Real Salt Lake selects 2 in MLS SuperDraft

Real Salt Lake technical director Dan Egner, left, RSL executive vice president of soccer operations Rob Zarkos, RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen, RSL general manager Elliot Fall, RSL head coach Freddy Juarez, and RSL assistant general manager Tony Beltran, talk to the media during a press conference to announce staff changes at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Real Salt Lake selected one forward and one defender in Thursday’s first two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft.

With the 20th overall pick in the first round, RSL chose forward Dayonn Harris out of UConn after a number of mock drafts had predicted it. Then with the 46th overall selection, RSL picked defender Michael Wetungu out of Michigan State.

“We are very excited to add two players that we had rated extremely highly on our draft board as two of the top prospects coming out of NCAA this year,” RSL general manager Elliot Fall said in a statement. “Dayonn is a proven attacking threat on the wings who will add to our list of young promising attacking players. Michael is a solid defender who we see translating to the professional level seamlessly.”

Harris played two seasons at Penn State before transferring to UConn. He played just two games for the Huskies before getting injured and redshirting the rest of the 2017 campaign, but then he played out his final two years of eligibility in 2018 and 2019. His nine assists during his senior year ranked 10th in the NCAA.

As for Wetungu, he was a longtime starter at center back for the Spartans and even scored three goals in his collegiate career.

Elsewhere, RSL Academy product Tanner Dieterich was taken 28th overall (second round) by expansion side Nashville SC after a four-year career at Clemson.

The final two rounds of the draft will take place on Jan. 13.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2QVyqUY