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Guadarrama tapped for MLS combine

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Willy Guadarrama, a former Cedar Park soccer standout currently at Campbell University, is one of the first 58 players - from 44 NCAA Division I schools - to be selected for the Major League Soccer combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 5 to Jan. 8.

The group will be evaluated by MLS coaches in preparation for the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, which will be held Jan. 12 in Indianapolis.

A pre-season All-America choice, Guadarrama led the Atlantic Sun Conference in game-winning goals (four), while ranking second in goals scored (nine) and points (21).

He finished his three-year career tied for 12th among Campbell's all-time goal scoring leaders (36), while ranking 13th in points (82) in 56 matches. 

He was named first-team all-conference, second-team All-South and Atlantic-Sun all-tournament squads.

  “We are excited for Willy and the prospect he has in January with the MLS combine,” said Campbell head coach Doug Hess. “He has always expressed a desire to become a professional soccer player and now he has the opportunity to possibly become one. I am most proud of his commitment to finish his degree here at Campbell, putting the extra work in this past summer so that he could set himself up to graduate in December. We wish him the best of luck with this opportunity.”

Despite having one year of eligibility remaining, Guadarrama will graduate in December with a degree in sports management and begin pursuing of a professional soccer career.

He was selected as the 2005 Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, first-team All-South and third-team All-American after leading the nation in goals and points scored per game with 21 strikes (46 points) in 20 outings.

Guadarrama's younger brother, Sonny, signed a professional contract with Santos (Mexico) last summer after gaining Freshman All-America honors in 2005, his only season with the Fighting Camels.

  Campbell went 6-2-1 over its final nine matches of 2006 to finish the season at 10-7-2.  Four of CU's seven losses on the year came against schools that were either regionally or nationally ranked.

Fifth-year head coach for the Camels Hess produced the program's first back-to-back winning seasons since 1995-96.

Guadarrama contributed 12 points (five goals, two assists) in seven games during the month of October when CU went 5-1-1. He was selected Atlantic Sun Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after he struck three times and set up another goal in wins over Belmont and Lipscomb.

  Last winter, 23 of the 48 players selected in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft participated in the combine. The 58 players were chosen by a select panel of Division I college coaches who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches.

Youth players from the Generation Adidas program will join additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and Division I alternates to finalize the 2007 Adidas Player Combine.

The players will be divided into four teams and coached by college coaches John Trask (Illinois at Chicago), John Rennie (Duke), Mike Noonan (Brown) and Greg Andrulis (George Mason).

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