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List of first overall MLS draft picks

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Cyle Larin dribbling a soccer ball.
Cyle Larin, drafted out of the University of Connecticut, won the Rookie of the Year award as a first overall draft pick.
Freddy Adu, was the first overall draft pick in 2004.
Steve Zakuani, was the first overall draft pick in 2009.
Andrew Wenger, was the first overall draft pick in 2012.
Abu Danladi, drafted out of UCLA, was the first overall draft pick in 2017.

The Major League Soccer SuperDraft's first overall pick is the player who is selected first among all eligible draftees by a team during the annual Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft. The first pick is awarded to the club with the poorest regular season record during the previous MLS campaign. Exceptions are when there is an expansion franchise, where the expansion side has the opportunity to select the first overall draft pick.

Two first picks have won the MLS Rookie of the Year award in their maiden season: Maurice Edu and Cyle Larin.

No first pick has ever won the Landon Donovan MVP Award, although Alecko Eskandarian is the only first draft pick to win the MLS Cup Most Valuable Player Award.

Note that between 1996 and 1999, the MLS draft was known as the MLS College Draft. Official MLS publications include the College Draft as part of MLS's draft history.

Key

[edit]
^ Denotes players who have been selected to the All-Star Game or MLS Best XI
* Elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame
^* Denotes Hall of Famers who have been selected to the All-Star Game
Player
(in italic text) 		Young Player of the Year
App. MLS appearances
Goals MLS goals
Asst. MLS assists

List of first overall picks

[edit]
Draft Selected by[1] Player[1] Nationality Position[1] College/high school/former club[1] MLS rookie statistics Ref.
App. Goals Asst.
1996 Kansas City Wiz Matt McKeon  USA DF Saint Louis 12 0 1 [2]
1997 Colorado Rapids Tahj Jakins  USA DF UCLA 19 0 1
1998 Miami Fusion Leo Cullen  USA DF Maryland 31 1 4
1999 D.C. United Jason Moore  USA MF Virginia 16 0 2
2000 MetroStars Steve Shak  USA MF UCLA 23 1 1
2001 San Jose Earthquakes Chris Carrieri  USA FW North Carolina 5 0 0
2002 Dallas Burn Chris Gbandi  LBR DF Connecticut 22 1 2
2003 D.C. United Alecko Eskandarian  USA FW Virginia 23 3 2
2004 D.C. United Freddy Adu  USA FW IMG Academy[a] 30 5 3
2005 Real Salt Lake Nikolas Besagno  USA MF IMG Academy 2 0 0
2006 New York Red Bulls Marvell Wynne  USA DF UCLA 28 0 3
2007 Toronto FC Maurice Edu^  USA DF Maryland 25 4 1
2008 Kansas City Wizards Chance Myers  USA DF UCLA 10 0 0
2009 Seattle Sounders FC Steve Zakuani^  COD FW Akron 29 4 4 [4]
2010 Philadelphia Union Danny Mwanga  COD FW Oregon State 24 7 4 [5]
2011 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Omar Salgado  USA FW Guadalajara Academy[b] 14 1 1 [7]
2012 Montreal Impact Andrew Wenger  USA FW Duke 23 4 0 [8]
2013 New England Revolution Andrew Farrell^  USA DF Louisville 32 0 1
2014 Philadelphia Union Andre Blake^  JAM GK UConn 1 0 0
2015 Orlando City SC Cyle Larin^  CAN FW UConn 27 17 0 [9]
2016 Chicago Fire Jack Harrison[c]  ENG MF Wake Forest 21 4 8 [10]
2017 Minnesota United FC Abu Danladi  GHA FW UCLA 27 8 3 [11]
2018 Los Angeles FC João Moutinho  POR DF Akron 14 1 0 [12]
2019 FC Cincinnati Frankie Amaya  USA MF UCLA 19 0 0 [13]
2020 Inter Miami CF Robbie Robinson  USA FW Clemson 12 0 1 [14]
2021 Austin FC Daniel Pereira  VEN MF Virginia Tech 25 0 0 [15]
2022 Charlotte FC Ben Bender  USA MF Maryland 27 3 6 [16]
2023 Charlotte FC Hamady Diop  SEN DF Clemson 3 0 0 [17]
2024 Toronto FC Tyrese Spicer  TRI FW Lipscomb — — — [18]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Freddy Adu had also played middle school soccer for The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland.[3]
  2. ^ Omar Salgado had left Guadalajara's academy prior to being eligible for the draft. The Guadalajara Academy was the most recent soccer setup he played for prior to being drafted by Vancouver.[6]
  3. ^ Jack Harrison was immediately traded from Chicago Fire to New York City FC. Harrison's statistics reflect his 2016 season with New York City FC.[10]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Sigal, Jonathan (December 19, 2023). "Every No. 1 overall pick in MLS SuperDraft history". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  2. ^ "Matt McKeon MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  3. ^ La Confora, Jason (August 25, 2001). "A 12-Year-Old's Amazing Feat" (Print). The Washington Post. Freddy Adu, an incoming freshman at The Heights School who moved to the United States from Ghana with his family four years ago, is considered such a dynamic talent that Inter Milan, and other European clubs, have begun courting him and his family.
  4. ^ "Steve Zakuani MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  5. ^ "Danny Mwanga MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  6. ^ Dure, Beau (January 13, 2011). "MLS draft: Omar Salgado goes No. 1, Akron players dot top 8". USA Today. USAToday.com. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  7. ^ "Omar Salgado MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  8. ^ "Andrew Wenger MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  9. ^ "Orlando City forward Cyle Larin named 2015 AT&T Rookie of the Year". November 10, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Jack Harrison MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  11. ^ "Abu Danladi MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  12. ^ "Joao Moutinho MLS Statistics". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  13. ^ Brennan, Pat (January 11, 2019). "Analysis: Meet FC Cincinnati's first-ever MLS SuperDraft pick, Frankie Amaya". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  14. ^ "Inter Miami, Beckham picked Robbie Robinson No.1 in MLS SuperDraft. Then things got weird". ESPN. January 10, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  15. ^ Winters, Scott (January 21, 2021). "Austin FC selects Daniel Pereira with the No. 1 pick in the SuperDraft". The Athletic. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  16. ^ Carlisle, Jeff (January 11, 2022). "Charlotte FC Picks Maryland's Ben Bender as top MLS draft selection". ESPN. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "Charlotte FC picks Clemson's Hamady Diop No. 1 in MLS SuperDraft". ESPN. December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  18. ^ Rueter, Jeff; Bogert, Tom (December 19, 2023). "MLS SuperDraft: Toronto FC selects Tyrese Spicer No. 1, teams uncertain on potential picks". The Athletic. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
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