#michael farfan

[ivegivenuptryingtopickagoodone]

Hell yeah that’s the kind of start I wanted to see!!!

LA 0 - 1 SEA

[the700level]

Conor Casey a Rare Philly Phenomenon -- A Player Who Is Far Exceeding Expectations

Hey, it’s been a while. I’m Steve, and I like soccer. Pleased to meet you.

Seriously though,…

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[icantfeelmyarms]

[antrea]

Sebastien's first goal of the game

Michael Farfan's goal :)

[donthateitskate-blog-blog]

yo mtv, welcome to my crib.

[sandiegos10-blog]

MLS SuperDraft's San Diego Recap

As we noted during the combine, AJ Soares' stock was clearly on the rise.  This was confirmed Thursday afternoon in Baltimore, as he was selected by the New England Revolution 6th overall in the first round.

He stood out as one of the more prepared players at the combine- a quality that head coach Stevie Nicol certainly values after his team allowed in the most goals in Major League Soccer last season.  Nicol will be hoping that Soares can quickly adapt to the speed and physicality of the professional game so he can be a contributing force in the back line during his rookie season.

It takes two to tango, and Soares also feels that working under Nicol is a perfect fit for him.  "Learning under Stevie Nicol is going to be incredible for me..  I couldn't ask to learn from somebody better than him."   Clearly, Soares is expecting there to be a learning curve that he will need to adjust to, but he feels Nicol has the tools to bring him up to speed quickly.  While he will definitely head to the Boston area to be taught more about the game, it may be only a crash course before Soares is asked to start- the Revolution's defense badly needs his help.

San Diego's Michael Farfan was selected 23rd overall by 2010 expansion club, Philadelphia Union.  Like Soares, Farfan is a Generation Adidas player who will not count against his team's salary cap and roster size restrictions.  His selection, which occurred in the early second round, was near where many pundits had him being drafted prior to the SuperDraft, despite the UNC player having a sub-par performance in the combine.

The Union were somewhat lucky to have Farfan still available to them after their first pick was used to select United States' U-20 goalkeeper, Zac MacMath.  Poor combine performance aside, Farfan can still become a very talented winger or attacking midfielder and replacement for Brazilian midfielder Fred for the Union as the youngster showed moments of brilliance while at UNC.

All signs are pointing at him being a player who still needs time to develop, but there is definitely a reason why the league locked him into a contract in December of last year.

The third and final San Diego player to be drafted into Major League Soccer on Thursday is Soares' Cal Bears teammate and long-time close friend, Servando Carrasco.  The Tijuana-born midfielder was selected 27th overall by Seattle Sounders FC, and is one of five players drafted by the club. 

Seattle is definitely seeking depth to their roster, because they take seriously non-MLS competitions, such as CONCACAF Champions League and US Open Cup.  The club has lifted the US Open Cup twice in as many years, and will be in need of fresh legs in the middle of the field if they are to three-peat. 

It's never a great thing for the noun 'depth' being used as the number one benefit of a signing and Carrasco is going to have to have a great pre-season and shine in the moments he sees action if he is to become more than just a body filling a roster slot.

Amani Walker, the San Diego born striker who played for UC-Irvine was not selected in the 2010 SuperDraft, but is likely to be picked up during MLS' Supplemental Draft which takes place next Monday.

[sandiegos10-blog]

Tomorrow is the Big Day - MLS SuperDraft

For those of you who have been following the site, tomorrow is a big day for four local San Diego boys, as the MLS SuperDraft takes center stage in the US Soccer spotlight.

While two of the former San Diego Surf youth prospects who were called into the 2011 MLS Combine are seen as having only an outside chance to be drafted; Amani Walker and Servando Carrasco, the other two San Diego natives, AJ Soares and Michael Farfan, are expected to make big waves tomorrow.

Both Farfan and Soares have already signed professional Generation Adidas contracts with Major League Soccer, and thus will not count against an MLS team's roster count and salary cap.  These bonuses make all Generation Adidas recruits a highly desirable limited quantity and it is certain that they will be scooped up early in the first or second rounds.

Soares had a stand-out MLS Combine and was one of only a few players who looked sharp in the first round of games.  He commanded his area well, as the central defender made it difficult for any useful possession or long ball into the box to turn into a chance for his opponents.  MLSsoccer.com has him being drafted in the top ten. 

Farfan, on the other hand, will surely be telling himself that he would liked to have played better, as he was unable to show off the precision and creativity that he was known for while playing with the Tarheels.  Nonetheless, he is still pinned as a first round player and it is expected that he will land somewhere between picks 10 and 20.

Be sure to check back, as we will be covering the draft, with a special eye on our local prospects.