FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The time to make a good impression is now over.
With MLS personnel and college players en route to St. Louis after concluding the adidas MLS Player Combine on Tuesday, attendees can only hope they made enough of an impression to hear their name called in St. Louis on Thursday afternoon.
The common theme among the players: It took time to adjust to the unique Combine setting. Saturday was a rough adjustment for most players and the quality of play showed it, but Sunday and Tuesday made more of an impression after players worked out the nerves and figured out how to play with their new teammates.
"As the weekend went along, I think I showed a lot better than I did to start with," Saint Louis University defender Calum Angus said. "The biggest thing was getting to know the players around me and all of the lads getting to know each other. It helps out a lot. That's probably the main reason."
For at least a few players, the was a step up in quality from what they had seen during their college seasons, even though the players were well removed from the regular season and the promises of full fitness it brings.
"It was a good experience for me to be playing with older guys," UNLV and Generation adidas midfielder Danny Cruz said. It was rough, just like I thought it would be. It was good."
As concerned as the players are about how they fared, MLS teams are even more attentive to every detail as they assemble their draft boards. The circumstances surrounding the Combine -- unfamiliar players, bumpy field and out-of-season fitness -- can make it difficult for MLS coaches and technical directors to evaluate prospects.
"You have to take everything into consideration here," Revolution vice president of player personnel Mike Burns said. "A lot of these kids haven't played for a couple of months. They're playing with players they haven't played with. Some of them are playing out of position due to an injury or something else. There are a lot of things you have to weigh."
Those calculations will continue through until the SuperDraft. MLS teams are loathe to tip their hands at this point, keeping evaluations under wraps and floating rumors out there to cover up their true intentions. Trade talks will heat up on Wednesday night and Thursday morning as teams attempt to position themselves to acquire the players they rate.
With the Combine in the rearview mirror, here are a few players that observers picked out as possibly helping or hampering their SuperDraft stock this weekend.
Rising1. Sam Cronin, Wake Forest midfielder: Cronin's stock couldn't go much higher, but his tidy play in midfielder may just indicate he can contribute sooner rather than later.
2. Chris Pontius, UC Santa Barbara forward: Versatility is the buzzword here after Pontius excelled on the left wing and up top during Combine play.
3. Kevin Alston, Indiana defender (Generation adidas): Alston consistently showed a great engine up and down the right flank and will benefit from being roster protected.
4. Peri Marosevic, Michigan forward (Generation adidas): A compact frame, a quick turning radius and an unwillingness to let defenders take the ball off his foot helped Marosevic lead the Combine with three goals.
5. Ryan Maxwell, Tampa midfielder: Maxwell's blazing speed and willingness to attack defenders led some to compare him to Dane Richards and others to ponder whether he would be a nice pick in the third or fourth round.
Five other climbers: A.J. Delagarza (Maryland defender), Kyle Patterson (Saint Louis midfielder), Michael Lahoud (Wake Forest midfielder), David Hertel (Michigan State defender), Quincy Amarikwa (UC Davis forward)
Falling1. Yohance Marshall, South Florida defender: The Trinidadian defender had first-round buzz heading into the Combine, but a weekend filled with mistakes and questionable positioning has damaged those hopes.
2. Andrei Gotsmanov, Creighton midfielder: Questions surround Gotsmanov's position at the next level, but he couldn't answer them after fighting injury all weekend.
3. Baggio Husidic, Illinois-Chicago midfielder (Generation adidas): Husidic is another college playmaker who projects to drop further into midfield at the next level, but didn't always show the work rate and tenacity he'll need.
4. Calum Angus, Saint Louis defender: Mooted by some as a potential first-round pick, Angus raised questions about whether his lack of size and pace will hamper him as he transitions to right back in MLS.
5. Raphael Cox, Washington midfielder: Cox is blessed with good speed but displayed questionable decision making throughout the weekend.
Five other fallers: Graham Zusi (Maryland midfielder), Nick Perera (UC Santa Barbara forward), Akeem Priestley (UConn midfielder), Chris Clements (Tulsa defender), Neal Kitson (St. John's goalkeeper)
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Combine notes: Versatile Alston rising
