By FRANCO PANIZO
The 2014 MLS SuperDraft came to a close on Tuesday afternoon, but not before 38 more players were chosen in advance of the upcoming MLS season.
UConn midfielder George Forchive and Indiana midfielder AJ Corrado were among the players selected during the final two rounds of the draft, which were by-and-large dominated by midfielders and forwards.
In total, 26 of the 38 picks were players at those positions, a stark comparison to the first two rounds in which teams mostly drafted defenders.
The last pick of the draft, which was held by the Seattle Sounders due them having a pick in the now-extinct Supplemental Draft, was Michigan midfielder Fabio Pereira.
The LA Galaxy also had a late pick at No. 72, but chose to pass instead of taking a player.
Here is a full recap of the third and fourth rounds of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft:
THIRD ROUND
39. Portland Timbers – George Forchive (UConn), midfielder
40. Chivas USA – Kris Tyrpak (Houston Baptist), midfielder
41. Sporting Kansas City – Peter Schmetz (UC Santa Barbara), defender
42. Columbus Crew – Kingsley “Fifi” Baiden (UC Santa Barbara), midfielder
43. FC Dallas – Nicholas Walker (Fairleigh Dickinson), defender
44. Philadelphia Union – Richard Marquez (Redlands), defender
45. Columbus Crew – Adam James Bedell (Detroit-Mercy), midfielder/forward
46. Philadelphia Union – Alex Sweetin (St. Louis), midfielder
47. San Jose Earthquakes – AJ Corrado (Indiana), midfielder
48. Montreal Impact – Pete Caringi (UMBC), forward
49. Colorado Rapids – Tolani Ibikunle (Wake Forest), defender
50. New England Revolution – Pierre Omanga (Southern New Hampshire), forward
51. Vancouver Whitecaps – Michael Kafari (New Mexico), midfielder
52. Philadelphia Union – Aodhan Quinn (Akron), midfielder
53. Real Salt Lake – Joey Dillon (Georgetown), midfielder
54. Houston Dynamo – Michael Lisch (New Mexico), goalkeeper
55. Seattle Sounders – Stefano Rijssell (International – Suriname), midfielder/forward
56. D.C. United – Zachery Barnes (Creighton), midfielder
57. Sporting Kansas City – Alex Martinez (NC State), midfielder
FOURTH ROUND
58. Vancouver Whitecaps – MacKenzie Pridham (Cal Poly), forward
59. Chivas USA – Michael Nwiloh (Georgia State), defender
60. Toronto FC – Kene Eze (Rutgers), forward
61. Chicago Fire – Zach Bolden (Denver), midfielder
62. FC Dallas – Ronny Santos Mendoza (International – Ecuador), defender
63. Philadelphia Union – Luca Gimenez (Wake Forest), midfielder
64. Vancouver Whitecaps – Michael Calderon (New Mexico), midfielder
65. Chicago Fire – Kadeem Dacres (UMBC), midfielder
66. San Jose Earthquakes – Devante Dubose (Virginia Tech), defender
67. Montreal Impact – Jordan Ongaro (San Diego State), forward
68. Colorado Rapids – Albert Edwards (Lindsay Wilson College), defender
69. D.C. United – Travis Golden (Campbell), defender
70. Montreal Impact – Daniel Jackson (Coker College), forward
71. Portland Timbers – Victor Chavez (UCLA), forward
72. LA Galaxy – PASS
73. Portland Timbers – Nikita Kotlov (Indiana), midfielder
74. San Jose Earthquakes – Billy Knutsen (American), goalkeeper
75. Chicago Fire – Bryan Ciesiulka (Marquette), midfielder
76. Sporting Kansas City – Reinaldo Brenes (Akron), forward
77. Seattle Sounders – Fabio Pereira (Michigan), midfielder
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What do you think of these draft picks? Surprised by anyone’s selection? Which teams had the best overall drafts?
Share your thoughts below.
We were just there watching as passive observers – like “what is this thing called the third round that you speak of?”
Without the SuperDraft, Union fans would lose a national forum for their petulance…wouldn’t want to miss that.
Props to LA for their academy production, and to the evollution of MLS academies in general. Looking forward to teams passing in the first round.
Being a UNM alumni it’s pretty sweet that all 4 players eligible from new Mexico were drafted. That means in the past 2 years 6 players have been drafted 3 in the first 2 rounds. Sandoval and Blake from what I understand did rather well last season I hope the next 4 all make their respective squads and see some time
I do believe that the draft will slowly go to three rounds and then only two, as MLS reaches 24 teams. Much like the NBA, most of the players might do better being free agents and trying to make a team that is light at the position they play. I would keep the first two round as it helps with parity and it just pi$$ off the Eurosnubs.
how does it help with parity? If you really wanted a league with parity then you would just make every player enter the draft. Or you would get rid of the DP rule. The affect on parity the draft has is so minute that its hardly an argument for its existence.
