The MLS Combine kicked off yesterday (Jan 4th) as 64 of the top collegiate prospects ran through some speed and agility testing at the University of Central Florida before kicking off with the Combines first set of games today. Below we’ll run you through our 10 man DMV contingent that will be taking part in the combine and provide links to watch the matchups as well.
DMV Players at the 2019 MLS Combine
(Players broke down by Combine teams)
Team Copa
Dayne St.Clair
After 3.5 years in College Park, St.Clair has signed a Generation Adidas deal with the MLS and will forgo his final year of eligibility to take part in the 2019 MLS Combine and SuperDraft. The 6’3 GK from Pickering, Ontario came to UMD from Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School and played for Vaughan SC where he helped his team win a League 1 Ontario Cup championship. Dayne spent his first 2 years learning and getting to compete with one of the top GK’s in the country in DC United Academy alum, Cody Niedermeier before taking over as the Terps starter in 2017. Since becoming the starter St.Clair has turned into one of the top keepers in the country starting and playing every minute in all 42 matches matches in the past 2 years; St.Clair ended his collegiate career with 5 straight shutouts enroute to a National Championship win for Maryland.
DSC Stats/Notes ’17-18:
- Canadian YNT U18 & U20 GK
- 2017 #’s: .99 GAA // .740 Save & // 9 Shutouts
- 2018 #’s: .66 GAA // .833 Save % // 13 Shutouts
Sebastian Elney
4 years, 53 wins later and a National Championship under his belt, Elney graduates from the University of Maryland on one of the teams most winningest classes in recent history, an alum of Boca HS and Boca United down in Florida, Elney spent his final high school season playing for the Philadelphia Union’s academy but will be apart of the draft next week. Elney came into College Park as one of the nations top recruits, ranked as the #13 overall player by TopDrawerSoccer and #4 by CollegeSoccerNews and competed with the USYNT at several different age groups up until the U20’s. After a solid 4 year career with the Terps, Elney has proved to be a reliable goal scorer throughout and will look to show he can transfer his abilities to the pro game. Elney will look to show off his abilities as a hold up forward and hopefully score a goal or two along the way as he showcases his abilities for the MLS scouts.
SE Stats/Notes ’15-18:
- USA YNT U18 & U20 Forward
- 2015: 2nd & All-Freshman Team BIG10 selection, 6 goals & 1 assist
- 2016: 20 GP, 17 GS // 3 goals & 4 assists
- 2017: 19 GP, 18 GS // 5 goals & 2 assists
- 2018: 21 GP, 19 GS // 4 goals & 2 assists
Team Nemeziz
Akeem Ward
A former standout defender with Bethesda SC in Maryland, Ward joined the famed Shattuck St.Mary’s academy at the U16 age group where he led the team in goals with 13. Ward’s SSM’s teams went to National Quarterfinals in the USSDA in ’14 and ’15 after a national championship appearance in ’13. After leaving Shattuck, Akeem joined Hastings College as a freshman and was named a Second Team NAIA All-American, and his strong freshman season earned him a transfer to Creighton, where he would finish out his last 3 seasons of eligibility. Ward will look to increase his stock as one of the top Outside Back options in the draft with some strong performances in the teams 2 combine games and is projected to go in the first round by several different mock drafts.
AW Stats/Notes ’15-18:
- 2015 (W/ Hastings College): 2nd Team All-America, 20 GP // 2 goals & 5 assists
- 2016: 11 GP, 10 GS // Suffered Season Ending Injury // Team went 7-1-2 and outscored opponents 21-4 in his appearances
- 2017: 18 GP, 16 GS // Claimed Creighton’s Most Competitive Player Award
- 2018: 18 GP, 18 GS // 2 goals & 4 assists
Amar Sejdic
A surprise inclusion in the Combine/Draft process is University of Maryland National Champ/Captain, Amar Sejdic who did not sign a HG contract with Real Salt Lake after the 2018 season. Sejdic spent time trialing with several pro clubs during his high school and collegiate career over in Europe, spending a year in Holland and played his U18 USSDA season with a very talented RSL Arizona academy side that now boasts 7 professional players on the Real Salt Lake first team. Over his 4 years with the Terps, Sejdic played a key role in the midfield playing several different roles as an 8 or 10 and will look to show MLS scouts what RSL will miss out on at the pro level.
