The SuperDraft is Dead, Once More for Ryan Finley

Do you know how many top 10 MLS "superdraft" picks have played over 1000 minutes a season since 2011? How about the number that have performed above replacement at their position since then? Have any been signed for a bigger payday with a different club - here, or overseas?

Ryan Finley, 9th pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew, returns to Crew Stadium this weekend. He isn't the answer to any of the questions above, but none of the draft picks meet the qualifications in my first paragraph. The MLS draft is silly.

I like Ryan Finlay. He's a breed of player that MLS relies on while at the same time takes for granted. A "do your part, stay in line, don't ask questions" type of college kid. The league would prefer them to be like one of those generic enemies in that latest video game military shooter. Fodder. Dempsey filler, perhaps. But Finley sort of dares to step out a bit.



Twenty some games in, playing on his second team, trying to get the dozens of fans fired up along with teammates on a league owned franchise. Dash of fire. Hint of passion. He wants to be somebody and in a league filled with nobodies, that's more than good enough for me.

Finley Sent to LA's MLS Owned Team

The more you think about it the more you realize Ryan Finley has to be pleased about being traded to a team in L.A. that is in the process of getting an overhaul and, well... in L.A.

The official deal between the Crew and Chivas USA was for the player (Finley) and a conditional 2016 2nd round pick. The deal was just one of many yesterday with the MLS owned side was very busy yesterday being involved in just about every deal that went down between them, the Colorado Rapids, Toronto FC and Columbus Crew in a league trading with the league event dripping with cronyism that I'm not going to bother (nor is it worth) sorting out.

CREW ROSTER, WIET

The Crew roster is now made more whole, as they freed up a spot to take Matt Wiet off the inactive (injury) list. With the roster still at 30 they will have to make another move if they want to sign a new player with the decent chunk of cap space they have (somewhere around the half million mark).

FINLEY GOALS AND APPS

I like Finley as a player. He fits a role that I feel more MLS teams need yet don't bother trying. He might not be fast (which is something MLS overvalues), he might not be good in space (not many in MLS are) but he does know his way around the goal when in the box. It's an instinct he has.

With that, I have a message for those mentioning apps and goals (as things are listed on wiki). Stop doing that. STOP. He had 14 appearances but only 435 minutes. That's 30 minutes an app. On top of that there is a lot more to the game for 98% of the players that play it. This isn't basketball (even there these days...) and it isn't a box score. Advance a bit.

Up there on the left is his record. In red is where get got a goal and assist. Even if you have no idea who the player is, production there shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. He got a chance and made good, so how about we meet in the middle; a goal and an assist in three 2013 starts.

DAYTON, ATTITUDE

Reports from both Dayton and Columbus say that Finley was not happy about being "sent down" to Dayton to play with the Dutch Lions. Not sure who would like that, especially if a guy like Adam Bedell is getting time on the first team. Should Finley have swallowed his pride and been a good little trooper? Nope.

Of course there are ways of handling that without it getting nasty (not sure if it did but assuming so because of the trade) but keeping players attitudes straight is just as much, if not more, the responsibility of the coaches.

If Berhalter and Co. can't handle the attitude of a 20-something college graduate, that's on them. Shipping away should only be a last resort (team building 101, here). Especially for a team that can't find the back of the net and needs all the options they can get up top.

Anyhow. Paycheck is the same. Grab your stuff, get on a flight, change kits, get to work.

Crew Loan 5, Finley Will Score Goals

Ryan Finley, 9th pick in the 2013 MLS college draft, is one of the five Crew players loaned to Dayton as part of the new affiliation program between MLS and USL Pro.

Finley only saw limited first team duty for the Columbus Crew in 2013 logging 430 regular season minutes, but did earn a goal and an an assist. By the end of the calendar year Ryan made the gameday squad 26 times but started only 3 (vs. all playoff teams Seattle, Houston, KC).

On the critical side, most of Finley's regular season minutes were awkward (he isn't the quickest, arms wide and head down), clunky (getting caught offside or going to ground a tad too easy when in open field) and forced (inconsistent apps, poor MLS coaching). His first touch and ball control also not the best, seems rushed. However, all that said... he finds a way. On the reserve league level last year he tore it up by notching a goal about every 90 minutes. When he was hot - he was hot. Three games he had a brace and one other with a hat trick. To top that off he managed to also get a goal against FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic in a exhibition last summer.

