Congratulations Paul "BIM" Ogunyemi

After the MLS Superdraft I had the pleasure of congratulating Jarad from the University of Portland on being drafted by Real Salt Lake. Today marks another significant day for a former Portland Timber U-23, as Paul Ogunyemi was selected 17th in the Supplemental Draft by FC Dallas. He goes by the name of BIM, and he is a bright young talent. I had the opportunity to watch about 12 games played by the U-23s this summer during my internship, and Bim was an integral part of the squad.

Bim played primarily on the wings for the PDL Timbers. He is extremely confident running at defenders and he plays with a patience that lulls his opponents to sleep. His physical strength is one of his biggest assets. While he is not a towering midfielder, he is able to hold the ball up with his back to goal with ease. I remember watching defenders literally drape themselves over his body, and Bim was strong enough to hold his ground. Bim plays with swagger and puts his heart and soul into every game. He is a unique player, and quickly became a fan favorite of the Timbers Army. Bim started all 20 games for the perfect 20-0 Timbers, and he finished with 3 goals and 6 assists in the regular season (16 games). In the playoffs he had a perfect cross to Tracy Hasson in the PDL Championship for the opening goal, and he scored a goal of his own in the Semifinal against Reading United.

I'm very proud of Bim and I hope he has a great career in Dallas. Ultimately, he still needs to attend pre-season training camp and earn his spot on the roster, but I am confident he will impress. I can honestly say I have never seen a player like Bim. He plays with a style unlike any other, and I was lucky to have witnessed it this summer. Congratulations Bim!

Breaking News: Darlington Nagbe Loves Twilight

The Portland Timbers selected Darlington Nagbe out of Akron University today with the #2 overall pick in the 2011 Superdraft. He seems like a great young talent that is MLS ready, but his movie choices are questionable. Not sure how your top two films are Training Day and Eclipse. Seem like polar opposites to me. Regardless, Welcome to Portland Nagbe! You just won over every teenage girl in the Portland area.

Congratulations Jarad

I wanted to congratulate Jarad van Schaik from the University of Portland on being drafted today in the third round with the 52nd overall pick. Jarad was chosen by Real Salt Lake, where he will reunite with his old teammate Collen Warner. Jarad and Collen played together at Portland and they also were teammates on the Portland Timbers U-23 (PDL Team). I had the pleasure of meeting Jarad this summer, and I always felt he would be able to make the jump to MLS. He is a solid center midfielder with plenty of confidence on the ball. Very happy for him and wish him all the best in his future career.

2011 MLS Superdraft

Tomorrow at 9 AM Pacific the 2011 MLS Superdraft will kick-off live on ESPN2. The cable network will air the first round of the draft, followed by rounds 2 & 3 on the MLS website. It will be a very important day for the Timbers organization. Having the #2 pick in the draft assures the club of getting a standout performer from the college ranks. The difficult part is selecting the player that has the most room to grow and become a star in our league.

Just for kicks you should check out who ESPN rates as the top 10 value picks in the history of the draft and the worst 10 picks. Pretty interesting.

Also there are some mock-drafts out there that are worth taking a look at. Ives Galarcep with Fox Soccer lays out his first round predictions. And the writers at MLSsoccer.com weigh in on the draft with their selections. The general consensus is that the Portland Timbers will either take Darlington Nagbe or Perry Kitchen, both from Akron. Also noteworthy is Portland holds the 20th and 22nd picks in the draft. This is where the real challenge lies. Will these picks turn into stand-out performers like late selections Brian Ching, Edson Buddle, and Shalrie Joseph? Or will they barely survive training camp and simply ride the pine in MLS? Only time will tell.

Be sure to watch the draft on ESPN2! Just over 2 months left until opening kick!