There’s talent to be had in MLS SuperDraft, but also complications

Notre Dame defender Brandon Aubrey, taken 21st overall by Toronto in last year’s draft, never saw MLS action and was let go in December.

The draft already has a hierarchy in the form of the annual Generation Adidas class of elite underclassmen — attractive for their talent and the fact that their initial contracts do not count against a team’s salary cap.

The marquee GA players this year are defender Joao Moutinho (University of Akron), midfielders Ema Twumasi (Wake Forest University) and Mo Adams (Syracuse) and forwards Francis Atuahene (Michigan), Mason Toye (Indiana), Gordon Wild (Maryland, College Park) and Edward Opoku (Virginia).

But the 2018 draft, which goes Friday in Philadelphia, has an extra wrinkle thanks to an influx of so-called targeted allocation money, aimed at reducing the cost of acquiring and/or salary cap hit of elite players who do not carry designated player status.

Toronto used TAM last season to acquire Spanish playmaker Victor Vazquez, who was named to the MLS Best XI and helped TFC win the MLS Cup.

Each team is getting US$1.2 million in TAM from the league in both 2018 and ’19 with clubs allowed to add to that with $2.8 million of their own money each year. Using TAM, a team can reduce the salary cap hit of an elite player to just $150,000.

Teams will likely use TAM on foreign talent, meaning that import roster spots will be more precious than ever.

“There are some really talented internationals available (in the draft),” said Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko. “The question is do you want to burn an international spot with one of those players?”

Of the GA players, Atuahene, Opoku and Twumasi were born in Ghana while Moutinho is from Portugal, Adams from England and Wild from Germany. They should be long gone by the time Toronto picks.

“if they’re good enough, clubs will make it happen,” Gordon Forrest, Vancouver’s assistant coach and head of high performance, said of the international draft-eligible players.

While trying to keep his championship roster together and prepare for the CONCACAF Champions League, Bezbatchenko is also pondering whether to use his TAM now or in the summer while factoring in the fact that internationals sometimes need time to bed in.

Bezbatchenko calls it a “delicate balance.”

Adding to the drama of Friday’s draft is the fact that expansion Los Angeles FC has the first overall pick.

Coach Bob Bradley is no stranger to trading the first pick — he did it in 2006 when running Chivas USA. And LAFC could add to its allocated money resources by trading down.

LAFC had just a dozen players listed on its roster earlier this week, including two designated players in Uruguayan Diego Rossi and Mexican Carlos Vela. More players are coming, with free agent fullback Steven Beitashour, formerly of Toronto FC, expected to sign on soon.

“At this point it’s going to be hard to bring him back,” said Bezbatchenko.

Beitashour, who made $264,000 last season, calls California home and has a history of moving on when he feels he is not being offered the contact he believes he deserves.

After LAFC, the Los Angeles Galaxy pick second and D.C. United third.

With the fourth and seventh overall picks, the Montreal Impact figure to be the most prominent Canadian team at the draft. The Impact, who also have the No. 53, 60, 76 picks, are keeping things close to their chest under new coach Remi Garde. The team declined to make a team official available for interview prior to the draft.

Vancouver picks 17th with selections to come at No. 26, 62 and 86. Toronto has the No. 23, 46, 69 and 92 picks.

The first and second rounds go Friday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Rounds three and four go Sunday by conference call.

Expansion has also made the draft more of a challenge. In 2007, when Toronto entered the league, the 23rd overall pick would have been the 10th selection in the second round.

Other players to watch Friday are U.S. college seniors Jon Bakero (Wake Forest University), Tomas Hilliard-Arce (Stanford University), Chris Mueller (University of Wisconsin) and Notre Dame forward Jon Gallagher (Notre Dame), all of whom signed contracts with the league ahead of the draft.

Bakero, son of former Spanish international Jose Mari Bakero, won the MAC Herman Trophy as top NCAA male player.

Vancouver has already shaken up its roster, acquiring strikers Kei Kamara and Anthony Blondell, goalkeeper Brian Rowe and Canadian international defender Doneil Henry among others.

Midfielder Efrain Juarez is joining Vancouver from Mexico’s Monterrey, signing an MLS contract through 2019, with a club option for 2020. Juarez will be added to the roster with the use of TAM.

After a disappointing 11-17-6 season, Montreal has also made changes. Laurent Ciman and Patrice Bernier are among the noticeable departures.

Toronto has yet to add to its roster other than homegrown forward Ayo Akinola. But with Beitashour likely to join Raheem Edwards (now in Montreal) out the door, it may well be looking for wingback depth to back up Justin Morrow and Nicolas Hasler.

Bezbatchenko, who was recently scouting in South America, has roster space, international slots and money to spend. His dilemma is how much does he want to add to/disrupt an already deep roster.

Armando Cooper, Tsubasa Endoh and Oyvind Alseth, international players whose contract options were declined after last season, have been invited to camp. Their future may depend on how Toronto fills its international roster spots.

TFC 2 midfielder Liam Fraser will be given every chance to make his case for the first team.

Bezbatchenko and his fellow GMs, coaches and scouts watched more than 60 prospects at the MLS Combine in Orlando prior to Friday’s draft.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

There’s talent to be had in MLS SuperDraft, but also complications

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