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MLS Mock Draft: Red Bulls select Pete Caringi with No. 22 pick

The Red Bulls need a goal scorer and the UMBC product has that in spades.

Pete Caringi just finished his Senior season with the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers. In his four years with the Retrievers, Pete appeared in 77 games (19.25/year), while scoring a total of 37 goals (0.48 goals per game). Of those 37 goals, 27 of them were scored in his last two season, over 39 games played (0.69 goals per game). During his time at UMBC, Caringi also managed to chip in with 17 assists (0.22 assists per game).

In the summer of 2013, Caringi appeared in 12 games for USL Premier Development League side Baltimore Bohemians. He earned the 2013 PDL Golden Boot for his 16 goals (1.33 goals per game), while leading the leagues in points (37), tying for 6th in shots taken (45), and chipping in with 5 assists. He led the Bohemians to their first ever playoff appearance by taking 2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic Division.

It should be obvious, but Caringi is simply a player who can put the ball away. From what I have seen of him with his time with the Bohemians, he can also control the ball in a forward position, something that is a little bit of an underrated skill. He does have a tendency at times to get himself in trouble, but I chalk that up to youth more than anything else.

What the Red Bulls will be looking for in the draft: Mike Petke has already stated that he wants to find a defender who can play on the wing and join in the attack.

Who the experts say the Red Bulls will pick: Soccer by Ives had Luca Gimenez going to the Red Bulls, while Top Drawer Soccer had them picking Nikita Kotlov.

Why I’m invariably wrong: Petke has clearly stated he wants to focus on the defense and wing play. The forward position for the Red Bulls is already congested with Thierry Henry, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Peguy Luyindula, & Andre Akpan, not to mention Homegrown Player Amando Moreno.

Why I’m smarter than the pundits: Pete Caringi isn't just a pick for 2014, but a pick for the future. Henry's contract runs through the current season, but after that, his position with the team in unknown. More likely than not, he won't be returning for another season. Luyindula seems to be better suited as an attacking midfielder than a forward, especially with his low goal production since joining the Red Bulls. Wright-Phillips is promising, but he's been injury prone since joining the team. Akpan and Moreno could step up, but given the mid-season addition of Wright-Phillips in 2013, it seems that they aren't valued highly enough. The Red Bulls had a hard enough time replacing Kenny Cooper's production in 2013, it'll be even harder to replace when Henry leaves.

Full Mock Draft results (click on player names to see the profiles)

First Round

Team Blog Pick
1. D.C. United Black and Red United Patrick Mullins
2. Philadelphia Union Brotherly Game Steve Neumann
3. Vancouver Whitecaps 86 Forever Andre Blake
4. Columbus Crew Massive Report Steve Birnbaum
5. FC Dallas Big D Soccer Christian Dean
6. Union Brotherly Game Marlon Hairston
7. Whitecaps 86 Forever Damion Lowe
8. Chicago Fire Hot Time In Old Town Grant Van De Casteele
9. San Jose Earthquakes Quake, Rattle and Goal Eric Miller
10. Montreal Impact Mount Royal Soccer A.J Corrado
11. Colorado Rapids Burgundy Wave Schillo Tshuma
12. New England Revolution The Bent Musket JJ Koval
13. Seattle Sounders Sounder at Heart Aodhan Quinn
14. LA Galaxy LAG Confidential Fifi Baiden
15. Toronto FC Waking the Red AJ Cochran
16. Houston Dynamo Dynamo Theory Mamadou Diouf
17. Portland Timbers Stumptown Footy Reinaldo Brenes
18. Real Salt Lake RSL Soapbox Ben Sweat
19. Revolution The Bent Musket Marco Franco

Second Round

Team Blog Pick
20. Chivas USA The Goat Parade Enrique Cardenas
21. Sounders Sounder at Heart Taylor Peay
22. New York Red Bulls Once a Metro Pete Caringi
23. Crew Massive Report Pedro Ribeiro
24. Toronto FC Waking the Red Joey Dillon
25. Union Brotherly Game Jared Watts
26. Timbers Stumptown Footy Kevin Cope
27. Union Brotherly Game Kyle Venter
28. Earthquakes Quake, Rattle and Goal Mackenzie Pridham
29. Impact Mout Royal Soccer Jimmy Ockford
30. Whitecaps 86 Forever Nikita Kotlov
31. Revolution The Bent Musket Victor Chavez
32. Dynamo Dynamo Theory Kristopher Tyrpak
33. Rapids Burgundy Wave Rafael Diaz
34. Red bulls Once a Metro Alex Martinez
35. Rapids Burgundy Wave Zach Bolden
36. Timbers Stumptown Footy Mark Sherrod
37. Impact Mout Royal Soccer Michael Calderon
38. Sporting Kansas City The Daily Wiz

Romena Bowie