The draft exists because MLS doesn’t want a bidding war for players. Not because of parity.
And K answers his own question….wow.
LOL.
“Doesn’t want a bidding war” = “maintains parity”
Different ways of saying the same thing.
There still wouldn’t be a bidding war without a draft because each player signs a contract with MLS, not with individual teams.
…and there needs a way to ‘distribute’ said players…
Franco, who is Ronny Santos Mendoza (Ecuador)? Was he at the combine, or did FC Dallas trade for the international spot to get some kid that they were scouting in South America?
He was invited to the combine and had some good moments. Looking forward to seeing if he sticks in Dallas.
Philly seems to have won the draft. Obviously, time will tell, but they seemed to collect a good crop of talent. They also increased their allocation money. Blake (#1), Ribeiro (#6), Cope (#9), Derschang (#39), Marquez (#23), Sweetin (UR), Quinn (#31), Gimenez (#37) (SBI Board Ranking). Some people may dislike the idea of the draft, but the fact remains having effective drafts is key to having sustained success in the MLS. College players are cheap developmental projects and sometimes key contributors early on. SKC (Besler, Myers, Zusi, Sapong, Dwyer, Peterson) and RSL (Beltran, Schuler, Velasquez, Sandoval) are two examples of how beneficial mining the draft can be. Due to their ability to draft and develop these players they are also able to keep their cap situation under control. This avoids having to dump key players due to cap restraints and actually develop chemistry and familiarity within the systems that they run. If I were a Philly fan, I would be very excited in the foundation that the organization has continued to build upon.
Reinaldo Brenes could be huge for SKC in 2 years.
why is there a draft again? Why not just let players sign with whatever team they want to work for?
To maintain competitiveness. It obviously hasn’t worked for every team, but most teams start with reasonable hopes of making the playoffs. That’s big when your team is struggling with attendance and sponsorships.
Also… that’s why they have home grown players and DPs. That way teams aren’t being punished for developing their own players and identity.
it doesn’t maintain competitiveness. Has very little affect on it. Any other arguments for it?
Good Jeremy,
Do us a solid and don’t feed the whiners. K doesn’t like the draft and his mom told him to man up and quit whining, so he came here instead
to reward the losers and to limit first year player’s negotiating rights
and to fit in with the other USA major leagues..
Any of these guys property of the Cosmos? LOL.
Yet another great draft by NYRB.
Highlights:
– LA so unimpressed that they passed at No. 72.
– First pro athlete I’ve ever heard of named Fifi.
LA Galaxy – PASS!!!! <– LOL
all the power to you Mr. Pereira, hopefully a great career ahead.
LA just signed two more homegrown players and are about to sign another… why draft players when you can produce more than you can use?
They are selling more quality players from their academy than they are drafting. Every player they draft that likely won’t receive significant playing time is just yanking playing time and development from an academy player. I would say they have their priorities right.
+1 a team that is sitting on one of the bigger talent pools in the world, So. California, doesn’t need to fool around with the fourth round!
WTH did Houston take a GK? Is Marscheider headed out? I thought he was a long-term project.
Is Deric being traded?
surprised it wasn’t another ‘versatile’ midfielder we can play as a winger or forward. But GK? Sure why not.
Our modus operandi in recent years has been to minimize salary expense at GK since the backups rarely play anyway (for good or ill). Deric is up to $80K+ and Marscheider is at $40K+. Since Kinnear treats backup keepers as reserve foddder and potted plants, he probably thinks he can free cap money by squeezing Deric out.
Cascio is a little cheaper than Driver might be. And on and on.
Far be it from me to point out the Texans’ experience with saving money by incrementally chopping the second tier talent. If the marquee players get hurt your remaining roster is a bunch of mediocrities whose roster virtue was their cap savings. Voila, 2-14.
Well, checking the team’s official page, 2 things stick out:
1.) Erich Marscheider’s no longer on the roster
2.) A quote by Dom in the announcement article about Lisch states “We always want to carry three goalkeepers,” which suggests Marscheider is no longer with the team.
What do the Houston Texas have to do with anything?
The Dynamo, like the Texans, rely heavily on a starting set of marquee players. If they get too cute with the people making out the roster behind the starters, and then sustain callups and injuries and have to play the Cascios and Carrascos at the tail end of the roster, are they any good of a soccer team?
Surprised no one chose Cardenas. Kid can play!