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MLS Mock Draft: Galaxy select Fifi Baiden with No. 14 pick

The Ghana-born midfielder could prove to be a capable insurance policy on Juninho.

Photo courtesy of UCSB athletics

Kingsley "Fifi" Baiden has been compared to Dax McCarty. A defensive midfielder, Top Drawer Soccer currently has him on the top 100 player rankings. He's not a goal scorer, but can play the role Juninho currently does. Born in Ghana, he came to the US through a soccer academy which after five years placed him in the US at the age of 15. He dealt with injuries earlier this season but then made 15 of 16 possible appearances.

Baiden's red card in the NCAA tournament was the first of his soccer career and a controversial one to boot. This is a disciplined player who shouldn't have an issue dedicating himself to figuring out a new system. He's the glue and the pace-setter to the attack from the back.

He's the only player in Top Drawer soccer's top ten midfielder list to play the holding midfielder role. If he's still available, Baiden is the type of player who could have a lasting impact if given the time to develop.

What LA will be looking for in the draft: Filler, mostly. With just the one pick in the first two rounds, and a later one at that, LA's not going to find an immediate impact player.

Who the experts say LA will pick: Top Drawer has LA going after Luca Gimenez who would take an international spot but could contribute on the left side. MLS Soccer's latest says another DM in JJ Koval.

Why I’m invariably wrong: Bruce Arena rarely goes predictable in the draft, and although this is the team's highest draft pick since they selected Omar Gonzalez in 2009 it wouldn't shock me if Arena went off script.

Why I’m smarter than the pundits: Arena has a history of going local with Stephens, Jimenez, and Garcia coming through the draft and several UCLA prospects making their way over to the Galaxy.

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