2012 MLS SuperDraft: Recap and Analysis of First 10 Picks

Major League Soccer's home-grown stars of tomorrow were on display Thursday.

The league's 19 teams selected 38 players in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Here we'll be covering the top 10 picks in depth.

The expansion Montreal Impact took Duke University's Andrew Wenger with the No. 1 overall selection. Wenger will hope to join other big names like Maurice Edu (2007) and Brek Shea (2008) as successful alumni of the event.

Nine of the 38 players selected were part of the Generation Adidas project, meaning their salaries wouldn't count against their teams' salary caps this year. We've noted those guys where applicable.

The season begins March 10, so let's get right to the picks.

1. Andrew Wenger (Montreal Impact)

The Montreal Impact raised a few eyebrows by taking Andrew Wenger with the first selection. An expansion club, Montreal was looking for the best talent available with its two picks. Wenger was considered, by some, the best player in the draft.

Wenger finished his career at Duke University as a forward, but played as a defender his first two seasons. He's expected to play as a central defender or defensive midfielder in MLS.

He won the Hermann trophy as national college player of the year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year after scoring 17 goals with eight assists as a junior at Duke. As a sophomore he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

A Generation Adidas player, Wenger missed the MLS combine while participating in a United States Under-23 national team camp. His goal is to make the US team for the 2012 Olympics.

The selection drew praise from ESPN, especially because of Wenger's versatility. During the broadcast, former MLS star Taylor Twellman called the selection a "no-brainer" and a "home run." Former national team defender Alexi Lalas said it was "a safe pick too."

2. Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Some thought Montreal would take Darren Mattocks with the No. 1 pick. Instead, the Akron star went second to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

He didn't mind.

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"I knew from the get-go that it was going to be between me and Wenger. They chose Wenger. That’s ok," Mattocks said. "It doesn’t really matter where I go. I’m concerned with getting good playing time and scoring a lot of goals. That’s what I’m here for.”

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Mattocks, a 21-year-old forward, scored a bunch of goals in college with Akron, where he scored 39 times in 47 career matches. Another Generation Adidas player, Mattocks was a finalist for the Hermann trophy and was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 2011.

A member of Jamaica's Under-23 national team, Mattocks said he chose Akron to help get used to colder climates. He's now confident as he begins his professional career.

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“My pace is going to speak volume in the league because I’m pretty good," Mattocks said. "So hopefully I can use that to score a bunch of goals in MLS.

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"In Jamaica it’s always 80-90 degrees all year round … The main reason I went to the University of Akron is to get acclimatized to the weather, and look where I am now going, to Vancouver in Canada."

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Mattocks led the MLS Combine with two assists.

3. Kelyn Rowe (New England Revolution)

New England chose Generation Adidas midfielder Kelyn Rowe third overall. Rowe, 20, was a sophomore at UCLA.

Rowe, an attacking midfielder, burst onto the Pac-10 Conference scene as a freshman in 2010, ranking second in assists to win the conference's Freshman of the Year award. In 2011 he was named Pac-10 Player of the Year.

Between his freshman and sophomore seasons, Rowe trained full-time with the United States Under-20 national team. He also reportedly had a trial with FC Köln in Germany.

Rowe, who also played for the US U-18 team, could contribute immediately, according to ESPN Boston's Brian O'Connell. The key will be fitting in with other attacking players with Shalrie Joseph and Benny Feilhaber.

With Joseph and Feilhaber locked in as the team’s starting central midfielders, Rowe, a classic number 10-type player, will likely find the majority of his minutes out on the wings or in the withdrawn forward spot.

Even so, one thing head coach Jay Heaps raved about Rowe during the draft was his first-rounder’s versatility, which will certainly earn the former Bruin more opportunities to crack the starting lineup in 2012.

4. Luis Silva (Toronto FC)

Toronto FC, which used 39 players in 2011, selected Luis Silva from U.C. Santa Barbara as part of their rebuilding effort. Silva was the first non-Generation Adidas pick in the Super Draft.

Silva, a 23-year-old midfielder, played in every match for UCSB in 2011, scoring 17 goals with 10 assists. He finished his college career with 28 goals and 23 assists in 88 games.

As a senior he was named to the NSCAA All-America and College Soccer News All-America first teams and was the Big West Conference Player of the Year.

According to Opta, Silva created the most scoring opportunities at the MLS Combine with seven.

5. Casey Townsend (Chivas USA)

Chivas USA used the fifth selection to pick forward Casey Townsend from the University of Maryland. Townsend, who was the MVP of the MLS Combine, reportedly hit it off with Chivas head coach Robin Fraser.

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“It was very exciting, very nerve-racking,” Townsend, MVP of the combine, told ESPN Los Angeles. “I was really hoping to go to Chivas. I had a great sit-down meeting with them. They were my gut feeling, and I was really excited to hear them call my name.”

