11315_isi_diskerudmix_usmntjt060914191 John Todd/isiphotos.com
MLS SuperDraft

With Mix in Hand, Will NYCFC Trade 2nd Pick?

How many creative central midfielders does one expansion team need? With the acquisition of U.S. national team favorite Mix Diskerud, New York City FC might be looking to trade its coveted No. 2 pick.
BY Brooke Tunstall Posted
January 13, 2015
12:02 PM
OK, NEW YORK CITY FC—what's your next move? American Soccer Now has confirmed various report that the MLS expansion club has come to terms on a deal for U.S. international Mix Diskerud.

Diskerud, of course, is a creative central midfielder, as is English legend Frank Lampard, whom City and MLS officials promise—seriously! they mean it!—will be joining the club in July.

That’s a significant investment in playmaking central midfielders, especially since neither are the ball-winning/destroyer types. So adding one of those will be a priority for New York City. And that brings us to Thursday’s MLS draft. The consensus top two picks available are Connecticut forward Cyle Larin and Washington’s Cristian Roldan, who happens to be—you guessed it—a central midfielder.

Roldan is probably the most creative player in the draft but he isn’t a pure No. 10 and he’s certainly not more of a playmaker than Lampard. He has the potential to surpass Diskerud in that regard, but at the moment he would be behind the new signee on the depth chart.

Many think Roldan could end up as more of a holding midfielder, able to create from a deeper role but still able to handle the defensive responsibilities that come from playing just in front of the back line. It’s possible he could fill the destroyer role New York City would need behind Lampard and Diskerud, but he’d likely need time to adjust to the role.

Orlando City has the first pick in the draft and has interviewed Roldan. It would surprise no one if they take him and if so, Larin would slide to New York City in the No. 2 slot. As ASN reported previously, NYCFC coach Jason Kreis rates Larin highly and he'd likely snap him up faster than you can say "Peguy Luyindula."

But if Orlando takes Larin first—or trades the pick to a team that takes Larin—then it opens up a slew of options. Roldan is a perfect fit for the style Kreis’ teams play, but does the coach go for yet another player at the same position as Diskerud and Lampard? The club also employs journeyman Mehdi Ballouchy, who can play the same role. Expansion clubs, even well-funded expansion clubs, have many holes to fill, and Roldan might not be a fit.

Trading the pick then becomes an option. There would be no lack of suitors if Kreis and technical director Claudio Reyna put the No. 2 pick in play. Portland boss Caleb Porter, sources tell ASN, absolutely loves Roldan, as does Real Salt Lake technical director Craig Waibel, who just happened to be an assistant at Washington in 2013—Roldan’s freshman season. They would not be the only teams interested.

Trading the second pick in the draft would allow New York City FC to add either more draft picks or pocket some allocation money for getting another player to fill a roster that’s definitely still a work in progress.

The club is interviewing myriad players who could help but likely aren’t worth the second pick in the draft. By the same token, many of these prospects likely won’t be available in the second round. NYCFC spoke yesterday by phone with Syracuse’s Generation Adidas goalkeeper Alex Bono, who is currently in California in camp with the U.S. national team. The club also interviewed Maryland All-American Dan Metzger who, not for nothing, is more of a midfield destroyer.

It’s a very fluid situation with a lot of proverbial balls in play. But this much is known: New York City FC's acquisition of Mix Diskerud makes Thursday’s draft even more intriguing for the club and any team that might be looking to move up to the No. 2 pick.

Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter and tell us what you think about the Mix Diskerud signing below.

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