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The 2020 NWSL College Draft officially kicks off the 2020 calendar for the National Women’s Soccer League. With four rounds, a total of 36 players will selected off a list that includes over 200 players.
Draft Details
When: Thursday, January 16, 2020 | 9:00 AM MT
Where: Baltimore Convention Center | Baltimore, MD
Live Stream: Facebook.com/NWSL, YouTube.com/NWSL and NWSLsoccer.com
*Follow @rslsoapbox on Twitter for Utah Royals FC selections
How many picks does URFC have?
Utah has a total of three picks this year: the 8th, 12th, and 31st. URFC will select in the first, second, and fourth round.
Why should I pay attention this year?
It’s the first year where it appears that Utah is taking the draft seriously. In previous years, Utah has chosen to trade away picks for veteran players, and that was all because of Laura Harvey’s style. Think trading for Diana Matheson and Christen Press in 2018. Though Harvey did not draft poorly, her strength had always been building her teams with international and veteran experience, and trading draft picks was a way for Harvey to get the players she wanted instead of focusing on early picks in the draft.
Who will Utah pick in the first round?
Utah does want to bring a player who can make an immediate impact, perhaps a midfielder or forward. With most of its major players in their early 30s, and though age is nothing but a number, we know those players will not play forever. So if Utah wants to remain competitive in the future, they must begin to take the draft into consideration.
On Tuesday, Utah Royals FC received the No. 8 overall pick from the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for allocation money. It was the first time since allocation money was introduced this offseason that allocation money was used in a trade.
It was thought that Utah would aim for BYU forward Elise Flake, but she did not enter the draft, sooo..psyche! One mock draft has Utah selecting Tziarra King, a midfielder from North Carolina State. The Equalizer has them picking Courtney Petersen, an outside back from Virginia.
Honestly, your guess is a good mine, and that’s why we’ll have to follow the draft.