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Chivas, for their part, also liked Townsend, whom they apparently scouted for several months before selecting him.

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“He’s a player that we’ve been following closely for the past month,” general manager Jose Domene told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday by phone from Kansas City. “We scouted him and then at the combine what impressed me most was him as a person, he’s a guy that is fighter, who always wants to win and that is the type of mentality and culture that we want to have at Chivas USA.”

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Townsend's selection filled a need for Chivas, who have yet to re-sign veteran forward Juan Pablo Angel. The 5'11" Townsend scored 17 goals for the Terrapins last season on the way to a second-team All-America selection.

6. Sam Garza (San Jose Earthquakes)

San Jose selected U.C. Santa Barbara's Sam Garza with the sixth overall pick. Garza, 21, is a Generation Adidas forward from Highland Village, Texas.

Garza scored 21 goals and tallied 14 assists as UCSB advanced to Round 16 in the 2011 NCAA College Cup. Those numbers apparently caught the eye of Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop.

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“Sam has a very good pedigree having played with the U.S. U-20 team and for a very good college program,” said Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop. “He is fast and skillful and every time we saw him with (UC) Santa Barbara, he was outstanding. We are excited that he is coming to San Jose.”

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Garza brings international experience to the Earthquakes after featuring for the United States Under-20 team in 2009 CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifying. An offensive-minded midfielder, Garza is expected to help San Jose's rebuilding effort by adding depth to the wings.

7. Nick DeLeon (D.C. United)

D.C. United, which progressed in its first full season under coach Ben Olsen in 2011, selected midfielder Nick DeLeon from Louisville with the seventh overall choice. DeLeon was United's only selection of the SuperDraft.

DeLeon, a native of Phoenix, played all 46 matches over the past two seasons for Louisville. He scored 14 goals and nine assists during that time.

Olsen, a former DC United US player, said he was surprised DeLeon was still on the board at No. 7.

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“We didn’t think we would be able to get Nick with the seventh pick in today’s Draft,” said United Head Coach Ben Olsen. “We’re extremely excited about Nick—he’s pro-ready, and we saw throughout his season this year that he’s one of the guys that is ready to play professional soccer. Physically, he has all the tools and we’re going to challenge him with a tough preseason coming up. I think this kid is going to be a gamer, and I know he’s excited to join the guys and get moving.”

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DeLeon has already signed with MLS and is expected to feature on the left side of an attack that features 2011 MLS MVP Dwayne DeRosario and Chris Pontius.

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“My goal honestly is just to get on the field and become a playmaker for D.C United,” DeLeon said. “That’s the kind of influence I have had on the other teams I played for. I want to keep it going and bring my game to D.C. United.”

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8. Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Portland Timbers)

The Portland Timbers selected UConn and Generation Adidas defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste with the eighth pick.

Opta was impressed with his defensive abilities during the MLS Combine.

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13 - Andrew Jean-Baptiste was the co-leader in clearances at the 2012 MLS Combine, with 13. He added 2 blocks as well. Presence. #SuperDraft

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Others, however, aren't so sure.

Jean-Baptiste, 19, appeared in 45 games over two seasons at UConn. The Huskies allowed 10 goals and recorded 16 shutouts his sophomore season. After the season, Jean-Baptiste was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

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“We had identified the players we were after,” said Timbers General Manager Gavin Wilkinson. “With our No. 8 pick, we definitely wanted to add a quality piece, and I think we got that with Andrew. He was a player that we identified and a player that we wanted. It was good that he fell to the No. 8 spot and we were able to acquire him.”

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9. Austin Berry (Chicago Fire)

The Chicago Fire took Louisville defender Austin Berry with the ninth pick. Berry was a third-team All-American and a Big East first-team selection.

During his college career, Berry (6'2", 180 pounds) started 87 matches and scored 11 goals. Louisville advanced to the College Cup final his junior year.

Berry is known as a strong aerial player, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He helped Louisville record 11 shutouts and grabbed one assist.

10. Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew)

The Columbus Crew continued its offseason overhaul by selecting Creighton midfielder/forward Ethan Finlay with the 10th pick. Earlier this offseason, the Crew added attacking players Milovan Mirosevic and Olman Vargas.

Finlay, a Hermann Trophy finalist, is expected to contribute immediately. After arriving late at the MLS Combine he scored three goals in a 17-minute cameo appearance.

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“I’m excited to be coming to a team that’s made some changes but fits my style of play,” Finlay told MLSsoccer.com.

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With Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers close to sealing a move to Leeds United, pending work permit approval, Finlay could have an immediate opportunity to showcase what he can do on the flank.

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“We’ll see,” Finlay said. “I like playing on the right because I think I can swing a ball better with my right foot and I can cut in a strike with the left.”

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Finlay scored 43 goals at Creighton. According to Opta, he scored three goals on just six shots and completed 89 percent of his passes at the MLS Combine.