Orlando City was able to pick up four new players to bolster their roster in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft: forward Santiago Patiño, defender Kamal Miller, midfielder Tommy Madden, and defender Scott DeVoss.
With the third overall pick, Orlando City selected Patiño. A local player who graduated from Freedom High in Orlando and went to the Orlando City’s development academy for about eight months. Patiño came from FIU, wherein 2018 he played 16 games scoring 12 goals and assisting twice. That year was also named second-team All-Southeast Region and won the Conference USA Golden Boot.
“It would be a pleasure to play in Orlando City; I’m from here. My family lives here. I would love to play here,” said Patiño in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft interview. “This is amazing you know, the first couple of years are going to be tough because it’s not easy and having my family and my friends in town it’s going to be, it’s going to make it much easier for me.”
“It was very important for us that Santiago knew how much we value him,” said Head Coach James O’Connor.
At 27th, Orlando picked up Miller; who they hope will be able to stabilize a defense that conceded 74 goals last season. Miller came from Syracuse University, wherein 2018 he started 17 games and had one assist. His performance that year earned him a spot on the third-team All-South Region and third-team All-ACC.
Their next selection was Madden with the 38th pick. Orlando needs a midfielder, especially now after Peruvian Yoshimar Yotún left for Liga MX side Cruz Azul leaving Orlando with a big gap to fill in the center. Madden comes from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where in 2018 he played 16 games and scored 2 goals and assisted 4 times for his team.
The last pick for Orlando, at spot 59, was DeVoss, a defender for the University of Denver. He spent the majority of his career Real Colorado Development Academy, and in 2018 he started in 21 games for his collegiate side. Some of his achievements include making the All-Summit League Newcomer Team, the All-Summit League Second Team, and being named the Summit League Most Improved Player in 2015, and the Summit League Tournament MVP in 2018.
The Lions added some much-needed fortification to their defense, which ranked among the lowest in the MLS last season, and they are hoping that Patiño will give them the play-making ability and star-power they need for their first playoff run.
