SuperDraft 2021: The 3 college soccer prodigy picks who could dominate MLS

Last Thursday (January 21, 2021) the MLS conducted the 22nd edition of the SuperDraft. The 27 teams in the league took turns to pick the best players in college soccer, looking to secure the next generation of top soccer players for their roasters. With clubs from all around the world, and especially from the Bundesliga, scouting more and more in the USA, the MLS SuperDraft is becoming a more and more important event in football.

The first picks are assigned to new teams and then to teams who didn’t make the playoffs. Austin FC were granted the first pick as they will start competing in the MLS 2021. The second pick corresponded to Cincinnati, who finished the MLS 2020 in the 26th overall position. The third pick was originally assigned to Houston Dynamo, who finished 25t in the overall classification but Colorado Rapids (10th in the MLS 2020) acquired this selection in exchange for $200,000 in general allocation money and the 6th overall draft pick.

In this analysis, we’ll provide short scout reports on the top three picks of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft: Daniel Pereira, Calvin Harris and Philip Mayaka. The top three picks come from the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA and none of them was American. 

Each scout report includes a tactical analysis and a statistical profile. Data has been taken from Wyscout and our player profiles show metrics in terms of percentiles, which reflect the player’s performance on that particular stat in comparison with the rest of the players in the same position in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

#1  Daniel Pereira  Virginia Tech to Austin

Daniel Pereira is a Venezuelan midfielder who represented his country at U14 and U17 levels before joining Virginia Tech Hokies to play college soccer. In his two seasons in the NCAA, he played 26 games, scored six goals and assisted another six. He’s the first-ever South American and first Virginia Tech player to be selected first overall in the MLS Draft.

Pereira is right-footed but uses his left foot too. He’s quite short (175 cm / 5’9’’) but uses his low centre of gravity to protect the ball and win offensive duels. He’s also agile, changes direction easily and can move quickly in tight spaces.