A different player, but just as Vidda Grubin mentioned about Justin Meram a couple weeks ago, Ryan Finley can score goals. He's did it in college to an almost absurd degree, with the Crew Reserves and had decent success in his limited time getting a start on the senior team. There is nothing to tell us that he won't keep that going this year with Dayton in the 3rd tier of US soccer.

Others loaned to Dayton for the time being are newcomers Ross Friedman, Matt Walker and Brad Stuver. Kevan George has also been sent out but, like Finley, is looking to prove himself having been in the league for a couple years.

Crew Rd 27, A Refreshening

The Columbus Crew play out a fun and open game to victory over the Houston Dynamo.

1ST HALF
Columbus came out in a somewhat different looking lineup. New interim head coach Brian Bliss stated in the press that he wanted some new faces and he made good on it, somewhat.

Eric Gehrig and Ethan Finlay were two of the surprises getting the nod. Other notables include Ryan Finley getting a start over Jairo Arrieta and Tyson Wahl making a reappearance after not playing for a couple months.

The changes early on almost looked to backfire as Houston's Will Bruin was able to easily work past Gehrig on at least three occasions (two of which should have been a goal).

Eventually the game sort of settled into an evenly matched pinball type MLS game rhythm, but not ugly by any means.

2ND HALF
Columbus jumped all over a questionable Houston back line early when Justin Meram found Ryan Finley right in front of goal.

Tony Tchani, who was subbed on in the first half due to a Wil Trapp injury, provided the nice play (huge shoulder barge on Adam Moffat, sending him to ground) setting up that goal. Tchani would go on to play a nice half.

Minutes later Dominic Oduro would be dragged down in the box. Ryan Finley would step up and miss the penalty but it mattered little as Houston seemed to drift further away from getting anything from this game.

For the first time for as long as many can remember, the Crew felt like the Crew and were at full steam.

The Crew would go on to play probably the most balanced I've seen them for the next 20 minutes. There efforts were satisfyingly rewarded in the 74th with Ethan Finlay worked the ball over to Oduro who picked out Ryan Finley at the top of the box. He would go on to whiff but it fell to Meram who did what Meram does and did it beautifully.

2:0 Crew.

The final 15 saw Bliss and his crew settle in and keep a defeated Dynamo out of goal.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This was a refreshing game for me personally. I've been watching and writing closely about them since late 2010. There were few times in 2011 that the Crew felt like the "Crew" I knew. Or at least the Crew image I had in my minds eye.

After a long dry spell from late 2011 there were very few of these 'Crew' moments for me but, goddamn... last night felt Crew.

Missing the star player and a couple defensive cornerstones... players like Eric Gehrig (perennial hard worker, reserve), Ethan Finlay (fan fav last year, went to doghouse, great preseason but no minutes), Tyson Wahl (veteran, journeyman), Tony Tchani (Gen Adidas player, yet to find stride and window closing) were in there, making soccer for me. Not the pretty magic football that people seek out in much better leagues, but the earthy MLS magic that happens so very rarely but I wish happened more.

Brian Bliss is the perfect conduit for this type of soccer. A smart, respected American coach with an intimidating amount of experience. He seemingly did everything right last night. From lineup, to subs (classy move to put Konrad Warzycha on late), to urging team to thank fans, to mentioning Chad Marshall as a USMNT player. He hit all the marks and did it like it was natural to him.

Is what happened last night a model for sustainable success? No. Of course not. Only the most delusional would think that a team as inexperienced and as young as that could win out over a long season... but, within last night's events, that is where the important parts to success breathe.

With the US Men's game against Mexico coming up, history will probably not remember too much about this game but I really hope Crew fans soaked up what happened last night. It hasn't happened often over recent years.

Talking, Thinking (podcast)

New Massive Report podcast tonight where a lot of Crew topics were covered. I've been to a number of these now and on of the things I've come to enjoy is the conversation off mic between segments.

Tonight was a good one and I think most of that 'between segment' banter was captured. One of the things that might not have been fully covered was the discussion on how well Ryan Finley has shown himself this year. Particularly in the Houston game last week.

Give it a listen if you have the time. Dan Bidmead of UK MLSsoccer.com is in town and talks. Fun. Crew.

TV Guide, Black-hearted Destrier

It's really great that MLS is making more and more preseason games available online. New traditions are being created right before our eyes in Orlando, Arizona and Charleston with these mini tournaments. Once a little bit of time passes these things might matter and even migrate into the regular season (see Cups and English football). It's pretty exciting to see.

I listed out the games that the Crew will be playing this month over at Massive Report with some preseason notes about what to look out for.

