Austin FC aggressive with MLS SuperDraft selections
Mimicking its style of play on the field, Austin FC was aggressive during the MLS SuperDraft on Wednesday.
El Tree traded up to the 13th pick to select San Diego State midfielder CJ Fodrey, sending the 27th pick and $100,000 in general allocation money to Houston in the exchange.
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It also traded general allocation money for another first-round pick, taking Pittsburgh midfielder Valentin Noel at pick 20 after swapping with St. Louis.
Fodrey, who is still just 18 years old, was a first-team all-Pac 12 selection and the Pac 12 freshman of the year in the fall after recording seven goals and four assists for the Aztecs.
He already has some professional experience, playing in the USL Championship — which is the second level of professional soccer in the United States, below the MLS — for San Diego, where he was coached by former U.S. men’s national team and MLS star Landon Donovan.
Fodrey will be added to Austin FC’s supplemental roster, meaning his salary will not count against the salary cap.
Noel was a two-time all-ACC selection during his four years at Pittsburgh, being the conference’s offensive player of the year in 2020.
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A native of France, Noel scored 35 goals and had 13 assists during his collegiate career, with 11 of those goals coming this past fall during his senior season.
Growing up, he spent 10 years in the academy system of Chamois Niortais FC, a second-division club in France.
With its two later-round picks, El Tree took Pittsburgh midfielder Jackson Walti and South Florida defender Salvatore Mazzaferro.
Walti, selected in the second round with pick No. 56 and a teammate of Noel’s, was voted second-team all-ACC three times, and though born in the U.S., spent the majority of his youth in Switzerland.
Like Walti, Mazzaferro was a three-time second-team all-ACC pick, and prior to his time with the Bulls played in Toronto FC’s academy.
Austin FC took Mazzaferro, a native of Canada, at overall pick No. 72 in the third round.
Outside of players taken at the top of the draft, MLS rookies rarely have a major impact, so with the possible exception of Fodrey, it’s likely all of these players will spend the season with Austin FC II, the club’s lower-division team that plays in MLS Next Pro.
MLS Next Pro will act as a bridge league for clubs between their first teams and academies. Basically, it's the minor league of the MLS.
Teams such as Austin FC II will feature first-team reserve players struggling to get playing time, older and more talented academy players on amateur contracts, and players who are signed on professional contracts directly to it. Austin FC II will be one of 28 teams in the league, all of whom are affiliated with an MLS club except for Rochester New York FC.
MLS Next Pro will be the third level of U.S. professional soccer, below the MLS and USL Championship, and has a 24-game regular season with an eight-team playoff tournament.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin FC aggressive with MLS SuperDraft selections Wednesday
