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MLS SuperDraft 2017: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Twitter Reaction
Friday, 13 January 2017 18:54

Expansion club Minnesota United made UCLA forward Abu Danladi the top overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft on Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. Syracuse defender Miles Robinson was the second player off the board to fellow expansion team Atlanta United.

Danladi and Robinson represented the first of 44 selections made during Friday's event, which covered the first two rounds. The third and fourth rounds are scheduled to get completed Tuesday through a conference call involving the league's 22 franchises.

Let's check out a complete list of picks made Friday in L.A. That's followed by a recap of some notable selections and a look at the social-media reaction to the annual showcase of incoming players.

                                  

Draft Results

                         

Recap and Reaction

Danladi is coming off a strong junior campaign with the Bruins during which he tallied a team-high seven goals and two assists across 11 appearances. In all, he found the net 18 times and assisted on 18 more goals in his three years at UCLA.

The Ghana native could step right in to a key attacking role for the Loons. Although there's always a learning period when a young prospect starts going up against experienced professional players, his vision and playmaking ability make him ready for the challenge.

Minnesota United passed along a message from Danladi to the supporters:

The Pac-12 Network provided a glimpse at his attacking skills back in November:

While Minnesota opted for offense with its first MLS pick, Atlanta United went the opposite direction to select Robinson. The 6'2'', 185-pound defender was an immense physical presence at the collegiate level en route to winning the 2016 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award.

His stature gives him the look of a future stalwart center back at the pro level, but he does bring some offensive skill to the table, as well. He racked up four goals and an assist for the Orange in 2016.

Major League Soccer relayed an interview with Robinson after his selection:

Bay Area broadcaster Tim Swartz is bullish on the defender, including at the international level:

New York City FC pulled off a trade with the Chicago Fire to acquire the third pick. The club made the decision to take Akron forward Jonathan Lewis, a surprising choice based on the side's immense defending woes across its first two years in MLS.

That said, there's no doubting Lewis' long-term potential. He was one of the nation's best distributors, accumulating 12 assists in 22 games for the Zips in 2016. He also scored a pair of goals during his freshman season.

Glenn Crooks of WFAN showcased comments from the winger, who was named the top player at the MLS Scouting Combine, about manager Patrick Vieira's potential vision after the pick:

Ives Galarcep of Goal USA analyzed the selection:

In all, the first round featured the selection of six forwards, eight midfielders and eight defenders. Three schools—UCLA, Connecticut and Denver—tied for the lead with two players apiece taken inside the round's 22 picks.

Alec Ferrell became the first goalkeeper taken by Minnesota with the first selection in Round 2. Andy Greder of St. Paul Pioneer Press passed on further details about the Wake Forest standout:

Every team will hope the players it drafted Friday will eventually make an impression on their club. Though in some cases, it could take multiple years before they develop enough to do so. Finding valuable depth through the draft is critical to success in MLS.

That said, the picks are even more important for Minnesota and Atlanta. Those front offices were tasked with trying to secure future faces of the franchise as they build from the ground up. Danladi and Robinson are saddled with those expectations but should prove worth the investment.

                                                  

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2017 MLS Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Full Selection Order
Saturday, 07 January 2017 07:00

While the January transfer window is in full swing in European soccer, the crown jewel of MLS offseason is just around the corner, the MLS SuperDraft.

Below, we'll break down a first-round mock draft and break down the full draft order.

Here's a look at the draft order in the second round:

There may not be a consensus top pick in this year's draft, but four names tend to hover around the early picks: Jeremy Ebobisse, Abu Danladi, Jackson Yueill and Miles Robinson.

So who are these guys?

Ebobisse is arguably the safest forward in this draft and maybe the top talent available, period. He has been incredibly impressive with the United States under-20 national team, notching nine goals in eight games during the 2016 campaign, per Rob Usry of Dirty South Soccer.

He has a deadly left foot and the potential to grow into a prolific scorer in the MLS. Will Parchman of MLSSoccer.com broke down his game:

Ebobisse is one of those jack-of-all-trades forwards, capable of just about anything in just about any system. That has to be music to an expansion club’s ears. Of course in this he lacks specialization, but that certainly hasn’t hurt Wright-Phillips, who’s banked on his all-around game to become one of the most lethal scorers in MLS history. Ebobisse has that in him if he can find a creative system that can generate looks. The good news? He’s malleable, skilled and endlessly technical. As far as picks go, it gets no safer than Ebobisse, who’s ready to go now.

