MLS SuperDraft 2014: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Reaction

The 2014 MLS SuperDraft started with a bang, as the Philadelphia Union acquired the top overall selection in a trade with D.C. United. By moving up one spot, the Union ensured they could draft goalkeeper Andre Blake.

Even though the draft expanded to four rounds this year, only two took place on the first day of the event. As Joshua Mayers of the Seattle Times points out, teams will make the remaining selections via conference call on Jan. 21.

Here are the draft results from the first two rounds, followed by a recap with reaction to some of the most notable moves and picks.

Round 1 Results

Pick	Team	Player	Position
1	Philadelphia Union (via DC)	Andre Blake	GK
2	D.C. United (via PHI, CHV)	Steve Birnbaum	DF
3	Vancouver Whitecaps (via TOR)	Christian Dean	DF
4	New England Revolution (via CLB)	Steve Neumann	FW
5	Montreal Impact (via DAL)	Eric Miller	DF
6	FC Dallas (via PHI)	Tesho Akindele	FW
7	Vancouver Whitecaps	Andre Lewis	MF
8	Seattle Sounders (via CHI)	Damion Lowe	DF
9	San Jose Earthquakes	JJ Koval	MF
10	Toronto FC (via PHI, DAL, MON)	Nick Hagglund	DF
11	New England Revolution (via COL)	Patrick Mullins	FW
12	Colorado Rapids (via NE)	Marlon Hairston	MF
13	Chicago Fire (via SEA)	Marco Franco	DF
14	Columbus Crew (via LA)	Ben Sweat	DF
15	Philadelphia Union (via TOR, NY)	Pedro Ribeiro	MF
16	Houston Dynamo	A.J. Cochran	DF
17	Portland Timbers	Schillo Tshuma	FW
18	Real Salt Lake	Ryan Neil	DF
19	Colorado Rapids (via NE, KC)	Grant Van De Casteele	DF

Round 2 Results

Pick	Team	Player	Position
20	Chivas USA (via DC)	Thomas McNamara	MF
21	Seattle Sounders (via CHV)	Jimmy Ockford	DF
22	New York Red Bulls (via TOR)	Chris Duvall	DF
23	Los Angeles Galaxy (via CLB)	Kyle Venter	DF
24	Toronto FC (via DAL)	Daniel Lovitz	MF
25	Philadelphia Union	Kevin Cope	MF
26	Portland Timbers (via VAN)	Taylor Peay	DF
27	Philadelphia Union (via CHI)	Robert Derschang	DF
28	San Jose Earthquakes	Joe Sofia	DF
29	D.C. United (via MON)	Victor Munoz	MF
30	Vancouver Whitecaps (via COL)	Mamadou Diouf	FW
31	New England Revolution	Alec Sundly	MF
32	Houston Dynamo (via SEA)	Mark Sherrod	FW
33	Colorado Rapids (via LA)	Jared Watts	MF
34	New York Red Bulls	Eric Stevenson	MF
35	Colorado Rapids (via HOU)	John Berner	GK
36	Portland Timbers	Aaron Long	MF
37	Montreal Impact	George Malki	MF
38	Sporting Kansas City	Adnan Gabeljic	FW

Recap and Reaction

Philadelphia's radar must have been locked in on Blake because the Union felt the need to move up one spot to get him rather than risk losing him to another club. After they made the pick, the goalkeeper couldn't even turn his emotions into words, as the team noted:

In a draft class that's a step down from recent years, Blake is one of the players capable of stepping right in to make an instant impact. ESPN Stats & Info points out he also earns the distinction of being the first goalkeeper ever selected No. 1 overall in the MLS draft:

D.C. United already have Bill Hamid in goal, which means moving down brought in the extra allocation money while still allowing the club to grab their main target. It turns out that was Steve Birnbaum, an MLS-ready center-back with plenty of upside.

Birnbaum has good size, which makes him an asset on set pieces both offensively and defensively, and is as steady and reliable as any player in the class. United provided remarks from general manager Dave Kasper, who expects the Cal product to have a long career:

Interestingly, the first selection made with a pick still in possession of its original owner didn't come until No. 7, when the Vancouver Whitecaps selected Andre Lewis. The Jamaican midfielder is a technically promising prospect but needs experience.

Another pick of note came at No. 11 as the New England Revolution moved up one spot to grab Patrick Mullins. He slid a little bit after being viewed as a potential top-five selection heading into the draft, but all that will do is give a player with solid attacking talent extra motivation.

The New England Soccer Journal notes Mullins is a two-time Hermann Trophy winner as the top college soccer player in the country:

One of the most intriguing players in the class, A.J. Cochran, went to the Houston Dynamo with the 16th pick.

A defender with terrific size and strength to match, he has all the physical tools to become a very good center-back. He's still working on the finer points of the position, though, so his development is going to take some time.

Ives Galarcep mentions he does land with a club needing depth at the back, which should help his cause:

The opening round came to a close when the Colorado Rapids selected defender Grant Van De Casteele. Another central defender with good size, the only major question mark is if the Notre Dame star has enough short-area quickness to keep up with top attackers at the MLS level and beyond.

Two of the league's most high-profile clubs, the New York Red Bulls and Los Angeles Galaxy, finally got into the action in the second round after not having a pick in the first.

New York opted for right-back Chris Duvall. He's an interesting prospect because he has the speed necessary to run up and down the right side to help on the attack. His one-on-one defending still needs work before he can be totally counted on, though.

The Galaxy were up next and took Kyle Venter. The New Mexico center-back is another one of the large group of big central defenders available in the class. He isn't as polished as some of his counterparts taken earlier in the draft but is still a good value pick.

Another potential steal out of Round 2 is Mamadou Diouf, whom the Whitecaps selected. He lacks consistency out of UConn, which isn't uncommon for young players, but he's a great athlete with finishing ability and useful versatility, as he can play as an attacking midfielder or atop the formation.

The Red Bulls' second pick of the round was midfielder Eric Stevenson. He's a developmental prospect with a strong foundation of technical skills. New York will hope he's able to improve his game in MLS.

After a lot of activity early in the draft, things slowed down near the end of the second round. The final selection in the opening half of the event was Adnan Gabeljic by reigning champions Sporting Kansas City.