The 2018 MLS Combine is officially underway ahead of Friday's SuperDraft in Philadelphia. One of combine's main components is physical testing, which measures each players' performance statistics. The nation's top collegiate prospects were tested on their speed, agility and power at Orlando City Stadium on Jan. 13, as the players attempted to raise their draft stock with impressive physical test results.
In order to truly break in to Major League Soccer, players must have the ability to perform at peak conditioning levels and compete with some of the fastest, strongest and most physically fit players in the world. Each year, combine tests show who the best overall athletes are, and performance scores weigh heavily on MLS coaches and general managers as they try to decipher which player will make the most seamless transition to professional soccer.
Here are the results from this year's performance tests.
Speed Test (30-meter dash)
<strong>Name</strong> |
<strong>School</strong> |
<strong>Position</strong> |
<strong>Time (seconds)</strong> |
1. Justin Fiddes |
Washington |
D |
3.84 |
2. Carter Manley |
Duke |
D |
3.90 |
Wyatt Omsberg |
Dartmouth |
D |
3.90 |
4. Will Bagrou |
Mercer |
F |
3.93 |
Mamadou Guirassy |
NJIT |
F |
3.93 |
Brandon Bye |
Western Michigan |
D/F |
3.93 |
7. Marc Segbers |
Wisconsin |
D/F |
3.94 |
8. Edward Opoku |
Virginia |
M |
3.95 |
9. Jon Gallagher |
Notre Dame |
F |
3.97 |
10. Frandtzy Pierrot |
Coastal Carolina |
F |
3.99 |
Chris Mueller |
Wisconsin |
F |
3.99 |
Ema Twumasi |
Wake Forest |
M |
3.99 |
Agility Test (5-10-5 shuttle)
<strong>Name</strong> |
<strong>School</strong> |
<strong>Position</strong> |
<strong>Time (seconds)</strong> |
1. Chris Mueller |
Washington |
F |
4.03 |
2. Tristan Blackmon |
Pacific |
D |
4.05 |
3. Brandon Bye |
Western Michigan |
D/F |
4.06 |
4. Jordan Jones |
Oregon State |
F |
4.09 |
Oliver Shannon |
Clemson |
M |
4.09 |
Wyatt Omsberg |
Dartmouth |
D |
4.09 |
7. Tomas Hilliard-Arce |
Stanford |
D |
4.10 |
8. Danny Musovski |
UNLV |
F |
4.12 |
9. Brian White |
Duke |
M/F |
4.13 |
10. Niko DeVera |
Akron |
D |
4.14 |
Power Test (vertical jump)
<strong>Name</strong> |
<strong>School</strong> |
<strong>Position</strong> |
<strong>Inches</strong> |
1. Ricky Lopez-Espin |
Creighton |
M/F |
33.5 |
2. Michael Nelson |
SMU |
GK |
33 |
3. Tristan Blackmon |
Pacific |
D |
32.5 |
4. Mamadou Guirassy |
NJIT |
F |
31.5 |
Carter Manley |
Duke |
D/F |
31.5 |
Mac Steeves |
Providence |
F |
31.5 |
7. Mark Segbers |
Wisconsin |
D/F |
31 |
8. Brandon Bye |
Western Michigan |
D/F |
30.5 |
9. Harry Cooksley |
St. John's |
M |
30 |
10. Will Bagrou |
Mercer |
F |
29.5 |
Jason Wright |
Clemson |
F |
29.5 |
Cory Brown |
Xavier |
D |
29.5 |
Jeff Caldwell |
Virginia |
GK |
29.5 |
Mason Toye |
Indiana |
F |
29.5 |
