Junior defender Andrew Farrell of the U of L men’s soccer team was selected as the No. 1 overall pick at the MLs Superdraft on Jan. 19. Pictured here with the MLs Commissioner, Farrell was drafted by the New England Revolution.

 By Noah Allison–

On Thursday, Jan. 19, 2013, Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, said a statement that Andrew Farrell, the former defender for Louisville soccer, will never forget.

“With the first pick, of the first round, of the 2013 MLS Superdraft, the New England Revolution select a member of Generation Adidas and a defender from the University of Louisville; Andrew Farrell.”

Farrell started all 23 games this past season as a junior. He started the season at midfield before moving to the back line to play defense for the final nine games of the year. Despite not even playing the whole year at defense, Farrell won the Big East defensive player of the year, was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and was on the first-team NSCAA All-American. He led the Cardinals to being 2012-13 Big East regular season champions and played an integral part in their tournament run that ended in the third round at the University of Maryland.

The New England Revolution traded up to the first overall spot to secure Farrell as their franchise player.

“We’re very pleased to add Andrew to the Revolution,” General Manager Michael Burns said. “We believe he is the best player available in this draft class and proactively made the deal with Toronto to move up the draft order so we could ensure he was available when we picked. We’re looking forward to getting him into camp with us and getting him acclimated to the Revolution. We believe he has a very bright future with our club and in this league.”

“It has been an exciting day,” Farrell said. “This has all been a combination of hard work and all the people who have helped me along the way. I am thankful for the opportunity to show what I can do with such a great organization. I am grateful for the time I had at Louisville and to all the great fans that supported me along the way. I am excited about playing for the New England Revolution.”

“You just try to relax the night before and not think of it,” Farrell added. “You never know what’s going to happen; there are a lot of good guys and a lot of top talent, but I’m just thankful to be chosen and I’m excited to get to the team.”

Two more Cardinals were selected in the second round of the draft: senior Paolo DelPiccolo with the 27th overall pick by the Montreal Impact and senior Greg Cochrane was selected 38th overall by the LA Galaxy. Piccolo finished his four-year career at Louisville ranked as the all-time assist leader with 23 career assists.

“I am excited for all three guys today and the opportunity they have to continue their careers in the MLS,” head coach Ken Lolla said. “We are also happy for Andrew being selected first in the draft. It is a testament to him, the program and the growth of Louisville soccer. We look forward to following their continued success as they will represent the University of Louisville well.”

[email protected]
Photo courtesy MLS Soccer