GRADED: S20 Draft Recap: Progress of all picks from the first two rounds

[Daleks]

We are now several matchdays into the new season, and the S20 rookies have already made a name for themselves.
In this article, I will be recapping the first two rounds of the S20 draft and commenting on their progress so far in the ongoing season.
Without further delay, let us start:

1. Marcel Voda
Shanghai Dragons had an alright expansion draft, but they were missing a CM for the future. Voda was picked for being gifted with the ball and the ability to be quite mobile. He has been put into the box-to-box role in the midfield, which is a position more physical than anything Voda played before, but it does showcase his versatility and allow him to use his intelligence to roam around the field.
Shanghai Dragons being an expansion team has provided a low pressure environment. Voda has had some stable performances, but nothing to write home about. However, it is more impressive than it seems due to his opponents being top Majors clubs. To play decently against such opposition is promising.
 
2. Tonto Tut
The first two picks being two CMs is unheard of. And there are so many parallels between Voda and Tut. First two picks, almost same TPE, play the same position, both now AMs for their teams, and both teams being an expansion team. This has the makings of one of the biggest rivalries in the future of the SSL, as both will be looking to lead their teams to glory.
CDT managed to make a more complete Majors roster during the expansion draft, so Tut can refine his skills and become one of the most well known names in the Minors league. Playing in the fan favourite Segundo Volante role, Tut has been showing impressive performances against his positions. He is becoming known for his brutal cannon of a foot that makes any shot from distance a goal opportunity.
 
3. Kim Minjeong
The Korean superstar was picked by AC Romana after a great showing in the academy league. She was instantly entrusted to be the Major team's main striker and future star of the league. However, her start in the league has been very rough. Her defining trait of speed has not been helpful against opposition that shares the same strength and more. AC Romana is in the middle of a rebuild, so success is currently not expected yet and the team is still adjusting to new tactical philosophies. Rumours are that Minjeong has been switching from speed training to focus on more technical and mental trainings. This move should hopefully help them in making them a more complete player.
 
 
4. Dáibhí Barr
Catalunya have had some shaky seasons. Struggling to be competitive in the midfield, they have put trust in Barr being a future star for them. While Catalunya is still struggling in the Majors, their minors team Seoul have proven to be one of the top squads in the Minors league. Barr, who is mainly a CAM, has now settled it into the right inside forwards role and provided great performances. He has contributed a goal in 5 out of 7 matches and has proven himself to be one of the centre pieces of the Seoul attack.
 
5. Louis Ashworth
Ashworth was one of the few natural LAMs in the academy, so some might be confused at the fact that he has been retrained and put as the main striker. However, the results speak for themselves. He has been in monster form, scoring in all 7 Minors games. A rating below 7.0 is unheard of for Ashworth. He is going to perfectly slot into the Majors squad when main striker Gerd Klose eventually retires in a few seasons.
 
6. Jakob Fensterhausen
União São Paulo needed a good defender in their AS Paris side, and Jakob Fensterhausen has proven himself a reliable one. Employed as a normal Central Defender, Fensterhausen has had varied performances, but has been a stable safe option in defense that no doubt is one of the reason AS Paris is finding themselves so high in the standings right now.
 
7. Andre Caetano
This pick is too shocking to comment on. Infact, I believe this is a different Andre Caetano from the one that played in the academy, due to the fact that he is now playing consistently well and providing plenty of assists. No one expected this to be the number 7 pick.
 
8. Trick Johnson
The man that oozes of pure magic has come as Shanghai's second pick in the first round. His speed has caught the eye of a Shanghai side that plans to rely a lot on its wing players. He has not managed to find his groove yet, as promising early performances have now turned into a mild slump as Shanghai faces some of the strongest Major clubs early on, but his MotM performances in other matches shows that he has a high ceiling that, with time, will prove to cause a lot of pain to many Major sides. It is especially reassuring that he still manages to provide solid performances in the Majors in his very first tiered league season, while playing one of the most demanding roles.
 
9. Don Lorenzo
CBs are always highly sought after, and seeing two CBs being picked round 1 is very expected. However, Buenos Aires minors side Athenai is already rich with plenty of CBs. Thus, Don Lorenzo is being utilized as a ball winning midfielder in the CM position. He has proven himself to be an important side of this Athenai side, providing strong defensive performances while at the same time also providing his fair share of assists.
 
10. Ronflex
Ronflex is a rare type of player. While there are a lot of CBs, and a lot of creative CMs and DMs, there are very little pure defensive minded DMs such as Ronflex. However, their sheer size and height has not managed to be enough in a Cairo side that is currently still in a rebuilding process. Despite that, Ronflox has proven themselves to be a terrifying menace on the field and time will tell what sort of player they will evolve into.
 
11. Cade Power
In a class overflowing with CAMs, Cade Power was the second CAM picked with only Barr ahead. Unlike Barr, Power continues playing in the same position. Due to Montreal's rotation philosophies, Power has not seen as much playtime as his other S20 graduates, but he has provided great performances every time, contributing to a goal in all but his very first appearance.
 
12. Tony Delvecchio
The last pick of Round 1 ends with a banger, as Shanghai's third pick is the ultimate speedster Delvecchio. Completing the wings with partner Trick Johnson on the other side, Delvecchio is aiming to continue his from from his Stockholm season. He shares the same path as Trick Johnson. An early MotM performance into a mild slump as the team faces against the strongest competition possible. Despite that, he still perseveres and also shows an extremely high ceiling, considering that he is already providing solid performances against the top Major sides.
 
