The 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas is underway and Austin FC kicked off Thursday selecting Generation Adidas and Virginia Tech midfielder Daniel Pereira with the No. 1 overall pick.
The action turned some heads as Clemson midfielder Philip Mayaka was tapped by many as SuperDraft’s top eligible player. But Pereira is an intriguing prospect in his own right with many perks, establishing himself as an experienced box-to-box midfielder with some dynamic traits on offense throughout his Hokies career.
During his two seasons with Virginia Tech, Pereira scored six goals and six assists in 26 games. He helped Virginia Tech finish its fall 2020 college football season at No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, with a 3-1-2 record.
FC Cincinnati followed Austin by selecting Calvin Harris from Wake Forest at No. 2, with Mayaka then at No. 3 by the Colorado Rapids. Another Clemson product came in at number 4 when DC United took Kimarni Smith forward.
DC rounded out the top five, acquiring the next pick in a trade with Atlanta United, who used it to select Wake Forest defender Michael DeShields.
Austin continues to build
Austin FC has spent the off-season assembling MLS-proven players and promising internationals, and has now injected some youth into the club with Thursday’s selections. Sporting director Claudio Reyna and his staff also had the No. 11 overall pick thanks to a trade with CF Montreal, which they used against University of Washington defender Freddy Kleeman. They topped it off with the # 21 overall pick, which they acquired from the Rapids by bringing Duke, left back Aedan Stanley.
Time will tell how much the first round plays this season, but it is a historic day for Austin as their highly anticipated expansion season draws closer. Of course there is a hype behind Pereira who also becomes number 1.
Rapids make a splash
Colorado was not initially in the top five, but moved up to No. 3 in a pre-draft trade with Houston Dynamo FC, selecting Mayaka. The Clemson product was a semifinalist of the 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy, a second-team All-American, and his college coach Mike Noonan called him “the most MLS player I’ve coached since joining Clemson.”
The Rapids will hope this is true and Mayaka is indeed immediately ready to compete for first team minutes. It projects like a # 6, but can fit in a few different positions.
For the final picks, check out MLSsoccer.com’s Draft Tracker.