Major League Soccer held its 2021 SuperDraft on Thursday afternoon. Austin FC, the league's newest expansion franchise, selected Daniel Pereira out of Virginia Tech with the No. 1 overall pick.
Austin FC will kick off its first season in the league in 2021 and they'll have Pereira in the midfield. Here's what CBS Sports soccer analyst Roger Gonzalez wrote about him in his draft preview:
From Venezuela, the Hokie talent was seen by Virginia Tech while playing for Virginia Blue Ridge Star in Roanoke, Va., before making a big impact at Virginia Tech. During the 2019 season, he finished with five goals and five assists, while stepping up against some of the best teams in the country. He's got creativity, pace, shields the ball well and has the chance to be a rock in the middle for whoever picks him.
Wake Forest and Clemson players rounded out the rest of the top five with Calvin Harris and Michael DeShields from the Demon Deacons going second and fifth, respectively. Philip Mayaka and Kimarni Smith, both from Clemson, were picked third and fourth.
The MLS SuperDraft lasts three rounds, and the full results can be found here. Below you can find each of the 27 first-round picks.
MLS SuperDraft 2021 first-round results
- Austin FC: Daniel Pereira, midfielder, Virginia Tech
- FC Cincinnati: Calvin Harris, forward, Wake Forest
- Colorado Rapids: Philip Mayaka, midfielder, Clemson
- D.C. United: Kimarni Smith, forward, Clemson
- D.C. United: Michael DeShields, defender, Wake Forest
- Houston Dynamo: Ethan Bartlow, defender, Washington
- Real Salt Lake: Bret Halsey, defender, Virginia
- Orlando City: Derek Dodson, forward, Georgetown
- Vancouver Whitecaps: David Egbo, forward, Akron
- Inter Miami: Josh Penn, forward, Indiana
- Austin FC: Freddy Kleemann, defender, Washington
- San Jose Earthquakes: Thomas Williamson, forward, California
- New York Red Bulls: Luther Archimede, forward, Syracuse
- LAFC: Daniel Trejo, forward, Cal State Northridge
- FC Dallas: Nicky Hernandez, midfielder, SMU
- LA Galaxy: Josh Drack, forward, Denver
- Minnesota United: Justin McMaster, forward, Wake Forest
- Minnesota United: Nabilai Kibunguchy, defender, Cal Davis
- Orlando City: Rio Hope-Gund, defender, Georgetown
- Nashville FC: Irakoze Donasiyano, forward, Virginia
- Austin FC: Aedan Stanley, defender, Duke
- Orlando City: Brandon Hackenberg, defender, Penn State
- Vancouver Whitecaps: Javain Brown, defender, South Florida
- New England Revolution: Edward Kizza, forward, Pittsburgh
- Toronto FC: Matt Di Rosa, midfielder, Maryland
- Inter Miami: Aime Mabika, defender, Kentucky
- Columbus Crew: Justin Malou, defender, Clemson
