Toronto FC selected Terrapins men’s soccer midfielder Tsubasa Endoh with the ninth overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft on Thursday at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore.
Endoh, who TopDrawerSoccer.com ranked as the 38th best prospect on its MLS Draft Big Board, is the Terps’ sixth player drafted in the first round over the past six seasons. The Tokyo, Japan, native is the highest Terp drafted since Chivas USA selected former Casey Townsend with the fifth overall pick in 2012.
“I didn’t expect to get drafted quite that high in the first round. I wasn’t ready for it at all,” Endoh told Sportsnet’s John Molinaro during a conference call. “I was expecting second or third round, or maybe I was pretty worried about not getting drafted in the SuperDraft.”
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Endoh, who was a three-year starter on coach Sasho Cirovski’s squad, was the MVP of the 2016 MLS Combine Jan. 7–12 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Endoh and defender Ivan Magalhaes were two of 59 Division I players invited to the combine. The Houston Dynamo selected Magalhaes in the second round with the 26th overall pick
This past season, Endoh started all 23 games, finishing third on the team in goals (5) and second in assists (6).
Maryland’s Tsubasa Endoh rockets up projected MLS draft list, going No. 9 to Toronto FC. Figured to go late 1st or early 2nd round #terps
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 14, 2016
Endoh was an integral part of the Terps’ run to the Big Ten tournament championship. After scoring the team’s lone goal against Indiana in the semifinals — the Terps eventually won in penalty kicks — Endoh scored in the 88th minute in the final against Ohio State. The 5-foot-7 midfielder was named as the Big Ten tournament’s offensive MVP as the Terps claimed their fourth straight conference tournament title.
The Terps followed with NCAA tournament victories over Virginia and No. 10-seed Notre Dame and took a six-game winning streak into their quarterfinal match with No. 2-seed Clemson, which won in penalty kicks to advance to the College Cup. Nevertheless, Endoh scored three goals and tallied two assists over that stretch.
“I couldn’t be happier for Tsubasa in fulfilling his dream of playing professional soccer,” Cirovski said. “Tsubasa embraced every single challenge thrown his way since arrival to College Park from Tokyo four years ago and I have all the confidence in the world that he will continue the strong legacy of Maryland Soccer in the MLS.”
