By Andrew Melnykovich
With the Major League Soccer All-Star Game in a couple of weeks, it’s a good time to check in on recent Louisville graduates who headed to the pros after wrapping up their college careers.
On the whole, the former Cards are doing quite well, although it’s a long shot for any of them to make the 18-man all-star roster that will be announced Sunday. But you might see more than one of them on the various all-rookie teams that are named when the season ends in October.
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Austin Berry is on a tear. After being stuck on the Chicago Fire bench early in the season (despite being taken ninth in the MLS draft), Berry was pressed into action when injuries and suspensions decimated the team’s back line.
He has since started every game, 12 in all. And he shown the same nose for the goal that he had in Louisville, scoring twice on set pieces, including a tally in his first game.
Berry’s play has gained him notice, with SI.com placing him among its three contenders for Rookie of the Year, just behind New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara (Fordham) and alongside Cardinal classmate Nick DeLeon.
DeLeon, a midfielder and seventh pick in the draft, has done at least as well as Berry in the pros. He has appeared in 13 games, starting 11, and has tallied three goals and a pair of assists. Like Berry, he had an immediate impact, scoring in his first game after coming on in the 73rd minute. With his versatility as a player and high work rate, DeLeon looks to be headed for a lengthy career as a pro.
All-everything forward Colin Rolfe (18th pick by the Houston Dynamo) has dressed for every game but has yet to see any game action for the first team. But he has played in all six games for the reserve squad and, despite starting only once, is the second-leading scorer, with three goals and an assist. Once he adjusts to the pro game, he’s a good bet to start showing the pros why he’s the third-leading goal scorer in Louisville history.
Continued: To catch up with with former U of L soccer favorites as Andre Boudreaux, Aaron Horton, and Kenny Walker, go here.
Thanks for the update.