MLS: Five more players join Project-40

MLS Deputy Commissioner and Project 2010 Managing Director Sunil Gulati has announced that five additional players have joined the professional ranks, increasing Project-40’s Class of 1999 to six members. College stars Michael Green (Virginia), Dema Kovalenko (Indiana), Antonio Otero (American) and Maurizio Rocha (Connecticut) are joined by A-League standout Francisco Gomez of the California Jaguars and previous allocation Scott Bower of Clemson. Additional players will be announced in the weeks to come to complete the third Project-40 class comprised of national team hopefuls making their mark in the U.S. professional outdoor soccer ranks. At the 1999 MLS College and Supplemental Drafts on February 7, Dema Kovalenko was assigned to the Dallas Burn and immediately traded to the Chicago Fire for the picks that turned out to be Hoosier Lazo Alavanja and SMU product Paul Broome. UConn’s Maurizio Rocha was assigned to the Miami Fusion; and Antonio Otero was assigned to Colorado and immediately dealt to D.C. United in exchange for one of D.C.’s first-round picks in the 2000 college draft. Cavalier defender Michael Green and U-20 star Francisco Gomez have been assigned to Kansas City today and will wear the Wizards kit. “I think that we all have had the dream of playing professional soccer since we were children,” Rocha said. “Project-40 gives us that opportunity and the chance to have the national team coaches watch our progress and see if one day we can represent the U.S.” Project-40 is the joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at providing America’s young talent with the valuable training needed to develop their individual skills and further the United States’ international success. During the regular season, these players train with their assigned MLS teams during the week and play matches on the weekend with either their MLS squad or the A-League’s U.S. Pro-40 Select team. The goal of Project-40 is to enable the United States to compete with the top countries of the world and to win both the 2000 Olympics and the 2010 World Cup. Following are the bios of Project-40’s Class of 1999: SCOTT BOWER Midfielder/Forward, Clemson 5-8, 160 lbs. 1998 Second Team All-ACC … Helped to lead No. 1 Clemson to its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals only to lose 2-1 to eventual 1998 champions Indiana … In 1998, as a junior played 24 games, scoring nine goals and 16 assists … His 34 points placed the Tiger seventh in points scored in the ACC and second in assists… Played in the 1998 adidas Summer League … Transferred from Stetson University to Clemson after 1997 season where he started all 18 games as a sophomore … 1997 First Team All-TAAC … Stetson’s second leading goal scorer with six goals and three assists for 15 points … Played for the McGuire Cup-winning Clearwater Chargers (U-19 National Champions) in the summer of 1997 … Named to Snickers/USYSA All-Tournament Team after winning the McGuire Cup … In 1996, started all 15 games as a freshman … Team’s third leading scorer with three goals and two assists … Current member of the U.S. U-23 national team … Played nine games with the U-23s, two of which were caps … Scored Team USA’s third goal in the 4-1 victory over Manchester United Reserve Team on August 8, 1998 … Scored the game-winning goal for the U.S. U-23 team in a friendly against Canada on March 29, 1998. FRANCISCO GOMEZ Midfielder, California Jaguars (A-League) 5-11, 170 lbs. In 1998, played five games with the California Jaguars, scoring one goal and three assists … Current member of the U.S. Under-20 national team… Made his U-20 debut in a 6-0 victory over Bolivia on June 27, 1998… Scored his first U-20 international goal against Jamaica on Dec. 12, 1998 … Earned a spot on the U.S. roster for CONCACAF U-20 qualifying, but a quadriceps injury prevented him from playing …Scored two goals and four assists in 1998 with the U-20s… Captained the U.S. U-17 national team that competed in the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Ecuador … Previously trained and competed within the famous Tahuichi Academy in Bolivia. MICHAEL GREEN Defender, Virginia 6-4, 190 lbs. In 1998, played in 22 of a possible 23 games, starting 18 … Registered two goals and one assist as a junior … Virginia’s GAA was 0.75 with Green on the field and 0.80 for the season, the second-lowest in the ACC during the 1998 campaign … In 1997, as a sophomore, was a Virginia SID Second Team All-State selection … Part of the UVa defense which had a team GAA of 0.87 and eight shutouts on the season … Tied the UVa record for most games played and started in a single season (26), while his 2,337 minutes played are the second-highest single season total in school history … Assisted on Ben Olsen’s game-winning goal against Maryland in the1997 ACC Championship game … In 1996, as a freshman, played in seven games, starting once and totaling 178 minutes. DEMA KOVALENKO Forward, Indiana 5-8, 145 lbs. 1998 Hermann Award Finalist …12th Indiana player to make Century Club with 105 career points (45 goals, 15 assists) … one of Soccer America 1998 College MVPs … Men’s Div. I Championship All-Tournament Team … 1998 NSCAA First Team All-America … First Team All-Big Ten … Indiana won the 1998 NCAA Div. I championship, beating Stanford 3-1 for its fourth title and first in a decade … Kovalenko sparked the scoring in the seventh minute with a goal followed by an assist in the 19th minute … Was Indiana’s leading scorer with 15 goals and a career-best 10 assists for 40 points … In 1997, as a sophomore, was a Hermann Trophy finalist … First Team All-America … First Team All-Big Ten selection … Led the Hoosiers with 20 goals and three assists (43 points) … Fifth in the nation in goals and ninth in points … Led the Big Ten and Great Lakes Region in goals and points … 1996 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten although he played in only eight games … Injured his leg in the eighth game of the season against Miami (O.) and had to have surgery … Scored in seven consecutive games before getting hurt … Scored 10 goals and two assists for 22 points (tied for third-highest mark on the team) … Originally from the Ukraine … Played for the Dynamo Kiev Soccer youth team while growing up … Came to the United States in 1992 … Majoring in marketing/management at IU. ANTONIO OTERO Midfielder, American 5-11, 170 lbs. 1998 preseason Hermann Trophy finalist … Suffered ACL tear in preseason and was sidelined for the entire 1998 NCAA campaign … In 1997, led American University to a No. 5-national ranking and the NCAA Quarterfinals … Registered 13 assists, setting a new single-season record for AU, placing him 10th in the nation and 1st in the Colonial Athletic Association … Earned First Team All-CAA and Second Team All Region … Started in all 25 contests … Had 6 game-winning assists … In 1996, had an ankle injury that limited him to 11 starts in 13 appearances … In 1995, started in all 20 games in which he appeared … Was sixth on the team in scoring with two goals and three assists … Member of U.S. U-23 national team … In early August of 1998 traveled to England where the U-23s competed against the reserve teams of English Premier League sides Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United… In 1997 and 1998, selected and played in the adidas Summer League … Majoring in Law and Justice. MAURIZIO ROCHA Midfielder, Connecticut 5-9, 165 lbs. 1998 Hermann Trophy finalist and a 1998 NSCAA First Team All-America … Selected to the 1998 Umbro Select College All-Star Classic … Started and played all 77 games in his four-year career at Connecticut … 1998 Big East Offensive Player of the Year … Tied for second in the nation in assists (16) and became only the sixth UConn men’s soccer player in history to reach 100 career points … Ranks sixth on UConn’s all-time scoring list with 105 total points (27g, 51a) and led the Huskies to a school record-setting four straight weeks at the No. 1 spot in the NSCAA Top 25 poll … His 51 career assists rank second on UConn’s all-time assist list and put him in the top 10 among the NCAA all-time assist leaders … As co-captain, led UConn to a 17-4-0 finish, including 15 straight victories, and led the team in scoring with a season-high 13 goals and 16 assists … Three-time First Team All-Big East … 1997 Big East Co-Offensive Player of the Year … Came to the United States from Bolivia in 1994 … Majoring in economics. PROJECT-40 ALPHABETICAL ROSTER