UCLA's Amaya taken No. 1 overall in MLS draft as LAFC, Galaxy bolster midfield
Stop the clock, rounds one and two are in the books!
Major League Soccer's expansion Cincinnati team selected UCLA midfielder Frankie Amaya with the No. 1 pick in the league's SuperDraft on Friday.
Amaya, who has played for the U.S. under-20 team, made 10 starts in 14 appearances as a freshman with the Bruins last season. The 18-year-old had two goals and two assists and was named to the Pac-12 all-conference first team.
While Amaya will be heading east, there will be three new midfielders finding their way to Los Angeles to join the Galaxy and LAFC.
The Galaxy, who traded the No. 12 pick to New York City FC for the No. 19 pick and $75,000, used that pick to select Emil Cuello out of Southern Methodist University. Over four years with the Mustangs, Cuello tallied 12 goals and 17 assists. As a senior in 2018 he was named First Team All- American Athletic Conference and the American Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player.
https://twitter.com/LAGalaxy/status/1083821207357661190
To support Cuello in the middle, the Galaxy also selected Don Tchilao with the 36th overall pick. Tchilao has started 49 games over the past three years at Oregon State and was named First Team All-PAC-12 and PAC-12 Academic Honorable Mention this year.
Similarly, LAFC decided to use its lone selection to bolster the midfield, choosing Peter-Lee Vassell with the 40th overall pick. The 19-year-old has made eight appearances for the full Jamaican national team, scoring five goals, and spent the past two seasons playing for Harbour View FC in Kingston.
https://twitter.com/LAFC/status/1083849759733870595
Rounds three and four of the SuperDraft will be held via a conference call on Monday, Jan. 14 at 10a. The Galaxy will have four picks left and LAFC will have two picks remaining, pending any trades.
