NEW YORK — Major League Monday announced details for three of the roster building mechanisms that clubs will employ to bolster their rosters for the 2019 season.
On Friday, Jan. 11, MLS expansion-club FC Cincinnati will have the first overall selection in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, set to take place at McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, Ill.
Prior to the SuperDraft, coaches and technical directors from around the league will take the opportunity to prepare by attending the 2019 MLS Player Combine in Orlando, Fla. The combine will be held from Jan. 3-9 at Orlando City Stadium, home of Orlando City SC and site of the 2019 MLS All-Star Game as a three-day showcase of the top young talent eligible for selection.
MLS also will conduct a dual-location 2018 MLS Caribbean Combine in Kingston, Jamaica (Oct. 15-18) and Bridgetown, Barbados (Oct. 22-25).
That combine is a result of the partnership between MLS and Concacaf that serves as a pathway for the best players, under the age of 24, from the Caribbean area to showcase their talent for MLS clubs. Through an expanded format, this scouting opportunity has grown from one event, featuring 22 players from 15 countries, to two events this year featuring 40 players from up to 30 countries, with 20 players taking part both in Kingston and Bridgetown.
The most highly touted prospects will be named the combines’s Most Valuable Players and will earn invitations to the adidas MLS Player Combine in Orlando.
MLS Caribbean Combine participants will be coached by former Trinidad & Tobago international and one of the most lethal goal-scorers in MLS history, Stern John, as well as ex-Jamaican international and MLS stars Andy Williams, Wolde Harris and Shavar Thomas.
