Draft strategy looks familiar

Ireland. England. Germany. For the second consecutive year, Atlanta United’s picks in the MLS SuperDraft had a cosmopolitan feel.

After striking gold last year with the selection of Germany native Julian Gressel, who became the league’s Rookie of the Year, Atlanta United selected players with similar backgrounds and experience levels as Gressel on Friday in Philadelphia.

With the 14th pick in the SuperDraft, Atlanta United selected Notre Dame forward Jon Gallagher, a native of Ireland who has had trials with Juventus, Marseille, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United in his family’s travels around the world. His father, Paul, works for Guinness, which has necessitated the moves.

Atlanta United went international again with the 36th and 37th picks, selecting Clemson midfielder Oliver Shannon, a native of Liverpool, England, and Maryland forward Gordon Wild, a native of Leonberg, Germany, who started at South Carolina Upstate before transferring to the Terrapins.

Because Atlanta United’s starting 11 and bench are stacked, including the addition of Argentina’s Ezequiel Barco on Friday, it seems unlikely that any of the three will see a lot of first-team minutes this season.

“It’s up to these guys to come in and prove themselves,” Atlanta United Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said.

But based upon their success in college, it seems likely they could at the very least perform well for Atlanta United 2, the USL team that will play at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, and

give manager Gerardo Martino something to consider.

Gallagher had 39 goals and 15 assists in four years with the Fighting Irish. Among his accolades: second-team All-American in 2017, ACC offensive player of the year in 2016, ACC All-Freshman team in 2016.

“I’d like to thank Atlanta United for taking a chance on me,” said Gallagher, who is primarily right-footed. “This is probably the greatest day of my life, but at the same time realizing that it’s just the beginning.”

Though a defensive midfielder, Shannon scored 13 goals and notched 17 assists in four seasons with the Tigers.

Shannon thanked his mom, who he said died two years ago at age 50 because of a brain tumor. He said she was with him today and pushed him spiritually throughout his college career to become a professional soccer player.

“Massive motivation for me,” he said. “I know she’s smiling right now. I’m happy I could do that for her.”

Shannon, who spent 13 years playing in the youth academy of Premier League club Everton, said he and his Clemson teammates watched a lot of Atlanta United’s games last season in an attempt to replicate the team’s pressing style.

“It’s a great club, and I’m overwhelmed to be given this opportunity,” he said.

Bocanegra said the team likes Shannon’s size (6 feet, 170 pounds) and maturity, which he said are similar to Gressel, and motor. The team said he could be a boxto-box midfielder or holding midfielder.

Thanks to a strong left foot, Wild scored 38 goals in 2½ seasons. He was projected before the college season to be a high pick, but scored only five goals. He already was friends with Gressel, who was a standout at Providence for four years before Atlanta United selected him with the eighth pick in last year’s draft.

Wild said Maryland also played a high pressing system and 4-3-3 formation similar to Atlanta United’s.

The Five Stripes last year were the first expansion team since Seattle in 2009 to make the playoffs. They were eliminated by Columbus in a penalty-kick shootout.

The team maintained the core of the group that scored the second-most goals (70) in the league while posting the second-biggest goal difference (plus-30). In addition, it traded for midfielder Darlington Nagbe, added defenders Franco Escobar and Jose Hernandez and midfielder Barco.

Atlanta United participated in its first SuperDraft last year, selecting defender Miles Robinson with the second pick, Gressel, Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu in the third round and goalkeeper Alex Kapp in the fourth round.

The team’s picks became examples of how inexact drafting can be.

Gressel wasn’t projected to be a top-10 pick, but scored five goals with nine assists.

Robinson, who was said to have the potential to become a standout defender eventually, didn’t log a minute with the team, partially because of the veterans the team already had at centerback in Michael Parkhurst and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez. Wheeler-Omiunu never made an appearance in a league game. Kapp no longer is with the team.

Unlike last year’s draft, which included several prospects such as Abu Danladi, Jeremy Ebobisse and Robinson who were thought to have potential to make instant impacts, this year’s draft was described by many as being more “even,” which is another way to saying it had quantity and not quality.

None of the three said they would shy away from playing for Atlanta United 2.

“The most important thing as a young player is to play and develop,” Wild said. “I’m aware that there are a lot of great players on the team. I think my job now is to start at the bottom and slowly work my way up every day, giving it all I have, and then we will see what happens in the future.”