D.C. United today selected three players in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft held in Baltimore, MD at the Baltimore Convention Center. The Black-and-Red selected midfielder Andrew Jacobson in the second round (24th overall), forward Ryan Corderio in the third (33rd overall) and Tony Schmitz in the fourth (52nd overall).
"We are pleased with our selections in this year's SuperDraft," said United General Manager Dave Kasper. "This year's crop of players will provide us with good overall depth in a number of positions. We look forward to getting them into our preseason camp and getting started with preparations for 2008."
Jacobson joins United after a highly successful career at the University of California-Berkeley. A native of Palo Alto, Calif. the 6-foot, 2-inch midfielder scored 11 goals and tallied 13 assists during his collegiate career. As a senior in 2007, Jacobson was a NSCAA First Team All-American, a member of the All-Far West First Team, PAC-10 All First Team and the PAC-10 Player of the Year. The midfielder, who is able to play in both an attacking and defensive role, was also named to the NSCAA All-Far West Second Team in 2006 and was All Pac-10 First Team in both 2005 and 2006.
Cordeiro was selected after four years at the University of Connecticut, where he scored 18 goals and tallied 19 assists during his career. The 5-foot, 11-inch forward captained the team in 2007 and was named to the NSCAA All-Northeast Second Team and All Big East Second Team. A native of Highland Mills, NY, Cordeiro also played in the Super Y-League in 2003, helping his team to a second place finish in the 2003 National Championship. Prior to his time at Connecticut, Cordeiro played with Yorktown Spirit and helped lead them to three Eastern New York State Championships.
Schmitz spent four years at Creighton University, playing in numerous positions for the Jays. The 6-foot, 180 pound Schmitz was tabbed as a NSCAA Midwest Region first team member after being named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team following his senior season. He finished the 2007 season with four goals and five assists. After his junior year, Schmitz was named as an honorable mention on the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team. In all, he made 77 appearances (64 starts) and totaled six goals and 13 assists during his four years at Creighton University.
This year's draft marks just the third time in club history that United has not had a first round draft pick. This year's first round selection was traded to Toronto FC on February 1, 2007 to re-acquire Rod Dyachenko who was picked up by Toronto in the 2006 Expansion Draft. Dyachenko was originally acquired by D.C. in the third round (31st overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. Previously, 1998 and 2005 were the only years in which the club did not possess a first round selection. In 1998 the Black-and-Red took Carey Talley in the second round (14th overall) and in 2005 selected Nick Van Sicklen in the second round (19th overall).
D.C. United faces Jamaica's Harbour View FC in the quarterfinal round of the prestigious CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The two-game series will begin mid-March, with United traveling to Jamaica for the first leg March 11-13 with the second leg taking place at home March 18-20. The winner of the series will advance to face either Pachuca (Mexico) or Motagua (Honduras) in the semifinal round. United and Harbour View have met once before in Champions' Cup play, when in March of 2005 the two teams met in the quarterfinal round. United captured a 2-1 victory on March 9 in the first leg and advanced 4-2 on aggregate following a 2-1 win in Jamaica on March 16.
Player vitals:
Andrew Jacobson
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-2
Weight 188
Date of Birth: 9/25/85
Citizenship: United States
Hometown: Palo Alto, CA
Ryan Cordeiro
Position: Forward
Height: 5-11
Weight 175
Date of Birth: 5/6/86
Citizenship: United States
Hometown: Highland Mills, NY
Tony Schmitz
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Height: 6-0
Weight 180
Date of Birth: 12/24/85
Citizenship: United States
Hometown: Omaha, NE