13. Damien DeSoto
With Shanghai's plans to implement a 5 at the back tactic, a CD with lots of potential is exactly the thing the organisation needed. Magyar's GD has not been stellar, but DeSoto has been a stable rock in the back that also has a goal to his name.
 
14. Jonny Elliot
CDT's expansion draft did not bring them many LDs, so Jonny Elliot was picked to fill the gap. And his impact has been felt instantly. Dropping only once below a rating of 7, he has already has 7 assists to his name in a Krung Thep side that has proven itself to be a strong team.
 
15. Pablo Kawasaki
While originally a GK (and also an AC Romana pick), Seoul MFC saw the immense potential in him becoming an outfield player. He retrained into a CD and has been proving his worth by showing solid performances through all matchdays so far. Talented technically, he has also managed to record an assist so far.
 
16. Juozas Kupinas
Kupinas has seen less playtime than most, attributed to him sharing the RAM spot with teammate Marean Dohbra. Thus, his performances and ratings might not seem all that impressive. However, he has still shown impact in several of the matches he has played in, even if he only has 45 minutes to show it.
 
17. Andres De Giron
Another pick that has been traded towards Catalunya FC and put into Seoul MFC, originally from Hollywood. Giron has contributed greatly to a Seoul side that is in amazing form. 8 assists and a PotM performance has put him as one of the highest potential RDs in the league.
 
18. Bread Lasso
Catalunya does draft players on their own as well, and Bread Lasso is one of them.  Bread Lasso has been put in the highly demanding Segundo Volante role as of late, and the performances have been solid. He has good numbers in most stats you can think off. Reliable in defence and can be trusted to make key passes, Bread Lasso is one of the hearts of the Seoul team.
 
19. Dom Patterson
The player lovingly nicknamed 'Big Dom' was often overlooked in the academy, but he has been given the space to flourish in an impressive Krung Thep team. Putting his physically to good use as a Pressing Forward, he is still as lethal as a goal scorer as he was in the academy. However, he has also proven to be surprisingly talented defensively. He has several crucial clearances and interceptions to his name, showing the versatility in his game.
 
20. Denis Mobek
Mobek was entrusted the keys to the goalposts in a North Shore United side that is currently in the midst of switching generations. Despite that, Mobek has shown considerable skill. For being the youngest GK in the minors, he is showing experience and confidence that is unmatched even by most veterans.
 
21. BigMac Johnson
The man who is now dubbed the enforcer of Shanghai, he has given exceptional defensive performances and brings fear into the opposition’s minds. He also has displayed great vision when it matters, having 2 assists to his name in a role that isn’t meant to have a lot of them.
 
22. Dunkler Sowerwine
Sowerwine has been letting his presence known in the AS Paris side. Taking on the demanding role of Segundo Volante, Sowerwine has been flourishing in the role for a Paris side that is ambitious for greater things. 5 goals and 1 assist is a great tally for someone that is not the main goal scorer (but he does seem to be segundo).
 
23. Predrag Dobrić
Dobrić was one of the contenders for the academy golden boot, and that accomplishment has caught the eye of the SFV management. However, in a Montreal side rich with strikers, Dobrić has been put on the LW position instead. He has also been made head of the tactics division, further displaying the intelligence this players posses on and off the field.
 
24. Draz Tathille
The enigmatic Tathille has been putting good defensive work in the back of the Krung Thep’s defence. His speed and well roundness makes for a versatile defender. An impressive 3 goals that you do not expect from a defender, showing that he is a deadly option on set pieces with his jumping reach.
 
And that is the first two rounds done. The S20 academy is one that will likely change the course of history of the SSL. Seeing all of them have great performances and promise shows that we have the makings of a golden generation.

[donut]

This Voda guy seems pretty good

[Wiggli]

Really appreciate this look into the S20 rookies. A big class with quality throughout they are already having a big impact on both leagues and promise to continue doing so for many more seasons as you observe. It is great that you were able to capture what each player has done well so far or give a sense of the type of strengths each player possesses. I know I’ve spent some time watching players drafted to the Hollywood / Kaapstad organization (Ashworth has been amazing for sure) and also have some familiarity with those in the Benelux Federation (Lorenzo and Ronflex are standouts on defense each in their own way).

But there are a number of great performers I didn’t know too much about and this article does a great job highlighting them. It’s interesting to see how some players changed from the academy to the minors/majors like Kawasaki moving from goal to a central defender or some of the many forwards moving from the wing to the center of the pitch or vice versa as the team and player work together to find the way they can have the most impact.

But even though this article was very thorough, what maybe has amazed me the most about the S20 class is that even beyond this top 20 there are a number of players making a name for themselves already. The future is bright for the league as a whole and this class in particular for sure, thanks for shining a light on it.

[CROney3]

I do have to agree with Wiggli here. While helping with scouting as well as providing some input for Uniao Sao Paulo, there are some names that got drafted early that I didn't fully recognize. Also following (and remembering) what team took which player was a bit of an afterthought for me, so this article does a great job of highlighting not only the player, but also the teams that selected them. So I definitely appreciate articles like this one that provide detailed information not always found easily on the forum or discord.

I also want to mirror what Wiggli said in that this S20 class is already off to a great start. Obviously the expansion teams were necessitated by the larger size classes, with S20 class putting it over the top. And with the great retention of users during the academy season, there is still talk of additional expansion. What an amazing start to the league for this class. Here I thought S18 would be the turning point for this league but probably looking like S20 is the best class so far. Not only for the players that we now have, but for the user contributions, as well. Can't wait to see this league continue to grow!