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!

Nathan Sturgis Traded to Toronto FC

The trading madness continues. Vancouver has just dealt Nathan Sturgis to Toronto FC in exchange for their 8th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Now Vancouver has the number 1 and 8 picks overall. They must have another player they are eyeing in the first round that they deem more valuable. I thought Nathan was one of the better expansion draft picks yesterday, but it seems even he is not safe from being used as bait. This leaves the Whitecaps with 5 players left from yesterday. At this point none of these players should feel secure.

Expansion Draft Becomes Trading Frenzy

Following the 2010 expansion draft a flurry of trades took place as Portland and Vancouver attempted to offload their new players for college draft picks, allocation dollars, and international roster spots. It has become evident that neither team really had that many players they absolutely needed from this draft. It was simply a way to steal players from other squads and see how much they would be willing to pay to get them back. Here is a rundown of all the trades that have taken place so far.

1. Portland deals Dax McCarty and allocation money to DC United for Rodney Wallace and a 4th round draft pick.
2. Portland trades Anthony Wallace back to Colorado for allocation money.
3. Portland trades Arturo Alvarez to Real Salt Lake for a 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft.
4. Vancouver sends Sanna Nyassi to Colorado for an international roster slot.
5. Vancouver trades O'brian White to Seattle for allocation money.
6. Vancouver deals Alejandro Moreno and Alan Gordon to Chivas USA for allocation money.

It was an exciting yet worrisome day to be a fan of the Timbers. Very disappointed to see Dax only spend a couple hours as a Timber. Apparently they Timbers staff has an ace up their sleeve in a center midfielder overseas that "is perfect for the job." Hopefully we will get some confirmation soon.