Major League Soccer on Thursday announced eight highly touted college players named to the 2022 Generation adidas class and released the tentative list of 176 players eligible for selection in MLS SuperDraft 2022 presented by adidas.
Generation adidas is a joint program between MLS and adidas that sees a handful of top collegiate underclassmen and youth national team players signed by MLS to Generation adidas contracts and made available in the SuperDraft. In order to provide Generation adidas players with the best professional environment, Generation adidas player salaries are not charged against an MLS team's annual salary budget, providing an added incentive for that club to develop the player. Eventually, these GA players graduate to senior player contracts and their salaries are charged against a team's budget.
Several players now starring on the international stage began their MLS careers through the Generation adidas program, including current US men’s national team members Miles Robinson (No. 2 overall selection, 2017 SuperDraft), Cristian Roldan (No. 16, 2015 SuperDraft), Jackson Yueill (No. 6, 2017 SuperDraft) and Walker Zimmerman (No. 7, 2013 SuperDraft), and members of the Canadian men's national team like Tajon Buchanan (No. 9, 2019 SuperDraft) and Richie Laryea (No. 7, 2016 SuperDraft).
Eight players comprise the 2022 Generation adidas class:
- Ben Bender, Midfielder, University of Maryland
- Ousseni Bouda, Forward, Stanford University
- Erik Centeno, Defender, University of the Pacific
- Roman Celentano, Goalkeeper, Indiana University
- Kipp Keller, Defender, Saint Louis University
- Isaiah Parker, Forward, Saint Louis University
- Patrick Schulte, Goalkeeper, Saint Louis University
- Thorleifur Ulfarsson, Forward, Duke University
