MLS: Player Combine Biographies (Midfielders)

• by Soccer America , Jan 30, 1997

Here is some biographical information on some of the midfielders at the MLS player combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Note: GC = Green Card holder; I = International Player

BRAD AGOOS

Played at the University of Virginia from 1989-93, winning three NCAA titles.... Played the 1996 USISL season with the Charleston Battery.... Played the 1995 USISL season with the Charlotte Eagles.... Played indoors with the Carolina Vipers of the CISL in 1994.... Played with FC Homburg in the German Third Division in 1993.... The younger brother of U.S. National Team player Jeff Agoos.

NIDAL BABA

Played part of last season with the MetroStars after being taken in Round 14 of the MLS Player Draft (139th overall)...... Appeared in three games for the Metros, starting one, and picked up one assist.... The assist was to A.J. Wood on the game-winning goal in a victory over the Dallas Burn on 6/2/96, giving new Head Coach Carlos Quieroz his first MLS win.... One of the premier midfielders in the ACC at Clemson.... Was the Tigers captain and MVP all three years and was an All-ACC selection in 1994 and 1995.... A two-time Parade All-American at Humble High School in Humble, Texas.... A member of the U.S. U-16 National Team which defeated Brazil, 1-0, at the 1989 World Youth Championships in Scotland.... Played for the U.S. Under-20 National Team in 1991. Brother Imad plays for New England

CLAUDIO BENETTI (I)

Played 11 years in the Boca Juniors system, the last three as a professional in the First Division.... Played 1993-94 with Belgrano de Cordoba.... Played 1994-95 with Temuco in Chilean First Division.... A teammate of New England Revolution midfielder Alberto Naveda at Boca..

JASON FARRELL

Played 1994, 1995 and 1996 with the Seattle Sounders of the A-League, winning the championship the past two seasons.... Led the 1996 Sounder squad in scoring with 8 goals and 8 assists and was named team MVP.... Scored 3 goals and had 7 assists as a rookie in 1994 and was all APSL-Second Team.... Had 1 goal and 2 assists during the 1995 championship season.... Also played in 1995 and 1996 with the Kansas City Attack of the NPSL, scoring 40 points last season.... Trained with Vissel Kobe of the J-League in 1996.... Played the 1990 college season at the University of Washington where he scored 6 goals with 5 assists.... Played two seasons as a starter for Seattle Pacific and was named the MVP of the conference in 1991.

MARCO FERRUZZI

Played the 1996 USISL season with the Tampa Bay Cyclones.... Played 1995-96 with the Tampa Bay Terror of the NPSL.... Played with the San Antonio Pumas of the USISL from 1993-95.... Played at the University of North Carolina from 1989-92.... Was a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team during 1986-87....

SAM GEORGE

Played the last three summers indoors with the Anaheim Splash in the CISL.... Played the 1993 CISL season with Los Angeles United after he was a First Round selection in the Amateur Draft.... Was also a First Round selection of the Baltimore Spirit in the 1993 NPSL Draft.... Played at UCLA from 1988-91, winning an NCAA Championship in 1990.

MIKE HEALD

Played the 1995 and 1996 USISL seasons with the Tampa Bay Cyclones, but missed the end of 1995 and half of 1996 with a broken leg.... Played the 1994 USISL season with the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers.... A four-year starter at the University of Tampa and was All-Conference and All-South four times.... Led the team in assists his freshman and junior years.Played with the U.S. National "B" Team from 1991-95.

LYNDON HOOPER (I)

The veteran of the Canadian National Team played the last two seasons with the Montreal Impact of the A-League.... Is second all-time in caps for Canada, having played for his country 63 times.... First played with the full national team in 1986, he was a part of the 1990 and 1994 Canadian National Teams that attempted to qualify for the World Cup.... Is an important part of the Canadian team attempting to qualify for the 1998 World Cup in France.... Played 1993-94 with Birmingham City in the English First Division.... Played 1989-92 with the Toronto Blizzard of the Canadian Soccer League.... Played 1988 with the Montreal Supra of the CSL and 1987 with the Ottawa National Pioneers in the CSL.... A CSL All-Star in 1988, 1990 and 1992.... Has represented Canada on the Under-16 and Under-19 levels..

JOSH KALKSTEIN

Played last season in Holland with ADO of the Dutch Second Division.... Played 1995 USISL season with the Hawaii Tsunami.... Played 1994 USISL season with the North Bay Breakers.... Played 1993-94 with SPVG Marl in the German Third Division.