AS Stats/Notes ’15-18:
- 2015: 15 GP // 2 goals & 2 assists
- 2016: First Team All-BIG10, 9 goals & 9 assists
- 2017: 19 GP, 19 GS // 3 goals & 4 assists
- 2018: 23 GP, 23 GS // 8 goals & 1 assist
Prosper Figbe
Figbe split his time in college with 2 seasons each for the University of South Florida and the University of Virginia, starring as a CB for both programs. Figbe originally came to the US after being identified by the MTN Football Scholars program which uses soccer for the top student-athletes in Nigeria to earn education at prep schools in America. During his youth career Figbe would play for Connecticut FC & Loomis Chaffee School, picking up High School All-American honors before committing to play at USF. Figbe starred at USF during his 2 years, starting all but one game while becoming the first ever underclassmen to win the American Athletic Conference’s Defensive POTY award in 2016. After 2 seasons with the Bulls, Figbe transferred to Charlottesville to join the UVA Cavaliers and continued his form in the ACC to cement his spot as one of the top CB’s in the nation heading into the SuperDraft and Combine process.
PF Stats /Notes ’15-18:
- 2015: Started all but 1 game, AAC All-Rookie team
- 2016: 20 GP, 20 GS // AAC Defensive POTY, 2nd Team NSCAA All-Region, First Team All-AAC
- 2017:20 GP, 21 GS // 1 assist
- 2018: 17 GP, 17 GS // 2nd Lowest Team GAA in ACC, 12th Lowest in DI
Team Predator
Andrew Samuels
Another 4 year Terp highlights the combine list as a potential first or second round pick in the upcoming SuperDraft due to Samuels versatility and strong improvement as a player over his collegiate career. Samuels came to College Park after playing his U18 season with the Clearwaters Chargers USSDA team and at Tampa Preparatory school. Samuels spent all 4 years playing different roles for UMD as a CDM or Outside Back option and is athletic enough to adjust to either at the professional level.
AS Stats/Notes ’15-18:
- 2015: 16 GP // Contributed on 8 team shutouts
- 2016: Played in every match, 13 GS // Contributed on teams 16-0-2 undefeated regular season record
- 2017: 18 GP, 15 GS // Played every single minute of season in last 15 games, 9 shutouts
- 2018: 23 GP, 23 GS
Siad Haji
Haji has been looked at as a projected #1 overall pick so far by all of the mock drafts we have seen and there is a ton of upside to his game in terms of both versatility and his age. Haji graduated high school at the age of 16 and only just recently turned 19 after 3 strong collegiate seasons, 2 of them with the VCU Rams in Richmond, VA. Siad’s freshman season was spent playing with New England College at the DII level, where he led the NEC in scoring and helped NE win their first conference championship. With Rafael Santos Andrade pulling the strings for the Rams in 2017, Haji had to settle for a role on the wing where he led the team in assists and came 2nd in the conference. The graduation of Rafa gave Siad the ability to play in his more natural 10 role this past fall and contributed 5 goals and a further 10 assists. Heading into the combine he will look to show FC Cincinnati why he should be picked #1 overall with his versatility and tremendous upside a key contributor in the back of their minds.
SH Stats/Notes ’16-18:
- USA YNT callups at U15, 17 & 19 age groups
- 2017: 19 GP, 17 GS // 2 goals & 8 assists
- 2018: 18 GP, 18 GS // 5 goals & 10 assists
Team X
Brendan McDonough
A 2 year team captain for both Charlotte Catholic HS and the Georgetown Hoya’s, McDonough brings some strong leadership qualities and hard nosed defending to the Combine as he looks to impress MLS scouts over the next week. McDonough played along the backline for the Hoya’s over the past 3 years but enjoyed a high school career with 49 goals & 40 assists in his sophomore and senior seasons, missing his junior season while playing abroad in Germany with Freie Turnerschaft Braunschweig and Eintracht Braunschweig. During his sophomore season, McDonough became a starter for the Hoya’s, starting all but 2 games in his final 53 matches on the Hoyas backline.
