LAUDERHILL, Fla. – Day one of the 2015 MLS combine was marred by the sloppy play we’ve come to expect when a bunch of collegiate stars play together for the first time.

The pundits will tell you day two is when better soccer is played, but mother nature had plans of her own, delivering several downpours at Central Broward Regional Park. That made for wet conditions on the pitch, which were later accompanied by lightning warnings.

With six minutes to go in the first half of Sunday’s first game, AdiZero and Nitro Charge were forced to their locker rooms due to said warnings.

Eventually play resumed and a number of players did well to boost their stock. Nick Besler was the Nitro Charge’s best player in the first half. The Notre Dame product set up Christian Volesky for the game’s opening marker in the sixth minute.

Volesky has become a combine star, boasting incredible numbers in speed and agility tests.

The lengthy halftime delay was too much to bear for Tulsa’s Akiel Barrett. The Jamaican forward stole the show on day one of the combine, dazzling scouts in attendance with incredible touch on the ball. For some the showmanship was too much, but this is a game after all and you’re supposed to have fun. At least that’s what I think.

Barrett came on as a substitute in the second half for the Charge and picked up where he left off, setting up Oregon State's Khiry Shelton to give the Nitro a 2-0 lead. He wasn’t the only substitute to make an impact.

Axel Sjoberg, the 6’7 monster of a defender from Marquette, was impressive. You don’t expect a man that size to move as well as he has this week, but he continues to convince the skeptics he has the lateral quickness required to play centre-back in MLS. Aaron Simmons and Will Seymore were also impressive on defense for the Nitro.

Hoilett makes Combine debut

It’s a surname familiar to Canadian soccer fans.

Jaineil Hoilett made his combine debut on Sunday, starting at right wing for the Nitro. The Canadian born forward is a familiar face for TFC fans. He scored for the Reds during a friendly against the USL Pro’s Wilmington Hammerheads last June.

Both Hoilett brothers, 24-year-old Junior is currently with the Premier League’s QPR, have trained with TFC.

22-year-old Jaineil is draft eligible and sees the combine in Ft.Lauderdale as a chance to get back on the radar of MLS scouts.

“I always had interest in trying to get into MLS,” Hoilett told torontofc.ca following the Nitro’s 2-0 win.

It’s been a long road back from injury for the Brampton native. He’s been training with his brother’s club in London after being released by FSV Frankfurt II last July.

“I found it quite challenging because it was my first game since August,” Hoilett said when asked how he found the experience.

The combine is a rare beast in the sense that these players are tasked with impressing scouts, coaches and general managers while playing with people completely unfamiliar with their game.

“When you get thrown into a situation where you don’t know the players I think it’s important to demand the ball, be loud,” Hoilett explained.

“Because if players don’t know you, they may not trust you with the ball so you have to demand it.”

There was a whole lot of that on the field on Sunday. In a sense that selfish streak is a must on a huge stage like the combine, but some are handling this aspect of the combine better than others.

Movers and shakers

Some quick hitters from Sunday’s session regarding some of the more notable players at this year’s combine.

Fatai Alashe MF (Michigan State) - Not playing at all can boost your stock when scouts are confident in a player's abilities. Alashe was an unused sub on Sunday. 

Akeil Barrett FW (Tulsa) - The Jamaican has been electric from the get go in Florida. Easily our favourite player to watch thus far.

Vladimir Hood MF (Youth International) - Hood was much better on Sunday after a poor start to his combine on Friday. The Peruvian midfielder was a terror on the left wing after coming on in the second half for AdiZero. 

Romario Williams FW (Generation Adidas) - Williams has been relatively quiet through two days at the combine. There were glimpses of his game breaking pace, and he did score in the final game of the day, but it wasn't an overly impressive display.