The 13th pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft turned out to be a lucky one for the Chicago Fire.
With the pick the Fire selected midfielder Corben Bone out of Wake Forest, and Fire technical director Frank Klopas believed the Fire were fortunate to be able to add a player of Bone's reputation that far down in the first round.
"I couldn't believe he wasn't taken before us," Klopas said. "He's a very dynamic talent."
Bone's resume is lengthy.
In 2009, Bone's junior year at Wake Forest, he finished third in the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy voting after scoring three goals with 13 assists for the Demon Deacons, who advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA College Cup. They lost to eventual champion Virginia on penalty kicks after playing a 0-0 tie in regulation.
Bone was the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year in the soccer-rich Atlantic Coast Conference, and was selected to the last two NCAA College Cup all-tournament teams.
In 2008, Bone led the nation in assists with 17 to go along with seven goals.
"His ability to run with the ball and beat people off the dribble is his best talent,'' Klopas said.
Bone was the 2006 Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year after finishing his prep career in Plano, Tex. He was a member of the U.S. U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams.
He started his career at Wake Forest as a wing, but was moved to central midfielder after his freshman year. He is an attacking midfielder that can disrupt defenses.
Klopas said the Fire has not yet decided whether Bone will play on the wing or in the middle when he joins the MLS team.
"It depend on how we want to play," Klopas said. "He can be an outside wing or we can use him playing behind the forwards."
The Fire had five picks in all in Thursday's draft at the Philadelphia Convention Center. With their second pick, the Fire selected Kwame Watson-Siriboe, a highly regarded 6-foot-3 defender out of the University of Connecticut. With their third pick in the draft, the 29th overall, the Fire selected midfielder/forward Drew Yates out of the University of Maryland.
With the 45th pick, the Fire selected defender Steven Kinney out of Elon University, and they added to their goalkeeping roster by selecting 6-foot-3 Sean Johnson out of the University of South Florida.
Watson-Siriboe was the Big East Co-Defender of the Year for a Connecticut team that allowed only 10 goals in 19 games in 2009. He also scored three times in his senior year with the Huskies.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
