Austin FC addresses need, grabs center back Kipp Keller in MLS draft; club loans out Tomás Pochettino

Having addressed depth at the forward and midfielder positions in free agency with the signings of veterans Maxi Urruti and Ethan Finlay, what Austin FC did in the MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday came as no surprise.

El Tree selected defenders with its first two picks, taking Kipp Keller of St. Louis University with the No. 5 overall pick, then grabbing Charlie Asensio from Clemson in the second round.

Keller was the Atlantic 10 defensive player of the year and a second-team all-American pick by the United Soccer Coaches as he helped lead the Billikens to an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament.

More: Austin FC signs captain Alex Ring to contract extension, assigns designated player tag

Keller will be classified as a Generation Adidas selection, meaning his salary will not be charged against Austin FC’s salary budget, which is capped at $4.9 million for the 2022 season. He will also be added to the supplemental roster as he is younger than 24.

Those moves suggest the club isn’t expecting Keller to make an immediate impact in the 2022 season — not a huge surprise as MLS draft picks usually don’t have dramatic impacts on their clubs right away — and further opens the door to adding a veteran defender in free agency.

It was widely thought El Tree would look to bolster its defense in free agency entering the offseason, but so far that has yet to happen. The club currently has only four defenders on its senior roster, and with training camps across the league opening over the course of the next few days, it would raise a few eyebrows if another move isn’t made before the end of the month.

Asensio — the 35th overall pick — was a four-year starter for Clemson who helped the Tigers to the national title last fall.

Before college, he was part of the Atlanta United youth academy and has played with the U.S. men’s national under-17 and under-19 teams.

Asensio will likely battle for a supplemental or reserve roster spot, or possibly be loaned out.

More: Austin FC forward McKinze Gaines selected by Charlotte in MLS Expansion Draft

With its final pick of the draft, Austin FC selected midfielder Michael Knapp of the New York Red Bulls II in the third round with the 61st overall pick.

Knapp played in college at Montclair State University before joining the Red Bulls youth academy, then spent last year with Red Bulls II, which is the reserve team of the New York Red Bulls that plays in the USL Championship — the second tier of U.S. soccer.

Like Asensio, Knapp would be looked at to be part of the supplemental or reserve roster, or be loaned out.

Austin FC loans out designated player Tomás Pochettino

Prior to the draft, El Tree announced that it loaned midfielder Tomás Pochettino to Club Atlético River Plate of Argentina.

This move was expected after the club made Alex Ring a designated player last week as MLS rules dictate clubs can only have three DPs on their rosters.

With midfielder Cecilio Domínguez and forward Sebastián Driussi as the other designated players, it was obvious Pochettino would either be released or loaned out as he underwhelmed on the field for the club in 2021.

Pochettino is a native of Argentina, and the move also opens up an international roster spot for Austin FC.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: MLS SuperDraft 2022: Austin FC grabs Kipp Keller, loans out Pochettino