In his inaugural MLS SuperDraft as Sounders general manager and chief soccer officer, Craig Waibel opted to trade the first-round pick (ninth overall) Wednesday.
The deal with expansion side St. Louis City SC garnered $175,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and a third-round pick for Seattle. The Sounders used the selection to acquire San Diego State University defender Blake Bowen.
Waibel, who replaced Garth Lagerwey in November as the club’s top soccer-side executive, has amassed $375,000 in GAM funds the past month — $100,000 of which is deferred until 2024. The money could be used to sign a more experienced player who can make an immediate impact.
Lagerwey utilized the accounting assistance last season to sign free agent midfielder Albert Rusnak.
Seattle still had a presence in the first round when University of Washington forward Ilijah Paul was selected by Real Salt Lake with the seventh overall pick.
Paul was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in goals (11). Playing for RSL is a homecoming, because he began his soccer journey with the Salt Lake Academy.
“I’m familiar with the place, so I’m pretty glad that I get to go there,” Paul said in an interview during the draft livestream. “It really got me to where I am today. It really challenged me and put me to where I am, so I think it will get me ready to play as a pro as well.”
In the second round, the Sounders picked Kentucky forward Eythor Bjorgolfsson (38th overall). The forward, who’s from Norway, was an elite finisher for the Wildcats, totaling 24 goals in four years, tied for sixth all-time in the program.
Bjorgolfsson was named an All-American this month by the United Soccer Coaches.
Bowen, the 59th overall pick, was named to the Far West All-Region third team. He started all 18 matches this season and bagged three goals in Pac-12 play. He’ll reunite with SDSU keeper Jacob Castro, who Waibel signed last week as a Homegrown Player. Castro is from Spanaway.
The Sounders will open training camp Jan. 4 at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. The competition slate begins with the FIFA men’s Club World Cup in Morocco from Feb. 1-11. The MLS regular-season opener is Feb. 26 against the Colorado Rapids at Lumen Field.