MLS SuperDraft : Who To Watch in the MLS Combine

Defenders

Callum Montgomery, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

To kick off the list, here’s a guy who I think will go very early. The 6’3″ Canadian center-back has been leading the 49ers defense since his freshman year. With more than 30 shutouts in his career, 14 of which came from this past season, Montgomery has been a rock for his team and shows tools that if developed by the right team can turn him into a leader for years to come. This also doesn’t include his ability to move forward, racking up 11 goals and seven assists in his career at UNC-Charlotte. The big question here is whether this is a result of his environment, the coach’s system and his team’s competition, or if he is able to continue this level of play into MLS.

Mitchell Osmand, University of Rio Grande

Despite the name, the University of Rio Grande isn’t in Texas. Surprisingly, it’s in Ohio. I know, amazing analysis, but it’s important to consider the competition level these players were at in college. Rio Grande isn’t just a smaller school, but it’s also an NAIA school, not NCAA. This means a much lower level of competition. But that still doesn’t erase the fact that this 6’3″ Australian center-back was the heart of a defense that only allowed seven goals this past season, racking up 17 shutouts. I mean, this team didn’t just win, they destroyed their competition. If there’s any way to prove that you’re ready for the next step up, it’s to be better than the entire competition. Osmand not only finished as Defensive Player of the Year in his conference, but also the Overall Player of the Year and a first-team NAIA All-American. The MLS Combine will be a great way to see if he can continue to look like that against some real competition.

Wouter Verstraaten, Pacific University

Another college many of you have probably never heard of, Pacific actually has a great soccer program. Once again, it’s a 6’3″ center-back, this time from the Netherlands. Verstraaten was in the PSV Eindhoven academy for most of his life before coming to America for college. During his time at Pacific, he helped the team to 18 shutouts and picked up five goals while doing so. He, along with a teammate I’ll be mentioning later, was selected to the All-American second-team. From what I can tell about what’s been written on him, Verstraaten plays the quiet defensive game. He’s the kind of guy where you don’t really notice how good he is until you look at the numbers. Just a steady player. It’ll be hard to watch for in the MLS Combine, but try to look for how forwards handle him.

Rece Buckmaster, Indiana University

This is my sleeper pick. While most of the national focus has been on the fullback on the left side of the defensive line, Andrew Gutman, Buckmaster has been handling the right side just as well. Never truly getting a chance until his junior year, this 5’8″ American wing-back quietly put up two amazing seasons. His junior year he dished out six assists and this past year he found the net four times. I truly believe that if given the chance, he may be able to sneak his way into a starting role in MLS. The MLS Combine will give him a chance to show off a bit more without Gutman to help.