SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC today selected Cal State Dominguez Hills defender Tony Alfaro and Duke midfielder Zach Mathers in the Second Round of today’s 2016 MLS SuperDraft. After sending its First Round pick (15th overall) in a trade to the Chicago Fire in a deal to acquire defender Joevin Jones, Seattle selected Alfaro 27th overall and Mathers 35th, respectively.
“I’m excited to draft two talented players today,” said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “On an organizational basis, we really wanted to get deeper at the centerback position from the Academy to S2 to the First Team. We got a left-footed centerback in Tony Alfaro, which is a little bit harder to find – a kid with good feet, good size and real potential. Zach Mathers, a kid from Duke, is a very smart soccer player. Again, he’s another very good technical player who we think can develop long-term.”
Alfaro, 22, was named a First Team All-American by the NSCAA and a Division II CCA Second Team All-American after starting all 21 of his appearances as a senior. As team captain and the California College Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year in 2015, Alfaro led the Toros with 1,954 minutes to along with six goals. The Santa Barbara native started 71 of his 75 appearances in his collegiate career and was a four-time All-CCAA selection.
Mathers, 21, was a three-time All-ACC selection at Duke, including a First Team nod as a senior in 2015. The Keller, Texas native led the Blue Devils last season with eight goals, eight assists and 64 shots, completing a collegiate career in which he started 69 of 71 appearances and recorded 14 goals and 18 assists.
Earlier in the day, Sounders FC traded its First Round selection (15th overall) along with general allocation money to the Chicago Fire in exchange for defender Joevin Jones. The 24-year-old Trinidad & Tobago international made 28 appearances in his first MLS campaign last season, logging 2,257 minutes for the Fire.
The 2016 MLS SuperDraft concludes with the Third and Fourth Rounds on Tuesday, January 19, via a teleconference call. Sounders FC holds the 13th selection of the Third Round (54th overall), as well as the 15th selection of the Fourth Round (76th overall).
Name: Tony Alfaro
Position: Defender
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Born: June 15, 1993
Hometown: Santa Barbara, California
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Selected with the seventh pick of the Second Round (27th overall) in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft
Name: Zach Mathers
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-11
Weight: 172
Born: April 14, 1994 in Fort Worth, Texas
Hometown: Keller, Texas
Citizenship: United States
Acquired: Selected with the 15th pick of the Second Round (35th overall) in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft
