Q&A with Midwest Pro Soccer Combine director Eric Rudland

With MLS scrapping its previously annual combine ahead of the SuperDraft, independently run events like the Midwest Pro Soccer Combine have become even more important in regard to amateur player scouting. Soc Takes caught up with the director of the combine and head coach of AFC Ann Arbor, Eric Rudland, to discuss that and more as the 2019 Midwest Pro Soccer Combine approaches, set for Dec. 19-20 at the Legacy Center Sports Complex in Brighton, Mich.

Kevin Johnston: What’s changed at the combine from its first year to now?

Eric Rudland: I think the landscape of pro soccer, which is ever changing, is the biggest change from 2016 to now. There are more roster spots up for grabs, which make our event relevant as teams look to build up their club for 2020. This year MLS has done away with the annual MLS combine. That change has generated even more interest in our event as players are looking for alternate avenues to gain exposure.

KJ: How many players and pro clubs will be in attendance this year?

ER: This year we have 160 players who have applied and we are planning to accept 70 of those players — 64 field players and six GKs. We currently have over 20 clubs committed to attend from: MLS, USL Championship, USL League One, NISA and a handful of international clubs. This should be the largest turnout of professional clubs to date for our event.

KJ: What feedback have you gotten from players and scouts who’ve been to the event in the past?

ER: The feedback is pretty consistent: the event is well organized. Scouts and pro clubs appreciate the profiles we put together on each player and can tell that the players have been screened through a first layer of vetting. Given the tight timeline that clubs are working with, I think we make it easy for clubs to come in on the morning of the 19th and depart on the evening of the 20th. This makes it possible for technical/front office staff to attend with everything else they have going on.

KJ: Who are some of the most notable prospects attending the 2019 combine?

ER: In each position there are 1-2 players who pro clubs will find intriguing. From the Midwest I think Brandon Guhl from Butler, Samuel Biek from Western Michigan and Yuri Farkas from Madonna University are three players that we’re excited to have. We also have players joining us from all over the U.S., so we expect some non-Midwesterners to catch some eyes as well.

KJ: How pleased are you in regard to achieving your original goals set forth when you first launched the combine?

ER: It’s been a fun project. A lot of work goes into this annually (more so than expected), but to see players use our event as a stepping stone into the pro game is really neat. Hopefully we can continue to help the next generation of aspiring players find their way.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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