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Seattle Sounders FC Select University of Akron's Steve Zakuani with First Overall Selection in 2009

January 15, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Seattle Sounders News Release


ST. LOUIS (Thursday, January 15, 2009) - Major League Soccer's newest expansion club, Seattle Sounders FC, selected University of Akron forward and Generation adidas member Steve Zakuani with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. The four-round, 15-team draft was held Thursday at the St. Louis Convention Center.

As a 2009 expansion club, Seattle Sounders FC held the first selection in each of the four rounds and selected Zakuani the 2009 MAC Hermann trophy finalist with their first selection. Zakuani, 20, born in Republic of Congo, grew up in London and played with the Arsenal youth program. He played two seasons for the University of Akron, where he was the 2008 NCAA Division I scoring leader with 20 goals and seven assists. Zakuani is only the third player from the University of Akron ever to be selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

Wake Forest University defender Evan Brown (16th overall), Azusa Pacific University defender Jared Karkas (31st overall) and Harvard University midfielder Michael Fucito (46th overall) join Zakuani as the first SuperDraft selections for Seattle Sounders FC.

Zakuani was the first of seven Generation adidas players to be selected in the first round. With the third overall selection, Los Angeles tabbed University of Maryland defender Omar Gonzalez. Rounding out the Generation adidas players selected in the first round were: Peri Marosevic (FC Dallas, 5th), Rodney Wallace (D.C. United, 6th), Kevin Alston (New England Revloution, 10th), and Stefan Frei (Toronto FC, 13th).

Generation adidas, which was established ahead of the 2005 MLS season, is a player development program that identifies and nurtures the elite youth soccer talent in the United States. Last year, Generation adidas midfielder Chance Myers was the No. 1 overall selection for the Kansas City Wizards. In 2007 Toronto FC selected Generation adidas midfielder Maurice Edu who went on to capture Gatorade Rookie of the Year honors.

Forty-two colleges and universities were represented among the 60 players selected. Wake Forest University led all schools with six players selected, the most by one college or university ever in an MLS college of SuperDraft. The University of Maryland had five players selected.

Pre-season training camps for all MLS teams may begin today Jan. 15. The 2009 MLS Regular Season begins on Thursday, March 19.

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