Galaxy Adds Firepower
In a Major League Soccer draft unusual in that the identity of the No. 2 pick was of more interest than the No. 1 selection, the Galaxy on Friday went all the way to Zimbabwe to find a strike partner for Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz.
For two months, MLS fans have known that 14-year-old Freddy Adu would be the top choice, so it was no surprise when his selection by D.C. United was announced.
“It’s not going to be easy, I know that,” Adu said in a television interview from the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C.
“I’m just going to go in and work hard, not worry about the outside influences, try to earn the respect of my teammates and take it from there.
“I’m sure every kid that plays soccer in America wants to become a professional one day. I have the opportunity to do that and I’m not going to waste it.
“Right now I feel really blessed to have [former Poland international and Chicago Fire captain] Peter Nowak as my coach because he went pro when he was 15 years old and he’s been through all the stuff that I’m probably going to go through.
“It’s going to be a great learning experience for me and I’m sure he’s going to help me out a lot.”
With Adu out of the way, the Columbus Crew then made Stanford and U.S. under-20 national team defender Chad Marshall the No. 2 overall pick, after which Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid selected Joseph Ngwenya of Coastal Carolina University as Los Angeles’ top draft choice.
It was something of a surprise, but Doug Hamilton, the Galaxy’s general manager, said landing the Bulawayo-born Ngwenya, 22, was always the team’s priority.
“He was the kid we were looking for,” Hamilton said. “He has always been the kid.”
Ngwenya, the NCAA’s leading goal scorer in each of the last two seasons, already has been called up by Zimbabwe’s national team.
“We were in a situation where we wanted to find some offensive help for our team,” Schmid said. “When you’re able to pick the guy who’s been by far the leading scorer in the country over the last two years at the collegiate level and has shown that he can score goals on a very consistent basis, that’s a good pick.”
Also selected in the first round were UCLA forward Matt Taylor, fourth overall, who will join the Kansas City Wizards; Santa Clara defender Ryan Cochrane, who joins the defending MLS champion San Jose Earthquakes; and Honduran-born midfielder Ramon Nunez of Southern Methodist, who was taken by the Dallas Burn.
Completing the top 10 were Maryland defender Clarence Goodson, also selected by Dallas; Furman midfielder Clint Dempsey, who joins the New England Revolution; Maryland midfielder Scott Buete, picked by Chicago, and Santa Clara and U.S. under-20 national team goalkeeper Steve Cronin, by San Jose.
In addition to Ngwenya, the Galaxy added midfielder Josh Gardner of Cincinnati; U.S. under-20 national team midfielder Ned Grabavoy of NCAA champion Indiana; UC Santa Barbara midfielders Guillermo Arzate and David McGill; Oakland defender Jason Perry; Oregon State forward Alan Gordon and Syracuse defender Chris Aloisi.
But it was Ngwenya who fired Schmid’s imagination.
“He scores goals in big games, he can play a number of different positions, he’s a two-time academic All-American, he’s a great kid, he’s going to be great on and off the field for us,” Schmid said.
Also of note, UCLA led with five players selected, followed by Maryland with four; MetroStars’ Coach Bob Bradley drafted his 16-year-old son, Michael, in the fourth round; and Chicago selected William and Mary defender Phil Hucles, the brother of U.S. women’s national team player Angela Hucles.
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MLS Draft
FIRST ROUND
*--* No. Team Player P College 1. D.C. United Freddy Adu F None 2. Columbus Chad Marshall D Stanford 3. Galaxy Joseph Ngwenya F Coastal Carolina 4. Kansas City Matt Taylor F UCLA 5. San Jose Ryan Cochrane D Santa Clara 6. Dallas Ramon Nunez MF SMU 7. Dallas Clarence Goodson D Maryland 8. New England Clint Dempsey F Furman 9. Chicago Scott Buete MF Maryland 10. San Jose Steve Cronin G Santa Clara
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*--* OTHER OTHER GALAXY SELECTIONS SELECTIONS FROM UCLA No. Pla P College No. Team Pl P yer ay er 13. Jos MF Cincinnati 11. Chicago Le D h on Gar ar dne d r Gr if fi n 14. Ned MF Indiana 15. Colorado Ad MF Gra ol bav fo oy Gr eg or io 22. Gui MF UCSB 21. MetroStars Za G lle ck rmo We Arz ll ate s 33. Dav MF UCSB 29. Dallas Ty MF id Ma McG ur ill in 43. Jas D Oakland on Per ry 53. Ala F Ore. State n Gor don 57. Chr D Syracuse is Alo isi
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