Impact should pick Wenger

That the MLS draft came to be called the "SuperDraft" probably had less to do with a feeling of self importance, but more with an attempt to give a bit of allurement to the whole process.

The underlying purpose to the MLS Combine, which ends on Tuesday, seems to bear a similar motive.

Would the performances of the top college prospects in a few scrimmages less than a week prior to the draft really spark a change of heart for coaches who have spent the last few months scouting and preparing for the process? Surely everyone's already made up their mind. The whole event just seems to be about trying to create some hype for a draft that, outside of the first ten picks or so, really doesn't have that much for one to be genuinely excited about. College soccer doesn't by any means have a monopoly on young talent: the always improving club academies are producing their own.

As far as the Montreal Impact is concerned, however, being the expansion franchise and having the first pick in the draft makes it a very exciting week for Impact fans. But the question is, who will head coach Jesse Marsch pick?

It boils down to two choices: goal scorer Darren Mattocks from Akron or the very versatile Andrew Wenger from Duke. They are the undisputed starlets of this draft, the best of the best, the cream of the crop. If the Impact picks somebody other than those two on Thursday, call it super daft.

Mattocks' 39 goals in 47 appearances with Akron and the fact that the Impact only has three forwards signed -- and Brian Ching is by no means a guarantee -- explains why the Jamaican is pegged as the favourite for first pick. However, there are some considerable holes to mend in defence as well.

After Nelson Rivas and Bobby Burling, there really aren't any other centre backs in the team. Hassoun Camara can play in the middle of defence but he's far more comfortable in a central midfield role, while Tyson Wahl, who started his career as a centre back, played the last two seasons at left back with Seattle and that's most likely where he will be deployed. There's also Nevio Pizzolitto who will be at the Impact training camp that kicks off on Jan. 16th. If he does sign with the Impact it would only be as a backup to the first team, which means that the Impact has one, maybe two, spots to fill at centre back.

While the forward position and middle of defence are the two areas that the Impact needs to improve the most, strengthening them takes more than adding bodies. The important thing is bringing in players that possess certain qualities that the team lacks or doesn't already have.

Considering what the Impact has in its current roster, both Mattocks and Wenger offer some distinctive characteristics. Mattocks would add pace and some creative spark to what is quite an immobile attack force, while Wenger would offer excellent possession and ball movement skills to what is mainly a no-nonsense backline. It probably wouldn't be fun to get into a fist fight with Rivas and Burling, but playing monkey in the middle with them really wouldn't feel intimidating.

Both Mattocks and Wenger would do well at the Impact but Wenger's technical ability for a centre back is remarkable and it makes him the more valuable player of the two. He even excelled at forward this past season.

There are very few teams in MLS that are able to play well out of the back, because central defenders that are very good with the ball at their feet and able to initiate the attack are practically a rarity in the league. This difficulty is one of the main reasons why many MLS sides have an incredibly hard time playing on the road. Being able to successfully transition from defence to attack is probably the most important component of the today's game and having a player like Wenger at the back would be indispensable.

Wenger would also likely be able to make more of an immediate impact. Picking him first would also have the added bonus of angering Vancouver Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie -- he has the second pick -- who has made the signing of defenders that are strong in possession an absolute priority. Mattocks wouldn't really suit Vancouver because it already has an abundance of forwards, including last year's first round pick Omar Salgado.

If the Impact picks Wenger they would still need to fill the gap up front, just like they would still need to strengthen the backline if they were to pick Mattocks. But as much as it is important to have strong players up front, making the defence a priority is what will give the Impact a chance to win some games in its first season.

If the Impact organization has really learned something from the struggles of its cousins to the west, Wenger will be the first pick on Thursday.

Nick Sabetti is a Montreal-based writer who covers the Montreal Impact for Goal.com. Follow Nick on Twitter.