The MLS SuperDraft and supplemental draft took place weeks ago, but the league is still doing its best to vacuum up young North American talent as the 2011 season approaches.
Three of the nation's most intriguing prospects -- all U.S. youth internationals -- are set to join Major League Soccer via weighted lotteries in the coming days.
Cody Arnoux, a Wake Forest University product who spent last season in England with Everton FC's reserve squad, will be allocated to an MLS club on Friday afternoon. Similar processes have quietly been arranged by the league for Korey Veeder and Chris Agorsor, two players who have spent significant chunks of brief careers in the mid-Atlantic region.
A Florida native, Veeder caught the eye of Crystal Palace Baltimore scouts during his youth career with Clearwater Chargers. The satellite of the famous London club acquired the wingback a year ago, with the expectation that he would soon garner a contract in Europe with the help of Brazilian talent merchants Traffic Football Management and earn all parties a decent transfer fee.
But his trials and training stints in Europe did not lead to an offer, and he returned to Maryland and played 20 second-division matches with CPB, which has cut ties with Crystal Palace of London and suspended operations for 2011 in the face of financial difficulties.
Agorsor was one of the most decorated players in America three years ago when he led his club, Casa Mia Bays, to a Maryland State Cup title and the McDonogh School to a high school state championship. The speedy striker from Severn, Md. capped an award-studded youth career by winning Gatorade High School Player of the Year and NSCAA Player of the Year, then turned down invitations from several top-flight European sides to matriculate at the University of Virginia.
He scored four goals in seven games with the Cavaliers in 2008 before a major knee injury ended his season and, as it turned out, his college career. After recovering, he attempted to catch on in Europe and was last spotted in training with the Philadelphia Union during preseason workouts last month.
Agorsor will apparently be allocated on Monday, and Veeder on Tuesday.
MLS allocation lotteries work in similar fashion to the NBA's draft procedure, wherein weaker teams are given a higher probability of success. Once an MLS team has won such a lottery, it is removed from eligibility in others for the remainder of that year.
