Dec. 14, 2009
NEW YORK - San Diego State senior Nick Cardenas (Thornton, Colo.) has been selected to participate in the 2010 adidas Major League Soccer Player Combine, which will be held at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., from Jan. 8-12, 2010. Cardenas is the first Aztec picked for the combine since two-time All-American Tally Hall in 2007.
The coaching and management staffs of all 16 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the combine, which concludes two days before the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. At last year's draft, 42 of the 60 players drafted attended the 2009 MLS Player Combine, including 10 first round picks. This year's draft will be held Jan. 14 in Philadelphia.
The initial player list was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conference who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. Cardenas is one 18 defenders and 62 collegiate seniors selected to participate in the combine.
The 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine will separate players into four teams and feature two games per day on Jan. 9, 10 and 12.
Cardenas wrapped up a stellar four-year career last month when he earned first-team all-Pac-10 honors. A preseason All-American by College Soccer News, Cardenas started all 17 games he played in during the 2009 season, tying for third on the team with nine points on four goals and an assist. In conference play, the three-time NSCAA all-Far West Region pick and 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year scored three goals for six points.
Despite going 3-0-2 against top-15 teams, 2-0-2 versus the top 10, 2-1-3 on the road, and ranking 22nd of 204 teams in the final regular season edition of the RPI (released Nov. 9), SDSU was left out of the NCAA tournament.