Former Seven Lakes star Michael Nelson selected by Dynamo in MLS SuperDraft.
SMU goalkeeper thrilled after being picked in first round
Growing up as a soccer player in Katy, it made sense for Michael Nelson to be a Dynamo fan.
He threw plenty of orange streamers and idolized fellow goalkeeper and Dynamo legend Pat Onstad as he watched games with his family at Robertson Stadium.
The next time his family watches a home game, Nelson may not be with them in the stands. He could be playing for the Dynamo.
Staying close to home
One of Nelson’s dreams came true Friday morning when the Dynamo picked him in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft. The No. 20 overall selection will have an opportunity to make the team and begin his professional career in his hometown.
“I always thought about how awesome it would be to end up back here,” said Nelson, who graduated from Seven Lakes High School. “It is really cool it has worked out that way.”
It was not a surprise for the Dynamo to pick a goalkeeper. They currently have only one on their roster for 2018 after signing free agent Chris Seitz. They’re still negotiating with Joe Willis, to whom they offered a contract after the 2017 season.
Nelson was a two-time American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year at SMU. He appeared in 76 games and had 27 shutouts in his college career.
In addition to participating in the MLS Combine in Orlando, Nelson came to Houston to participate in a smaller goalkeepers training session with Dynamo staff.
Nelson said they told him that training session that they were interested in him and that they believe he has a lot of room for development. All of that is encouraging, but Nelson said he knows there still is plenty of work to do.
“The level is going to be very high. That’s the difference from the college game to the pro game,” Nelson said. “It is not just a sport we play in college anymore. For these guys, it is a livelihood and a life’s passion. The attention to detail and intensity you bring every day has to be of the highest order, so I am looking forward to being competitive every day.”
Forward also taken
The Dynamo’s second-round draft pick said the same thing on Friday.
Selected with the No. 43 overall pick, Providence College forward Mac Steeves said he was beside himself with excitement as he watched on his computer at home.
Maybe not as excited as his mother, though.
Steeves watched on a computer in his room, and his mom watched on a different computer downstairs.
“(When I got picked) I heard my mom yell a little bit because her stream was ahead of mine,” he said. “It sounded like she jumped in the air.”
Steeves had 35 goals and 12 assists in 73 games over four seasons with Providence.
“I am excited to get down (to Houston) and meet everyone,” Steeves said. “I am looking forward to getting to work. I am going to put my head down and put everything I have into this.”
Earlier Friday, the Dynamo acquired defensive midfielder Darwin Cerén from the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for $100,000 in General Allocation Money and $75,000 in Targeted Allocation Money.
Cerén, 28, is known as a tenacious player capable of covering a lot of ground. The Salvadoran debuted for the national team in 2012 and has 41 caps since then, occasionally serving as the squad’s captain.