Orlando City SC selected Canadian forward Cyle Larin with the first overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft on Thursday afternoon.
BREAKING: #OrlandoCity selects @CyleLarin with the first overall pick in the @MLS SuperDraft! pic.twitter.com/zHaHzqrZmk
— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) January 15, 2015
Larin, 19, arrives in MLS having scored 23 goals in 39 games over two seasons at the University of Connecticut. Having already inked a Generation Adidas contract with the league, the speedy forward will not count against Orlando's salary cap.
Despite his tender age, Larin, who was not present Thursday due to his involvement in the CONCACAF Under-20 championships in Jamaica, has already enjoyed training stints in both Germany and Belgium, and has earned three senior caps with the Canadian national team.
With his selection Thursday, Larin surpasses Toronto FC midfielder Kyle Bekker - who went third overall in 2013 - as the highest-drafted Canadian in league history.
Larin has already received rave reviews from coaches around the league, including Vancouver Whitecaps boss Carl Robinson, who said the Canadian teenager has the ability to develop into a devastating attacking force.
"He’s an attacking player who can score goals. He’s a threat every time he gets the ball," Robinson recently told the Vancouver Sun. "Scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in football and if you’ve got someone who can do that, they're worth their weight in gold."
The potential of adding a player with Larin's pace and finishing ability to a side that already boasts the creative genius of Brazilian icon Kaka is mouthwatering.
