From a Different Point of View - 1st Week of November Edition

Some Things You May Have Missed From the Last Week

    The ‘Playoff in Profile’ Series over at MLSsoccer.com is definitely worth a read. A combination of interviews with some fantastic untold stories; these profiles give some insight into some of the more interesting characters taking part in the MLS Cup playoffs. A radical departure from the usual news in brief style posts.

    From local boys – Brian Carroll and Drew Moor - to those from the ends of the earth – Osvaldo Alonso and Fabián Espíndola – even some of the front office staffers – Schellas Hyndman and Brian Bliss – this series gets behind the on-field action to give a glimpse at the inner workings and how they got where they are today.

    Also at MLSsoccer.com is the long-running Top 50 MLS Cup Moments, it’s a heavy investment of time, but considering how much the league has changed over its evolution, this series is well worth following.

    RedNation Online’s Kamal Hylton assesses the potential of Toronto FC Academy standouts most ready to make the jump up to the professional club. Considering the success of Astone Morgan, Matt Stinson, and Doneil Henry, and the investment made in the program and training facility, it’s well worth checking out his thoughts on who one may see suiting up for the big side next season.

    Speaking of academy standouts, Steve Bottjer has a fantastic interview up with Nicholas Lindsay, the forgotten man who shone so brightly at the end of the 2010 campaign but missed the entire 2011 season due to serious knee injury. Check it out to see how his progress has been coming, and whether he’ll be a factor in next season.

    While the academies are the future of MLS, there will always be some players who will prefer to take the college route. In that vein, the first of many Big Draft Boards, by none other than Ives Galarcep went up at foxsoccer.com . While it still very early in the process, with the draft order and final player pool – including Generation Adidas candidates – are not known, given the continual accuracy of his predictions it’s never too early to get a good look at the next class of young stars primed to join the league next season.

    The 2012 MLS Superdraft is set to take place on January 12th in Kansas City.

    Speaking of drafts the details of the expansion draft were released a few weeks ago. The draft takes place on November 23rd, with each club’s protected list due on November 21st.