As It Happened: 2014 MLS SuperDraft

The No. 1 overall pick, Jamaica and UConn goalkeeper Andre Blake, greets MLS commissioner Don Garber on stage at the MLS SuperDraft. (Matt Rourke/AP) The 2014

The No. 1 overall pick, Jamaica and UConn goalkeeper Andre Blake, greets MLS commissioner Don Garber on stage at the MLS SuperDraft. (Matt Rourke/AP)

The 2014 MLS SuperDraft took place at the Philadelphia Convention Center Thursday, with the opening two rounds unfolding before the final two rounds move to conference call next Tuesday (For semantics' sake, the league removed the Supplemental Draft and put everything under the SuperDraft umbrella, but it is still a two-day affair).

This year's class was not widely considered to be all that deep, especially when it comes to attacking talent, but like every year before it has proven, there are roster-worthy players who can help teams immediately lingering in the draft pool. Cal defenders Steve Birnbaum and Christian Dean, UConn goalkeeper Andre Blake and two-time reigning MAC Hermann Trophy winner Patrick Mullins of Maryland were some of the top names on the board in Philly (A list of the full draft class can be seen here).

Here is how it all went down (including a few minutes on camera with Blake, the No. 1 overall pick):

CREDITOR: MLS fills out seven-player Generation adidas class

2014 MLS SUPERDRAFT

ROUND 1

1. Philadelphia Union (traded with D.C. United for No. 2 pick and allocation money) - *GK Andre Blake, UConn

Quick Reaction: Zac MacMath, you've been put on notice.

2. D.C. United (traded down with Philadelphia) - D Steve Birnbaum, Cal

Quick Reaction: Good business - Trade down, get a desired target and added value.

3. Vancouver Whitecaps - *D Christian Dean, Cal

Quick Reaction: Jay DeMerit, Andy O'Brien aren't getting any younger; Solid left-footed center back prospect.

4. New England Revolution - F Steve Neumann, Georgetown

Quick Reaction: Offers help up front for loss of Juan Agudelo, likely loss of Jerry Bengtson; Had back-to-back 10-goal seasons.

5. Montreal Impact (traded with FC Dallas for N0. 10 pick, allocation money, international roster spot) - *D Eric Miller, Creighton 

Quick Reaction: U.S. U-20 fullback offers promise, depth at a need position, though Hassoun Camara is an entrenched starter.

6. FC Dallas (traded down with Montreal then up with Philadelphia) - F Tesho Akindele, Colorado School of Mines

Quick Reaction: Reportedly impressed at the Combine; offers speed, size, scored 19 goals in 19 games in 2013 at D2 level.

Bonus Reaction from SI.com homepage editor Ryan Hunt: Colorado School of Mines is right down the street from the Coors Brewery.

7. Vancouver Whitecaps - M Andre Lewis, Jamaica

Quick Reaction: Just 19, international invite to the combine has loads of upside, speed in central midfield. Perhaps makes Darren Mattocks happier with a countryman in the fold?

8. Seattle Sounders - *D Damion Lowe, Hartford

Quick Reaction: Having just traded Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Patrick Ianni, Seattle recovers CB depth.

9. San Jose Earthquakes - M J.J. Koval, Stanford

Quick Reaction: Local product, solid defensive central midfielder. Helps makes up for loss of Rafael Baca (though Jean Baptiste Pierazzi is expected to slot in at starter).

10. Toronto FC (through FC Dallas and Philadelphia Union) - D Nick Hagglund, Xavier

Quick Reaction: TFC has improved immensely, but Ryan Nelsen needs to boost his defense. Hagglund, 2013 Big East Defender of the Year, offers CB help.

11. New England Revolution (traded up with Colorado for Nos. 12 and 19 picks) - F Patrick Mullins, Maryland

Quick Reaction: Reigning two-time Hermann Trophy winner was an absolute stud in college, heck of a finisher. Revs going with a numbers game approach, snagging Neumann and Mullins in hopes of finding more goals.

12. Colorado Rapids (traded down with New England) - *M Marlon Hairston, Louisville

Quick Reaction: Cost-effective move as a GA signing, offers depth at an area where Colorado is fairly set with Nate Sturgis and Dillon Powers. 

13. Chicago Fire - D Marco Franco, UC Irvine

Quick Reaction: With Jalil Anibaba shipped to Seattle, Franco offers new starting option at an area of need. 

14. Columbus Crew - D Ben Sweat, South Florida

Quick Reaction: Not many left backs up for grabs in this class, and Gregg Berhalter turns to defense with his first pick as coach.

15. Philadelphia Union (traded down with Toronto FC) - M Pedro Ribeiro, Coastal Carolina

Quick Reaction: Philadelphia is starved for midfield creativity. Ribeiro, a Brazilian who counts as an international player, can offer that (25 goals, 25 assists in last three seasons). 

16. Houston Dynamo - *D A.J. Cochran, Wisconsin

Quick Reaction: Dom Kinnear lost Bobby Boswell in the offseason, goes to the draft well for a cost-effective, young option.

17. Portland Timbers - *F Schillo Tshuma, Maryland

Quick Reaction: Skilled and dynamic, helps the Timbers' salary cap by being a GA and is the type of player who could thrive under Caleb Porter's direction. And as owner Merritt Paulson says:

https://twitter.com/MerrittPaulson/status/423885101416472576

https://twitter.com/MerrittPaulson/status/423885948267405313

18. Real Salt Lake - D Ryan Neil, Cal

Quick Reaction: THIRD Cal defender taken in the first round. Right back the first pick of the post-Jason Kreis era. With Lovel Palmer gone, RSL was in need of more fullback help.

19. Colorado Rapids (acquired from New England) - D Grant Van de Casteele, Notre Dame

Quick Reaction: Former college teammate of reigning MLS Rookie of the Year Dillon Powers and hails from the same hometown of Plano, Texas. Depth at center back.

* Denotes member of Generation adidas class

ROUND 2

20. Chivas USA - F Thomas McNamara, Clemson

21. Seattle Sounders - D Jimmy Ockford, Louisville

22. New York Red Bulls - D Chris Duvall, Wake Forest

23. LA Galaxy - D Kyle Venter, New Mexico

24. Toronto FC - M Daniel Lovitz, Elon

25. Philadelphia Union - D Kevin Cope, Michigan State

26. Portland Timbers - D Taylor Peay, Washington

27. Philadelphia Union - D/M Robbie Derschang, Akron

28. San Jose Earthquakes - D Joe Sofia, UCLA

29. D.C. United (traded international roster spot to Montreal Impact) - M Victor Munoz, UCLA

30. Vancouver Whitecaps - F Mamadou Diouf, UConn

31. New England Revolution - M Alec Sundly, Cal

32. Houston Dynamo - F Mark Sherrod, Memphis

33. Colorado Rapids - M Jared Watts, Wake Forest

34. New York Red Bulls - M Eric Stevenson, Akron

35. Colorado Rapids - GK John Berner, SIU-Edwardsville

36. Portland Timbers - M Aaron Long, UC-Riverside

37. Montreal Impact - M George Malki, Cal Poly

F Adnan Gabeljic, St. Louis