Who’s the new guy?

With the start of the new MLS season upon us with the Sounders playing the Galaxy tomorrow night, we are highlighting our recent post on some of the rookies looking to prove themselves this term.

Looking at the Sounders themselves, 22 year old midfielder Servando Carrasco could make an impact this season. The Californian native with a Mexican heritage is schooled in the holding role, and is starting to get used to stepping up to the next level of competition. Carrasco made the PAC-10 team last year playing for the California Golden Bears, and is being compared to Seattle’s Osvaldo Alonso. Carrasco was drafted 27th overall by Seattle.

Bobby Warshaw and Hector Jiminez have both been honoured in the PAC-10 before, and were both included again in the first-team of the year. Warshaw played his college football for Stanford and the Defender who already has an impressive list of awards to his name has been picked-up by Dallas. Warshaw is a versatile player who has only recently found a defensive role to be his best. He captained Stanford for three seasons, and got to the last four in the Hermann Trophy (the USA college player of the year award). It will be interesting to see how he settles in at Dallas, and how much game time he gets initially, but Warshaw has every ability to go from strength to strength and become a high profile player in the MLS.

One of Carrasco’s team mates at the Golden Bears, Hector Jiminez is a midfielder ranked number two on Cali’s all-time assist list. The playmaker is now on the roster with one of England’s greatest ever playmakers at the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jiminez traded 34th overall which was a surprise to Bruce Arena the Galaxy Head Coach. But he has been watching the right-sided winger closely and was more than happy to be able to pick him up towards the end of the second round of drafting.

Last years’ college player of the year was centre-back AJ Soares who has joined the New England Revolution, the team managed by former Liverpool defender Steve Nichol. But five players traded above Soares including utility player Perry Kitchen. At just 19 Kitchen can play at centre-back or in a midfield role and has joined D.C. United for the coming season. He has been capped at Under 17 and Under 20 level for the United States, and is a promising addition to United’s roster. Number one draft pick and striker Omar Salgado joins the Vancouver Whitecaps. Salgado has played youth football for both Mexico and the USA, and the six foot four inch youngster has been likened to Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez.