PHILADELPHIA – A flurry of trades highlighted the first two rounds of the 2018 SuperDraft, as the college stars of 2017 look to launch their pro careers.
Below are the five top moves of draft day:
Chicago Fire grabs Bakero, Adams
Jon Bakero at the 2018 SuperDraft | Andy Mead
The headline-stealing trade of David Accam over to the Philadelphia Union was one of the big stories of the draft. But Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez was quick to pull the trigger on a couple of moves, sending a package to Minnesota for the No. 5 pick, which they turned into Jon Bakero, and grabbing the No. 10 pick from Real Salt Lake, which they used to grab Mo Adams. Both players come with international tags, though in Bakero and Adams, the Fire added two of the surest contributors in the draft class. With the Accam move framing Chicago's trades to bring those picks in, they look even better.
Minnesota’s moves
Mason Toye at the 2018 SuperDraft | Andy Mead
After trading out of the No. 5 spot, United jumped back into the top 10 two spots later to pick Mason Toye. It’s a relatively steep price to pay, shelling out $175,000 in Targeted Allocation Money, though Toye’s a high-upside pick that provides depth as a No. 9 – plus they had just brought in that amount in the deal with Chicago. With the No. 15 pick that the Loons had grabbed from the Fire, they selected Wyatt Omsberg. The Dartmouth defender brought plenty of ability and intrigue with him to the draft. In all, it was some savvy operating from the second-year team.
FC Dallas collects talent
Francis Atuahene and Ema Twumasi at the 2018 SuperDraft | Andy Mead
It’s unclear just how many roster spots will be up for grabs for FC Dallas’ draftees. However, Oscar Pareja and the team’s technical staff made four quality picks. The price for the No. 4 pick ($200,000 in General Allocation Money) is certainly steep. However, bringing in two Generation adidas signees in Ema Twumasi and Francis Atuahene gives two dynamic, athletic wide players that can provide some roster flexibility. Their other two picks weren’t bad either. Mauro Cichero is a talented standout from SMU that’s recovering from an ACL injury, and it was a surprise to see Georgetown defensive midfielder Chris Lema slip into the second round.
LAFC move for Moutinho
Joao Moutinho at the 2018 SuperDraft | Andy Mead
Expansion teams can always use versatility, and Joao Moutinho can slot in as a center back, left back or in central midfield. With a little bit of seasoning and some development under Bob Bradley, the University of Akron star has all the makings of a nice pickup for LAFC. As this draft pool lacked a clear No. 1 pick, moving for Moutinho made plenty of sense. While he may not have set the field alight in the combine, anyone that’s watched his body of work at Akron can tell that he has all the makings of a player that can make a name for himself in MLS.
San Jose’s second round
Danny Musovski at the 2018 SuperDraft | Andy Mead
Paul Marie was something of a shock selection in the first round. And while the Frenchman could end up getting a long look in the Bay Area, San Jose’s second round selections were sneaky good. Forwards Danny Musovski and Mohamed Thiaw have different strengths in the final third, though assuming at least one can make the roster (at minimum) San Jose might’ve unearthed a potential goalscorer or two with their selections.
