Identifying and cultivating new talent is what keeps professional soccer clubs at the forefront of the sport, and, much like skinning cats, there’s more than one way to do it. That idiom has always struck me as rather gruesome, but hey, I don’t make these sayings; I just use them. Whether they’re scouting players abroad, developing Homegrown superstars in their player pathway, or simply relying on the improvement of first-team investments, clubs are always looking for players that will appreciate in value as they hone their skills.
Since the inception of Major League Soccer, the mechanisms used to bring in such players have varied quite a bit, with unique roster rules and an almost completely untapped American soccer climate to make sense of. The desire to create a league that was both distinctly American and yet in line with the world’s sport pulled the founders of our league in several directions at once, and, in the shuffle, the MLS SuperDraft was born. Ah, yes, the most American of player acquisition mechanisms! Just ahead of the classic trade.
Tomorrow, the 26th MLS SuperDraft begins at 1 p.m. CT, and while it won’t be broadcast, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. I’ve put together a brief history of this ever-evolving fixture of our league’s offseason calendar, just to keep you up to date and provide some useless facts for you to impress—or annoy—your friends with. Sit back, relax, and read on; get ready for the first KYLE in our website’s history. See what I did there? It wasn’t enough to Know Your League; I do a fair bit of Explaining in here. KYL was never quite right. The E was the missing piece I was looking for!
With the First Pick…
The draft hasn’t always been super. From the league’s founding in 1996 through 1999, the MLS College Draft mirrored drafts in American football and basketball, while the Supplemental Draft added a chance for teams to pick up professional players playing in the USL. The two drafts were combined in 2000 to create the first SuperDraft, and we haven’t looked back since.
So what is it? Good question! Like most drafts, the MLS SuperDraft was originally created to help ensure parity in the league, giving struggling teams a chance to stock their roster with talented players that were ready to contribute right away. Only players from the American college system are eligible for selection, meaning that even though our league extends into Canada, the Canadian collegiate system is not considered.
Eligibility is restricted to sophomores and above, as well as any former college players that left college with eligibility remaining to compete in a lower level domestic league (so long as they left college within the last year). Other exceptions can be made, as the final list is put forward by the league itself. Homegrown rights have thrown another wrench in the mix, with some players requiring a bit more work to acquire if they spent time in another club’s academy.
Expansion teams, like San Diego this year, automatically get the first pick, followed by the lowest point totals in the league in ascending order for teams that didn’t make the playoffs. For those that made the playoffs, the order is determined by how far they advanced, meaning the MLS Cup champion will pick last. This year’s edition will have three rounds, and your Loons have the 25th pick. There’s not a ton more to it, without going into the weeds on player eligibility. I’ll spare you that lesson for now; I don’t want to bore you this early in the article.
Names You Know
Remember Freddy Adu, the original wunderkind? He was the number one pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. While his career didn’t work out the way he may have hoped, the profile and talent he undeniably had are indicative of what can still be found in this draft. Names like Jack Harrison (2016), Cyle Larin (2015), and Alistair Johnston (2020) have made successful jumps to European soccer after coming through the SuperDraft and serve as proof that quality players are still coming through the American college soccer system. Duncan McGuire, Roman Celentano, and Patrick Schulte are just a few of the more recent success stories still playing in the league, and the list continues to grow.
Here at MNUFC, the likes of Hassani Dotson, Tani Oluwaseyi, and Dayne St. Clair provide further proof that club cornerstones can be found in this league mechanism. So, do your homework on this year’s picks, and keep an eye on the players selected across the league. They might not all work out, but I’d wager there’s more than one diamond in the rough.
The Grand Scheme
In recent years, the draft has experienced some growing pains. Youth academies are growing in effectiveness across the nation, producing professional players with a passion for the club that nurtured their growth. When you can develop the players you need, what do you need a draft for, right?
Well, just because academies CAN produce star players doesn’t mean they will. Even if they do, who knows if they’ll be in the position you need at the time you need them? That’s the goal, obviously, but ignoring the chance to pick up valuable talent through any and every mechanism available is, quite frankly, a bit like shooting yourself in the foot. I personally prefer not to have holes in my feet, especially when I’m trying to play soccer.
In the grand scheme of things, the MLS SuperDraft is no longer the main pathway for clubs to grab hold of talented players: that’s okay. Other avenues exist, but that doesn’t mean this one isn’t valuable. World-class players can come from any number of places. With proper attention and careful scouting, you just might draft the next MLS MVP.
