by PART I: Rebel Scum PART II: Forwards PART III: Attacking Mids & Wingers
CENTER MIDFIELD
Perhaps no player on City’s roster had as much of an up-and-down season in 2017 as Dave Edwardson. He began in his customary starting spot, but was pushed to the bench after the team’s slow start and the emergence of a couple new players. To his credit, he embraced his new, “super-sub,” role, providing loads of energy and enthusiasm whenever he was inserted into a match. As the season wore on, and injuries and departures took their toll on the team’s depth, Edwardson regained a place in the Starting XI, helping lead City to its first Midwest Regional Title and an appearance in the NPSL Semi-Final.
In terms of playing style style, he’s a high-motor, hard-tackling defensive midfielder, capable pushing forward for the occasional goal.
Yes I’ve used this video before and I will continue to use it no I’m not sorry at all.
Now entering his third season as team captain, he’ll miss some early matches as he recovers from offseason knee surgery.
One of the men responsible for knocking Edwardson out of the starting lineup last year was Louis Dargent. When he was first announced as a roster addition for 2017, I assumed he would be a typical defensive midfielder due simply to his sheer size (6’4”). While he did prove to be a strong presence in the middle of the field – it was comical to see much shorter players challenge him for headers and always come up empty – he also displayed a very good level of technical ability, particularly dribbling and passing. And, rather than sitting back in front of the defensive line, he got forward regularly, often with good results:
He had to leave the team early to head back to school, so we only got a taste of his talents. Now, as a recent graduate, he’ll be available for the full season. Because of this, he’s the returning player I’m most intrigued to see.
Aaron Franco was Dargent’s center midfield partner for several matches last season, and in watching Brandon Bartel’s college highlights, I see a very similar player.
He controls the ball well and keeps it away from opposing players. More impressively, though, is his passing and distribution from that deep holding midfield spot. While the usual caveats about highlight videos apply, gorgeous passes like those, even when taken out of context, are evidence of his talent. He’s the youngest player at his position (he’ll be a junior at Penn this fall), but with his vision and ability, his chances of starting are very good.
As a recent/soon-to-be graduate of MSU, Brad Centala will reunite with Ben Pirmann this summer. Centala was a captain for the Spartans this past fall, helping guide them to the Elite Eight. The book on him is that he’s a prototypical, strong defensive midfielder; in fact, he was even listed as a defender on MSU’s roster.
With Edwardson out, and a limited number of players on the roster at the holding midfield position, Centala should see plenty of playing time early on and has a great opportunity to establish himself in the first team. His goal Saturday against Chattanooga certainly helps his cause.
Oliver Harris is back with City after a multi-year hiatus – he made a handful of appearances for the club in 2014. His resume is strikingly similar to Centala’s: defensive midfielder, went to a big school (Notre Dame), two-years as a full-time starter there. His play this preseason has been solid so far, and another good performance on Saturday should help him carve out a spot in the rotation.
One Reason to Be Excited 🙂
Departures took a big toll on this position a year ago, but as of today, Brandon Bartel is the only rostered center mid who’s a current college player. The other four have no such commitment and should be around for the entire summer. In such a short season, the more consistent and stable your roster, the better.
One Reason to Worry 🙁
This is the one spot on the team where depth looks like a real issue. Some players, such as Danny Deakin, can play here if needed, but I was hoping for at least one or two more center mids when player announcements were ongoing. Having just four healthy players to start a season in which there is an Open Cup commitment seems suboptimal. A recent positive development was George Chomakov’s appearance this weekend against Chattanooga. If he’s now healthy enough to play consistently, that would bolster the position with another quality option.
Player to Watch 😎
Brandon Bartel’s video is juicy, but I’m even more interested to see what Louis Dargent can do over the course of a full season. He was impressive in his abbreviated season a year ago, and I expect him to be a serious contender for this year’s Black Arrow Award.
Header Photos: Robert Sherman/Sherman/U. of Penn
