MLS Draft 2012 Profile: Matt Hedges

by Martin Shatzer on Jan 9, 2012 8:02 AM EST in MLS Draft 2012

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.

This 6'-4" center back helped guide the University of North Carolina to a College Cup in 2011. Can he help guide D.C. United to an MLS Cup in 2012?

Matt Hedges might be the most MLS-ready player in the entire draft. He's a senior, so his salary will count against the cap for whatever MLS team selects him (unlike Generations Adidas defenders Tyler Polak and Andrew Jean-Baptiste), but unlike some of the younger players in the 2012 MLS Draft, there are few questions about Hedges. He's the closest to a sure-thing that you'll find among the defensive players available. I'm not exactly going to say he's the next Omar Gonzalez, but he has a chance to be something close. It's a chance United might not be able to pass up.

I'm unsure whether its good news or bad news that Hedges' stock appears to be falling slightly. He turned in a disappointing performance on the first day of the MLS Combine. Depending on how much importance MLS coaches place on the Combine, that could cause Hedges to fall down the draft board so that he might be available to Ben Olsen at the No. 7 pick.

If selected by United, Hedges would immediately compete with Dejan Jakovic for a starting job. And with Brandon McDonald's position established now as our defensive leader, the pressure won't be on Hedges to assume that responsibility. It could be a very nice fit for a team that desperately needs to improve its goals against average.

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Day 2

Sounds like Hedges might have a pretty rough day on Day 2, also. The MLS article mentions a foul that set up a free kick attempt at goal, and the highlights show him lazily turning with the ball only to have his pocket picked by Dom Dwyer, who rips a shot into the side netting.

by fischy on Jan 9, 2012 8:47 AM EST reply actions

Maybe more Ream than Gonzo

His mistakes at the Combine seem to be in the Tim Ream mold of playing a little too confidently and being let down by touch or quickness or the weight of a pass. It might take a quick adjustment in his speed of thought, or it could be something a bit deeper. The pre-Combine Mocks had him as a mid-first round pick, so with his stock holding or dropping, there’s a very good chance he’s on the board at 7.

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by The AMT on Jan 9, 2012 8:56 AM EST reply actions

Yes, but....

If his stock is dropping, why should DCU even want him? There are strikers and midfielders who are looking better.

by fischy on Jan 9, 2012 1:35 PM EST reply actions

I'm inclined to go another way unless our top 6 are all gone by then

Hedges is a good player, but he’s a little slow. This is different from Gonzalez, who was accused of being slow but actually isn’t (during this past season, some poor reporter offhandedly called Gonzalez slow in the process of asking a question, and Bruce Arena basically ate the guy for lunch). He’s not slow to the point of being a real problem, but he’s slow enough that it concerns me.

On the other hand, we do have a good history with big-time UNC center backs.

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by ChestRockwell on Jan 9, 2012 6:34 PM EST reply actions