Toronto FC went local and then global in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft, choosing Canadian defender Nyal Higgins before picking players from Nigeria, Senegal and Denmark.
The 21-year-old Higgins, a native of Ajax, Ont., was taken 19th overall in a first-round pick acquired in an earlier trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The six-foot-two Higgins, who played three seasons at Oakland University before transferring to Syracuse, can play both centre back positions.
"And just adds a lot of competitive attitude to our back line," said Toronto GM Ali Curtis. "So we're excited about him."
Higgins made the Horizon League-All Freshman Team in 2016 and was selected to the All-Horizon League Second Team in 2017 and 2018.
Toronto used the 25th pick to take Nigerian forward Ifunanyachi Achara, co-captain of the Georgetown team that won the NCAA College Cup last month. Curtis suggested that Achara would have gone a lot higher had it not been for several injuries while with the Hoyas.
"We believe he would have been a Generation Adidas player and a top-five pick," said Curtis.
The GA program allows talented underclassmen to enter the draft, signing a contract in advance that doesn't count against a team's salary cap.
The 23-year-old Achara had six goals and five assists in his last season with the Hoyas.
Toronto took a pair of defenders in the second round: Senegal's Malick Mbaye (33rd overall) and Denmark's Simon Waever (51st overall).
Mbaye, 24, spent three seasons with Clemson University, where he appeared in 49 games.
Mbaye, who played the most minutes of any Clemson player during the 2019 season, was named a third team All-American, first team All-South Region, first team All-ACC and the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Toronto drafted fellow Clemson defender Patrick Bunk-Andersen in the 2019 draft.
Curtis talked up Mbaye's character off the field while describing him as a strong and athletic defender.
Waever, 23, split his collegiate career between the University of Evansville (2016-2018) and Indiana University (2019). With Evansville, Waever made 59 appearances and registered two goals and 11 assists. He appeared in 21 games for Indiana with four assists and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
"He's got good vision," said Curtis, adding Waever may be able to play several positions.
Curtis has said he is not looking to making major changes to the roster that reached the MLS Cup final last season. But there is room for young talent at the end of the roster, with several homegrown signings expected.
"We still see a lot of value in the draft," Curtis said. "To get that value you have to work hard. Our scouting department works very hard year-round to find the right player that can fit our team and improve our team."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2020.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
