Zobeck Drafted in MLS

[KL31NY]

Crusader goalkeeper Kyle Zobeck was taken with the 26th overall pick in the MLS Supplemental Draft by FC Dallas.

Zobeck joins Stefan Antonijevic (2012, 43rd overall in Supplemental Draft, Sporting Kansas City) as the only Crusader soccer players ever drafted by Major League Soccer.

Huzzah!

[valpotx]

Congrats to Kyle, and awesome that I could potentially see a Valpo player on a local professional team  .  I watch FC Dallas games on TV, but haven't attended one as of yet.  I have been wanting to do so, and if he makes the team, that will give me some added motivation. 

I have checked for Stefan since last year, and it seems like he only played in the reserves?  Anyone with additional insight into his professional career since last year?

[KL31NY]

Stefan's been bouncing around trying to stick somewhere. After failing to stay on with Sporting Kansas City through training camp, he ended up with the Chicago Fire Reserves, the Vermont Voltage of the USL Premier Development League (4th-tier, if you're familiar with football, think of a pro league under the NFL, CFL, and UFL for a rough comparison), and I believe he is currently with Spartak Zlatiborvoda, a pro team in Serbia where his family comes from. There may be another team in the timeline missing, but those are the highlights I am familiar with.

Going back to "Zo," he is also just the 29th Horizon League drafted by an MLS team and the 2nd HL GK drafted this year after Cleveland State's Brad Stuver was picked in the 2nd round of the MLS SuperDraft. Looking at FC Dallas' roster, I believe they have just two other keepers. Their website lists three others, but one of them is Kevin Hartman, a noted veteran keeper whose contract expired and no longer appears to be with the club. The other netminders are Richard Sanchez, an 18-year old yet to play an MLS game, and Chris Seitz. Seitz started for the Philadelphia Union in 2010 and backed up Hartman for Dallas the passed two seasons. He sat out the final stages of the past season after donating bone marrow to help someone he had never met before.

While I could find a lot of good background info, I wouldn't call myself an expert on the MLS. However, after looking this stuff up, I like Kyle's chances to make some noise at the next level.

[valpotx]

Kevin Hartman is definitely an MLS veteran, and someone I would think we would want back.  Seitz would be the obvious replacement, if we don't sign anyone else.  I would imagine that Kyle will get a fair shot at making the roster.

Good to see that Stefan found a team in Serbia.  The easiest comparison for the Vermont Voltage to MLS would be a single A team to MLB.  It looks like his club is in the Serbian top league, so he is probably making a decent living playing there.  As he gets more professional experience, hopefully he can advance into some more prominent leagues!  I find European football leagues to be intriguing, as you have so many teams in many leagues that are competitive.  There are really only 2 solid teams in Serbia (Partizan and Red Star), but that seems to be the same case for many of the smaller countries. 

[KL31NY]

Kevin Hartman is definitely an MLS veteran, and someone I would think we would want back.  Seitz would be the obvious replacement, if we don't sign anyone else.  I would imagine that Kyle will get a fair shot at making the roster.

Looking at Hartman, he was eligible for the MLS Re-Entry Draft last month. No one drafted him, and FC Dallas didn't even take him at the end when clubs are allowed to reclaim their own players. Wonder if Hartman's age played a decisive factor. He's 38 I think...

Without knowing how strong the club's faith is in Sanchez, it looks more like Zo should make the club either as the No. 2 or No. 3 depending how he battles with Sanchez. I can't imagine either keeper beating Seitz for the starting job, but it'd be great if Kyle could.

[valpotx]

Extra motivation for Kyle to make the roster, a trip to Mexico in training!

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/01/fc-dallas-opens-2013-preseason-monday-jan-21

[crusaderjoe]

Years ago, even though MLS didn't exist back then or was in its relative infancy, it was a big deal to see a VU guy get picked up by a professional indoor soccer team. Nobody went to Europe.  Maybe you played semi-pro and that was it after graduation.  And here we now have two who have been drafted at the MLS level.  This really shows how far the program has grown and matured.

[valpotx]

It looks like Kyle will be battling it out for the number 3 GK spot, as I didn't notice that we signed a Peruvian national team GK.  Hopefully Kyle can beat out the 18 year old!

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/01/chris-seitz-top-form-preseason-begins

Then again, this 18 year old appears to be solid in his own right, being the GK for Mexico's U-17 World Cup champion team recently.  Hopefully if he plays at the senior national team level, the US can talk him away from Mexico, since he was born in CA, raised in TX.

http://www.fcdallas.com/players/richard-sanchez

[vu72]

Congrats to Kyle, and awesome that I could potentially see a Valpo player on a local professional team  .  I watch FC Dallas games on TV, but haven't attended one as of yet.  I have been wanting to do so, and if he makes the team, that will give me some added motivation. 

I have checked for Stefan since last year, and it seems like he only played in the reserves?  Anyone with additional insight into his professional career since last year?

I've been to a couple of games there and would highly recommend going. The atmosphere is terrific, the food and beverages great and the stadium is something to behold.  probably seats about 15-20,000 and all are great seats with open air concessions all around.

