Fire may target forward in MLS draft
Frank Klopas did not arrive at last weekend's player combine full of curiosity about this year's draft class for Major League Soccer.
The Fire technical director and the rest of the team brain trust had already done their homework, watching the players with their college teams, rather than scouting them with combine teams a couple of months after the season ended, he said.
“There's a lot of good players here,” Klopas said from the combine in Florida, “but the work is done a long time before you get to the combine.”
The college scouting work culminates in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft (11 a.m., ESPN2). The Fire picks ninth in the first round and has three third-round picks. It traded its second-rounder to Seattle for Freddie Ljungberg.
Mock drafts suggest the Fire will take either a center back or a forward, but with the team picking up Cory Gibbs in the re-entry draft last month and Tuesday's signing of Croatian Josip Mikulic, forward seems the more likely target position.
Indiana's Will Bruin, Victor Estupinan of Ecuador and Penn State's Corey Hertzog are forwards who could be available when the Fire's turn comes.
Cal's A.J. Soares, North Carolina's Jalil Anibaba and Akron's Zarek Valentin are the central defenders who could be on the Fire's short list.
“You've got to see who's available with that pick,” Klopas said.
The last three years the Fire has used its top pick on Generation adidas players, who don't count against the salary cap: Patrick Nyarko, Baggio Husidic and Corben Bone.
Klopas' work won't be completed with the draft, however. The team still will have other roster spots to fill. Klopas, coach Carlos de los Cobos, player personnel director Mike Jeffries and Andell Sports Group managing director Javier Leon have been traveling the globe since the 2010 season ended, looking for new players to acquire through transfer or loan.
Mikulic, a 24-year-old central defender, is transferring from NK Zagreb in Croatia. Klopas described him as an athletic player with good feet who brings a strong presence in the back.
In addition to Mikulic, the Fire also signed midfielder Daniel Paladini from the Carolina RailHawks. Paladini, 26, had 7 goals and 5 assists and was named RailHawks team MVP last year.