Four players with ties to the area taken in MLS SuperDraft

Four players who spent time in the area playing in USL League Two (formerly PDL) had their names called in the first two rounds of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft on Friday.

It took until the 18th pick, but JJ Williams was the first to go off the board from Reading United’s pool of former players. The Kentucky junior from Alabama who made seven appearances in Reading in 2017 went to the Columbus Crew. He was the last of the seven Generation adidas players taken in the draft.

The LA Galaxy used the 19th pick to select former Ocean City Nor’easter Emil Cuello. The midfielder from SMU, who made appearances for Ocean City in the 2016 season, is just the second Ocean City alum to be drafted in the first round, joining Lumberton, N.J. native Ryan Finley, who was the ninth overall pick in 2013.

Reading United alum Kamal Miller’s choice of a purple tie proved a wise choice when he was drafted by Orlando City with the second pick in the second round (27th overall). Akron goalkeeper Ben Lundt went 10 picks later to FC Cincinnati, which drafted the German with one of five picks they received in a trade with the Philadelphia Union in exchange for up to $200,000 in general allocation money.

Cincinnati drafted Wake Forest right back Logan Gdula with the Union’s first round pick (No. 13) and also picked up Notre Dame midfielder Tommy McCabe with the 29th overall pick with a Union pick. They still have the 61st and 85th picks in the third and fourth rounds, which will be held via conference call on Monday.

The Union weren’t the only team sitting out Friday because they traded their picks. The Chicago Fire traded away three more picks in addition to one they had already swapped with the Union for Fabian Herbers (the McCabe pick).

The third and fourth rounds of the draft will be conducted by conference call on Monday. Several additional players with ties to the area, including Pennsylvania natives Mark Forrest, Pat Berneski and Austin Maloney will be available for selection.