2021 MLS SuperDraft: clubs react to their caps, what players will bring

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The 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas took place on Thursday, with teams from across the league adding promising players from the college football ranks.

Find out what athletic directors and head coaches have to offer about their caps when looking for players to increase their rosters.

Atlanta united

Josh Bauer (# 31), Aiden McFadden (# 59)

Atlanta United were the benefactors of University of New Hampshire center-back Josh Bauer who slipped in the second round, where they picked the All-American doubles with the No. 31 pick. Bauer, who also won two honors from America East Defender of the Year, briefly played with the Birmingham Legion of the USL Championship in 2020.

“These things are always weird on draft day, you never know how they’re going to turn out, the needs of other teams or what people are seeing,” said Atlanta United vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra. “We loved Bauer, we had him train with us a few summers ago, so we knew him very well. Great kid, really smart, smart defender. So we were happy when he got to 31 and that ‘that’s why we took him. “

McFadden has six goals and six assists in 49 appearances (38 starts) at Notre Dame. Bocanegra drew parallels between McFadden and former Atlanta forward Jon Gallagher, who was traded earlier this offseason to Austin FC.

“Aiden has a profile very similar to Jon,” Bocanegra said. “The kid can run all day, he can play anywhere in the top three, very good fitness levels, really hardworking and smart.”

Both Bauer and McFadden could benefit from the fact that Atlanta United have a second team in the USL Championship, giving them an outlet if first team minutes are hard to come by.

LAFC

Daniel Trejo (n ° 14), CC Uche (n ° 41), Alvaro Quezada (n ° 68)

LAFC turned local in the California State selection, Northridge forward Daniel Trejo in the first round, the forward winning the Big West’s 2019 Offensive Player of the Year honors. GM John Thorrington is evaluating the forward, who could help one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

“We’re super excited for Danny, we liked what we saw in terms of his attacking play, his ability to score goals, his flexibility to play on the top three,” Thorrington said. “We also love that he’s a local product here, we certainly know his coach at Northridge well and we’re delighted to welcome him once we get into the preseason.”

As for Trejo himself, it was a cheerful reaction to start his professional career. Trejo has registered 26 goals and 15 assists in 58 games (57 starts) at CSUN.

“I’m just really, really happy and excited to start the new journey with LAFC,” Trejo said. “My dream has always been to play for an MLS team and a good team. And I believe LAFC is one of the best teams in MLS and I’m just happy to be on this team now.”

LAFC also selected Ohio State defenseman CC Uche in the second round, as well as California forward Irvine Alvaro Quezada in the third round.

Minnesota United FC

Justin McMaster (# 18), Nabi Kibunguchy (# 19), Sean O’Hearn (# 38)

Minnesota United traded for back-to-back first-round picks, which they then used to acquire Wake Forest forward Justin McMaster and California center-back Davis Nabi Kibunguchy.

McMaster has 12 goals and eight assists in 58 appearances for the Demon Deacons. He also represented several Jamaican national youth teams and came through the Philadelphia Union academy. Now the loons have the opportunity to potentially negotiate a contract with McMaster.

“Justin is a player we saw right away,” said Minnesota head coach Adrian Heath. “We believe in his talent, he’s a player who will fit into our style of play. He’s extremely athletic, he’s dynamic on the ball, he wants to take on players with dribbling and he’s more than capable of combine with his teammates on the pitch.It has been a difficult year for Justin, and we firmly believe that if he hadn’t had his injury, there was no way he would have been available to us with the 17th choice.

As for Kibunguchy, the UC Davis defenseman was named to the 2019 All-Big West Conference First Team. He was picked after Minnesota orchestrated a trade with Toronto FC, while the pick of McMaster came after an exchange with the NYCFC.

“Nabi is in the top 10 talent in this draft,” said Heath. “When we realized he was still available, we immediately made an exchange to select him. He’s a gifted and versatile player who can play in the middle of defense or as a number six. We can’t wait to bring him here to Minnesota to continue his development and let him learn alongside his teammates and coaches.

Minnesota also picked O’Hearn in the second round. He was part of the 2019 Georgetown University team that won the NCAA Division I title. Heath called O’Hearn “uncompromising, uncompromising and always ready to fight.”

New England Revolution

Edward Kizza (n ° 22), François Dulysse (n ° 51)

The New England Revolution has built a significant part of their MLS roster through the SuperDraft, and they could have another promising addition for Pittsburgh forward Edward Kizza. During three years with the program, the two-time All-ACC first-team forward registered 31 goals and seven assists in 53 games (52 starts).

“Edward Kizza is a recognized college goalscorer,” said Revolution athletic director and head coach Bruce Arena. “He’s a No 9, he’s a strong player. He has a history of scoring and we think that’s an area we might need help in, of course, like any team. . ”

The Revs then selected Manhattan College defenseman Francois Dulysse with their second-round pick. Dulysse, who played for the Haitian U-20 national team, had previously been signed to their USL League One team, Revolution II.

“We have a roster that we feel good about,” Arena said. “We have good depth in most positions. We think we needed a little help in the No 9 position, as well as the center-back. We were able to fix that in the draft. and we hope these players can come and show us that they have potential. “

Orlando City SC

Derek Dodson (# 8), Rio Hope-Gund (# 19), Brandon Hackenberg (# 22), Andrew Pannenberg (# 49)

It’s been a particularly busy day for Orlando City SC, who picked three players in the first round and added one more in the second.

They chose a pair of Georgetown University products in forward Derek Dodson and Rio Hope-Gund, which helped the Hoyas win the 2019 NCAA Division I national title. The Lions then quickly recovered. Penn State defenseman Brandon Hackenberg and Wake Forest goaltender Andrew Pannenberg.

Everything seemed to be falling into place for Orlando, according to executive vice president of football operations Luiz Muzzi. They even traded for Dodson, sending the Portland Timbers $ 100,000 in general allowance money for eighth place.

“A great forward, a guy we’ve been following for a while,” Muzzi said of Dodson. “And with the pair of center-backs, we need position, we need depth. We lost Kamal. [Miller]. With Hackenberg we have another guy who can play the role. Hope-Gund is a guy that we rated very high and we thought there was a chance he was there at 19, but we thought it was a small chance. So when we saw that it was available, we really had to do it. It is a need that we have tried to fill and we are satisfied with these two choices. “



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