In 2009, Alamo City (then known as Montgomery County) drafted Omar Cummings in the 9th round, pick #67. This was before Colorado's MLS Cup a year later and Omar's injuries in the years after. Cummings was a difference maker that year and on several occassions it was him that came through with a late game winner turning 1 point to 3 points in the standings and the first ever BSL Cup title. The same could be said the next year. The 2010 season saw Union SC win the BSL Cup. One of the big reasons was Sebastian LeToux's debute in Philadelphia that year. When was LeToux taken you ask? Would you believe in the 9th round at pick #65. In recent years LeToux has gone much higher. He was drafted #1 in the BSL's 2012 draft and taken as a DP by Ohio this season. I guess you could say Union SC bought him low that year. The 2011 CD Gunners are the only BSL Club to date to win the trifecta. So how did that club manage to be consistent enough to lose only 3 times in the regular season, then keep it going in the playoffs, and then lose only once in 5 Majors Cup games too on route to 3 titles in 1 year? Picking Mauro Rosales all the way down as the #102 pick to create a Sounders duo with then fellow teammate Freddy Montero will help any clubs depth.
It's also not always about the draft.
The 2012 BSL Cup Champion from the Rose City can tell you that. The owner of the Flyers picked Alejandro Moreno in the first round only to have him score 1 point total most of the year before eventually being dropped. The rest of the clubs early draft picks didn't fair much better either. So how did Rose City even make the playoffs much less win it all in its inauguration year? The Flyers fixed a poor draft by signing gem after gem in the free agent market all season long in 2012. Every player Rose City picked up in-season became productive instantly. By the end of the regular season more than half of the club was different than from week 1. Ofcourse, sometimes a good draft and champion season comes down to limiting your opponents from getting the players that they want. That's what Burud Town did last year to win the 2013 BSL Cup. Besides making trades to take the #2 and #3 picks in the opening round of that draft, the Stags also took 2 quality Goal Keepers midway in the draft allowing the club to switch back and forth all year long and starting the keeper with the easier opponent on the MLS schedule. It also forced some other BSL clubs to be starved for a talented Keeper.
Dont forget about a little topic called the transfer window.
You can be a wiz at the draft. You can score big in free agency. But, every year a slew of overseas talent comes in and creates a frenzy of bidding wars. Often times it can strengthen a BSL club and take it over the top. Last year Alamo City won out on 8 bidding wars including Obafemi Martins in week 3 of that season. What do you think? Did all those bids help win the Battle a 2nd straight Majors Cup title in 2013?
In short, there is more than one way to win. But, often times it comes down to more than just having a couple of good players from the first few rounds of any draft.
