Sporting KC selects four in Supplemental Draft
January 22, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City made four selections in the 2013 Supplemental Draft on Tuesday, adding Christian Duke, Mitchell Cardenas, Brian Fekete and Mike Reidy to the team's pre-season roster. Duke is currently in camp with the club, while the remaining three selections are expected to join the team during their pre-season stay in Tucson, Ariz.
"We've selected four players that have all shown qualities and characteristics that we like and that we think that can fit into our system," Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. "Now it's up to each of them to come in and display those qualities this preseason."
Sporting Kansas City selected Duke in the first round, drafting the University of San Diego defender with the 14th overall pick. The 21-year-old is an Overland Park, Kan. native and played for the Sporting KC Academy beginning in June 2007 while attending Shawnee Mission South High School. He appeared in 60 games for the Toreros in his four-year career, earning six assists. Duke played in all 23 games as a senior in 2012, earning All-West Coast Conference Second Team honors and leading the team to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
"It's a great feeling coming into an organization that is well known for their blue-collar, hard-nosed tactics," Duke said. "Peter Vermes is a great coach and I look forward to playing for the organization. Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be playing professionally in Kansas City. Now I have my opportunity. I just have to go get it now."
Cardenas was chosen with the 33rd overall pick in the second round of the Supplemental Draft following a career as a four-time All-Conference selection at Campbell University in which he compiled 22 goals and 34 assists in 76 matches. The Mexico City native led all NCAA Division I players in assists as senior with 14 assists in 2012 and was named to the All-South Atlantic Region team by the NSCAA.
"I am beyond excited. I can't even put it into words really," Cardenas said. "I know being selected doesn't mean you earn your contract right away. Now it's about showing what you can do and hopefully, by the end of preseason if not earlier, I can earn a contract and stick with the team."
Sporting Kansas City's 52nd overall pick produced Fekete, a three-time All-American at the University of Tampa. The four-year starter recorded seven goals and 15 assists in 69 games for the Spartans and was invited to attend the 2013 MLS Player Combine last week alongside Sporting Kansas City's SuperDraft selection Mikey Lopez.
"I'm looking forward to the biggest opportunity of my life thus far," Fekete said. "I am really excited to join the team and take the next step in my soccer career."
Reidy, the reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, was a four-year contributor at Colgate University, where he broke onto the scene as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2009 with seven goals. He notched 19 goals and nine assists in 77 matches for the Raiders, including a conference best seven goals as a senior in 2012.
"It's an honor. I'm so thankful for Sporting KC for this opportunity," Reidy said. "It's a dream come true. I'm so excited to get out there and start training with the team."
Sporting Kansas City is currently in Tucson, Ariz. for the team's pre-season and will scrimmage against the New England Revolution on Friday in Casa Grande, Ariz. before playing a pair of matches in The Desert Friendlies presented by FC Tucson next week. The club will then travel to Orlando, Fla. next month to participate in the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer Classic prior to the MLS season opener on March 2 at the Philadelphia Union. Season ticket packages are currently available at SportingKC.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
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