McCarthy's Musings: MLS SuperDraft Superlatives

By Kyle McCarthy

ST. LOUIS -- As I sit outside a now-deserted ball room, I feel the urge to postpone any serious assessment of the MLS SuperDraft until sometime after all of the tables are broken down and all of the MLS teams hop on a plane out of here.

The time for serious reflection will arrive tomorrow as I hand out my draft grades. Before we get to that seriousness, I want to get in the spirit of awards season and hand out a slate of my own to help summarize a wild and crazy day here in Missouri.

Most Fortunate Slipper

Toronto selects Cal goalkeeper Stefan Frei with the 13th overall pick

“This is a spot where I feel like I can contribute to the team,” Frei said after he went from a possible top four pick to the mid-teens. “Maybe not step right into the goal, but push the senior players to get better. If they call me and need me to step in, I think I'll be ready to perform.”

Most Overblown Storyline

Trading at the top of the first round

After days and days of pre-SuperDraft chatter, there wasn't a single trade at the top of the first round. The reason Seattle didn't trade down? Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said the team didn't want to slip past the fourth pick and couldn't work out the right deal.

Most Obvious Pick

Los Angeles selects Maryland defender Omar Gonzalez with the 3rd overall pick

Rumor has it that the Galaxy need a central defender or two.

Most Inspired Pick

Los Angeles trades up to select Maryland defender A.J. Delagarza with the 19th overall pick

The Galaxy picked up another player who can actually defend (and did so alongside Gonzalez at Maryland). Who knew that was a team goal?

Most Curious Pick

Real Salt Lake selects Lynn University forward Jean Alexandre with the 12th overall pick

“We thought he was one of the best players at the Combine,” RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey explained. “We played against him in a pre-season game a year ago. He'd been on our radar for a year. A bunch of us are former Fusion players, so we're connected to the Haitian community in South Florida, so we were aware of the kid. It gave us a higher comfort level than some other teams who were picking guys from small schools.”

Best Appearance by a Fourth-Round Pick

Richard Jata, Campbell forward and 58th overall selection to Chicago

Dressed in a green Banana Republic suit he said he received as his only Christmas present and the ugliest white shoes you'll ever see, Jata strode up to the podium and gave a little speech to the dwindling crowd.

“I don't even know if I said the right things up there,” Jata said after his unexpected starring role. “I couldn't believe it. I've been waiting for this my whole life.”

Worst Appearance of a Lime Green Sportcoat

Revolution goalkeeping coach Gwynne Williams

In a sea of blue, black and gray suits, Williams certainly stood out. This writer suspects Revs coaching colleagues Steve Nicol and Paul Mariner may have described that uniqueness a bit differently.

Best Trade (Not by Mo Johnston)

Matt Pickens to Colorado

Trader Mo may have kept quiet during this draft, but Colorado managed to turn Baggio Husidic and some allocation money into a new starting goalkeeper.

“We've been holding contract talks with Bouna [Coundoul, Rapids keeper] for a long time,” Rapids head coach Gary Smith said. “He's been offered a fantastic contract. At this precise moment, he's decided not to sign that contract. We've decided to cover ourselves. In doing that, we've got ourselves a fantastic goalkeeper. He's in a fantastic position to step into our first team.”

Best Quote

Sam Cronin, Wake Forest midfielder and 2nd overall pick by Toronto

Referring to a MLS Player Combine tussle with the elbow of Providence midfielder Ryan Maduro that resulted in a gash above his lip:

“Ten stitches,” Cronin said. “But I won the ball.”

Most Direct Pipeline to Sigi Schmid in the Later Rounds

Azusa Pacific

After drafting Crew forward Steven Lenhart from the little Catholic school outside Los Angeles last year, Schmid took left back Jared Karkas with the first pick in the third round this year.

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.