Michael Salazar Selected 24th Overall In MLS Super Draft
1/14/2016 12:16:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Baltimore, MD—The Montreal Impact selected UC Riverside's Michael Salazar with the fourth pick in the second round (24th overall) of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft Thursday afternoon. The Highlanders have had players drafted by MLS teams in each of the last five years (view entire draft/view UC Riverside's all-time list of draftees).
"Michael Salazar has the speed and quickness to help an MLS squad looking to add depth to the striker position" said TopDrawerSoccer.com prior to the draft. "With Didier Drogba's imminent departure, the [Montreal] Impact needs to find more attacking punch up front even though Cameron Porter and Anthony Jackson-Hamel are already in the lineup and quite young. In a counter-attacking system, Salazar could help Ignacio Piatti and co. while having a physical presence in the box and able to support the midfielders when playing lower on the pitch to hold the ball.
"Though, there is a big chance the Impact either trades up in the draft to get a better striker in the draft or plainly combine that pick with allocation money to get a MLS-ready striker that might be made available by other MLS clubs."
TopDrawerSoccer.com's Matthew Doyle also has Salazar ranked as the fifth best forward in the draft.
Salazar and teammate Norberto Ochoa both participated in the 2016 adidas MLS Player Combine from January 7-12 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. All invited players are eligible for selection in the 2016 SuperDraft presented by adidas that takes places on Thursday, January 14 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Salazar was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Far West Region Third Team, and also earned All-Big West First Team accolades this season. He had six goals, and three assists for 15 points during his 2015 campaign, and finished his two-year UC Riverside career with 12 goals, four assists and 28 points. Three of his career scores were game winners.
Ochoa was an All-Far West Region Third Team and All-Big West First Team performer this year, finishing the regular season tied for second in the conference in goals (7) and tied for fifth in points (16) (story). He earned Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors, and was named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week (story), the same week he recorded the second hat trick in UC Riverside's Division I history against San Francisco (box score/recap). He later added a pair of scores against Sacramento State (box score/recap) for his second multi-goal game of the season.
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"Michael Salazar has the speed and quickness to help an MLS squad looking to add depth to the striker position" said TopDrawerSoccer.com prior to the draft. "With Didier Drogba's imminent departure, the [Montreal] Impact needs to find more attacking punch up front even though Cameron Porter and Anthony Jackson-Hamel are already in the lineup and quite young. In a counter-attacking system, Salazar could help Ignacio Piatti and co. while having a physical presence in the box and able to support the midfielders when playing lower on the pitch to hold the ball.
"Though, there is a big chance the Impact either trades up in the draft to get a better striker in the draft or plainly combine that pick with allocation money to get a MLS-ready striker that might be made available by other MLS clubs."
TopDrawerSoccer.com's Matthew Doyle also has Salazar ranked as the fifth best forward in the draft.
Salazar and teammate Norberto Ochoa both participated in the 2016 adidas MLS Player Combine from January 7-12 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. All invited players are eligible for selection in the 2016 SuperDraft presented by adidas that takes places on Thursday, January 14 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Salazar was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Far West Region Third Team, and also earned All-Big West First Team accolades this season. He had six goals, and three assists for 15 points during his 2015 campaign, and finished his two-year UC Riverside career with 12 goals, four assists and 28 points. Three of his career scores were game winners.
Ochoa was an All-Far West Region Third Team and All-Big West First Team performer this year, finishing the regular season tied for second in the conference in goals (7) and tied for fifth in points (16) (story). He earned Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors, and was named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week (story), the same week he recorded the second hat trick in UC Riverside's Division I history against San Francisco (box score/recap). He later added a pair of scores against Sacramento State (box score/recap) for his second multi-goal game of the season.
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