The artwork was driven by the obvious. An old TV Guide seemed a natural fit for Ryan Finley. He's off to a good start in the preseason, looks comfortable up top. There's a classic Madmen look about him and he seems to have a bit of an edge to match it. I'm hoping it sticks around, to be honest.

Iain Macintosh wrote a piece titled: WHY ALL OF ENGLAND SHOULD LOVE ANDY CARROLL yesterday. It's short, but great.

"I’ve always liked Carroll. There is something rather glorious about the sight of him in full flow. When I watch him thundering into the penalty area, his hooves pounding the sludge like a snorting, black-hearted destrier, something deep within me stirs."

Some might say that here in the US we don't have any sort of identity like that in soccer, but I think we do, we just seem to misidentify it. Maybe, in a way, the same way that England likes to hide from Andy Carroll.

Soccer, more than any other sport, takes on the shape of her people and culture. The attitude that shapes the world view of Americans flows through the veins most of us, whether we like it or not. It's best described by someone better than I but the better side of it is one that's found in movies like Saving Private Ryan or, well... from the same time period in both film and historical context - Chicken Run.

Facing death and the impossible with a crooked smile, resourceful intelligence and a live forever confidence. That's the kind of player I would like on my team. The Crew have a few, would like to see more.

Favorite Finley Faults

The Crew drafted Ryan Finley 9th overall in Thursday's MLS 'super draft'. Looking at his measurables he is definitely a top 15 pick but looking around at post draft grades there seems to be some missing gaps.

Top Drawer Soccer: "...Finley who has a burst of pace, but [The Crew] may have reached..."

WV Hooligan: "Finley is a solid player at number nine but I do still have question marks about him."

MLS Soccer: "[Warzycha] also tends to run a tight ship discipline-wise, yet he gambled his first-round pick on Ryan Finley, this rookie crop’s most prominent maverick."

WHAT HAPPENED AT DUKE

Ah. A question many ask Duke students. Well, with Finley we know he played there a couple years and was on his way to a Generation Adidas contract but was suspended a couple games at the tail end of his sophomore season. He then transferred to Notre Dame - but no concrete reasons behind the suspension or why he transferred. We'll never really know. It's Duke and, well... Notre Dame. With that in mind, my seemingly endless five minute investigation ended.

SCOUTING REPORT

"What scouts say," type thing exists over at the MLS site. Walking through these it appears that most were written by each player's respective college coach or staff member. With Finley's scouting report words like "cheeky" and "tad bit" are there which leads me to believe it was written by his coach, Bobby Clark. A Scot. Not exactly a bunch that holds things back.

Reading through Ryan Finley's italicized summary I found myself liking the kid because of his faults. A lot.

MY FAVORITE FINLEY FAULTS

1. The biggest question mark is his attitude ...
I like this. He should have one, he's a forward.

2. Might be a tad selfish ...
Good. He's a goal scorer. Bad attitude and selfish are ingredients 1 and 2.

3. Also, can he play quicker and think quicker in MLS? ...
So, speed questions. I've watched what I could on him. He looks a little slow but so are most defenders in MLS. He's got the size that he'll need against big MLS defenders. The creativity is the unknown.

4. Coming back in midfield and combining is not his game ...
He'll fit right in with Jairo Arrieta and Federico Higuain then (hardy har).

5. Not at his best when he's involved in build-up play.
Ever watched a MLS game between two mid-table clubs? Build-up?

5a. Not a good link-up guy. Needs to learn to combine better ... Plays with his head down and will miss teammates at times. Questions about his overall ability to pass and to play ... He needs players that can play him in behind ...
Alright already. Got it. 5. and 5a. match up with 1. and 2.

6. Has a reputation for being a diver ...
OKAY. This one needs to be fixed.

FAVORITE POSITIVES

Powerful, quick runner. On the field he can run hard at you with the ball, he's two-footed and scores with both feet ... A great finisher and has a nose for the goal. Rides the offside line and is difficult to deal with ... Always at the right place at the right time ...Intense and will come into Player Combine fit ...

Definitely an MLS player ...

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SLOW, SELFISH AND HAS A BAD ATTITUDE

Robert Warzycha has a history of loving this type player. He was picked in the top 10 so he will get at least a 500-1000 minute type look. If so, I expect him to bank a goal or two. Warzycha's face after each should be priceless.

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MASSIVE REPORT

This post started out has as something more formal but it got a little loose. Head over to Massive Report for more information on Ryan Finley and his selection during the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. Not looking to sort out hero / anti hero stuff over there. I should have more presentable type-ish information on Finley, Beckie and other new Crew players there soon.