Byline: Joshua Mayers; Seattle Times staff reporter
Sounders FC hosted 67 college players in Las Vegas over the weekend in its third annual invitational combine.
While the odds are slim of making Seattle's roster next season -- technical director Chris Henderson estimated there might be one spot available for the group -- a handful of players emerged from the three-day camp as potential options in the upcoming MLS SuperDraft (Jan. 12) and Supplemental Draft (Jan. 17).
'Next year's team is going to be tough to make,' Henderson said Tuesday in a phone interview, 'but when you get guys at that quality and that level, they'll definitely be in a pool of players that we watch.'
Of the 67 players that participated, a few will be invited to the MLS combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from Jan. 6-10. Others were from National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) programs and lower-division schools that the Sounders hope could become late-round steals.
Henderson, an Everett native, said the team put a little more focus in scouting defenders and outside backs, which has become an area of need after the loss of three-year starter James Riley in particular. Seattle looked at prospects on offense, too.
'When you're taking a chance on a flier player, many times it's an attacking-type player,' Henderson said.
The Sounders also used the weekend to build relationships with players who might not be MLS-ready at the moment, but could develop into contributors. Those players might go to the United Soccer Leagues or lower leagues in Europe, but Henderson said having a background with them could benefit the team in the future.
Sounders FC will hold another combine, its first outside the country, in early January in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Henderson said the main goal is similar to that of the team's college combine -- finding 'one of those hidden players who can make a difference.'
Seven of the team's 12 SuperDraft picks are still with the team, but midfielder Steve Zakuani (a first-round pick in 2009) was the only drafted player protected in November's expansion draft.
Contributions from other drafted players have been inconsistent, though Henderson thinks the Sounders' draft history is 'probably right in line with most teams in the league.'
'We've hit on some and we've missed on some,' he said. 'It's really not easy to tell how a guy's going to do when he gets into the pros. ... You always want to do all the research and everything could be positive, and you still get it wrong. I think a lot of it depends on the individual and how he adapts to being a pro.'
Note
* According to a report from Trinidad and Tobago, F/MF Cordell Cato, 19, will sign a one-year deal with Seattle. In a text message regarding the report, general manager Adrian Hanauer wrote, 'He's definitely a player that we like,' but said nothing was official.
CAPTION(S):
Chris Henderson is scouting for talent. (0416212321)
Copyright (c) 2011 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.
