Three UCLA soccer players got their chance to play at the next
level on Friday.
At the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, the L.A. Galaxy drafted
Scot Thompson (second round, No. 16 pick overall) and Jimmy
Frazelle (fifth, No. 50), and the Chicago Fire drafted Ryan
Futagaki (sixth, No. 54).
Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid was the head coach at UCLA from
1980-1999 before leaving for the Galaxy, and recruited both
Frazelle and Thompson.
“Scot is an MLS-type defender. We’ll work with
him,” Schmid said. “I was very happy we were able to
get Scot.”
Thompson was drafted in the second round and No. 16 overall. The
defending MLS Cup Champion Galaxy had to make a trade to draft him,
dealing forward Brian Mullan to the San Jose Earthquakes for the
16th pick.
“(Thompson) was the player we wanted the whole
time,” Galaxy Vice President and General Manager Doug
Hamilton said. “We were able to move down, get him, and get
another first round pick in the process.”
Futagaki, who had three goals and four assists last season, fell
to the sixth round, despite being projected to be drafted as high
as the second round.
Frazelle, drafted by Galaxy in the fifth round, scored five
goals, three of which were game-winners, and had six assists last
season.
“It’s the deepest draft since I’ve been at MLS
and that helped us get some players we can use,” Fire General
Manager Peter Wilt said in a statement.
UCLA forward Tim Pierce also entered the MLS Superdraft, but was
not drafted, despite leading his team with 12 goals.
“I’m disappointed that he didn’t get drafted,
but not surprised,” UCLA men’s soccer head coach Tom
Fitzgerald said. “He didn’t do too well in the Final
Four or in the MLS combine.”
With the first pick in the draft, D.C. United selected Alecko
Eskandarian from the University of Virginia. Furman’s Ricardo
Clark was the second pick overall by the New York/New Jersey
Metrostars, and Portland’s Nate Jaqua was the third pick by
the Chicago Fire.