Rookie Update: Week 11

In a new MLS Daily segment that will appear each Wednesday, we take a look back at how the players who were selected in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft fared in the most recent week of MLS action. Only those who saw playing time will be included. At the end of the segment, there will be a weekly poll to measure which player is considered the leading Rookie of the Year candidate, so cast your vote below!


Steve Zakuani (SSFC, 1st overall)
The first man taken in the 2009 SuperDraft, Steve Zakuani wasn’t much of a factor in Seattle’s 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday night. Coach Sigi Schmid opted to start the youngster for the eighth time in 2009, but Zakuani’s contribution was limited to suffering three fouls in the match.

2009 stats: 11 apps (8 starts), 2 G, 3 A, 682 mins
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Sam Cronin (TFC, 2nd overall)
Cronin was in the Toronto FC starting lineup for the 11th time this season, but had a quiet day in their 3-0 drubbing by the Houston Dynamo: no shots, no bookings, no fouls committed or suffered.

2009 stats: 12 apps (11 starts), 0 G, 2 A, 1035 mins
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Omar Gonzalez (LA, 3rd overall)
The 6’5” defender continues to help solidify the Galaxy defense, making his 11th start in their 1-1 draw against the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night. Omar faced a slightly easier task in the game, seeing how Kansas City’s leading scorer, Josh Wolff, missed the game while serving a red card suspension. But Gonzalez appeared to be caught ball-watching in the 84th minute when Davy Arnaud got free of his mark and scored the Wizards goal.

2009 stats: 11 apps (11 starts), 1 G, 0 A, 990 mins
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Rodney Wallace (DCU, 6th overall)
Like his rookie teammate Chris Pontius, Rodney Wallace has received Rookie of the Year buzz by becoming a fixture in the D.C. United lineup in his rookie season. On Saturday, Wallace picked up his 11th start in 12 games, but did not contribute much offensively to the cause, with the highlight of his evening being a booking that came at the end of the first half, his third of the year. He also continues to lead D.C. in fouls committed (20).

2009 stats: 12 apps (11 starts), 2 G, 3 A, 1002 mins
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Chris Pontius (DCU, 7th overall)
Pontius, a leading contender for ’09 Rookie of the Year, started his tenth game of the season in D.C. United’s 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution, playing the entirety of the game. He managed just one shot in the game, an effort that sailed high over the New England net in the 69th minute, suffered two fouls and was booked for a foul of his own on Revolution defender Jay Heaps in the 21st minute. Pontius remains in second or tied for second on the team in shots (23), shots on goal (9), goals (3) and fouls committed (11).

2009 stats: 12 apps (10 starts), 3 G, 2 A, 871 mins
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Matt Besler (KC, 8th overall)
Besler, a defender, notched his tenth start of the season for the Kansas City Wizards in their 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. The Notre Dame product played well, suffering two fouls and committing none as KC moved into a tie for second-place in the Eastern Conference.

2009 stats: 11 apps (10 starts), 0 G, 0 A, 880 mins
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Kevin Alston (NE, 10th overall)
Alston, another Revolution rookie defender who has slid right into the starting lineup, played every minute of New England’s 2-1 victory over D.C. United. Besides his defensive effort, the Indiana University product also got forward on occasion and took his first career shot in the first half, forcing a save from United ‘keeper Josh Wicks.

2009 stats: 6 apps (6 starts), 0 G, 0 A, 539 mins
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Jeremy Hall (RBNY, 11th overall)
Hall made his sixth start of the season on Saturday night, playing the full 90 in New York’s 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rapids. The Maryland Terrapin has now seen action in eight of the team’s 12 games, starting six along the way for the East’s last-place club.

2009 stats: 8 apps (6 starts), 0 G, 0 A, 602 mins
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Stefan Frei (TFC, 13th overall)
The first goalkeeper taken in the ’09 SuperDraft, Frei did not have a day to remember in goal for Toronto FC, as the team was soundly thumped by the Houston Dynamo by a score of 3-0 on Saturday evening. The Generation adidas ‘keeper was beaten for all three goals in a span of four minutes, leading to his third loss of the season in net, but did also record three saves on the night.

2009 stats: 11 apps (11 starts), 4-3-3, 1.62 GAA, 945 mins
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AJ DeLaGarza (LA, 19th overall)
Filling in for the injured Sean Franklin, DeLaGarza played well in the Galaxy’s 1-1 draw against the Kansas City Wizards, defending effectively while also pushing up in the attack from time to time. Shaking off an injury early in the first-half, AJ played the full 90 minutes and also picked up a yellow card for a reckless tackle in the second-half. He should continue to see significant playing time on the right side of defense in the games ahead.

2009 stats: 6 apps (5 starts), 0 G, 0 A, 409 mins
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Baggio Husidic (CHI, 20th overall)
Chicago’s first pick in the ‘09 SuperDraft, Husidic made his MLS debut in Chicago’s 3-2 win over Chivas USA on Thursday night, replacing Gonzalo Segares in the game’s 83rd minute. He would also make an appearance in the Fire’s 3-0 loss to FC Dallas this past Sunday, coming on for Justin Mapp in the 75th minute and recording his first shot on goal, which required a save from Dallas ‘keeper Ray Burse.

2009 stats: 2 apps (0 starts), 0 G, 0 A, 23 mins
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Graham Zusi (KC, 23rd overall)
Zusi made his third career appearance in the Wizards’ 1-1 tie against the Galaxy on Saturday night. He was substituted on around the game’s hour mark as coach Curt Onalfo looked to press the situation after Los Angeles defender Gregg Berhalter was sent off, but didn’t play much of a factor for the rest of the game.

2009 stats: 3 apps (2 starts), 0 G, 0 A, 148 mins
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Quincy Amarikwa (SJ, 32nd overall)
The UC-Davis product received his first start of the season this past Wednesday, with the move paying immediate dividends for the Earthquakes. Amarikwa set up the team’s first and only goal in the 23rd minute of a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew by chesting down a ball in the box to Ryan Johnson, who finished for his fifth goal of the season. It was Amarikwa’s first career MLS assist in eight appearances. He also picked up his fourth yellow card on the year in the 13th minute, meaning he will receive an automatic one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation with his next booking. On Saturday, Amarikwa started from the bench, but replaced Cornell Glen in the 59th minute of the Earthquakes’ 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.

2009 stats: 9 app (1 start), 0 G, 1 A, 318 mins
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Darrius Barnes (NE, 40th overall)
The third-round pick out of Duke University started and played his tenth full game of the year in the Revolution defense, helping the club pick up their third win of the season, 2-1 over D.C. United. Barnes had an uncharacteristically whistle-filled afternoon, at least by his standards, committing two fouls and drawing his first yellow card for dissent in the 84th minute. Coming into the game, he had not been booked and had committed just a single foul.

2009 stats: 10 apps (10 starts), 0 G, 0 A, 900 mins
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MLS Daily Rookie Of The Week:
Quincy Amarikwa – San Jose Earthquakes

poll by twiigs.com