MLS Draft Notebook: Seattle Gets Its Guy; Portland, TFC Impress with Selections

As the first round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft progressed Thursday, one key name was left on the draft board.  It took until the 16th selection for the University of Washington's Cristian Roldan to be selected by the Seattle Sounders. The Sounders traded up to the 16th pick in a deal with Real Salt Lake. SB Nation's Jeremiah Oshan reported that the trade cost the defending Western Conference champions just under $100,000 in allocation money.  One of the reasons why Seattle made sure it worked out a trade with Real Salt Lake was the familiarity between Roldan and RSL assistant Craig Waibel. Waibel was an assistant at Washington before he joined RSL.  "We really thought RSL was going to take him because Craig Waibel has history with him as well," Sounders boss Sigi Schmid told reporters. "For them, it came down to the situation where what we were offering was more important to them than the players."  Roldan also has plenty of connections with the Sounders since he played collegiate soccer in the area at Washington.  "I know a lot of the guys, not just (recently signed homegrown player and college teammate) Darwin Jones," the midfielder said. "It’ll be a transition I think. I’ve been ...

2015 MLS SuperDraft Winners and Losers

Another Major League Soccer SuperDraft is in the books as the 20 teams of MLS gathered in Philadelphia on Thursday to make their picks. Drafts in any sport are tricky to manage. A team has to balance its needs on the field, financial concerns, building plans for the long-haul and duty to make its fans happy. But in MLS, the draft can be even harder to figure out with things like allocation money and Generation Adidas contracts in play. And that's to say nothing of homegrown signings, international roster spots, the allocation order (not to be confused with allocation money), designated players and the like—complexities that MLS teams deal with everyday. With all that in mind, here are your 2015 MLS SuperDraft winners and losers.Begin Slideshow

What Pressures Will Cyle Larin Face as No. 1 Overall Pick in MLS?

The Major League Soccer SuperDraft may not receive as much attention in the United States as the drafts in the four major sports, but the top selection still faces a good amount of pressure.  Orlando City SC selected UConn forward Cyle Larin with the first overall pick in Thursday's SuperDraft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.  Larin will go into a unique environment in Orlando thanks to the presence of former No. 1 pick Danny Mwanga, who inked a deal with the Lions this week. The Philadelphia Union picked Mwanga, now 23, with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, but he was traded in 2012 after two-and-a-half mediocre seasons. He has bounced around at a few different clubs since, never finding success at any of them. “I think there is a lot of pressure. It’s tough," Mwanga said prior to Thursday's draft. "Sometimes as a player, you get too much of that into your head. You start doubting yourself a little bit. Going from the college level straight to the pros, being the No. 1 draft pick, people expect a lot from you."  The forward first joined Philadelphia before its expansion season, just like Larin will do with Orlando City in 2015.  The environment ...

MLS SuperDraft 2015: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Twitter Reaction

The first two rounds of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft took place on Thursday, January 15, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, as the first 42 picks were made. Orlando City SC landed the consensus top prospect with the first overall pick, selecting Connecticut's Cyle Larin. The first round saw a handful of big surprises, including the slide of Washington's Cristian Roldan and Toronto FC's pick of little-known defender Clement Simonin. Here are the full results for the first round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft:  Canada international Larin was widely regarded as the top player available in the draft, and as shared by Goal.com's Ives Galarcep, Orlando surprised no one by selecting the powerful forward first overall: Larin was not able to attend the event, as he's currently playing for Canada in the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. According to ESPN FC's Paul Carr, it marks the first time in MLS history a single school provided two consecutive top picks after UConn's Andre Blake went to the Philadelphia Union first overall in 2014: Roldan was seen as the second-best prospect in the draft, but after a disappointing combine, some pundits warned the pint-sized midfielder could slide on draft day. New York City FC, who have no clear needs ...

2015 MLS SuperDraft: Live Results, Highlights, Reaction

The 20 Major League Soccer clubs brought in a slew of new players Thursday through the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.  Orlando City selected UConn forward Cyle Larin with the first overall pick, while fellow expansion side New York City FC used the second selection on Oregon State forward Khiry Shelton. Romario Williams of Central Florida went to Montreal with the third overall pick, while Fatai Alashe and Nick Besler were selected by San Jose and Portland respectively.  The biggest surprise of the first round was Seattle selecting Cristian Roldan with the No. 16 pick after trading with Real Salt Lake.  All of the draft selections from both rounds can be found here.     Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Relegation vs Tradition: MLS Socccer Will Eventually Seek International Standard

If you're a fan of the traditional American style of competition of leagues and rivalries, you may want to avert your eyes for this one. Until it happens, and it will, relegation will be a word that gets tossed around all the time, every year. However, there's just no chance of if happening right now. But evolution comes along with being a successful business, and Major League Soccer has certainly shown it is a dynamic league at connecting with fans and improving business strategies. So relegation has a place at some point, but the question is when. Fans of American sports simply aren't used to the concept, and in today's fair-weather environments where a team's financial state could be heavily damaged by the loss of interest from not playing top teams and regional rivals, it's a hard sell to convince many to entertain the idea at all, let alone that it's a better move. But what everyone can agree on is that top sports and top quality teams certainly help viewership. That in the end is what will make the transition so attractive. So how long until we have enough quality teams? Right now, the list of MLS cities reads something like a list of ...

