2001 MLS SuperDraft Review

This was easily the most confusing draft in MLS history. Players fell remarkably from prior projections and some came out of nowhere. We've divided it up into four categories: Good, Ordinary, Bad, and Ugly.

They had the best draft. Joselito Vaca is in a class by himself. Ryan Suarez is a solid defender who can step in pretty quickly. Edward Johnson was a steal in round two, and he'll be one to watch in the future. Adam Zapala gives them a high caliber backup to starter Matt Jordan. Dallas also had the steal of the draft in round six, picking Miguel Saavedra.

You cannot dispute the fact that Sigi Schmid knows college soccer. He also assessed his team's needs and filled them. Brian Mullan and Isaias Bardales should help out the offense. Robert Russell is a good midfielder, but the trick will be to keep him stateside. Brent Rahim was a steal in round 5.

Tampa had a quiet, yet solid draft. Ali Curtis may not be a tall player, but he should be a good complement to Mamadou Diallo. Craig Demmin should fit in nicely along the back line with Addo, McCarty, and Bankov (who will return to the team when he receives his green card). Devin Barclay represents the future of the striking line. Adam Throop should turn out as a quality backup keeper. A good start for Alfonso Mondelo.

I liked what Clavijo and company did with the draft. We started our selections in the second round a picked up a true first rounder in Nick Downing. Yari Allnut is a solid pickup and a possible starter in midfield. There's no reason not to take a chance on a guy like Fernando Ortiz Solis when he's a Youth International. Eric Pogue fills the need for a backup keeper, while Shaun Tsakiris should push guys like Beasley and Asad for playing time.

The Crew were only a shade away from a good draft. Duncan Oughton is a good striker. McKinley Tennyson and Edson Buddle were steals. Phil Karn proved his worth in Pittsburgh last year. However, you have to wonder why Fitz would make a deal for Tom Presthus and give up a shot at a playmaker like Vaca.

The Rapids didn't have much to work with, and they did the best they could with the limited help. Steven Herdsman is a decent little player, but the other draftees probably won't stick. Tim Hankinson will look to rebuild through the foreign allocation rather than this draft.

A decent draft by our favorite Geordie, Ray Hudson. Greg Simmonds and Ali Ngon should help out a slumping offense. Cory Gibbs has a wealth of talent, but it remains to whether or not he'll stay in MLS or go abroad to Germany. Teofilo Cubillas should make the squad, but his impact will be minimal.

They didn't need much, and they didn't get much. Jim Curtin is a big hulking defender who should make this year's roster. Justin Evans should fit in well in the Fire midfield. I'd expect the rest of those draftees to be cut.

The defending champions did not need much of a draft, and they didn't have one. Jose Burciaga will add some younger legs to the aging KC defense. Andrew Gregor is an improvement over some of the KC backup midfielders.

You have to wonder what was going through Kevin Payne's mind during this draft. His defense is in shambles after the trades of Jeff Agoos and Carlos Llamosa, yet he passes over Ryan Suarez in favor of two midfielders in Mark Lisi and Ryan Nelsen. Nelsen is a possible starter, but Lisi will probably need a year of seasoning. Santino Quaranta was a decent pick for the future, but D.C. selected no one of note after him. It seems that KP has lost his magic touch.

Rodrigo Ferea? Kerwyn Jemmott? O'Neal Peart? Need I say anymore?

The futility continues. Chris Carrieri probably would have been a good pick for the other 11 MLS teams, but he is very similar to Ronald Cerritos. Ali Curtis would have been a better pick and complement. The real problem was that the Quakes gave up two draft picks for Jeff Agoos. Goose is a good player, but is he worth passing up players like Ed Johnson or Duncan Oughton? I doubt it. San Jose needed three or four quality players. They got two.