With MLS SuperDraft Looming, Does It Have Meaning?

Per MLS SuperDraft rules, any expansion team will select ahead of previously-existing teams with the first overall pick of the meeting. Although not an issue this time around, if two expansion teams are entering MLS ahead of a draft, the rights to the No. 1 overall choice are to be determined by virtue of a coin toss.

It"ll be part of a busy week for Major League Soccer. On Tuesday afternoon, the eve of draft night, the 2023 MLS season schedule will be released.

Although the draft is taking place in the final days of the 2022 calendar year, this year"s MLS SuperDraft is branded as the 2023 selection meeting, with the league taking advantage of the World Cup hiatus to conduct the event on a day when only a few matches in international leagues are being held across the sport.

This will be the first time that the draft will happen prior to Jan. 1 in the 24 years that the MLS SuperDraft has been held. But with teams in the league having their own youth academy these days, one question looms as the final hours to draft day tick down, and it"s a pretty fair question to ask:

Is the SuperDraft Relevant Now?

First and foremost, if you"re a fan of any North American professional sports league, particularly and especially the major ones, the draft is the one day and/or weekend where fans of every team in the league have the same amount of hope.

Fans of every major sports league look forward to draft day every offseason, except for Major League Baseball, as that draft happens during the season, though the last two years have seen the MLB Draft occur during the All-Star break. If you back a team that"s been in a playoff slump for years, the refrain of “This could be our year!" is often said throughout every offseason, regardless of sport.

NFL Draft Most Popular Draft By Far

The NFL Draft has proven to be one of the most popular non-game events on the sports calendar annually for decades. It"s always been a rating winner for ESPN.

During the sports shutdown in the spring of 2020, figures indicated that approximately 55 million viewers tuned into the virtual draft at some point during the weekend of April 23 and 25. Each broadcast window of the 2020 NFL Draft reported a year-to-year increase in ratings from the respective window aired in 2019.

MLS has held its draft virtually ever since the 2020 selection meeting, which took place ahead of the pandemic being declared. In retrospect, MLS was ahead of the curve with virtual drafts.

Youth Academies As A Method of Building Rosters

However, the MLS SuperDraft isn"t the lone way for a club to build its roster with new talent. Just like in the top-flight European leagues, youth academies were and are a way to find a team"s next major stars. Take, for example, midfielder Derrick Jones, who most recently suited up for the squad that held the top overall selection in last year"s MLS SuperDraft, Charlotte FC.

Jones" path to MLS began after making an appearance for Junior Lone Star FC (now Philadelphia Lone Star FC) during a friendly against the Philadelphia Union. Days later, he joined the Union"s youth academy, eventually parlaying his time as a member of the under-16 and under-18 squads to a spot on the senior roster of four MLS teams.

It took Jones until June of this year to finally get on the scoreboard during an MLS match. In the June 11 fixture between Charlotte FC and the New York Red Bulls from Bank of America Stadium, Jones entered the match as a substitute late in the second half, scoring an insurance goal to give Charlotte its first victory under Christian Lattanzio as head coach.

Some Organizations Don"t Value the SuperDraft

Due to the utilization of youth academies as a means of growing a club"s roster in MLS, there are some teams in the league which view the SuperDraft as an afterthought. Take the Philadelphia Union for example.

Prior to or during each of the past four drafts, Philadelphia has either traded away its choices or passed on making a selection in the SuperDraft. Out of a possible 12 draft picks between 2019 and 2022, the Union have made none of them.

During the 2018 draft, Philly selected midfielder Matt Danilack out of Dartmouth College with the No. 78 pick. Danilack never signed with the Union and retired from soccer in order to pursue a career in marketing.

Union On The Clock?

At press time, the Philadelphia Union own the No. 28, No. 57, and No. 86 picks in the MLS SuperDraft on Wednesday night. If Philadelphia does not trade away or pass on its choices, the team will make its first selections in five years this week.

As of this writing, it"s still unknown if the Union intends to make any or all of its available selections during draft night. Philadelphia could very well trade away or pass on making a choice for the fifth straight time Wednesday.

Much like any good cliffhanger in scripted television, you"re advised to tune in and see what happens.

Some Squads Use SuperDraft To Advantage

For every MLS organization that has dismissed the SuperDraft to some degree, there are those front offices that play the draft like a Steinway & Sons piano. Two textbook examples are the 2021 New England Revolution and the 2022 Philadelphia Union.

In a Monday column on mlssoccer.com, Matthew Doyle recounted how the SuperDraft led those teams to the postseason.

“As for the draft itself as a player acquisition tool, it"s a measure less exciting than it used to be, but is still a big deal," Doyle wrote. “Just two seasons ago, the New England Revolution won the Supporters" Shield and set the single-season points record (73) with a backline that came entirely via the SuperDraft, while this year"s Shield-contending Philadelphia Union were anchored in the back by (defender) Jack Elliott (77th pick in 2017) and (goalkeeper) Andre Blake (1st pick in 2014.)"

This leads to the last point:

MLS SuperDraft and Youth Academies Can Co-Exist

While a harmonious existence is nothing more than a pipe dream in much of life, in this case, the MLS SuperDraft and youth academies inside MLS clubs have co-existed and continue to do so. Both the draft and the youth academies achieve the goal of growing the game.

At the core, growing the game is the beautiful game"s ultimate goal. While the SuperDraft may or may not produce the Lionel Messi of tomorrow with the No. 1 overall selection by St. Louis this Wednesday, the potential exists that the young men drafted will become household names in the league over the course of the next five to 10 years.

Final Thoughts

In the grand scheme, the MLS SuperDraft remains relevant all these years later. On draft night in MLS, you get to see the reactions of the players being chosen as it happens along with them.

Regardless of league, watching the broadcast of the draft and being able to watch the players celebrate getting selected with their family and friends is the best clip that could be shown live on a draft. It"s a dream come true for the newest draftee.

Enjoy the MLS SuperDraft on Wednesday. After the draft closes, just under two months remain until the new season kicks off.

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