The 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas is in progress, and Austin FC started Thursday’s proceedings by selecting the adidas Generation and Virginia Tech midfielder Daniel Pereira with the first overall choice.
The change turned heads, as Clemson’s midfielder Philip Mayaka was rated by many as the best eligible SuperDraft player. But Pereira is an intriguing and top-level prospect in his own right, establishing himself as a skilled box-to-box midfielder with some dynamic characteristics in attack during his Hokie career.
During his two seasons at Virginia Tech, Pereira scored six goals and six assists in 26 games. He helped Virginia Tech finish the fall 2020 college football season, ranked fourth in the United Soccer Coaches poll, posting a 3-1-2 record.
FC Cincinnati followed Austin by choosing Wake Forest striker Calvin Harris in second place, with Mayaka in third place for the Colorado Rapids. Another Clemson product went into fourth place when DC United took Kimarni Smith to the forefront.
DC closed the top five, getting the next choice in a swap with Atlanta United, using it to select Wake Forest defender Michael DeShields.
Austin continues to build
Austin FC spent the off-season bringing together promising MLS players and promising internationals, and have now injected some young men into the club with Thursday’s selections. Sporting director Claudio Reyna and his team also had the 11th overall choice thanks to an exchange with CF Montreal, which they used in the University of Washington defender Freddy Kleeman. They closed with the general choice No. 21, which they acquired from Rapids by taking the left side of Duke Aedan Stanley.
Time will tell how much first-round players will play this season, but it’s a historic day for Austin as the long-awaited expansion season approaches. Of course, there is some exaggeration behind Pereira going to first place as well.
Rapids make noise
Colorado was not initially in the top five, but moved up to third place in a pre-draft exchange with Houston Dynamo FC and chose Mayaka. Clemson’s product was a semifinalist for the 2019 Hermann MAC Trophy, a second-team All-American and his college coach Mike Noonan called him “the most MLS-ready player I have coached since I was in Clemson”.
Rapids expects this to be true and Mayaka is indeed ready to compete for the starting team’s minutes right away. He designs as number 6, although he may occupy a few different positions.
For the latest choices, check out the MLSsoccer.com Draft Tracker.