MLS Draft 2012 Profile: Luis Silva
by Martin Shatzer on Jan 7, 2012 6:00 PM EST
in MLS Draft 2012
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D.C. United owns the No. 7 overall pick in the 2012 MLS Draft. We're reviewing some of the top college soccer players who might be worth Ben Olsen's consideration in the first round.
Senior midfielder Luis Silva has been one of the standouts at the 2012 MLS Draft Combine so far. He attracted interest from some clubs in Mexico prior to joining UC Santa Barbara, but the Gauchos sure are glad that he did. Silva scored 17 goals and 10 assists in 2011, earning comparisons to Sebastian Grazzini of the Chicago Fire by MLSsoccer.com's Travis Clark. Silva told Adam Serrano of Soccer By Ives that he was close to receiving a Generation Adidas contract from MLS last year as a junior, but came back even stronger.
"There was rumors that I was getting a GA contract [after his junior year], but I never really found out. I heard that I was in the mix, but I never really found out that I was going to get offered," said Silva. "I was definitely interested, so maybe you're a little angry that you didn't get it."
"For me, I take that in a good way, and that made me think that 'They don't think that you're ready, so you need to prove yourself during your senior year,' which I think I did. I think I let people know that I'm capable of playing at that level."
Silva is 23 years old and seen as one of the top prospects who could be ready to start immediately at the MLS level. If selected by United, Silva probably wouldn't be projected to make the starting 11 right away though, given the team's current lineup and preferred formation. On the depth chart, he would be behind Dwayne De Rosario at withdrawn forward and behind Branko Boskovic at central attacking midfield. But Silva could quickly eclipse Boskovic if the Montenegran international doesn't return to his capable form as quickly as we hope and departs when his loan expires in July.
Attacking midfield isn't exactly one of United's greatest needs, but Silva's upside might be hard for Ben Olsen to pass up.
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Formation and Depth
Am I missing something here on Olsen’s formation? 4-4-2, right?
As you pointed out, DeRo is one starting forward but is the other player Wolff? Why no mention of Luis Silva getting ahead of Wolff in the depth charts? Who is our projected starting forward next to DeRo? Right now, sadly, it’s Wolff—with BlakeBrett coming off the bench.
But perhaps I’m missing your implication that PONTIUS is the forward playing with DeRo. In that case, your assessment makes a bit more sense although you fail to mention that Silva would be a good candidate at left midfield.
If he can make the adjustment
That is a huge, huge if. Very few college playmakers ever adjust to a wide role, in part because very few MLS teams want technical players who drift inside and make things narrow. For every RSL or Brad Davis success story, there are numerous instances of such a player sitting the bench behind skill-deprived hard workers or dumb speedsters.
Silva and Martinez would both have more luck working on being a withdrawn forward, because the large majority of MLS teams want speed and width from their wingers.
Writer on SBN's DC United blog Black and Red United | @ChestRockwell14 | KEEP UNITED IN DC
by ChestRockwell on Jan 8, 2012 11:19 PM EST up reply actions
4-4-2
Something like a 4-1-3-1-1 to be more exact. In my mind, right now its Woolard, McDonald, Jakovic, Russell / Kitchen / Pontius, Boskovic, Najar / De Rosario / ?
Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekly Columnist for SB Nation D.C..
What I'd really like to see.
I read this site enough, might as well comment.
My diamond formation
Hamid
Russell, McDonald, Jakovic, Woolard/better
Kitchen
Najar, Boskovic
Martinez/Silva
De Ro, Pontius
I really wish Martinez wasn’t killing it at the combine, wanted him to fall to #7. Silva will do. Boskovic plays on the wing for Montenegro, and it’s insane not to take the chance to move Pontius up top. that right there is a whole lot of service. and a whole lot of fire power. However, whoever is the playmaker has to be tenacious and support Kitchen.
I doubt Pontuis is gonna start up front
Ever since United drafted him, people have wanted Pontuis to start up at forward, but he has been ineffective there.
College playmakers that flop in MLS are a dime a dozen
This is not going to make pleasant reading for people that want us to draft Silva or Martinez and make them our playmaker.
College attacking midfielders that either flopped in MLS or changed position to stay in the league
Bryan Namoff
Stephen King
Baggio Husidic
Corben Bone
Blair Gavin
Kurt Morsink
Collen Warner
Anthony Ampaipitakwong
Roger Espinoza
Eric Avila
We have 2 guys capable of playing this role. One is the current MLS MVP, and the other is vice-captain for an overachieving European national team. Weighing those facts against the history of NCAA playmakers in MLS and what I’ve seen from Martinez and Silva, I’m frankly not even giving these two a second thought unless someone else out there wants them badly and we’re thinking of working a trade.
There’s also no way I’d bench Wolff for either of them. Wolff is far smarter than either, more reliable technically (ceiling might not be quite as high, but his floor is nowhere near as low), and has proven himself to be very good in MLS.
Writer on SBN's DC United blog Black and Red United | @ChestRockwell14 | KEEP UNITED IN DC
by ChestRockwell on Jan 8, 2012 11:15 PM EST up reply actions
Eh
It was his Rookie season, and then 2010. He never played there consistently, and he never had the support he would have with De Ro, Boskovic, Najar, and Another playmaker backing him up. He’s grown, and I think he’s ready for another try.
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