By STEVE CAMERONFoxSportsKansasCity.com
Columbus manager Robert Warzycha couldn’t stop smiling after Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft.
While most teams grab a single player in each of the draft’s two rounds at the Kansas City Convention Center, the Crew wound up with three overall.
No, make that four.
And even more exciting, Warzycha said, Columbus managed to fill some specific needs with its quartet of young players.
“The reason we’re counting it as four – in addition to our extra pick in the draft through a previous trade – is that we just signed a designated ‘homegrown’ player that we really like,” Warzycha said.
The player in question is Ben Speas, a 5-foot-8, 155-pound graduate of the Crew Soccer Academy who transferred from Akron to North Carolina in time for the 2011 season.
Speas scored seven goals and added 10 assists in 26 matches, but he was just getting started.He capped a dream season by scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over UNC-Charlotte in the NCAA Men’s College Cup final – and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Offensive Player.
Speas was later named the 2011 College Player of the Year by Soccer America.
"I've been going to Crew games since I was eight years old,” Speas said, “and I’ve been able to see most of my coaches play at Crew Stadium -- so this is a dream come true.”
Speas’ signing gave Columbus a flying start for the SuperDraft, and the Crew feel they took full advantage of their three selections.
Columbus’ first-round choice – No. 10 overall – was Creighton University forward Ethan Finley.The Crew then grabbed right back Aubrey Perry of South Florida with the 26th overall pick and midfielder Kevan George three spots later.
“Perry is a very quick right back,” Warzycha said, “a guy who picks his spots to go forward. We like his potential a lot.
“George is 6-foot-2, and he can give us some physicality that we’ve missed at times in midfield. His basic role will be defensive, protecting the back – but he’s a very good athlete who has room to develop.”
The jewel of the group, however, should be Finlay.
“He’s a player who can play as a right midfielder, as well as a second forward,” Warzycha said. “He’s very opportunistic around the goal, and it seems like the ball is always looking for him.
“That’s something you just can’t teach. He’s a very smart player and it seems he’s always a step ahead of everyone.”
Finlay, who caught scouts’ attention with a hat trick at the MLS combine, suggested that his knack for turning up in the right places might be down more to hard work than any natural gift.
“I think I have good speed,” he said, “but my biggest asset is my work ethic. I don’t ever want to be out-worked.
“Hard work is a way to find yourself in the spots you want to be.”
Finlay certainly is comfortable being around good players – three of his Creighton teammates were selected in this 2012 SuperDraft.
Finlay played 79 games in four years at Creighton – he has a degree in finance – and scored 43 goals to go with 17 assists.
He isn’t likely to be looking for a career change anytime soon, but Finlay also was a place-kicker for his high school football team in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
“I wouldn’t make too much of that,” he said. “My very first kick was only from 33 yards, and I really blasted it – but I kicked it straight up and the kick actually wound up being short.”
Fortunately for Finlay – and hopefully the Crew – he’s been far more accurate on a soccer pitch.
“Ethan is a guy who could step right in and help us,” Warzycha said. “He’s very mature, and he’ll adapt pretty quickly to playing with professionals, I think.
“Overall, we feel we got some very good players – three in the SuperDraft and then with the additional signing of Ben Speas.
“Sometimes, players who fill specific needs just happen to fall to you at the right time.
“These players still have to go out and prove it, but we believe we had a lot of good things happen in this draft.”
