MLS Draft Not Really All That Super For Caps Fans

So that was Vancouver Whitecaps first ever Superdraft. Mine too. I don’t really know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that!

I’ve not watched a lot of drafts over the years. Some NFL ones, maybe the odd NHL one and that’s pretty much it. The MLS one seemed to be lacking pizazz and flair. There wasn’t even a photo opp of the number one draft pick going up on stage with a Whitecaps jersey with the number 1 and his name on it.

That’s not a bad thing you understand. I’m certainly not knocking that. Football isn’t all about the razzamatazz and glitz. It’s a down to earth, working man’s game, no matter how much the MLS will try and brainwash us otherwise in other aspects of the game in North America. It should be businesslike and on the whole it was. That was refreshing for any sport here.

That aspect I liked.

There was a distinct lack of excitement for me, as I really only gave a toss about who the Whitecaps selected in their draft picks. Even after they were done, I wasn’t exactly moved to fever pitch.

In fact, all the Superdraft really did was pose more questions about the 2011 Whitecaps than it answered.

When all the dust was settled and the picks made though, Omar Salgado finally became a Vancouver Whitecap player after last summer’s signing debacle. He became the first player to go in the 2011 draft and the first ever Whitecaps selection, a fact that I will never understand the importance placed on it as I explained yesterday.

So what have we ended up with in Salgado? Well, he’s a good young prospect who could become a regular in the US national team over time, which in itself is bad news for the Caps as we’ll lose him to international duty all too often.

He’s a gangly striker, with an unattractive playing style from the footage I’ve seen but at least a goalscoring record, so that’s one of the “desperately needed” boxes ticked. Only problem of course is that he’s 17 and under FIFA’s current rules can’t officially move to Canada and play for us until he turns 18 in September. Knowing FIFA this could change but assuming it doesn’t we have just wasted our prime draft pick on someone who we probably won’t see fully until 2012 and at that, he’ll only be 18 so how mature and effective is he going to be?

I’m all for future prospects but this is ridiculous and surely what our residency program is all about.

It just feels like it’s a waste and leaves me with a lot of questions about the whole thing.

Salgado was a huge surprise to go so early. Even to the player himself. Would he have still been available at the number 8 pick? Is he really that good a prospect that we had to make sure we secured him? We’ll have to trust the Caps team in this that the answer is a positive yes.

Darlington Nagbe went to Portland. In one way, thank fuck. He made it clear apparently that he didn’t want to come to Vancouver, so he’s gone to one of our biggest rivals in the Timbers and came across as a bit of a wanker in his ESPN interview following his pick, so even more special abuse will be lined up for him. I’m already thinking about the infamous Hibernian chant about Hearts’ Rudi Skacel. Seems fitting to me.

Now, if Portland desperately wanted him did we try to trade picks with the Timbers? If so, what were we looking for and why did the deal not go ahead?

If he’s that exciting a prospect, could we have fucked up our rivals by trading our pick with DC United or another team, or even just pick him ourselves and punt him for an experienced striker (but not Chad Barrett!). Did the Caps even consider this? I really want to know.

We may never know the answers to a lot of these questions.

ESPN weren’t much help on the day. They didn’t even seem to know about all the transfer turmoil last year when we tried to get Salgado early. That’s how it appeared.

I was also a little puzzled by our second pick at number 8 of Michael Nanchoff, because Jalil Anibaba and Will Bruin were being touted as the ones to go for. Now I’ll be honest, I had no fucking idea who anyone was by this stage of the draft, so I trust our coaching staff 100% on this one over television pundits. He’s a tough midfielder, another Akron lad and his scoring and assist records weren’t that shabby last year. I’m actually more excited by Michael than Omar at this point in time.

The Whitecaps third pick of Jeb Brovsky from Notre Dame seems to be the most exciting of all. A striker or attacking midfielder, he may be the hidden gem in the lower stages of the draft and comes highly recommended by some pundits.

Our last pick was fellow Fighting Irish defender Bilal Duckett. Not exactly a footballing name there! Sure we can get some fun rhyming couplets though.

