The future of MLS talent will be on full display this coming weekend as the 2011 adidas MLS Player Combine gets underway.
On Tuesday the league announced the full rosters and coaching assignments for the showcase, scheduled for Jan. 7-11 at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and it also added seven more college seniors and five non-college players to the list of players initially invited to the annual Combine.
The group of more than 70 prospects will be split into four squads, with each roster led by a top national coach.
The University of Louisville’s Ken Lolla will coach AdiZero with Rick Brownell of the Michigan Wolves, the University of Tulsa’s Tom McIntosh will coach AdiPure with Dave Smith of the North Atlantic Soccer Association, Seattle Pacific University’s Mark Collings will coach team Jabulani with Brian Quinn of San Diego SC, and Old Dominion’s Alan Dawson will coach team AdiPower with Brian Doyle of Council Rock Soccer Association and FC Bucks.
Four Generation adidas players eligible for this year's SuperDraft — Perry Kitchen, Zac MacMath, Omar Salgado and Zarek Valentin — will not participate in the Combine as they are currently in camp with the US U-20 national team. Another, Akron forward Darlington Nagbe, will not be at the Combine though is still eligible for the MLS SuperDraft, which will be held in Baltimore on Jan. 13.
Following an initiative approved in December by the MLS
Competition Committee, this year's Combine will also feature some
non-collegiate players and international talent, including Uruguayan
midfielder Paolo Cardozo, Ecuadoran forward Victor Estupinan and
midfielder Marlon Ganchozo, Argentine midfielder Martin Rivas and
English midfielder John Rooney.
For a full list of players, click here.