Austin FC continued to lay the groundwork for their inaugural season in MLS, selecting Virginia Tech midfielder Daniel Pereira with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 SuperDraft.
Coach Josh Wolff has already put together the spine of his squad through the expansion draft and free agency. With five draft picks—and three in the first round—Wolff had an opportunity to further augment the roster with young up-and-coming talent.
Here's a look at how the SuperDraft unfolded.
First Round
- 1. Austin FC: Daniel Pereira, midfielder, Virginia Tech
- 2. FC Cincinnati: Calvin Harris, forward, Wake Forest
- 3. Colorado Rapids: Philip Mayaka, midfielder, Clemson
- 4. D.C. United: Kimarni Smith, forward Clemson
- 5. D.C. United: Michael DeShields, defender, Wake Forest
- 6. Houston Dynamo FC: Ethan Bartlow, defender, Washington
- 7. Real Salt Lake: Bret Halsey, defender, Virginia
- 8. Orlando City SC: Derek Dodson, forward, Georgetown
- 9. Vancouver Whitecaps FC: David Egbo, forward, Akron
- 10. Inter Miami CF: Josh Penn, forward, Indiana
- 11. Austin FC: Freddy Kleemann, defender, Washington
- 12. San Jose Earthquakes: Thomas Williamson, forward, California
- 13. New York Red Bulls: Luther Archimede, forward, Syracuse
- 14. Los Angeles FC: Daniel Trejo, forward, California State, Northridge
- 15. FC Dallas: Nicky Hernandez, midfielder, SMU
- 16. Los Angeles Galaxy: Josh Drack, forward, Denver
- 17. Minnesota United FC: Justin McMaster, forward, Wake Forest
- 18. Minnesota United FC: Nabilai Kibunguchy, defender, California, Davis
- 19. Orlando City SC: Rio Hope-Gund, defender, Georgetown
- 20. Nashville SC: Irakoze Donasiyano, forward, Virginia
- 21. Austin FC: Aedan Stanley, defender, Duke
- 22. Orlando City SC: Brandon Hackenberg, defender, Penn State
- 23. Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Javain Brown, defender, South Florida
- 24. New England Revolution: Edward Kizza, forward, Pittsburgh
- 25. Toronto FC: Matt Di Rosa, midfielder, Maryland
- 26. Inter Miami CF: Aime Mabika, defender, Kentucky
- 27. Columbus Crew SC: Justin Malou, defender, Clemson
Full results available at MLSSoccer.com
Fans didn't have to wait long to see the first surprise of the SuperDraft.
On Wednesday, Matthew Doyle of MLSSoccer.com ranked Clemson's Philip Mayaka as the No. 1 central midfielder and wrote, "He's the most obvious No. 1 overall pick since Cyle Larin in 2015, or maybe even all the way back to Steve Zakuani in 2009."
Wolff and sporting director Claudio Reyna apparently didn't get the memo.
Ives Galarcep @SoccerByIvesWhoa, Austin FC selects Daniel Pereira. A surprise, but Pereira is very talented box-to-box midfielder with some good attacking quality. Will Austin look to deal him? Rapids were interested and moved up to get him. That shakes thinks up big time because teams want Mayaka.
Ives Galarcep @SoccerByIvesWho made out the best in the 1st round today? Houston Dynamo, Minnesota United and New England. Orlando City added some promising pieces as well. Headscratchers? Austin FC (though Pereira is a real talent) and San Jose (Super reach).
Even Pereira was taken aback somewhat.
"I wasn't really expecting to be No. 1 because of all the mock drafts," he said, per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. "It's an honor. I'm really happy. My family is crying. It's a moment I'll never forget."
Pereira spent two years at Virginia Tech, collecting six goals and six assists in 26 appearances. Those numbers don't truly reflect his contributions because he doesn't need to be a high-volume scorer or playmaker to make an impact.
Major League Soccer @MLSGet to know @danipereira121 // #SuperDraft by @adidassoccer https://t.co/Geaq5D4QLa
Mayaka, meanwhile, was off the board at No. 3 to the Colorado Rapids.
Colorado moved up from No. 6 as the SuperDraft was getting underway, and SBI Soccer's Ives Galarcep reported Pereira seemed to be the Rapids' target. Getting Mayaka is a solid consolation prize.
Corey Roepken @RipSportsA lot of mock drafts and analysts had Mayaka going No. 1 overall. I wonder if the Rapids like their trade up to No. 3 even more now. https://t.co/5eyuR3uP02
Colorado Rapids @ColoradoRapidsAthleticism. Vision. Playmaking. Our newest addition brings some good qualities to the center of the park. https://t.co/uorqjv5Zmh
Mayaka's teammate, Kimarni Smith, immediately followed at No. 4 to D.C. United. Smith's eight goals were the most in Division I for the abbreviated 2020 fall season, and he had 13 goals across 21 appearances in 2019.
Clemson Men's Soccer @ClemsonMSoccerWhat was it like inside the team room when @dcunited made the fourth pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft? Joy. Pure joy. Congratulations, Kimarni! #ClemsonUnited 🧡💜 https://t.co/jPS16kQphF
He should help D.C., which tied for the fourth-fewest goals (25) in MLS last season.
FC Cincinnati were at the bottom of the list, mustering 12 goals in 23 matches. The 2020 campaign was nothing short of a disaster in Southwest Ohio as the team went 4-15-4.
Given how badly coach Jaap Stam needed to address the attack, Wake Forest's Calvin Harris was the obvious choice at No. 2. Harris totaled 25 goals and 10 assists in his two years with the Demon Deacons.
Major League Soccer @MLSA winger from England! Get to know Calvin Harris // #SuperDraft by @adidassoccer https://t.co/9f0e4yMLep
Despite moving back a few spots, Houston made out pretty well by getting arguably the best defender in the 2021 class: Washington's Ethan Bartlow.
In his mock SuperDraft on Tuesday, MLSSoccer.com's Travis Clark projected Bartlow to wind up with the Dynamo at No. 3: "A late addition to the Generation adidas class. Bartlow may not have the same upside as the first two players picked but his floor is likely a solid MLS starter, as he excels at defending and is good enough on the ball that he has the ability to carve out a long career in the league."
In general, the SuperDraft isn't how the top talent arrives in MLS. The most promising Americans bypass the college route altogether, and clubs have found a lot of success targeting designated players away from Europe's traditional top five leagues.
Still, fans can count on many of the incoming rookies to stick around in MLS for a long time.
"complete" - Google News
January 22, 2021 at 05:23AM
https://ift.tt/39TMOGT
MLS Draft 2021: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Twitter Reaction - Bleacher Report
"complete" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Fvz4Dj
https://ift.tt/2YviVIP
No comments:
Post a Comment