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Many thought Sporting Kansas City might have gone for center back depth with their first round selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft but with a player like South Florida's Dom Dwyer still on the board when Kansas City selected with the 16th pick, Kansas City chose to go with a forward instead.
It's hard to argue against the selection.
Dwyer, who is part of this year's Generation Adidas class, should provide instant depth for Kansas City on the wings of their 4-3-3 attack. Winger depth was one of the bigger concerns for Sporting Kansas City heading into the draft, so the addition of Dwyer makes a lot of sense. Also, the fact that he is part of the Generation Adidas class means that he won't count against Sporting's salary cap, which is another big plus.
A little bit more about Dwyer:
Height- 5'9"
Weight- 180 pounds
Hometown- London, England
2011 Collegiate season with South Florida - 20 appearances, 16 goals, 2 assists
Dwyer was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, as well a 2nd team All-American by College Soccer News and the NCAA. Dwyer is just the second Englishman to have signed a Generation Adidas deal (the other having been Seattle's Steve Zakuani).
From South Florida's athletic site:
A 5-9, 180-pound forward from London, England who played his first two seasons with Tyer Junior College in Texas ... Named the 2010 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Player of the Year ... Tabbed NJCAA First Team All-American Honors and also garnered NJCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player ... Helped guide Tyler Junior College to the 2009 and 2010 National Championship while also leading the Apache to a 42-consecutive game unbeaten streak and a 41-0-1 record during his two years ... Led nation in goals (37) and points (79) during his final year at Tyler ... Played with fellow signees Brenton Griffiths and Kyle Nicholls.
And here's a little bit of what experts were saying about Dwyer prior to the draft today:
Ives Galarcep- Soccer By Ives& Fox Soccer writer
"The South Florida striker has pace but also serious strength to ward off defenders. He is also a quality finisher which, coupled with his Generation adidas status, should make him one of the first forwards off the draft board."
Travis Clark, writer, MLSsoccer.com
As a forward, Dwyer scored a number of his goals this season, 16 in all, by poaching tallies in a variety of ways. But one of his traits stands out the most: his speed, which gives him the ability to get in behind defenses.