Sporting KC Trade First Round Pick

Sporting Kansas City had just one pick in the first two rounds of today's MLS Superdraft, the 11th overall selection, and with that pick Sporting decided to trade the pick. Kansas City ended up trading the 11th overall selection to DC United in exchange for targeted allocation money, which can be used to buy down a designated player down below the designated player threshold.

The reason for KC making the trade was because they only had one player they had targeted with that 11th pick according to Taylor Twellman. That one target was confirmed by both Robb Heineman and Twellman and that was goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell. Tarbell, a Generation Adidas goalkeeper from Clemson had played at Sporting Park in December as part of the College Cup. Heineman mentioned that the club saw Tarbell as a 10 year goalkeeper for KC. Tarbell though was taken with the eighth pick by the San Jose Earthquakes, leading to KC making the trade.

That comment is an interesting one from Sporting considering that the club just re-signed their homegrown goalkeeper, Jon Kempin to a new contract a little over a month ago. Kempin, the club's first homegrown player had been out of contract after the season and there were questions on whether he'd come back or whether he'd leave looking to get more time. And with his re-signing there has been some talk from Peter Vermes about Kempin challenging Tim Melia for the starting spot. So with the comments about Tarbell from Heineman and the team to Twellman, Kempin certainly has to be asking some questions about where his spot is in the team and where he's seen going forward.