With expansion Philadelphia taking striker Danny Mwanga with the top pick in today’s MLS SuperDraft, the Red Bulls selected midfielder Tony Tchani of Virginia with the second overall pick and Wake Forest’s Austin Da Luz with the No. 14 selection.
New York had long been expected to grab Wake Forest centerback Ike Opara to help the worst defense in MLS. But after Tchani utterly dominated the combine, the Cavs midfielder was just too good to pass up. He led Virginia to the NCAA championship this year, and could step in from Day One and start in central midfield.
“We believe that Tony has the potential to be an excellent two-way midfielder in Major League Soccer and we are excited to bring him to the Red Bulls,” said Red Bull GM and sporting director Erik Soler. “Tony impressed our coaching staff during his time at Virginia and we expect that he will help improve our squad immediately.”
Tchani has impressed many. Check him out at :10 of this video, and 1:05.
They selected Da Luz with the 14th pick. He’s a heady, slick left-sided midfielder from Wake Forest, one who showed a great first touch at the combine and had six goals and 15 assists this season. He can play on the left side, but some within the league feel he may eventually slide into the middle of the field.
Either way, Da Luz has shown a high soccer IQ, and had 17 assists for Wake two years ago, and was in his way every bit as effective as the more highly-touted Corben Bone. Check out the video below, and you’ll see he plays a lot of chippy lobs and reverses the field well.