MLS 2008 Rookie Of The Year Nominees....

MLS award nominees are out and as you should expect my eyes went first to Rookie of the Year.

Rookie of the Year: Sean Franklin, Geoff Cameron, Kheli Dube

As always I like to take a look back, see where they came from and the like. Here is some bio info.

Sean Franklin was the highest draft pick of the three. He was taken #4 overall by LA after playing college soccer at Cal State Northridge. He was the first non-generation adidas pick in the '08 draft. He first hit my list in 2007 when he got some time with the US U-23 team. He was also selected to the 2007 All PDL team after a strong summer playing in the amateur league. The defender was one of the lone bright spots on a terrible LA defensive line and you have to wonder if he would have earned those 26 starts on another team. I'm not trying to knock the kid, he played well and had a good rookie year, but he was part of a defense that gave up a staggering 62 goals. A stronger defensive unit, not starting a rookie almost all season, would have probably helped the Gals make the playoffs seeing as that they scored the most goals in the league. Obviously not all his fault, but something to think about.

Geoff Cameron was a total unknown to me when he was drafted 42nd overall by Houston. The young midfielder played his college ball at the University of Rhode Island and was the 2007 A-10 midfielder of the year. That award should have put him on my list, but I somehow missed him. I must have been busy with work when those were announced. Geoff played 921 minutes for the Houston senior team in 2008 making him a somewhat unknown commodity to those of us who don't attend/watch every Houston match. Frankly I'm somewhat surprised to see his name on the list, but like I said, I didn't get to see him play much. I'm starting to worry about this class selected by the league.

Last but not least; Kheli Dube. The forward had a strong rookie year for New England scoring four goals and making four assists. He played over 1,200 minutes for the Revs which is good on a team with such talent. Dube was drafted 8th in the 2008 Supplemental Draft out of Costal Carolina University. At CCU he earned the 2007 Big South Conference Player of the Year award. He is a quick SOB and I'm excited to see more of him in 2009.

Of all the players nominated I'm having a tough time picking my favorite. Franklin seemed to live up to his high draft pick while Dube came out of a less known college program and made the best of his opportunity and the same can probably be said for Cameron. However, I am surprised these are the Rookie of the Year candidates and I fear this is a sign of things to come as MLS signs more players directly from academies and foreign leagues. The young Americans players coming out of college are not always ready to play the pro game in their first year and this list shows it.

Should they be ready to make the jump? That is up to individual opinion. My opinion is as follows. The expectation should be different for each player. In the case of an eighteen year old GA player, you can't expect him to jump into a man's game right away. Kids like Jozy Altidore are the exception. If they can play well in their rookie year, great...but I don't expect them to. Twenty-three year old men like Franklin are a different story. They've developed mentally and physically and need to be ready upon joining MLS to battle and play hard. MLS is signing them hoping they can contribute from day one. As the player pool expands in the coming years rookies are going to get more chances and they need to be ready. The fact that Franklin's back line was so porous is due to his inexperience and lack of leadership, yet he is a rookie of the year candidate?

I fear for the future of American college soccer and the players it produces when this list is the pick of the litter. In foreign leagues twenty three years olds have been training professionally for a few years. They are ready to capitalize on given opportunities to start in the best leagues around the world. The kids coming to MLS from college are hindered by NCAA rules. Therefore, I see more and more future pros coming from Academies and other leagues, not college unless NCAA changes their rules and allows more training and game time. Time will tell.

As for my Rookie of the Year? He isn't on this list and I'm not sure there is one. Rookies in 2008 had a tough time and the breakout players were coming from reserve leagues having gotten some pro time under their belts. I'll look for the success stories out of the 2008 draft next year.