After a chaotic last week, the Red Bulls finally gave their fans at least some reason to smile — essentially stealing top talent Leo Stolz with the 18th pick in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft. The UCLA midfielder was named college soccer's top player, and was largely regarded as at worst a top-five talent.
"Leo is the most pro-ready player in this draft," Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis said in a statement.
Stolz won the Hermann Award last week, given to the best player in college soccer. His stock fell for a number of reasons, age (he'll be 24 when next season starts); his German nationality, which would force teams to use an international slot; but most of all because of signability concerns and fears he would go play in his native country.
The creative midfielder turned down an invite to the combine, and broke off negotiations with MLS, which holds all player contracts in the league.
But the Munich native — a two-time UCLA captain who had a team-high nine goals and six assists as a senior, 20 tallies and 22 assists in three years — was open to playing in New York or L.A., and let the Red Bulls know that. His former club coach is now with RB Leipzig, the Red Bulls' sister club.
"Leo reached out to us in the past week and told us that he is very interested in Red Bull," new Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch said in a statement.
"Although he had not shown interest in signing with the league that, because of, partly our connection with Salzburg … and partly, he wanted to play in New York, he knew about the club, he had heard good things about me, and so he reached out and let us know that this is a place he wanted to be.''
The Red Bulls also signed Sean Davis as a homegrown prospect, giving them what MLS analyst Matt Doyle called the best pair of central midfielders in college soccer.
"This is the Mac Hermann award winner, and we think this is the most pro-ready player,'' said Marsch. "We think he'll be ready to step in. There will be a bit of an adjustment for him, but we expect him to contribute this year."
When TopDrawerSoccer.com's Will Parchman was asked which rookie outside the top five had a chance to win Rookie of the Year, he picked Stoltz.
"Amazingly, I think this could be UCLA midfielder Leo Stolz. Two months ago I'd have told you Stolz was a deadlock No. 1 overall pick, but I think some MLS clubs are wary about whether the German will actually commit to the league long term…He could be the best midfielder in the draft.''
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