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FC Dallas Holds No. 14 and 17 Picks in 2020 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday

January 8, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


Frisco, Texas - FC Dallas enters the 2020 SuperDraft presented by adidas with the 14th, 17th overall picks in the first round and 40th overall pick in the second round as the draft kicks off at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9 on MLSsoccer.com, the ESPN social media channels and ESPN App.

Both FC Dallas Technical Director Andre Zanotta and head coach Luchi Gonzalez will be available for a post-draft conference call at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT. If you have not already RSVP'd or if you have any questions, please email Marleine Calderon (MCalderon@FCDallas.net).

How to Watch

The show will stream live on Twitter, with an itinerary that includes a live stream and real-time highlights from the event all in one comprehensive experience on Jan. 9. That includes cameras embedded with players and club decision-makers, live look-ins on club draft rooms and instant engagement with fans on Twitter during the first round. FC Dallas will be one of five clubs featured during the live event. Rounds 3 and 4 will be conducted via conference call on Jan. 13.

Players Available

There will be 141 players eligible for selection. The majority of draft prospects are NCAA college seniors who have exhausted their college eligibility. Generation adidas players and non-collegiate international players are also eligible for selection in the SuperDraft. Clubs may nominate players for the League's Draft-Eligible List, and only players from that list may be selected.

Many of the players that will be selected have participated in the MLS College Showcase, a new event that was held for the first time last Dec. 13-15.

Seven current FC Dallas players, including 2019 Team MVP Ryan Hollingshead (20th overall pick in 2013) and three-time MLS All-Star Matt Hedges (11th overall pick in 2012), were acquired through the draft: Callum Montgomery (fourth overall pick in 2019), John Nelson (10th overall pick in 2019), Francis Atuahene (fourth overall pick in 2018), Ema Twumasi (11th overall pick in 2018) and Jacori Hayes (18th overall pick in 2017).

How the SuperDraft Works

There are four rounds in the SuperDraft, with each team allowed one pick per round. The first three picks are held by expansion sides Inter Miami (1st and 3rd overall) and Nashville SC (2nd overall pick) The following 10 selections are from teams that did not qualify for the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, beginning with the team with fewest 2019 regular-season points (3 points per win, 1 point per tie). The remaining 14 positions are ranked by fewest regular-season points among the teams that were eliminated in the same round of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

Many of the selections have already changed hands via trades. View the updated draft order here.

What Happens After

Most picks will enter training camp with the clubs that drafted, but not all will sign contracts to go on an MLS roster. Some players who don't make an MLS roster may also end up signing for an MLS team's USL squad.

A player who was drafted by a particular team through the SuperDraft and did not sign is placed on that team's "College Protected List" until December 31st of the year after the draft, after which the team loses the MLS rights to the player.

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