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Austin FC selected Virginia Tech midfielder Daniel Pereira with the No.1 pick in the 2021 SuperDraft MLS on a day when the top five caps all came from ACC schools.
It was the very first selection of the 2021 Expansion Team in an MLS SuperDraft.
Pereira is projected as a box-to-box midfielder who should provide some depth to the midfield alongside Alex Ring. Pereira has also signed a Generation Adidas contract with MLS, which means his salary will not count towards Austin’s salary cap.
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The pick was something of a surprise given that most of the fake drafts had Clemson midfielder Philip Mayaka No.1, but Pereira was Austin’s choice.
“I didn’t really expect to be No.1 because of all the fake drafts,” Pereira said afterwards. “It’s an honor. I’m really happy. My family is crying. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Pereira added that in his conversations with Austin staff ahead of draft day, he told them he hoped to play in his favorite central midfielder role.
“I intend to play my position,” he said. “I’m a No.8. I love defending and I love attacking. I hope that’s where they see me.”
Originally from Venezuela, Pereira moved to the United States with his parents who sought asylum as a teenager.
“We decided to move to the United States for a better life. My parents did it for me, and I’m grateful every day, ”he said.
With the second overall selection, FC Cincinnati selected another Generation Adidas signatory from Wake Forest midfielder Calvin Harris, who was considered the top offensive prospect in the draft.
The Colorado Rapids had acquired the No.3 pick earlier in the day via a trade with the Houston Dynamo, and with Mayaka available, the Rapids rushed to select the Clemson midfielder, who is another prospect who can play. box-to-box, given its reach and pass capacity.
DC United had the next two caps, his at No.4 and then No.5, which he acquired from Atlanta United. The Black & Red have selected Clemson forward Kimarni Smith. Hailing from Nottingham, England, Smith led the country in goals in 2020 and can play wide or as a center forward. DCU then selected defenseman Michael DeShields from Wake Forest.
Houston had the No.6 pick, and he broke the streak of selected ACC players by going for University of Washington defenseman Ethan Bartlow, who was considered in some quarters to be the top center of the draft.
TOP 10 PHOTO PROJECTS (see full results here):
1. Austin FC, Daniel Pereira, MF, Virginia Tech
2. FC Cincinnati, Calvin Harris, FW, Wake Forest
3. Colorado Rapids, Philip Mayaka, MF, Clemson
4. DC United, Kimarni Smith, FW, Clemson
5. DC United, Michael DeShields, DF, Wake Forest
6. Houston Dynamo FC, Ethan Bartlow, DF, Washington
7. Real Salt Lake, Bret Halsey, DF, Virginia
8. Orlando City SC, Derek Dodson, FW, Georgetown
9. Vancouver Whitecaps, David Egbo, FW, Akron
10. Inter Miami CF, Josh Penn, FW, Indy Eleven / Indiana
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