to others, there’s always the chance of finding a diamond in the sand. Basically, there is always an opportunity for a player to shine and surprise the media and other coaches. It only takes one coach to believe in a player for them to prove their worth to the rest of the league. Each year there are always duds and surprises from the draft, so buckle up as we inch close to the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. The five GA players should all be given a chance to shine and develop their game further during the 2015 MLS season.