Okay, I did not see a thread concerning FCD's Day One at the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, so I decided to make one. If this is unwarranted, mods please do what you must. So... here are FC Dallas' picks from Day One: FIRST ROUND: Name: Francis Atuahene (4th Pick) Age: 21 College: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Position: Forward Name: Ema Twumasi (11th Pick) Age: 20 College: Wake Forest University Position: Forward SECOND ROUND: Name: Mauro Cichero (29th Pick) Age: 22 College: Southern Methodist University Position: Forward Name: Chris Lema (34th Pick) Age: 21 College: Georgetown University Position: Midfielder Right off the bat, I was amazed that FCD was able to get both Atuahene and Twumasi, let alone even one of them. They play with incredible speed and heart, though the jury's still out on those attributes translating into MLS play. Both Francis and Ema look really excited to be here and that speech Atuahene gave was nothing short of remarkable and inspiring. Twumasi looked just as eager to know that he'll be playing with former Wake Forest teammates Jacori Hayes and Brandon Servania. All in all, an excellent first round for FC Dallas. Honestly though, I know very little about Cichero and Lema other than what the FCD website posted and Cichero still has an ACL injury to overcome. That said, if the MLS writers think FCD had arguably the best draft day of all (Minnesota United came damn close) I am optimistic about the club's picks. Thoughts, anyone?
Cichero was considered the best #10 predraft prospect, before his injury. He is clearly a reclamation project, and I suspect he will spend the majority of this season either in rehab or on loan. Lema turned down a Home Grown deal with NYRB, and will provide depth at Defensive Mid. He has some flaws in his game, but his strengths outweigh those flaws. Lema is a player that could blossom with the right coaching, and many feel that Pareja is exactly the right coach to do just that.
Thanks for the update, El Chico. I'm actually eager to see how 2018 shapes up, including several plotlines such as: Will Urruti re-sign? Will Colman and Lamah find their best form? Will the new Homegrowns prosper? Will the SuperDraft picks prosper? Will Ziegler and Nedyalkov be solid signings? Can FC Dallas return to their winning chemistry from 2016? Yet honestly, right now I am more excited about our draft picks than anything else. I do still believe there is a reason the SuperDraft still exists despite the effectiveness of the academy system. Just another talent pool to dip into; can't really hurt in the long run.
An important point for roster clarification. I had thought that the club has too many internationals. Seems like we're OK in terms of internationals, but we don't have room for more. The two drafted GenAders (Atuahene and Twumasi) take up international roster spots, but the Canadian GenAder Reid doesn't. Clarification on Reid, he won’t count as international since he’s in GA Canada program. Wasn’t an issue last year since he wasn’t officially added to roster, but for 2018 he’s domestic for roster sense— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) January 22, 2018
Notes on 3rd and 4th round picks: Both were not at the combine. Noah Franke (Defensive Mid) was a member of the Orlando City SC academy, and has experience playing against MLS teams. Franke gained that experience playing for the Orlando City SC U23 in the USOC, playing 90 minutes against the Timbers. Can apparently play on the defensive backline. Amer Sasivaveric played for the Real Salt Lake - Arizona u18 academy. Played for Lane United FC of the PDL.
We’re just under 30 minutes from the first practice of 2018! Take a look at the 35 players who are on @FCDallas’ Preseason roster https://t.co/8yL3GkY9XH— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) January 22, 2018 The only name I did not recognize is Jonathan Levin. He played for the Tulsa Roughnecks last season, and doesn't look like anything more than a camp body.