January is a busy month for many MLS clubs, and DC United are no different. This Thursday, the annual MLS Superdraft will commence. With only one pick (7th overall), DC is looking to bring in somebody that could contribute this season, whether it be a 90 minute starter or a substitute from the bench. Either way, this pick is pretty important given that the team has a few holes that it needs to fill after the major roster purging that occured a few weeks ago.
DC has a hole in two areas. The biggest hole is outside back. With Marc Burch going to Seattle, Daniel Woolard is the best bet at this point to start at one side. United has also invited Jed Zayner back to pre-season camp and may offer him another contract if he performs up to their standards. After that, Chris Korb, the second year player from Akron, wraps up the position. So basically, there are three players covering two positions. With the length of the MLS season this year, it could be a risky factor. DC will definitely get one or two more players for that position, and maybe it can come in the draft.
The other position of need is outside midfield. Out goes Santino Quaranta, Brandon Barklage, and Devon McTavish (who could have played that role if needed), leaving Andy Najar and Branko Boskovic with the most experience. After that, the midfield is filled with central defensive, holding, and attacking midfielders. Along with that, Boskovic has never completely settled into the MLS. 2010 was a rocky year for everyone, and 2011 saw Boskovic mostly on the bench with an injury. So maybe the draft pick will be used to help the outside midfield position.
While I won’t speculate myself on who is picked by DC United, MLSsoccer.com has a nice mock draft that shows United picking Tyler Polak (according to Simon Borg and Jason Saghini) and Enzo Martinez (Travis Clark). The bottom line is DC United has a solid core for starting roles at almost all positions. This upcoming draft and possible international signings will focus on building on the depth of the club. This year’s MLS season will be the longest yet, so roster depth will be the most important. If DC can get some quality depth from this draft pick, it will be a successful 2012 draft.
(image courtesy of Ben Keller/dcunited.com)
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