Hat trick boosts Taylor's MLS stock

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By Scott French, Soccer America

CARSON, Calif. -- Major League Soccer's pre-draft player combine closed Tuesday at the Home Depot Center with UCLA's Matt Taylor scoring a hat trick in the finale, boosting his stock following a solid performance at the three-day event.

Taylor was one of several players who helped themselves in front of MLS coaching staffs in advance of Friday's draft in Charlotte, N.C.

"Anytime you score goals in the combine, it puts your name forward a little bit," Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid said when it was done.

"Matt Taylor surprised me," added new San Jose Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear. "I saw him play three times last season at UCLA, the this is the best I've ever seen him play."

The biggest names in the draft did nothing to hurt themselves, and some lesser-knowns -- such as Akron forwardf Kirt Harwat and Williams College midfielder Khari Stephenson -- made solid impressions while playing three games in as many days.

Whether it will mean anything come draft time remains to be seen. MLS coaches were reluctant to spell out their thoughts on specific players, not wanting to tip their hand before Friday's pickings begin.

There's questionable depth in the draft pool -- Schmid said he didn't think the pool was as deep as in previous seasons -- but last year's rookie class (featuring Damiani Ralph, Pat Noonan, Ricardo Clark, Jamil Walker, Logan Pause and Nat Borchers) had been considered slim but turned out to be a strong group once the season was underway.

"Last year's pool, who would have guessed [during the combine] how good it would be," said Kinnear, Frank Yallop's assistant last season in San Jose. "People were saying, 'Well, maybe, maybe not,' and then the first-year players came through with flying colors."

"I think between the Project-40 guys and the real good four-year guys, I think that each team can pick up at least two quality players," said University of Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski, who coaches one of the four combine teams. "I think the first 20, 25 players in here are good."

"A lot of guys feel they can compete at this level," said University of South Carolina coach Mark Berson, another combine coach. "I think a lot of the [draft] choices are going to be based on specific team needs -- where they need depth in particular, and where they feel they need to develop somebody."

Other players who received high marks included:

Goalkeepers -- Troy Perkins (Evansville), Matt Pickens (Southwest Missouri State).

Defenders -- Chris Aloisi (Syracuse), Clint Dempsey (Furman, P-40), Clarence Goodson (Maryland, P-40), Tony McManus (UAB), Ty Maurin (UCLA), Seth Stammler (Maryland), David Wagenfuhr (Creighton).

Midfielders -- Kevin Ara (Harvard), Memo Arzate (UC Santa Barbara), Scott Buete (Maryland), Eric Cronkite (Portland), Kenny Cutler (Clemson), Josh Gardner (Cincinnati, P-40), Ned Grabavoy (Indiana, P-40), Adolfo Gregorio (UCLA), Joshua Gros (Rutgers), Kevin Hudson (SMU), Sumed Ibrahim (Clemson), Lindon Pecorelli (Connecticut), Luke Vercollone (Seton Hall).

Forwards -- Michael Bradley (Project-40), Joseph Ngwenya (Coastal Carolina), Aaron Paye (Fairleigh Dickinson), Jamal Sutton (Southwest Missouri State).