Wednesday, December 12
TAMPA – United Soccer Leagues newest initiative in player development, the USL Men’s Player Showcase, kicks off for the second time this Sunday, December 16 in Charleston, South Carolina. Established to fill the void in player identification, USL’s Showcase event is an all exclusive, resume-based tryout event for players falling outside the spotlight of professional clubs in North America and abroad.
The 2007 USL Men’s Player Showcase presented by UMBRO will primarily feature players competing in the USL Premier Development League (PDL). As the top amateur league in North America, the Premier Development League is committed to providing its players with every opportunity to excel at the professional level.
Schedule Sunday, December 16 Players arrive in Charleston and may check-in between noon and 4PM. An optional training session will be held at the Charleston Battery’s Practice Field from 2-6 PM
Monday, December 17
Three 70 minute showcase matches run between 8:30-11:30 AM at Charleston’s practice field. After an hour-and-a-half break for lunch, players compete in a full, 90 minute showcase match between 2:30-6 PM at Charleston’s Blackbaud Stadium.
Tuesday, December 18 The six teams compete in one of three 70 minute matches at Blackbaud Stadium. The first begins at 8:30AM, the second at 10AM and the third and final match begins at 11:30 AM.
2006 USL Men’s Player Showcase The 2006 edition, also attended by 24 U.S. and Canadian based clubs and AFK (First Division, Norway), was a resounding success with numerous players landing professional contracts in Major League Soccer, the USL First Division and the USL Second Division. Last season’s showcase was the largest and most technically complete scouting combine in the U.S. and Canada. It provided an affordable platform for 192 elite prospects to display their abilities to a number of top clubs around the globe.
2006 Showcase Participants Player (Team signed with): Tyler Baldock (Vancouver Whitecaps); Daniel Cepero (New York Red Bulls) ; Hector Zapata (Rochester Rhinos); Brian Levey (Atlanta Silverbacks) ; Sean Crowe (D.C. United); Mateus Anjos (Miami FC); Hunter West (Toronto FC); Ryan Pierce (Harrisburg City Islanders); Ian Bennett (Charleston Battery); Alfred Chambers (Harrisburg City Islanders); PJ Scheufele (Rochester Rhinos); Ryan Wileman (Rochester Rhinos); Sola Abolaji (Vancouver Whitecaps); Demetrius Donald (Carolina RailHawks); Frederico Moojen (Montreal Impact); Mark Totten (Chicago Fire); Claudio Dias (Montreal Impact); Ricky Herron (California Victory); Matt Maher (Carolina RailHawks); Landy Mattison (Wilmington Hammerheads); Daniel Smith (California Victory); Lawrence Olum (Portland Timbers); Guy Kpene (D.C. United)
Quotes from the 2006 Men’s Player Showcase presented by UMBRO “I got a lot of offers out of playing in this combine,” said two-time PDL scoring champion Freddy Moojen following the 2006 Men’s Player Showcase. “It is the first event like this I have ever been to and after receiving proposals from eight or nine international and domestic clubs it may be the last.”
“Playing in Junior College does not get you a lot of chances to impress some of the coaching staffs you have at this event,” said Ricky Herron. “I had butterflies in my stomach the first few matches but I got over it and played well. For a first-year event this showcase impressed me. I would come back if I had to but hopefully I performed well enough to get picked up.”
“Comparing this event to others I have been to, I would say the level of play was much higher,” said Mateus Anjos. “When you play against guys just as good as you, you raise your own game just to stand out. This combine also had more scouts. That really opened my eyes.”
“USL has done a good job of creating a professional environment here,” said Minnesota Thunder Head Coach Amos Magee following the 2006 Men’s Player Showcase. “Every coach in USL First Division wants to get better, and at this showcase you have guys who made sacrifices just to get here. You know they will work hard to make your organization better, and for that we are prone to liking them already.”
“Being the first year for an event like this, USL did a great job putting everything together,” added Portland Timbers Head Coach Gavin Wilkinson. “It is a fantastic event from our perspective. The U.S. is just a huge country. It is impossible to see all the talented players. The fact that we can see a lot of them in one place should raise the standard of USL First Division soccer.”
“There is a lot of collegiate talent outside the NCAA Division I level,” said Chicago Fire Academy Director Roland Hahn. “Not everyone gets seen in America, it is such a big country. There are kids out here from all over and this is their chance to show what they have to offer – a chance they would not otherwise get. The PDL has been a great proving ground for amateur players in North America. I had a pretty good idea coming in that the level of play would be strong.”
“This being the first time USL organized an event like this, I wanted to see first-hand the level of talent,” said D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn. “D.C. United has a lot of development positions and little spots we like to fill with up-and-coming American players. The talent level at this event is perfect for guys like that.”