LOUIS KEN-KWOFIE

Played part of the 1996 USISL season with the New York Stallions.... Played for the MetroStars in the club's final 96 regular season game against Tampa Bay.... Played 1994 USISL season with the New Jersey Imperials.... Played 1991 with the Stallions in the USISL.... Also played amateur in the New York Metro area with Brooklyn Italians and Frosinone.... Played 1990-91 at Montclair State, earning all-conference honors.

LASZLO KOMODI (I)

Played last six years in the Hungarian First Division, appearing in over 135 games.... Played last two years with BVSC.... Broke into the professional ranks with MTK in 1989-90 in the First Division.... Moved to Honved in 1991, where he played two seasons.... Moved back to MTK for two seasons and then with BVSC for the last two seasons.

BETO LIMA

Played last USISL season with the El Paso Patriots, scoring four times.... Played 1994 at Barry University, scoring 7 goals.... Born in Rio de Janeiro, he played in Flamengo, Botofogo and Bangu youth systems as a teenager.... Now a U.S. citizen.

ARRON LUJAN

Played 1995-96 with the Colorado Foxes of the A-League.... Saw limited action in 1995, but started 27 of 29 games in 1996, scoring 3 goals with 4 assists.... Played 1994-95 with the Denver Kickers, winning the U.S. Amateur Cup both years.... Played 1991-94 at Colorado College, where he led the team in scoring three out of his four seasons.

DICK McCORMICK

Played 1994-96 with the Seattle Sounders of the A-League.... Played three NPSL seasons with the Canton Invaders from 1991-94.... Played in the CISL in 1993 with the Portland Pride.... Played 1989-91 with the Tacoma Stars of the MISL.... Played 1989-90 with the Portland Timbers of the APSL.... Played 1987-88 at NAIA Warner Pacific College.

DERRICK PHILLIPS

Played the 1996 CISL season with the Dallas Sidekicks.... Taken in the First Round of the CISL supplemental draft last July.... Played collegiately at the UMBC.

KEVIN SLOAN

Played 1996 with the Carolina Dynamo of the USISL.... Played 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons with the Baltimore Spirit of the NPSL, ranking in the league's Top 10 in scoring both years.... Played 1994-95 with the Delaware Wizards in the USISL and was an All-Star selection.... Played 1992-94 with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the APSL and the Dayton Dynamo in the NPSL.... Played 1988-92 with the Maryland Bays in the APSL.... Played 1988-89 with the Dayton Dynamo of the NPSL.... Played 1985-88 with the Catawba, earning All-America honors three times while scoring 59 career goals.

JOE THIEMAN

Currently playing amateur soccer in Northern Virginia.... Spent 1994 in Belgium.... Played at Princeton University from 1990-93, earning NSCAA All-America honors three times.... In 1993, he captained the first Princeton team to reach the NCAA Final Four.... A four-time All-Ivy selection.... Played with the U.S. Under-20 National Team in 1990 and with the U.S. Under-18 National Team in 1989.

RYAN TINSLEY

Played the 1996 CISL season with the San Diego Sockers, scoring 26 goals with 5 assists.... In 1995, he played in more than 25 games with FC Saarbrucken, scoring 5 goals with 10 assists.... Played 1994 with the Sockers, scoring 10 goals with 3 assists.... Played 1992-93 at Fresno State, scoring four career goals with 15 assists and was named All-Conference.... Played 1992 at UC irvine, scoring 4 goals with 5 assists.

ISTVAN URBANYI (I)

Played last nine years professionally in Hungary.... Broke in at age 16 with Salgotaljan in the Hungarian Second Division.... He then moved to Honved in 1987, winning the Hungarian championship.... Played with Raba ETO in 1988-90, before returning to Honved in 1990.... In 1992, he played for BVSC and then in 1995, he moved back to Honved.

BRANDON WARD

Currently playing with the St. Louis Ambush in the NPSL.... Played the first half of the 96 season with the Columbus Crew, seeing action in six games while starting three.... Taken in Round 6 of the 1996 MLS Player Draft (51st overall).... Played with the U.S. National "B" Team in 1993-94.... Played with the U.S. Under-23 National Team at the World University Games in 1995.... Played 1995 with the Hampton Roads Mariners of the USISL, playing 24 games, scoring 5 goals with 5 assists.... A three-time All-Big Ten selection at Indiana, appearing in 93 games and starting 91.... Ended his IU career with 16 goals and 9 assists, helping the Hoosiers to the NCAA championship game in 1994, when he was team captain.

KERRY ZAVAGNIN

Played 1996 USISL season with the Raleigh Flyers of the USISL.... A starter on the U.S. Under-20 National Team at the FIFA Youth World Championships in Australia in 1993.... A member of the U.S. Olympic Team pool in 1994-95.... A four year starter at North Carolina from 1992-96.... All-ACC two years and captain as a senior.