The trio of Wisconsin players at the Major League Soccer Combine did their best Tuesday to leave good final impressions on the league's coaches and general managers before the SuperDraft.
Tony Walls (Wauwatosa East/UW-Green Bay) and Calum Mallace (Marquette) came off the bench and scored in an eight-minute span in the second half to help spark the adiPower team beat adiPure 4-1 in the last of six matches at the Combine in Lauderhill, Fla. (Video highlights below)
Ethan Finlay (Marshfield) set up the lone goal for the adiPure team, scored by his former Creighton teammate Andrew Duran.
With adiPower leading 1-0 at halftime of the 80-minute match, Walls doubled the lead off a set piece in the 46th minute.
Left back Hunter Jumper served in a left-footed corner kick that took a few bounces before Walls ripped a left-footed shot from the right side that deflected off teammate Alec Purdie and past adiPure goalkeeper Chris Blais. The video highlights listed Purdie as the scorer, but the official boxscore credited the goal to Walls.
There was no doubt about who scored the next goal – it was Mallace, who celebrated his 22nd birthday with an impressive effort that was deemed the "goal of the Combine" by MLSSoccer.com writer Travis Clark.
Justin Chavez quickly started an attack in the adiPower end, finding Lucky Mkosana, who touched the ball to the onrushing Mallace at midfield. The former Golden Eagles standout carried the ball, waited for the retreating defenders to get back and took advantage of the extra space to curl a shot over a leaping Blais into the upper right corner of the net from about 30 yards out to make it 3-0.
Finlay, who had a hat trick on Sunday, created a few chances playing wide on the right side. In the 71st minute, he beat a defender, pulled the ball back to his left foot and whipped in a cross that Duran eventually finished to account for the final score.
The MLS SuperDraft is Thursday in Kansas City, Mo., and recent mock drafts suggest that Mallace, Finlay and Walls could all be selected. If Mallace is picked, he would be the first former Marquette player selected in the 13-year history of the SuperDraft.
A series of final mock drafts will be published Wednesday ahead of the SuperDraft, which starts at 11 a.m. and will be televised on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN3.
Last Updated on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 2:01 AM
The trio of Wisconsin players at the Major League Soccer Combine did their best Tuesday to leave good final impressions on the league's coaches and general managers before the SuperDraft.