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Faria, 2001
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Ten Best: Second round picks
January 16, 2013
The SuperDraft is coming up, and, as of this writing, Metro only has a single pick: a second roudner it acquired from Portland. Through the history of the draft in its various incarnations, Metro's use of its second rounders runs the full range from glory to obscurity. Heck, their first second round pick, Scott Lamphear, decided to stay in college rather than play in MLS. Others who never made the team followed: Will Kohler, Eric Brunner, Jack Traynor, Babajide Ogunbiyi... And yet, the other side of the coin contains some of the better names in team history. Let's take a look.
10) Tim Regan: 17th, 2003
Regan might have not won many accolades, but he was a very useful, versatile player, playing in every spot on defense, as well as defensive midfield. After departing after 2005, he made a brief return in 2007.
9) Billy Walsh: 16th, 1998
Team MVP in 1999, because someone had to be. Highlight of the rest of Walsh's Metro career was blasting Metro management after thinking he was traded to Chicago... he wasn't.
8) Miles Joseph: 12th, 1996
A good rookie season saw Joseph play in the Olympics and receive a call up to the US national team. A steady decline followed.
7) Ryan Meara: 31st, 2012
Who would have thunk it that the rookie would become Metro's starter from opening day? A midseason injury curtailed what could have been a Rookie of the Year campaign.
6) Seth Stammler: 18th, 2004
Now we're getting somewhere! Stammler played just a minute in league play in 2004 and didn't become a starter until late in 2005. He then grew into the most versatile player in team history, playing every position on defense and midfield (and even forward in preseason).
5) Rodrigo Faria: 13th, 2001
The unconfirmed story is that Octavio Zambrano had Faria tank the combine so he would fall to Metro in the second round. In any case, Faria is Metro's first -- and only -- MLS Rookie of the Year.
4) Tim Ream: 18th, 2010
Erik Soler, in his first draft, knew that he had to have the unheralded Ream. A terrific rookie season saw the defender play every minute in league play and earn a call-up to the US national team.
3) Eddie Gaven: 12th, 2003
Has it been a decade already? The 16-year-old burst on the scene in the most memorable sequence. Forced to play in goal so Metro could use a fourth sub, Gaven followed up by scoring the overtime winner minutes later, and in DC to boot! An MLS Best XI season followed.
2) Jozy Altidore: 17th, 2006
The raw talent was there, with the exquisite blast tearing the Columbus net in hust his second league game. His one full season came in 2007, when Altidore's partnership with Juan Pablo Angel looked to be a promise of great things. If only he stayed a little longer...
1) Dane Richards: 19th, 2007
Richards' career numbers are beyond impressive: 9th in goals, 3rd in assists, 4th in games played, 2nd in minutes... And his brilliant, life-altering performance in the 2008 playoffs in Houston will never, ever, ever be forgotten.
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