The first day of the combine is a bit of a crapshoot. You are getting players who have not played in competitive matches in over a month; so day one is full of rust and nerves.  Still though, it is a tryout and these games do matter.  In a rainy near with freezing conditions, a crowd of about 100 cold fans sat and watched college’s best play.  In the first game we saw the blue team dominate the white team in the first half, scoring three early goals. While the net was filled, none of these were really keeper Sean Johnson’s fault.  In the second half there were some changes in the white lineup and their back line started to play respectable, only conceding through a magical 30-yard bomb from Louisville star Othaniel Yanez.  The final score was 4-1, as the white team scored on a penalty converted by Drew Yates.  The second match was a scoreless affair, with only one real chance in the match.  That chance saw the play of the game though, as “Everyman” Brooks Haggarty made a major diving save on Gen Adidas product Jack McInerney.  Other notes from the day: It was cold, it was really cold.  Oh and the combine is at a Cricket Stadium, converted into a soccer stadium.

 Here is day one’s five up five down.

1.    Zach Loyd – I was never fond of Loyd before today, and it could be just because he is a Tar-Heel and I am still scared by the whole Vince Carter Toronto thing, but either way I’m a convert.  His speed, strength and strong-will made him a thorn in the side of every opposing player.  The blue team played him as a left midfielder, and once again he showed that he lead the attack and still come back and defend. The ideal spot for Loyd would be at a team who play a 3-5-2 where he can help at both ends of the field.  He appears MLS ready and will be a very good pro.
2.    Kevin Tangney – Another centre back from the University of Maryland. How do they do it?  Today Tangney was one of the best defenders on the field, if not the best.  He was very smart moving the ball and strong in the tackle. That being said, his speed was never tested so that could still be a question mark, but with his showing today he has moved up in my draft rankings to a potential top 30 pick.
3.    Amobi Okugo – Okugo played a holding midfield role for the green team and was the only midfielder on that team who had any effect on the game.  The way he played reminded me a lot of how Sam Cronin played in the combine last year. He was strong in his tackles and then was ready to play the ball forward with smart on the point passes.  I am really looking forward to watching him progress as a professional.
4.    Andrew Hoxie – I had never seen Hoxie play before, but his stats have been impressive over his 4 years in college.  Today this guy proved to me that he is the real deal.  This 6 foot 4 target man won a lot of 50/50 balls and then had a good first touch.  He also scored a magical goal where he curled it over Sean Johnson.  If he can continue to work that hard and create chances he could shoot up into the top 20 of this year’s draft. That’s how much he impressed me today.
5.    Red Midfield (1st Half) – WOW! That’s all you can say.  The Red team started in the midfield with da Luz, Bone, Gavin, & Stephens and it was incredible to watch them move the ball with so much class and ability.  For a first day at the combine, where everyone is nervous and rusty, it did not show for these 4 players who just ran a clinic. This would have been a bigger story if they had in fact scored a single goal while dominating the green team, but they did not and so it’s just a side note to the day. 

Bottom 5

1.    Tenant McVea – Too many pints!  For one of the best defenders in NCAA, he looked atrocious.  McVea was out of shape, lazy and just second to every ball.  If he continues to play like this he will be one of the worst players at the combine.
2..    Bright Dike – I expected a bit more from Dike. He was too slow and took one touch too many when taking on defenders.  He was outshone by strike partner Hoxie on the day. A couple more appearances like this would put him on the draft bubble.
3.    Kyle Nakazawa – Another invisible player today. It could have just been because he was against the mighty Red midfield, who dominated possession but he still has to show that he is capable of putting on a good performance.  Stephens will be the first of the pair to be drafted if Nakazawa can’t find his game
4.    Sean Johnson – Now, lets not get ahead of ourselves here.  He did not look that bad in net today, but anytime a goalkeeper lets in 3 goals in a half he has to take a little bit of the blame.  This just shows that Johnson is still raw and needs work before he is ready to start in this league.  He’s still a top keeper in the Draft.

If you have any players in specific you would like to know about, feel free to ask me.