Forward Jader Obrian will remain in the state of Texas after the former member of FC Dallas was selected by Austin FC on Thursday with the first overall pick in the MLS re-entry draft.
Obrian, 28, has 17 goals and 13 assists in 94 games over the past three seasons with FC Dallas. He scored in a playoff game for the club in November against the Seattle Sounders.
Before arriving in MLS, Obrian played for three different Primera A clubs in his native Colombia, scoring 24 goals in two seasons with Aguilas Doradas.
Austin FC acquired the top pick in the re-entry draft first by acquiring the No. 3 selection from FC Cincinnati in exchange for defender Kipp Keller. The club then traded that No. 3 selection, along with the No. 5 pick, to Toronto FC for the first pick.
The re-entry draft pool consists of players who are at least 22 years old, have a minimum of one year of service and aren’t eligible for free agency.
Only one other team chose to take a player Thursday: The Seattle Sounders selected defender Jonathan Bell from St. Louis City. Bell, 26, has appeared in 30 matches (21 starts) over three MLS seasons with the New England Revolution (2021-22) and St. Louis (2023), posting two goals and two assists.
Clubs will get one more opportunity to draft a player when the re-entry draft concludes with Stage 2 on Dec. 21.
–Field Level Media
