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by Jeremy Price | Thursday, January 17, 2013 - 1:02 pm UTC
PRE-DRAFT
I’m at the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, taking place this year starting at noon at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers’ own Eriq Zavaleta expected to be taken in the top 10 here. I’ll update as we move along here and via Twitter.
DRAFT PICKS
1. New England Revolution: Andrew Farrell, Louisville, D — Joins ex-Hoosiers Lee Nguyen and Kevin Alston on roster.
2. Chivas USA: Carlos Alvarez, Connecticut, MF — among his thanks at podium was his girlfiend (insert Manti Te’o joke here).
3. Toronto FC: Kyle Bekker, Boston College, MF.
4. Vancouver Whitecaps: Kekuta Manneh, Austin Aztex (PDL), F — Whitecaps trade up, Toronto down to No. 10.
5. Vancouver Whitecaps: Erik Hurtado, Santa Clara, F.
6. Colorado Rapids: Deshorn Brown, Central Florida, F — Will join ex-Hoosier Drew Moor on the roster.
7. FC Dallas: Walker Zimmerman, Furman, D.
8. Montreal Impact: Blake Smith, New Mexico, MF.
9. Columbus Crew: Ryan Finley, Notre Dame, F — joins ex-Hoosier Danny O’Rourke on roster.
10. Seattle Sounder: Eriq Zavaleta, Indiana, F — He’s the 13th first-round draft pick in IU history and the highest draftee since Kevin Alston went 10th to New England in 2009.
SECOND ROUND
37. New England Revolution: Luis Soffner, Indiana, GK — Soffner is the 2nd goalkeeper selected in the draft.
A few quick quotes from Zavaleta, starting with his thoughts on the nerves that accompanied the draft compared to playing for a national title: “Playing for a national championship, you can kind of control it. Being out here, you’re helpless in a way, but at the same time I knew I was going to be OK wherever I went. And I really couldn’t have envisioned it to be any better. This is the most ideal situation I could have.”
A big reason for that is Seattle coach Sigi Schmid, who was a teammate of his dad, Carlos Zavaleta, at UCLA and also coached Zavaleta’s uncle, Greg Vanney, with the Bruins. “Sigi was a guy that played with my dad and coached my dad and coached my uncle at UCLA,” Eriq Zavaleta said. “There’s some history there. The great thing about that is I just know how great of a coach he is, and two, how great of a person he is. For him to pick me and now to coach me, I’m so humbled.”
And a Soffner quote:
“Down at the combine, I talked to New England a good amount a couple of times, and they showed a lot of interest,” he said by phone. “They told me if I was available late in the second round of the SuperDraft, they’d do everything in their power to take me. It wasn’t 100 percent it was going to happen, you never know.”
Soffner, who was watching the draft at his girlfriend’s apartment, said when the announcement came, it was time to celebrate.
“It was a jump up and run around moment, it was unbelievable,” he said.
Was kind of hoping Z would have gone to Columbus. Quick road trip to watch him play.