Field Level Media
12 Jan 2022, 02:49 GMT+10
Just over a month ahead of their debut, Charlotte FC selected Maryland midfielder Ben Bender with the No. 1 overall selection in Tuesday's MLS SuperDraft.
Bender was first-team All-America in 2021 and the Big Ten midfielder of the year after scoring seven goals with five assists in 18 games for the Terrapins.
FC Cincinnati had the second pick in Tuesday's draft, selecting goalkeeper/forward Roman Celentano out of Indiana, while FC Dallas selected forward Isaiah Parker out of Saint Louis with the No. 3 pick. The Houston Dynamo selected forward Thorleifur Ulfarsson out of Duke with the No. 4 pick, while Austin FC picked defender Kipp Keller out of Saint Louis at No. 5.
Charlotte FC currently have 10 international players on its roster, with Bender giving the club some domestic talent with a budget-friendly general-allocation status.
Bender is the third Maryland product selected with the top pick in the MLS SuperDraft, joining Maurice Edu in 2007 by Toronto FC and Leo Cullen in 1998 by the Miami Fusion.
Charlotte FC will play their first ever MLS regular-season game on Feb. 26 at D.C. United. They will make their home debut in front of what is expected to be a crowd in excess of 70,000 at Bank of America Stadium on March 5 against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of St Louis Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to St Louis Star.
More InformationThe family of Sayfollah Saif Musallet, a 20-year-old American citizen who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West...
CONCORD, New Hampshire: A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a crucial ruling on July 10 against President Donald Trump's executive...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: A cargo ship flagged under Liberia, known as the Eternity C, sank in the Red Sea following an attack executed by Yemen's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has started sending some weapons to Ukraine again, just a week after the Pentagon told officials...
ECAULT BEACH, France: On clear days, the white cliffs of the United Kingdom, are visible from northern France, where men, women, and...
ATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...
BATTLE CREEK, Michigan: In a major consolidation of iconic food brands, WK Kellogg has agreed to be acquired by the owner of Ferrero...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Filmmaker Peter Jackson's lifelong fascination with the extinct giant New Zealand flightless bird called the moa...
NEW DELHI, India: India has submitted a revised proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva to implement retaliatory tariffs...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Nvidia, the Silicon Valley chipmaker at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom, this week briefly...
REDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...