The New England Revolution elected to not trade their eighth and ninth overall picks in the MLS SuperDraft, drafting Brandon Bye of Western Michigan University and Mark Segbers of the University of Wisconsin.
Bye was selected with the eighth overall pick while Segbers was chosen with the ninth overall. Both players featured as defenders in the combine and are expected to play in the backline, providing key depth.
Bye can play as a right winger or a right back and had a solid goalscoring season with Western Michigan in his senior season. In 21 games last year Bye scored 12 goals, including five game-winners, while also providing seven assists. He was also a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, which is given to the best college player of the season.
The skills that @brandon_bye brings to the table. #SuperDraft https://t.co/soiBPUHD13
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) January 19, 2018
Segbers is a versatile player who can play as a right back and will provide solid depth to the Revolution defense. In his senior season with the Badgers, Segbers scored five goals and added seven assists in 21 games. In 2017, he was named to the All-Big Ten second team for the second time in his collegiate career.
Another pick for the #NERevs! Meet Mark Segbers. #SuperDraft https://t.co/0262E77QXc
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) January 19, 2018
When addressing the media after making the two choices, head coach Brad Friedel said that these two players were their top choices going into the draft.
“We got the first two names on the list we wanted”, Friedel said. “[They have] a lot of pace and a lot of athleticism. They’re young players and they’ll provide a lot of cover on the right-hand side. We’re very pleased.”
