2011 MLS SuperDraft Results
Major League Soccer held their 2011 SuperDraft today at the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.
The expansion team Vancouver Whitecaps had the first choice overall and took 17-year-old forward Omar Salgado which seemed to surprise everyone but the Whitecaps.
“Omar never really dipped below picking him first,” said Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi. “We didn’t feel that any of the offers were worthy of the potential we see in Omar.”
Lenarduzzi said the US U-20 player trained with the Whitecaps last summer and from that point on he was their guy.
Another big story was 5 of the first 8 picks today came from Akron of Ohio which was a MLS Draft record. Caleb Porter’s Zips were being plucked from the draft list more often than any other school with 7 players being picked up by MLS teams in the first three rounds.
Omar Salgado and MLS Commissioner Don Garber
Darlington Nagbe was one of those Zips who had made two trips to the NCAA Final both in 2009 and 2010. Akron won the title this year and Nagbe also nabbed the Hermann Trophy last Friday to add to his awards. Teal Bunbury, another Zip, won that same award last year.
Nagbe went 2nd overall to the Portland Timbers, another expansion club, and was the first college player to be picked in this year’s draft.
Another talking point for many who observed the MLS Combine was Wayne Rooney’s brother John who was solid in the combine. The Macclesfield Town FC player went in the second round, 25th overall, to the New York Red Bulls.
Round 1
| Pick | Club | Player’s Name | Position | School/Previous Club |
| 1 |  |
Omar Salgado* | F | US U-20 National Team |
| 2 |  |
Darlington Nagbe* | M | University of Akron |
| 3 |  |
Perry Kitchen* | M | University of Akron/US U-20s |
| 4 |  |
Zarek Valentin* | D | University of Akron/US U-20s |
| 5 |  |
Zac MacMath* | GK | University of Maryland/US U-20s |
| 6 |  |
AJ Soares | D | University of California |
| 7 |  |
Kofi Sarkodie* | D | University of Akron |
| 8 | (from TOR) |
Michael Nanchoff* | M | University of Akron |
| 9 |  |
Jalil Anibaba | D | University of North Carolina |
| 10 |  |
CJ Sapong | F | James Madison University |
| 11 | (from SEA1, POR2) |
Will Bruin* | F | Indiana University |
| 12 |  |
Rich Balchan | D | Indiana University |
| 13 |  |
Corey Hertzog* | F | Penn State University |
| 14 | (from RSL3) |
Victor Estupinan | F | LDU Quito (Ecuador) |
| 15 | (from SJ 4) |
Justin Meram | F | University of Michigan |
| 16 |  |
Paolo Cardozo | M | Quilmes (Argentina) |
| 17 |  |
Bobby Warshaw | D | Stanford University |
| 18 |  |
Eddie Ababio | D | University of North Carolina |
Round 2
| Pick | Club | Player’s Name | Position | School/Previous Club |
| 19 | |
Jeb Brovsky | M | University of Notre Dame |
| 20 |  (from POR1) |
Michael Tetteh* | M | UCSB |
| 21 | (from DC) |
Juan Leone Cruz | M | Southern Methodist |
| 22 | (from RSL, CHV) |
Chris Taylor | D | University of Tulsa |
| 23 | |
Michael Farfan | M | University of North Carolina |
| 24 | |
Stephen McCarthy | M | University of North Carolina |
| 25 | (from HOU) |
John Rooney | M | Macclesfield Town (England) |
| 26 |  |
Demitrius Omphroy | D | University of California |
| 27 | |
Servando Carrasco | M | University of California |
| 28 | (from PHI, KC) |
Cole Grossman | M | Duke University |
| 29 | |
Bryan Meredith | GK | Monmouth University |
| 30 | (from CLB) |
Tyler Lassiter | D | North Carolina State University |
| 31 | (from NY) |
Chris Korb | D | University of Akron |
| 32 | (from RSL) |
J.T. Murray | D | University of Louisville |
| 33 |  |
Anthony Ampaipitakwong | M | University of Akron |
| 34 | |
Hector Jimenez | M | University of California |
| 35 | |
Charlie Campbell | M/F | University of Louisville |
| 36 | |
Colin Givens | D | Michigan State University |
Round 3
| Pick | Club | Player’s Name | Position | School/Previous Club |
| 37 | |
Bilal Duckett | D | University Notre Dame |
| 38 | (from POR) |
Billy Cortes | M | University of Maryland |
| 39 | (from DC) |
Steven Perry | F | University of Notre Dame |
| 40 | |
Jon Okafor | M | Brown University |
| 41 | |
Levi Houapeu | F | University of Maryland, Baltimore County |
| 42 | |
Ryan Kinne | M/F | Monmouth University |
| 43 | (from HOU) |
Matt Gold | D | The Ohio State University |
| 44 | (from COL, TOR) |
Junior Burgos | M | Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo |
| 45 | |
Jason Herrick | F | University of Maryland |
| 46 | |
Konrad Warzycha | M | The Ohio State University |
| 47 | |
Alex Caskey | M | Davidson College |
| 48 | |
Bernardo Anor | M | University of South Florida |
| 49 | (from NY, CHI5) |
Joao Plata | M | LDU Quito |
| 50 | (from RSL, LA, RSL, LA6) |
Joe Willis | GK | University of Denver |
| 51 | (from SJ) |
Davis Paul | F | University of California |
| 52 |  (from LA) |
Jarad vanSchaik | M | University of Portland |
| 53 | |
Scott Gordon | D | Lynn University |
| 54 | (from COL) |
Alan Koger | F | College of William & Mary |
Comments are closed.
I still don’t understand the Whitecaps logic. what were they thinking.
“We didn’t feel that any of the offers were worthy of the potential we see in Omar.”
Apparently, that is what they were thinking.
Congrats to Alan Koger for being Mr. Irrelevant.
Bobby Lenarduzzi has always been a forward thinking man. He had a great career as a footballer in Canada. However, he lives the game. He’s always been involved in the life of the beautiful game in Canada, and (in my opinion) he is a immense component of the visionary driving force behind the fabulous success of the Vancouver Whitecaps. I trust his decisions. Looking also at their other picks, it’s clear the Whitecaps are not interested in being an inaugural year success story. The coach, Teitur Thordarson is also a great developer of players. I think they’ll do well.
Sadly I wasn’t drafted again. Apparently being big, slow and old and possessing minimal footskills no longer guarantees a spot.