The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Soccer Announces Generation Adidas Signees
December 28 | Men's Soccer
Five underclassmen from The University of Akron men's soccer
2010 national championship team have signed contracts with
Generation adidas and will enter the 2011 Major League Soccer
SuperDraft.
Junior striker Darlington
Nagbe, junior midfielder Michael
Nanchoff, junior defender Kofi
Sarkodie, sophomore defender Zarek
Valentin and freshman midfielder Perry
Kitchen will each forgo their remaining eligibility to turn
professional. The five UA starters collectively represent the most
early signees from a single team in MLS history.
"This is an exciting day for the entire Akron soccer program and
certainly a dream come true for this special group of Zips
players," said UA head coach Caleb
Porter, who recently signed a 10-year contract extension. "It
wasn't surprising after winning the national championship that MLS
identified several players as being ready for the next level.
Certainly, this could be perceived as bittersweet losing so many
quality underclassmen at one time but when a player is offered the
coveted Generation adidas contract it gives them the best platform
to enter professional soccer and I am nothing but happy for
them."
Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer
and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent
in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages
early entry (without college graduation) of American players into
MLS. Entering into the program automatically classifies a player as
professional and thus, disqualifies them from playing college
soccer. As a result, Generation adidas players are also guaranteed
scholarships to continue their college education should their
professional career not pan out.
"I think its important for people to understand its not so much
that these young men were looking to leave Akron or that they are
prioritizing a soccer career over school," Porter said. "It's more
of a case that the Generation adidas program gives them the
incredible opportunity to have the best of both worlds with the way
these contracts are structured. They will receive a guaranteed
multi-year contract and as a part of the program each player is
provided an educational grant to finish out their degrees when the
time is right."
It is the third consecutive season an Akron player has signed one
of the coveted GA contracts. Steve
Zakuani was the first to do it in 2008 and teammates Teal
Bunbury and Blair
Gavin followed in 2009. Zakuani was the No. 1 overall pick of
the 2009 draft and the first ever selection of the expansion
Seattle Sounders. Bunbury was drafted No. 4 overall by Kansas City
in 2010 while Gavin went a few picks later, No. 10 overall to
Chivas USA.
"Obviously, for the vast majority of college soccer players four
years and graduation is the only option," Porter said. "For a
select few who are talented enough to be offered this type of
opportunity, it becomes a very hard thing to pass up. It's actually
quite an honor for our program to now have had eight players
receive this same path into MLS. This should bode well for what
Akron soccer is doing to develop players and hopefully makes a
strong statement to future recruits looking for the best soccer
environment possible."
Until 2005, the GA program was sponsored by Nike and was called
Project-40. It is just the third time in the program's history -
dating back to 1997 - more than two players have been selected from
the same team. Maryland and Virginia each had three players signed
in 2008 and 1997, respectively.
"We want to wish Kofi, Darlington, Michael, Zarek and Perry all the
best and appreciate their contributions to making history with the
program. My staff and I will miss working with them and I know our
fans will miss watching them in the Akron uniform. I know they will
continue to be tremendous ambassadors for the University of Akron
during their professional careers and I'm looking forward to
following their success."
Along with departing seniors Anthony
Ampaipitakwong and Chris
Korb, who have both been invited to participate in the MLS
Draft Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., next month, the Zips are
expected to have as many as seven players selected in the MLS
SuperDraft, which will be held in Baltimore, Md., on Jan. 13.
The 2010 Zips (22-1-2) captured the first team national
championship in school history in any sport on Dec. 12 with a 1-0
victory over Louisville in Santa Barbara, Calf. It was also just
the third team national championship in Mid-American Conference
history and the first since Western Michigan's cross country team
won back-to-back titles in 1964 and 1965.
