Management and coaches from all 20 MLS clubs have gathered in the friendly confines of Fort Lauderdale for the annual draft combine in anticipation of next week’s SuperDraft in Baltimore.
Toronto FC will pick ninth in a draft that’s considered relatively deep by pundits who’ve tracked college soccer throughout the season. Joshua Yaro, Jack Harrison, Richie Laryea, Julian Buescher and Andrew Tarbell signed Generation adidas contracts earlier this week while reports indicate Omar Holness will join them.
Toronto-born Lareya, a product of Sigma FC and Akron University, had a breakout sophomore season and hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Sigma alum Cyle Larin.
Mock drafts have began to surface. Here is what a few in the know think the Reds will do when the SuperDraft commences on January 14 in Baltimore.
MLS Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle:
9) Toronto FC: Richie Laryea, MF (Akron - GA) -- Laryea is a Canadian youth international from Toronto, so this makes sense. It's hard to say what his best spot is at this point, and whether he'll end up as an attacking midfielder, a winger or a second forward. With TFC, he'll get a year or two to figure that out by earning big minutes with Toronto FC II in the USL.
9) Toronto FC: Tim Kubel, RB (Louisville) -- Despite having just signed Steven Beitashour to help address the right back position, TFC can use some depth at the position, as well as some cap relief in the form of a Generation adidas contract. Kubel has yet to sign a GA deal, but is considered a Top 10 talent by several teams.
9) Toronto FC: Keegan Rosenberry, RB (Georgetown) -- Rosenberry had a homegrown claim from the Union shot down ahead of the draft, though he's one of the top seniors on the board. A quality attacking right back who must show that he can handle defensive duties adequately, he'd provide another outside back option behind the newly-acquired Steven Beitashour. He could even receive a look in a wide midfield role.
A full list of the combine invitees can be found here.
Skylar Thomas and Alex Bono On Their Road To The Draft
They were teammates at Syracuse and ended up being drafted by the same professional team. Yes, it was quite the experience for Skylar Thomas and Alex Bono last year. Both players spoke to torontofc.ca’s Anthony Campos about their path to the pros.
Bono was originally an invitee to the 2015 adidas MLS Player Combine but an invitation to the U.S. Men’s Soccer National Team training camp a week before the draft meant that the eventual 6th overall pick would be learning his fate while with the U.S. National Team. “I had a little bit of an idea [that Toronto FC was the team I was going to]. I talked to Michael [Bradley] at camp and he had said that the team had a lot of interest in me and that they were looking to draft me as well.”
Read the rest of the story here.