Toronto FC’s Potential Signing of Jozy Altidore Is a Sign of Positives to Come

Almost one year to the day since Toronto FC's acquisition of Jermain Defoe, the club have made another transfer splash. A deal to send the English striker to Sunderland in exchange for U.S. international Jozy Altidore and cash could soon be completed, per Gareth Wheeler of TSN. Altidore is subject to the allocation process, but it will be a fantastic move for TFC if the deal is confirmed. When head coach Ryan Nelsen was sacked last August, Toronto ended up missing the playoffs with the newly appointed Greg Vanney. President and CEO Tim Leiweke added to the controversy by announcing that he'd resign by June 30, 2015. Toronto FC fans were experiencing deja-vu. Their team hasn't made the playoffs since the club's inception in 2007. The failures of the 2014 season were especially disappointing due to the $100 million TFC spent to sign Defoe and Michael Bradley. Now, it appears that the club is starting to improve. TSN's Luke Wileman claimed that the squad appears to be happier than ever: This attitude was apparent before Defoe's expected departure and the Altidore rumours surfaced. Assuming the American international is signed, this will alleviate some of the pressure on general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. A few noted journalists questioned the Altidore signing, including ex-Canada international Jason deVos. However, the 25-year-old ...

MLS SuperDraft 2015: Mock Draft, Date, Time and Live Stream Info

When Major League Soccer is generating major headlines, one can almost guarantee it's due to the arrival of some aging European star with a global fanbase and a desire to keep playing even when the top leagues are no longer interested. This leads to charges of the MLS as being a "retirement home" for fading legends, but that idea undermines all the work the league has done to give homegrown players a chance to succeed and improve the quality of competition. Stars alone don't make a team in which 11 players need to think and move as one to succeed. For those looking to see how the future of the league is shaping up stateside, look no further than the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, in which the top collegiate players find new homes in the professional ranks.  Two new franchises—Orlando City SC and New York City FC—join what could be a banner year in the league's history. Orlando and New York go one and two in this year's draft, and the players drafted on Friday will be key to shaping the debut franchise's respective legacies.  It's an exciting time for United States soccer, and there is always a little extra buzz following a World Cup ...

MLS’s New York Clubs Aren’t Performing Like a Major Market

The New York Red Bulls, just six weeks removed from their appearance in the Eastern Conference final, have contributed to the recent drama in the Empire State. Their latest transactions, coupled with the Frank Lampard confusion—which is now resolved, per ESPN FC—are the reasons the city still isn't a top market in MLS. League commissioner Don Garber has aspirations of New York being one of the major markets in MLS, as suggested by Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now. However, their inconsistency has left Garber’s wish unfulfilled.  The Red Bulls' sacking of head coach Mike Petke was an odd decision. Petke guided New York to the 2013 Supporters' Shield, which is their only trophy under the new ownership. Sporting director Ali Curtis, who was hired just before the holidays, took full responsibility for the move, per MLSSoccer.com. When Curtis unveiled Jesse Marsch as Petke's replacement, the ex-forward claimed that he has "a vision" for the Red Bulls. The problem is that New York haven't had a lot of continuity, and that starts with the coach. Marsch is the 15th hire in team history and the eighth since Red Bull became the owners in 2006. It's ludicrous for New York to have nearly twice as many head coaches as the other original franchises. ...

Mix Diskerud to NYCFC: Latest Transfer Details, Comments and Reaction

New York City FC added another high-profile star to their squad on Tuesday, as the MLS franchise announced the arrival of USMNT star Mix Diskerud on a free transfer from Rosenborg. The club broke the news in a video, as shared by the Gothamist's Dan Dickinson: NYCFC Sporting director Claudio Reina commented on the club's latest capture in a statement on their official website: We couldn’t be happier to have Mix coming to play in New York. He’s one of the brightest young talents in US soccer and will be a fantastic addition to our Club and to MLS.  Mix is a dynamic midfielder who will easily fit into the style we want to play here in New York City. He keeps possession well and gets everyone involved with his passing range.  Diskerud tweeted his reaction to a billboard welcoming him to the club on Wednesday: The club didn't announce any contract details, leaving fans and pundits to speculate regarding the length and value of his new deal. However, as Grant Wahl of SI.com reported, "Diskerud has not been classified as a Designated Player, leaving one DP spot open on the club's roster​."   Wahl also provided a comment from Diskerud. "For me, it’s huge to come back to the ...