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Toronto FC Selected Lipscomb University forward Tyrese Spicer with the No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, while Colorado Rapids had two of the first four selections.
Although the SuperDraft has gradually diminished in importance in the league landscape thanks to the emergence and evolution of the academy system, there is still talent to be found. Duncan McGuire AND Moise Bombito came from the MLS Cup 2023 SuperDraft winning goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and the Shield’s winning starting goalkeeper Roman Celentano in 2022, large transfers to Europe Daryl Dike AND Alistair Johnston in 2020 and more over the years.
Which players will pass this year?
Top 10
- Toronto FC: Tyrese Spicer, Lipscomb forward
- Colorado Rapids: Wayne Frederick, Duke midfielder
- FC Dallas: Logan Farrington, Oregon State forward
- Colorado Rapids: Kimani Stewart-Baynes, Maryland forward
- Austin FC: Nate Jones, Washington linebacker
- Chicago Fire: Bryan Dowd, Notre Dame goalkeeper
- DC United: Jacob Murrell, Georgetown striker
- NYCFC: Malachi Jones, Lipscomb forward
- Minnesota United: Hugo Bacharach, Indiana quarterback
- CF Montréal: Grayson Doody, defender UCLA
Who is Tyrese Spicer?
In a rare year without an expansion team taking the first overall pick, reigning Wooden Spoon champion Toronto FC selected Lipscomb University forward Tyrese Spicer. The forward was the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year this season, also earning first-team All-American honors after scoring 14 goals this year in 16 games.
After playing wing and forward for Lipscomb, Spicer displayed an ability to dribble around opposing college defenders while showing impressive shooting power with his left foot and nimble first-touch finishing with his right. Although it is never certain how quickly this skill set will translate from the NCAA to MLSthere’s reason to hope he can make the step up and make an impact for a rebuilding Toronto FC.
Tyrese Spicer goes No. 1 overall @TorontoFC. 🇨🇦@91Tavares THE @MapleLeafs welcomes the newest #TFCLive forward from Trinidad and Tobago to Toronto.
SuperDraft I expect. from Adidas pic.twitter.com/xpL6Ta3sLx
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 19, 2023
The Trinbagonian joins the SuperDraft’s No. 1 overall pick list of current MLS players Ben Bender AND Daniel Pereira as well as the Everton winger Jack Harrison AND Cyle Larin, Canada’s all-time leading international men’s scorer. Although he has yet to play for Trinidad & Tobago, the forward did it some love from Soca WarriorsThe official Twitter account after making the All-American team.
After playing his college ball in Nashville, he is now the first addition to Toronto’s roster in John Herdman’s first offseason as head coach. While that club works out of its current state of decay, Spicer will hope to benefit from training together Lorenzo Insigne while working on the team of the former coach of the Canadian men’s national team. That said, he’ll have plenty of competition for playing time in his rookie year: Of the 19 players Toronto retained for 2024, nine were listed as an attacker. – Jeff Rueter
Little consensus among insiders, less trading
with new eligibility rules for the 2024 MLS SuperDraft By allowing underclassmen to be drafted but then return to college, there was more uncertainty than usual about which team would select which player.
It’s nothing particularly new for teams to be surprised by picks. Sometimes clubs chose players they had not interviewed or shown any interest in. There’s still that this year, plus the change in how teams evaluated underclassmen who could return to school.
In speaking with sources around the league leading up to the draft, it was clear that many were just as curious as the mock draft analysts. For example, choice no. 2 overall Wayne Frederick was no. 29 in one model and not in the first round in another. Choice no. 1, Spicer was projected closer to No. 10 in mocks. Conversations with various sources often began with: What are you listening to? Everyone was trying to get information.
Clubs wanted to make sure they got their guy and couldn’t risk trading without a stronger handle in the expected player range.
The trade market was active, but not as much as last year. FC Dallas traded to get #3 from Inter Miami for $300,000 in general allocation money and selected Logan Farrington. In total, five of the first 12 picks were traded (though one of those picks was traded twice), out of 12 of the 13 first picks that were traded in 2023.
Expect many of these players to get minutes in MLS Next Pro instead of stepping straight into the first teams in this modern version of MLS. – Tom Bogert
(Photo courtesy of MLS / Lipscomb)
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