LOS ANGELES (Jan. 13, 2017) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club added three players in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft Friday afternoon at the LA Convention Center, selecting midfielder Daniel Johnson in the first round (11th overall), goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland (26th overall) and forward Guillermo Delgado (27th overall) in the second round.
The Fire entered the day with two first round selections, but received $250,000 in General Allocation Money from New York City FC in exchange for the third overall selection.
Interviews: D. Johnson | G. Delgado | Rodríguez
Eight picks later, the Fire selected Johnson, a midfielder from the University of Louisville. In two seasons with the Cardinals, Johnson appeared in 41 games over the course of two seasons, scoring seven goals and adding five assists. In his freshman and sophomore seasons, Johnson appeared in 23 matches for the University of Maryland before transfering to Louisville. A native of Duluth, Ga., Johnson played for the West Ham Academy from 2009-12.
In the second round, the Fire executed a trade with Toronto FC, receiving the 26th and 27th selections in exchange for $75,000 in Targeted Allocation Money.
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With the 26th overall pick, the Fire selected goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland from the University of Louisville. In 2016, Cleveland appeared in 22 games for the Cardinals and earned 10 shutouts en route to a .72 goals against average. Cleveland, a Dayton, Ohio product, spent his first three collegiate seasons at Dartmouth, where he appeared in 33 games and earned 16 shutouts, and was named 2015 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
Immediately following, the Fire selected forward Guillermo Delgado from the University of Delaware. The Spanish striker appeared in 78 matches for the Blue Hens, scoring 49 goals and tallied 19 assists, earning 2016 and 2016 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year and 2014 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors.
