Two Beavers Taken in MLS Draft

Oregon State forwards Jordan Jones and Timmy Mueller were taken in the third round of Major League Soccer’s SuperDraft this Sunday. Jones will join expansion team LAFC, and Mueller will be headed up the road to play for the Portland Timbers.

During his time at Oregon State Jones was one of the team’s most prolific scorers. Jones tallied 29 goals over his four years in Corvallis, leading the team in goals scored in three of those years.

2018 will be Los Angeles FC’s first year in MLS. The expansion team was guaranteed the first pick in the draft, and used it on Portuguese born defender Joao Moutinho. Moutinho is part of the Generation Adidas program that allows players to enter the MLS draft early; Moutinho had spent only one year for the Akron Zips.

Jones was the team’s fourth pick of the draft, and the 47th pick overall (first in the third round). The team has invested a significant amount of its resources in the forward position so far, using both of its Designated Player slots to bring in foreign talent. Diego Rossi of Uruguay and Carlos Vela of Mexico will feature at the position, so LAFC’s plan at the moment is to probably use Jones for depth, and give him some time to prove himself.

Mueller was another top scorer for Oregon State, totaling 23 goals during his four years. He’ll join a Portland team in transition, as coach Caleb Porter resigned following the team’s loss to the Houston Dynamo in the playoffs.

Portland did not have much to work with going into the draft, with no picks in the first two rounds. Mueller was the second player the Timbers took, with the 63rd overall pick in the draft. This was just two picks after their first pick of the draft, defender Caleb Duvernay from NC State.

While it may be difficult for players in the later rounds to make the final roster of pro teams, Mueller may have a leg up as he has had time in the Timbers developmental program. Mueller played for Timbers U-23 during the 2016 season, scoring 4 goals in the 6 games he played there.

The 2018 Major League Soccer season will kick off on March 18. Keep an eye out for any Beavers on the pitch.