PDL Feature
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – After 26 former PDL standouts were selected in last Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft, another large contingent of players from the top amateur development league in the country found out their new clubs on Tuesday afternoon in the MLS Supplemental Draft. Fifteen of the selections in the opening round were PDL alumni, with 42 of the 66 selections having played in the league.
After seeing five players selected in the SuperDraft, Reading United had another four players selected on Tuesday, led by Will Bates, who was the No. 5 selection by the Seattle Sounders FC. Center back Eric Schoenle and midfielder Leonardo Fernandes, who became the latest United players selected by the club’s MLS affiliate, the Philadelphia Union. Schoenle was taken with the 12th selection, while Fernandes was selected with the 62nd pick. That trio was joined by MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist Jose Gomez, who was selected by Toronto FC with the 38th pick.
Reading’s Mid Atlantic Division rivals the Central Jersey Spartans also have four alumni selected, with Ryan Clark being taken with the first pick of the draft by the New York Red Bulls. Clark’s teammate with the Spartans, Jossimar Sanchez, went three picks later, going to the New England Revolution, while Marc Cintron will join Clark with the Red Bulls after being taken with the 34th selection. Alex DeJohn completed the quartet, also being taken by the Revolution with the No. 42 pick.
Also among the picks were a number of former All-League and All-Conference selections. Leading the way was 2011 All-League selection Jake Keegan of the Westchester Flames, taken with the No. 43 pick by the Philadelphia Union. Keegan scored 16 goals in 16 games for the Flames, winning the league’s Golden Boot that season.
Former GPS Portland Phoenix standout Brian Fekete was also selected, with the 2011 All-Eastern Conference pick heading to Sporting Kansas City. He was joined by fellow All-Eastern Conference teammate Hakan Ilhan of the Carolina Dynamo, selected by the Montreal Impact. Former Indiana Invaders standout Adam Mena, who was named to the 2011 All-Central Conference team, was taken by Vancouver.
Ilhan was joined by five other former Dynamo players, the most of any team in the Supplemental Draft. Cameron Brown joined Ilhan in being a first-round selection, going to FC Dallas with the No. 7 pick, while Shawn Sloan, who played alongside Ilhan in the 2012 PDL Championship Game, was selected by the Columbus Crew. Other former Dynamo alums selected included Chris Thomas, taken by New England, Luciano Delbono, taken by Montreal, and Mark Linville, taken by Philadelphia.