McCarthy's Musings: Third Day Disarray

By Kyle McCarthy

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The myth of a deep and talented draft finally met its inevitable demise after the MLS Player Combine.

Day three confirmed most of the suspicions from the first two days. There are few players that teams should want desperately. Everything else is distinctly open to interpretation based on positional need and coaching preference. There are likely players who can come in and contribute in the right situation, but there aren't any game changers here.

The lack of clear-cut options leaves everyone guessing and leaves more room for draft day deals. Once the teams formulate their draft boards and hit St. Louis in force on Wednesday, we'll start to see some action. I'll deal with all of that speculation tomorrow in my mock draft.

For now, the focus remains on the last day of the Combine. Shorter games (80 minutes instead of 90) didn't stop the parade of injuries and substitutions as players flagged. The level of play sunk a bit from day two, but the first game entertained the neutrals in the audience.

Going up

1. Doug DeMartin, Michigan State midfielder

DeMartin really didn't do much to stand out as a striker over the first two days. Notre Dame head coach Bobby Clark shifted him to right midfield today and things worked out considerably better. DeMartin isn't quick, but he's crafty and knows how to play the game. He also drew a penalty with a darting run and converted the resulting spot kick. He might not have what it takes to go endline to endline, but he's done to enough to show that he has some versatility. In this draft, that should be enough to get him selected.

2. A.J. Delagarza, Maryland defender

Santa Clara head coach Cam Rast must have heard the clamor from somewhere, as Delagarza lined up at right back today. It was obvious that Delagarza had spent most of his time at central defender – positionally, he wasn't quite there at point – but his soccer IQ is high enough where he can adapt to the position. He had to prove today that he could hold his own outside and he did that.

3. Matt Besler, Notre Dame defender

Besler isn't physically gifted, but he does lots of little things well. He doesn't seem to get caught out of position and hits the right spots at the right times. Besler also does well enough to find the right guys when he's trying to build out of the back. A player with a legitimate shot to make a team given the need for central defenders this year.

Sliding down

1. Yohance Marshall, South Florida defender

If I could only translate into the words some of the looks observers gave me when I brought up Marshall and his play this weekend. He had another error-riddled day today and just doesn't seem to have the positional sense he'll need to excel at the next level. One can only hope he was tanking it for some team already in love with him. If not, his first-round size and athleticism might not be tabbed as soon as many expect on Thursday.

2. Calum Angus, Saint Louis defender

The St. Louis standout might end up as a player without a defensive position at the next level. He played at center back again today, but he doesn't have the stature to play out there. A slow reaction to DeMartin's run led to a chopping tackle to concede the Combine's only penalty. There are things to like about Angus – leadership and organizational skills among them – but today wasn't a great reflection of his abilities.

3. Raphael Cox, Washington midfielder

A couple of West Coasters suggested to me that Cox might have a little something at the MLS level. Over the course of three days, I didn't see it. He has pace, but lacks the necessary size and substance at the next level. The killer? Cox continually made poor decisions.

Stadium chatter

- Expect Seattle to at least entertain offers for the number one pick, if not trade down outright. The interest in Steve Zakuani, at least for the moment, appears to have been a well-constructed smoke screen.

- Toronto is still trying to deal at two and four. If TFC stays, look for them to select the player with the most trade value.

- Plenty of picks are available, but there isn't any value out there for picks outside the first round at this point.

- One player I left off today's going up list: UNC-Greensboro's Chris Salvaggione. Like Ryan Maduro on Sunday, Salvaggione performed particularly well today (one goal and one post), but doesn't project well in MLS. Promising USL prospect, however.

- Spotted in the crowd today: current U.S. U-20 head coach Thomas Rongen and former Colorado coach Fernando Clavijo.

- Chivas USA head coach Preki pulled Peri Marosevic aside to have a quick word after Marosevic scored his third goal in three games.

- Bryan Namoff re-signed with D.C. United today. The move makes them less of a player for Kevin Alston at six or seven.

- Dave van den Bergh is off to Dallas. Good deal for both sides, it says here.

- San Jose has completed a deal for Montreal striker Peter Byers, according to Center Line Soccer. In draft specific news, reports out of San Jose suggest the Quakes might want to hop into the first round.

- I spent some time Monday night talking draft with the guys from The Soccer Show on 1560 The Game in Houston. Click here to listen to the segment. I also appeared on 101 Soccer this morning; I don't have the link for that yet, but you should check out their Web site in the meantime. If you'd like to have me (or another Goal.com writer) on your radio show, feel free to drop me an e-mail.

Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kylemccarthy@gmail.com.