Ten men's soccer players selected in MLS SuperDraft
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Ten student-athletes from four Pac-12 men’s soccer teams were selected in the2014 Major League Soccer SuperDraft last Tuesday and today. The Pac-12 led the charge with the most draftees of any conference, as four players went in the first round - including three picks in the top 10 - and another four were picked in the second round.
CALIFORNIA saw four players picked in the first and second rounds, the most of any team overall. Senior defender Steve Birnbaum was the second overall selection, going to D.C. United as the highest draft selection in Cal’s history. Junior defender Christian Dean followed as the third overall pick, selected by Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Fellow Golden Bear Ryan Neil was also picked in the first round at 18th overall by Real Salt Lake. Midfielder Alec Sundly rounded out the California selections, going in the second round to the New England Revolution with the 31st pick.
STANFORD had the next-highest pick as team captain and midfielder JJ Koval was selected ninth overall by the San Jose Earthquakes, the only Cardinal to be taken off the board in the first two rounds of the SuperDraft. WASHINGTON’s Taylor Peay was the first Pac-12 student-athlete to be picked in the second round, going to the Portland Timbers with the 26th overall pick.
UCLA had back-to-back selections in the second round as seniors Joe Sofia and Victor Munoz were taken in the 28th and 29th picks. Sofia was chosen by the San Jose Earthquakes while Munoz will head to D.C. United. The two selections brought UCLA’s all-time total draft picks to 63, which is the most of any school in the nation.
In the fourth round, SAN DIEGO STATE's Jordan Ongaro was selected 67th overall by the Montreal Impact, making him the first Aztec to be drafted in the MLS since 2012. SDSU has had a player drafted in seven of the last nine years. UCLA's Victor Chavez rounded out the Pac-12 picks, going at the 71st pick to the Portland Timbers.
The four first-round picks ties the most all-time for the Conference, as four student-athletes also went in the first round in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. The current record for first- and second-round selections for the Pac-12 is 10, which also occurred in 2010.
For more information, visit mlssoccer.com.
- www.pac-12.com -