[usc4valpo]

Congrats to Kyle as this is a tremendous accomplishment.

[KL31NY]

Nice Q & A with Zobeck from TopDrawerSoccer.com. The blog on this site has one of the most creative names I've seen too, right in line with "The 10th Inning" for baseball fans

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/the91stminute/2013/01/our-interview-with-mls-draftee-kyle-zobeck-features-laughs-no-hair-gel/

[historyman]

Nice Q & A with Zobeck from TopDrawerSoccer.com. The blog on this site has one of the most creative names I've seen too, right in line with "The 10th Inning" for baseball fans http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/the91stminute/2013/01/our-interview-with-mls-draftee-kyle-zobeck-features-laughs-no-hair-gel/

Really good article. I learned a lot about Zobeck. It also does a great job of promoting Valpo and how Valpo goes beyond the playing field for Valpo STUDENT/athletes.

[agibson]

I wonder how training camp works out with classes?

I read somewhere that he was to have reported... this week, more or less?  I wonder if he has a way to make this work out so he still graduates?

Or, since he was a redshirt... did he already graduate?

[KL31NY]

I wonder how training camp works out with classes?

I read somewhere that he was to have reported... this week, more or less?  I wonder if he has a way to make this work out so he still graduates?

Or, since he was a redshirt... did he already graduate?

Scheduled to graduate December 2012 according to this article: http://www.valpo.edu/engineering/highlights/Kyle_Zobeck.php

Speaking out of experience with Stefan, I know that he needed classes to graduate and he talked with his professors to try to finish up online. He needed to leave as soon as he could after the draft to get to camp. Valpo's got a decent system where you can put class materials and assignments online for students. Of course, there's email and all that, too if needed.

[bbtds]

If anyone wants to check out the May 20, 2012 graduation ceremony you can check the end of the engineering dept parade of grads. I'm pretty sure Kyle would be the last one.

Valparaiso University May 2012 Commencement Time Lapse

[agibson]

I'm pretty sure Kyle would be the last one.

Well, not if didn't graduate until December!

[KL31NY]

Did not walk in May. Check the mechanical engineering grads around 1:40:00 2012 Commencement At this point the only proof would be in the 2012 December Commencement video, but one has not been uploaded to YouTube on the valpo channel... yet

While we are on the subject of posting a lot of Zobeck material, I found his article in the Valpo Magazine which is worth a post. It also mentions near the end that he was expected to graduate in December. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/90fba97d#/90fba97d/41

[historyman]

Speaking of FC Dallas & MLS, here's a sign that MLS is very much a minor league to the European leagues.

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/01/fc-dallas-and-mls-reach-agreement-stoke-city-brek-shea-transfer

[agibson]

Yeah, the MLS is sometimes thought of as "up and coming".  But it's got a ways to go.

Top Americans on their way up and out, with sometimes back on their way to retirement.  Top internationals on their way out to pasture (or sometimes as one stop on a sort of out-to-pasture tour of the world, apparently).

I couldn't quickly find a credible ranking of the top leagues in the world.  Not sure if we'd be top 20?

[valpotx]

Zobeck was used in the second half against the University of Memphis in a scrimmage:

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/02/match-recap-fc-dallas-2-memphis-1

The MLS would be considered top 20, but more towards the bottom of that number.  It is usually in the following order:

1) England Premiership
2) Spain La Liga
3) Itay Serie A
4) German Bundesliga
5) France Ligue 1
6) Holland Eredivise
7) Brazil Serie A
8.) Argentina Primera Division
9) Portugal Liga Sagres
10) Turkey SuperLeague
11) Russia Premier League
12) Scotland Premier League (before Rangers bankruptcy)
13) Mexico Primera
14) USA MLS
15) Denmark Superliga

[KL31NY]

Though Zo did give up a goal, it was fun to see this paragraph:

Following the scoreless first half, Memphis' Sherrod tested FC Dallas' Supplemental Draft pick Kyle Zobeck at the near post in the 57th minute. The former Valparaiso goalkeeper positioned himself well at the near post and was able to catch and hold the shot without allowing a rebound.

Also, how good is this "Michel?" I'm assuming, like with most one-name Brazilian soccer players, that he can bring it

[valpotx]

He is good for a Brazilian in MLS lol.  Not one of their top players by a long shot.

[valpotx]

Zobeck played the second half again in playing in Mexico vs. a second division Merida team.  No goals were scored against FC Dallas, and this article doesn't mention if we were tested or not in regards to shots on goal.  He is at least being given a chance to make the team!

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/02/match-recap-merida-0-fc-dallas-3

[valpotx]

Zobeck played again against Atlante, and is mentioned as making a solid save late in the game to preserve the win.  It seems that he is doing well against some pretty good competition, so let's hope he keeps it up and makes the team!

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/02/match-recap-atlante-2-fc-dallas-3

[KL31NY]

Thanks for the updates, tx. Glad we got a correspondent close to the scene giving us some updates :-)