ST. LOUIS -- The Kansas City Wizards came to the 2009 MLS SuperDraft hoping to add depth to their roster and to nab a player who could challenge for or step into their starting 11. Five picks later, mission accomplished.
"We feel great. Anytime you walk away with the guy you want the most, you're quite happy," said head coach Curt Onalfo.
Sitting in the middle of the first round at No. 8, the Wizards bolstered their backline in choosing defender Matt Besler from the University of Notre Dame with the pick. The 21-year-old hails from Overland Park, Kan., just a few miles from CommunityAmerica Ballpark, now his home away from home.
"It feels amazing, the team that you grow up supporting. It's a dream come true," said Besler.
The 6-0, 170-lb. back played his club ball at KCFC Alliance under coach Gareth Hughes, then went on to earn a spot on the All-Big East Conference Team three times at Notre Dame and NSCAA/adidas First-Team All-American status this past year. Internationally, he has trained with U.S. under-20 national team and played on the U.S. under-15 national team.
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"We lost Tyson Wahl through the expansion draft, and we needed to fill a void in central defense, especially on the left side," said Onalfo. "We rated Matt as one of the top defenders. We think he has a bright future, and we look forward to having him come in and compete in that spot with Aaron Hohlbein who is currently penciled in that spot."
Besler's quality was corroborated by the fact that two teams behind the Wizards tried to trade up to get the young back, and his learning curve will be eased by being near home and by his confidence in his ability to quickly catch onto MLS's speed of play. After all, he has the mind for it, earning the 2008 NSCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year.
"That's one of my better qualities," said Besler, who feels he can play centrally and on the flank. "I feel like I can play a lot of positions on the field, and that helps me out with my [soccer] brain and playing different positions."
With back-to-back picks in the second round (22nd and 23rd overall), Kansas City went offensive choosing forward Doug DeMartin and midfielder Graham Zusi.
A Michigan State product, DeMartin was a semifinalist for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the top honor for a collegiate soccer player. He claimed the Big Ten Player of the Year with 17 goals in his senior campaign after knocking home 12 his junior year.
"DeMartin is a very good, talented forward that we've studied intensely," Onalfo said. "[The competition] is going to be a great situation for him to show what he can do. We have a lot of confidence in him and believe he is talented enough to take him in the second round."
An award winner too, Zusi captured the 2008 NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player honor, helping the Terrapins to the NCAA Division I title, scoring the match-winner in semifinal over time and the lone goal in the final. Known for his "tremendous" long-range shot and work rate among other abilities, Zusi is projected by some as a winger or withdrawn striker.
"Graham really opened our eyes in the final four. He took [Maryland] on his shoulders, We look forward to him coming in and giving us some depth in the attacking midfield position," Onalfo said.
With their fourth and fifth picks of the day (42nd and 50th overall), the Wizards chose former St. John's University goalkeeper Neal Kitson, who made the 2008 College Cup All-Tournament Team, and University of Connecticut product, midfielder Akeem Priestley, a member of the Jamaican U-23 national team.
"We're in a little bit different position than we were a couple of years ago," Onalfo said, "where we were needing to find starters, we're now looking to find cover and to find depth."
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