Yours truly competed in the tryout mainly to get an idea about the players coming out for the club and because my fee was waived since I'm interning with the team. I figured what better way to report on the tryout then compete in it. I felt the nervousness, tension, butterflies, concerns about weather, and I shared conversations with teammates just like back in my playing days. I played D-3 and D-2 college soccer, as well as for a college in England, but that was a good three years ago and I have had too many beers and too little intense exercise in between. Hence, I was pretty good for the first five minutes of the two twenty-five minute halves but after that my lungs gave way and I stunk.
But, I got to find out about the players and about some of the guys that DDL F.C. might add from this tryout from having them running right at me. Overall there were over 50 players that attended this tryout. Some players were from around the area and others flew from Florida, drove from Wisconsin, drove from Chicago, and etc. I was especially intrigued that one player from Chicago drove to a St. Louis PDL tryout the previous week and then this one the next week. He had two long distance drives, had to pay for both tryouts, and was just rolling the dice for his chance at a dream. I had to admire that.
A good ammount of players had solid experience at colleges top levels. I talked and guarded a guy who currently plays for Notre Dame. I talked to him about his teammate Bright Dike currently with the Crew and then I had the joy of trying to guard a current D-I collegiate player. Lets just say most of the times he ran right by me and I had to try to American football tackle him. However, once, I got stuck in and stole the ball from him. I think that was my one good moment of the whole tryout. :-)
During the tryout, there were torrential downpours the whole time and one stoppage for lightning strikes. Some of the players who drove from far away were concerned that they would not get home until 3 or 4 a.m. if the tryout lasted until midnight. But, the tryout got going again and was over by 10:30 p.m.
Out of the 50 plus players that came out for the second tryout, according to what I heard, DDL F.C. only had 3 or 4 players that they did extend a contract to or were thinking about extending a contract to. The other 3 or 4 spots remaining after these players are announced will likely be taken up by American players invited by the team for trials in preseason.
Evan Schwartz
I do know of one of the players who was likely extended an offer and will likely sign with DDL F.C. if both sides negotiate successfully, he is a right fullback, Evan Schwartz. The 22 year-old Schwartz most recently played in Iceland for two years, most recently for a club called Briedablik. During Schwartz's two seasons in Iceland he made 11 appearances and scored three goals. Before going to Iceland, Schwartz was rated mainly 3's or 4's by the 2007 InfoSport combine and was rated as being a solid enough player to play in USL-2 at the age of 19. Since then Schwartz recently received two offers for USL-1 clubs but came to the tryout last night and likes what the DDL F.C. club is doing. He'll also have a good chance to start as the positions that need filled by Americans are right back, left back, and defensive midfield. Schwartz plays right back.
I actually played against him in my game and Schwartz is fast, good at overlapping, good at picking his spots on when to move forward and when to stay back. I think he'll be a good right back for the club.
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