Portland Timbers U-23s Mark Sherrod, Reinaldo Brenes, and Spencer Richey are among the players invited to the 2013 MLS Draft Combine. (The full list can be found here.) All three seniors have been highly rated throughout their college careers, but have seen a drop off in 2013.
Sherrod, a tall and skillful center forward pegged as a natural leader by his coaches, spent the last two summers with the U-23s. In 2012, his first year with the team, Sherrod scored ten goals in 16 matches with the U-23s, was named to the All-League PDL team, and was a finalist for the league MVP. In 2013, Sherrod was limited by injuries, only notching one goal and two assists in eight games.
In the college game Sherrod has been a formidable goalscorer, tallying 42 times at Memphis University, enough to make his the school's third highest goal-scorer. In 2011 as a red shirt sophomore, Sherrod was the Conference USA Player of the Year, an accolade that he followed up with several more in 2012 and 2013. Sherrod also once scored a goal for Memphis after losing one of his shoes.
Brenes played only one year, 2013, with the U-23s, likely joining the team at the urging of his college coach, Caleb Porter. Along with most of the U-23s last season, Brenes had a decent, but mostly forgettable season, scoring two goals in six games.
At Akron, Brenes had his best year in Porter's last year in charge. In 2012 he scored eleven goals in seventeen games and was nominated to the All-MAC team.
Richey backstopped the Timbers to their second place finish in the USL PDL Northwest Division in 2012, but decided to play for the Washington Crossfire in the 2013 season. During his time with the Timbers, Richey played in 14 games and helped the U-23s to have the best defensive record in the league as they allowed only 16 goals on the season.
Richey was the starting keeper at the University of Washington for all four of his years there, earning regular plaudits before suffering from an unfortunate broken leg just four games in to the 2013 season.
The combine will take place between January 10th and 14th and the 2014 MLS Superdraft will take place two days later on the 16th. The Timbers currently hold the 17th, 26th, 36th, 39th, 73rd, and 74th picks in the 2014 draft.
Thanks, Daaaaaave for pointing out Spencer Richey, whom I had initially glossed over.