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The first two rounds (of four) of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft will be broadcast this morning, beginning at 11 a.m. EST. Thankfully, it’ll all be streamed online, so you won’t have to go too far out of your way to see who Toronto FC picks.
Every club will make their picks today at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia. The final two rounds of the draft will take place on Sunday via conference call.
How to Watch
Today’s portion of the draft will be streamed on the MLS Youtube channel, right here:
When do Toronto FC pick?
Since the draft order is a reverse of 2017 league and playoff performances, TFC have the last selection in every round. With the addition of Los Angeles FC, that means the Reds will pick 23rd and 46th today. They’ll also have the 69th and 92nd spots in the final two rounds.
Unlike last year, TFC haven’t traded any of their draft picks yet. In 2017, they ended up with the 21st, 26th, and 27th picks, although they traded those last two away (for allocation money and an international roster spot. Oh, MLS.).
Who could Toronto FC pick?
I honestly have no idea. Apparently the Reds are looking for some strength on the right side, so I’ve seen the name Paul Marie (FIU) thrown around as a right back option. In the SB Nation mock draft, I threw darts at a wall and came out with midfielder Oliver Shannon (Clemson) and forward Albert Ruiz (FGCU). In total, 220 athletes are available for selection.
Last year, the Reds came home with Brandon Aubrey, Robert Moewes, Oyvind Alseth, Lars Eckenrode, and Juan Pablo Saavedra. Toronto have picked some good players out of the draft before; Alex Bono, Nick Hagglund, and Tsubasa Endoh were all TFC draft picks.
There’s some debate over who might go first overall to LAFC: some mock drafts have them taking Joao Moutinho (Akron) or Tomas Hilliard-Arce (Stanford), but a lot of what I’ve seen touts winger Francis Atuahene (Michigan) as the best player in the draft. As a very casual Michigan football fan, I’d have to agree with that.