Juniors ready for next level

By Aaron Juarez

Thanks to the round-the-clock coverage of college football and basketball the public receives from August to March, armchair analysts around the nation inevitably debate which student-athletes should leave school early and enter the draft, or stay at school and improve their game.

Santa Clara is used to seeing world-class soccer players practice their trade at Buck Shaw Stadium. Yet there have never been any players who have left school before completing four seasons of play -- until now.

Having played soccer together either in the national or college ranks since they were freshmen in high school, junior defender Ryan Cochrane and junior goalkeeper Steve Cronin are taking another step up in their careers together. Both players will be leaving Santa Clara early to sign contracts with Nike Project-40 and enter the Major League Soccer Draft.

"If we leave early, there are certain benefits that come with the type of contract we sign," said Cochrane. "Each MLS team has 18 roster spots, but they can also carry up to three Project-40 players who will not count as an official roster spot. Teams are more likely to want you if you don't count against their roster spots."

College soccer can tend to slip off of the national radar when it comes to this type of situation. Like basketball and football, there is a professional soccer league, Major League Soccer. There is also a draft, the MLS SuperDraft, held in January. And there are MLS players who have left school early to enter the league, and in some cases players like national team stars DaMarcus Beasley and Bobby Convey have signed with Project-40 by 17 or 18 years of age, skipping college outright.

Nike Project-40 was created in 1997 as a co-operative operation between the U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer. The program's main goals are to maximize the development of U.S. prospects ages 17-22 against the best soccer nations around the world. Additionally, through placement in the MLS and the various U.S. National Team levels, each player receives the opportunity to gain experience in competition against high-quality opposition. This year is the last chance for Cochrane and Cronin to sign Project-40 deals, as next season they will be too old for eligibility.

"We were presented with an opportunity," said Cronin. "Next season is the last year we are eligible, not just for college play but also to be able to join Project-40. Ryan and I are both at a point in soccer where we are ready for the next challenge."

When Cochrane and Cronin sign with Nike Project-40 after the Santa Clara season concludes, they will then be entered into the MLS SuperDraft pool. Judging by the 2003 draft, the chances of a Nike Project-40 player being selected is quite high. The top three picks in the 2003 draft, Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (NY/NJ Metrostars) and Nate Jaqua (Chicago Fire) were all Project-40 players. There are currently 23 Project-40 graduates on MLS rosters.

Also, there are 29 graduates of the program who have played in the MLS previously, but are no longer with the league. While this demonstrates that success is not necessarily guaranteed by joining Project-40, the program does provide benefits to its members, most notably earning the minimum MLS salary in their first season, a Nike endorsement deal, and a 10-year academic package which covers tuition costs for players who want to take college courses.

"A guy can come in the league making the base salary, but it can be doubled in his second season," said Cochrane. "Plus, I'm definitely planning on getting my degree in the future, and I have 10 years to use the academic money for that."

Both Cochrane and Cronin have been in high demand from agents from representation firms and also from the MLS itself. Santa Clara men's soccer Head Coach Cameron Rast acts as a contact liaison between the players and the agents, and said that lately the inquiries have heated up.

"This year it has definitely intensified, there are a number of agents that have contacted me who would love to have the ability to represent both of these players," said Rast. "But at this point, they are looking at their options to try and maximize the fact that they are having a great year and are playing so well."

Cochrane acknowledges that it will be a difficult decision to leave Santa Clara, especially considering the recent success the team has enjoyed. Also playing into the difficulty is the fact that Cochrane and Cronin will miss the NCAA Tournament. They will join the U.S. Men's Under-20 team and travel to the United Arab Emirates to play in the FIFA World Youth Championships. Unless the U-20 team is eliminated in the first round, which is unlikely, and Santa Clara reaches the Final Four, Cochrane and Cronin will have played their last game for the Broncos this Saturday at Loyola Marymount.

"It's bittersweet, there's just something about our [Santa Clara] team this year that is special," said Cochrane. "We've been hearing comparisons to the '98-'99 team that reached the Final Four, and that means a lot. But my time with the Under-20 team is also important. Yet while I'm here at Santa Clara, my focus will always be 100 percent on SCU. When I join the U-20 team and go to the United Arab Emirates, then my focus will be on the National team."

In the meantime, Cochrane and Cronin have been focusing on the decision at hand. They regularly consult their families, Coach Rast and each other on all aspects of the choice they face.

"Right now it's exciting," said Cronin. "Ryan and I talk about where we want to go and situations we'll be facing in the future."

Said Cochrane: "It comes down to talking with my family, and talking with Steve. We talk about this a lot, it is somewhat scary and exciting at the same time."

Careful consideration has gone into the ramifications of their decision. Still, the feeling on all sides is that the timing for leaving Santa Clara is right for the future aspirations of both players.

"Staying in school is a life-long commitment to yourself, and with such a fantastic education that you get here at Santa Clara, I think it's one of those programs where if you get a degree here you really set yourself up," said Rast. "We've tried to make sure that they know that the timing is probably best this year. Project-40 will not be available for them next year because they will have exhausted their eligibility. But that's part of the reason why we encouraged them to stay at least until they were juniors, and not leave as sophomores."

It is less risky to turn pro early in MLS than it is in the NFL and NBA, as Cochrane and Cronin will have guaranteed professional opportunities and the option to finish school at no cost to themselves within the next 10 years.

"I wouldn't be losing anything [by joining Project-40]," said Cronin. "I knew the sooner I could get into MLS, the sooner I could work and improve to the next level."

After Saturday, Ryan Cochrane and Steve Cronin begin the next phase of their careers. Just as their dreams and aspirations started together about six years ago, they will be realized together as well.

Contact Aaron Juarez at (408) 554-4852 or at ajuarez@scu.edu.