So where does this leave us? Woefully short of experienced attacking options still and the need to add to the roster soon, possibly through international allocations or these now fabled designated player positions.

With all the build up the Superdraft, I was expecting more. You know what though? It’s just all conjecture, let’s just see who does what on the pitch. If we can actually score this year then I’ll be more than happy.

Mon the Caps.

Who Will Savage Whitecaps Reputation First – Darlington or Robbie?

In the last few days, all the talk around the Whitecaps has been around tomorrow’s MLS Superdraft and the Caps top pick and subsequent picks. Today that changed, at least a little bit.

Don’t even get me started as to the why everything has to have a dynamic name and every player seems to have to have some kind of designation to him. I am trying to try and stay slightly positive about MLS, even if it is a fucking joke League at times!

Why so many people seem to put so much onus on which player we select first puzzles me. Who we get out of this is not a momentous decision in the history of the Vancouver Whitecaps. These are mostly untried players. They’re more a pig in a poke at this level. More often than not one for the future than one which can help us right away, which is what we need. It’s no more important to me than which residency player we next bring through the ranks. Signing some decent strikers and experienced players with youth on their side and/or designated players are way more important to me.

The player on everyone’s lips of course has been Darlington Nagbe.

The Akron University star was named America’s top men’s college player last week, picking up the Hermann Munster trophy on Friday. This must have excited Gramps Lenarduzzi, as Nagbe was expected to be the Whitecaps first selection tomorrow.

Nagbe missed the showcase combine, adding to speculation that he had already made a deal with the Whitecaps, a rumour everyone was quick to deny.

Hopefully no-one got their new MLS Caps jerseys printed with Nagbe’s name though as it seems that the whole deal may have fallen through with the word on the street being that Nagbe does not want to come to Vancouver.

Well fuck him. If he doesn’t want to come, then I don’t want him here and would much rather see us take someone who actually does want to play for the jersey. We could still take him and he makes it a PR embarrassment for the Caps. We could trade picks with Portland, although what they would have to offer in return? Or, a particular favourite of mine, draft the wanker then sell him to some shithole franchise where he’ll simply rot.

Immigration complications are one of the reasons being cited but you know what, who cares what they are. Any player in this draft should be honoured to pull on a jersey for a Club with a rich history and tradition like the Whitecaps.

If this does play out like this, it would be another major embarrassment for the Whitecaps front office. Following the fuck ups involving Omar Salgado (who is available in the draft and could be picked up at 8th) and Cody Arnoux, you do have to wonder what the hell is going on behind the scenes.

Add in the fact we don’t seem to feel we need strikers and the lack of designated players and this isn’t filling people with a ton of optimism at this point. Then we can now add in to the mix that veteran Welsh terrier Robbie Savage could be about to join the Club.

This rumour seems to have been confirmed by the man himself. At 36, is this really the kind of player and direction we are wanting the Whitecaps to go? I’m all for experience and leadership but come on.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of Robbie’s. I recommend his autobiography to all. He’s one of the best shit disturbers in the business. Colourful, charismatic, a wind up merchant extraordinaire, a skillful player still, a leader and someone who’s not afraid to put the boot in when needed. He’s great and if he comes I’ll welcome him with open arms and be chanting his name from the rooftops if a designated player spot isn’t wasted on him and he doesn’t keep a starting place for someone more deserving.

He’s not the future of the Club though and as much as he’s a cult hero/villain in the UK, I don’t know how much of a “name” he is to be a draw here. What kind of message is it giving out as well in bringing someone who is near the end of his career to the Club. Others will question his dubious reputation and what message that gives out. That I don’t care about. If we had a squad full of Robbie Savages I’d be happy at the commitment that would be shown, although how many players we’d be finishing the games with would be questionable!

We need youth. We need a future. We need strikers. We need players who want to come and play for a proud club, not just because of the money. We need a team that’s going to be be competitive from the off, as we’re no ordinary expansion team.

We’re paying enough to watch the team, now give us what we want in return and pick wisely.