A few days after adding three players at the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, D.C. United had another chance to bring in more talent, this time via Tuesday’s Supplemental Draft.
Having dealt two first round Supplemental picks to the Galaxy on Thursday for a third round pick that became Joe Willis, United only had two picks in the second and third round of the draft.
In the second round, DC selected Blake Brettschneider, a forward from South Carolina, and passed on their second pick in the third round.
“We didn’t have a ton of spots left looking at our preseason roster, so we were looking for value,” assistant coach Chad Ashton (pictured above) told MLSsoccer.com. “We were looking if there would be something there that we were interested in, taking a chance [on someone] that would have a legitimate shot to make our team.”
That brought them to Brettschneider, a four-year standout for the Gamecocks, who played primarily as a forward in college. However, he has played a variety of positions, giving him versatility that will help him compete for a roster spot with DC.
“He’s a guy who basically sacrificed himself for the South Carolina team," Ashton said. "He would play anywhere for them, wherever they needed him to play."
The 21-year-old certainly has the physical build for MLS. Standing at 6-feet, 172 pounds, he showed the ability to mix it up with tough defenders at the Combine.
Still, he’ll have to fight to prove worthy of a roster spot. Ashton indicated that he’ll probably given a chance at forward, a position in need of a boost in the nation’s capital.
As players report on Thursday, the search for a proven forward continues for D.C. United’s technical staff, seen as the last piece of the puzzle.
“Our big thing that we’re trying to fill is another big time goal-scorer,” Ashton said. “We have different options on the line right now that we’re looking into and hopefully within the next couple of weeks we’ll be able to announce one.”
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