The Seattle Sounders were wheelin’ and dealin’ on Thursday during the MLS SuperDraft. The Sounders began the entry draft for Major League Soccer with a trade, opting to swap their 11th overall pick and an international slot with the Portland Timbers for a second round pick and allocation money. In total, the Sounders had four picks in the second round, with another coming in the third.
Here’s how it shook out for the Sounders.
With the 20th pick in the draft, the Sounders selected Michael Tetteh. As the final Generation Adidas player, Tetteh seemed like a no-brainer for the Sounders. General manager Adrian Hanauer admitted Tetteh was ranked high on the Sounders’ draft board, making him a steal as the 20th pick. For more on Tetteh, check out his player capsule.
With the 21st pick, the Sounders chose Juan Cruz. A relative unknown, leaving many to wonder who he was when chosen, Cruz fills a need in the central defense for the Sounders. Coming from SMU, he made an impression at the combine, with many analysts impressed with how he carried himself. Check out Cruz’s player capsule for more information.
Servando Carrasco was next, taken with the 27th pick. Carrasco should take the pressure off Osvaldo Alonso, sliding into the holding midfielder role. With Alonso playing the bulk of minutes in all competition when healthy, having another option to allow him a bit of rest was a big factor for the Sounders. Check out his player capsule, at Sounder at Heart.
Seattle completed their barrage of second round picks by taking a goalkeeper: Brian Meredith. Seattle continued its quest for Kasey Keller’s replacement, taking Meredith with the 29th pick in the draft. Thought to be the second-best keeper in the draft, Meredith will now get time to develop under the Sounders’ watchful eye as they work to determine how to replace Keller when the time comes. You can find more about him here.
With their fifth, and final, pick, the Sounders selected Alex Caskey, midfielder from Davidson College. As box-to-box midfielder, Caskey is another depth addition for Seattle. He likely slides into a role similar to that of Brad Evans, giving the Sounders a little flexibility in non-MLS competitions. Check out his player capsule here.
All in all, not a bad day for the Sounders. They secured money to pay down the salary cap while still getting value out of the picks they actually used. With the MLS Draft over, the attention now shifts to training camp, and the beginning of another MLS season on the pitch.