BM Stats/Notes ’15-18:
- 2 year captain for the Hoya’s
- 2015: 9 GP, 3 GS
- 2016: 15 GP, 15 GS // 1 goal & assist
- 2017: 18 GP, 17 GS // First Team All-BIG East // First Team NSCAA All-Great Lakes region
- 2018: 21 GP, 21 GS // 1 goal & assist // 2nd Team All-East & BIG East
Chase Gasper
A member of the locally infamous OBGC Rangers, Gasper committed to UCLA after a strong youth career with the Bethesda SC academy and formerly with Lee Mt.Vernon SC. Gasper also played for Gonzaga CHS in Washington, DC while playing a consistent role with the US U18’s in his senior season. Gasper played a starring role in his freshman season as the Bruins made it all the way to the National Championship game in 2014 before falling to UVA, despite the loss Gasper picked up 2nd Team Freshman All-American honors from Soccer America, CollegeSoccerNews and TopDrawerSoccer. Gasper would go on to start in 37 of his 43 games for UCLA before picking up an injury and missing the 2016 season. Moving into the fall of 2017, Chase transferred back to the DMV to join the Terrapins and would go on to start 14 games in both years as injuries limited him from playing in all of the matchups. Gasper’s movement up and down the flank, paired with his strong technical and athletic abilities make for an ideal option for most MLS teams, wouldn’t be surprised to see Gasper impress at the combine and help his stock a little ahead of the SuperDraft in Chicago.
CG Stats/Notes ’14-18:
- 2014: 2nd Team Freshman All-America (Soccer America, TDS & CSN) // 20 GP, 16 GS // Led UCLA defenders in goals & assists (2 goals & 4 assists) // Contributed to 7 shutouts
- 2015: HM All-PAC 12, Led UCLA Defenders in assists (3) // Contributed to 4 Shutouts // 20 GP, 18 GS
- 2016: 3 GP, 2 GS // Missed rest of season with injury
- 2017: 14 GP, 14 GS // 9 shutouts in GP
- 2018: 15 GP, 14 GS // 13 shutouts in GP // 5 assists
Colin Miller
Miller has been one of the top GK’s in the Big East and nationally over the course of the past 3 years and can easily be seen as one of the best keepers available in this years draft class. Miller spent his youth career playing with some very talented Baltimore Bays Chelsea academy teams before making the step over to Baltimore Celtic when the academy split, during that time Miller also played HS soccer for C.Milton Wright in Bel Air, MD captaining as a sophomore and senior. Excited to see how Miller does during this next week as he could cement himself as one of the top 2 or 3 GK’s and thus improve his draft stock heading into Chicago.
CM Stats/Notes ’14-18:
- Awards: R.I Capital City Classic All Tournament team, BIG East GK of the Week 3x, BIG East GK of the Year (’16), BIG East First Team, Providence Defensive MVP (’17), BIG East Second Team, Capitol City Classic & SMU All Tournament Team
- 2014 and 2015: 2 GP
- 2016: 16 GP, 16 GS // 12 GA & 8 Shutouts // .848 Save % // 14-2 as Starter
- 2017: 16 GP, 16 GS // 5 Shutouts, 1.08 GAA // .762 Save %
- 2018: 19 GP, 19 GS // .720 Save % // 1.06 GAA // 9 Shutouts
Below we will share several of the final Big Board (Top Talent available) and Mock Draft projections heading into the 2019 MLS SuperDraft today!
2019 MLS Draft Big Board: Version 3.0 (TopDrawerSoccer)
#1 Player: Siad Haji
#9 Dayne St. Clair
#16 Akeem Ward
#21 Andrew Samuels
#33 Amar Sejdic
#36 Brendan McDonough
#38 Chase Gasper
#40 Sebastian Elney
#45 Prosper Figbe
2019 MLS Mock Draft: Version 3.0 (TopDrawerSoccer)
#1 Pick Siad Haji
#6 Dayne St. Clair
#11 Akeem Ward
#15 Andrew Samuels
#26 Brendan McDonough
#29 Sebastian Elney
#31 Chase Gasper
#38 Amar Sejdic
#29 Prosper Figbe
MLS Soccer Armchair Analyst: 2019 Mock SuperDraft Final Version
(Just 1st Round Picks)
#8 Pick Siad Haji
#9 Akeem Ward
#13 Dayne St.Clair
#14 Chase Gasper
SBI Soccer MLS Draft Big Board | Final Version
(Top 70 Talents)
#2 Player Siad Haji
#5 Dayne St.Clair
#12 Akeem Ward
#20 Chase Gasper
#27 Prosper Figbe
#28 Brendan McDonough
#38 Amar Sejdic
#45 Andrew Samuels
#46 Sebastian Elney
DMV Soccer 