It's hard to imagine him falling any lower than the No. 2 pick in this draft.

Minnesota will have a very interesting decision to make, however, because Danladi is also an impressive striker who notched seven goals and two assists in just 11 games with UCLA in 2016. Danladi's pace and versatility are his strengths, as he has the skill set to play either as a central forward or as a winger on either flank.

Without his history of injuries, he'd probably be the consensus top pick in this draft. In terms of raw talent, no prospect has more. Regardless, Minnesota and Atlanta can't really miss with these two players atop the draft.

After that, Yueill and Robinson should be the next two players off the board. Yueill is a playmaker in the midfield who led the Pac-12 with 11 assists in 2016, good for fifth overall in the NCAA. There isn't another player in this draft with his vision, anticipation or ability to set up his teammates in ideal scoring positions.

According to TopDrawerSoccer.com, "Some MLS General Managers have compared his game to Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley, which should give some idea of how he fits into the MLS style of play."

If Yueill's game ultimately resembles anything close to what Bradley brings to the table, he'll be an absolute steal at either No. 3 or 4.

Robinson, meanwhile, is the top defensive player in this draft and is likely versatile enough to play in all four positions on a back line, though he'll settle in at centre-back more than likely. His college head coach certainly had high praise for him.

"Miles has been terrific for us these past two years and he has played an integral role in leading our team to new heights," Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre said, per Lindsay Kramer of Syracuse.com. "He is an outstanding, humble young man and a wonderful teammate. He has a very bright future ahead of him and we are all very excited for Miles as he embarks on the next stage of his career."

Robinson has the look of a player who will once find his way on to the USMNT roster at centre-back. 

                  

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Ranking the Top 50 Players in MLS in 2016
Wednesday, 14 December 2016 04:46

The 2016 Major League Soccer season was a wild and unpredictable roller-coaster ride that perfectly personified the league. 

The Seattle Sounders won MLS Cup over Toronto FC after both sides dispatched some of the best teams from the regular season to reach the championship match. 

On an individual level, plenty of big-name designated players exceeded expectations once again, while a few underrated stars broke out in a big way over the course of nine months. 

Our ranking of the top 50 players in MLS primarily focuses on performances from the regular season, but play-off showings were considered if applicable. 

With that being said, here's our annual year-end list of the top 50 players to take the pitch in MLS this season.  

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Predicting 5 Breakout Stars in MLS in 2017
Tuesday, 20 December 2016 09:18

The second the 2016 Major League Soccer season ended, the full focus of the league shifted to the beginning of the 2017 campaign, which starts in late February for some sides. 

Transactions within the league and transfers from abroad have already been made by some, and the number of them will ramp up once the January transfer window opens. 

A lot of attention will be centered on the additions to MLS, but there is already a bounty of young talent in North America ready to break out on the national stage. 

Last season saw the emergence of Jordan Morris as a key scorer for the Seattle Sounders and Keegan Rosenberry as one of the top full-backs in the league for Philadelphia. 

We've predicted five players who will follow in the footsteps of Morris and Rosenberry and become the breakout stars of the 2017 MLS campaign. 

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Seattle Sounders vs. Toronto FC: Live Score, Highlights from MLS Cup FInal
Saturday, 10 December 2016 17:00

MLS Cup final--BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto FC 0-0 Seattle Sounders (Seattle win 5-4 on penalties)

Toronto FC: Irwin, Beitashour, Moor, Zavaleta, Hagglund, Morrow, Bradley, Cooper (Cheyrou 84'), Osorio (Johnson 76'), Giovinco (Ricketts 103'), Altidore

Seattle Sounders: Frei, Jones, Marshall, Torres, Mears, Roldan, Alonso, Morris (Evans 107'), Friberg  (Fernandez 66'), Lodeiro, Valdez (Ivanschitz 72')

    

Follow Joe on Twitter @JTansey90. 

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