Want to watch the MLS SuperDraft? How to find it and what Charlotte FC fans should know
The Major League Soccer SuperDraft is today, providing an opportunity for Charlotte FC’s continued roster-building ahead of the 2022 season.
As an expansion team entering the league this year, Charlotte FC holds the first pick in each round, so the team will select first, 29th and 57th overall from a list of eligible college seniors, Generation Adidas players and players who waived college eligibility by playing in a professional domestic league. The list of players eligible for selection can be found here.
Generation Adidas players, thought to be the best up-and-comers whose salaries are not charged against a team’s annual salary budget, have typically been selected first.
The eight Generation Adidas players in this year’s class are midfielder Ben Bender (University of Maryland), forward Ousseni Bouda (Stanford University), defender Erik Centeno (University of the Pacific), goalkeeper Roman Celentano (Indiana University), defender Kipp Keller (Saint Louis University), forward Isaiah Parker (Saint Louis University), goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and forward Thorleifur Ulfarsson (Duke University).
While the talent is promising and this year’s class is full of players from Carolina schools, remember that draft selections and even first picks don’t guarantee MLS success.
“Being selected first and then having the career are two different things,” said Steve Shak, a former MLS player.
Shak was selected first overall in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by the MetroStars (today the New York Red Bulls), but he spent most of his career playing for USL teams. He was also a former player and coach for the Charlotte Eagles and today works as a financial planner in the Charlotte area while raising his five children.
“Obviously my soccer career in Major League Soccer didn’t pan out the way I had hoped or wanted it to,” Shak said. “But I’m still thankful for the experience. It was quite an honor.”
Players drafted lower in the order, such as Seattle midfielder Christian Roldan (No. 16 pick in 2015 SuperDraft) or Canadian national team winger Tajon Buchanan (No. 9 pick in 2019 SuperDraft), have also found success in the league.
Additionally, just because a player is drafted doesn’t mean he’ll immediately be added to the senior roster. Clubs can also trade picks and/or pass on a selection, but if a team passes on a selection, it forgoes the ability to select a player in later rounds.
Teams have four minutes to make a selection with a 10-minute break between each of the three rounds. If a club fails to make its selection in time, it will have to wait until after the next selection. Each team is permitted one three-minute timeout.
The pre-draft show begins at 2:30 p.m. with the SuperDraft starting at 3 p.m. on MLSSoccer.com and MLS app, youtube.com/MLS, twitter.com/MLS, facebook.com/MLS. Selections in Rounds 2 and 3 will be posted online via the MLS Draft Tracker.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 9:58 AM.
