With the San Jose Earthquakes sitting at No. 8 in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft Thursday in Baltimore, we take a look back at the most notable No. 8 overall selections in draft history. There may be a few names that you're familiar with.
Santino Quaranta (D.C. United) - No. 8 - 2001 MLS SuperDraft
Ahead of the 2001 MLS SuperDraft, 16-year-old Santina Quaranta was seen as one of the most electrifying attacking players in the U.S. soccer system. Fresh off of his stint with the U.S. U-17 national team in Florida, he tallied five goals and a assist in 16 games during his rookie season with D.C. United. Injuries, however, plagued his promising career. In and out of the United lineup from 2003-04, he returned to fitness and earned his first national team cap at the 2005 Gold Cup against Cuba.
Kyle Martino (Columbus Crew) - No. 8 - 2002 MLS SuperDraft
Many of you know Kyle Martino as the American television personality on NBC Sports for Barlcays Premier League matches, but his career in soccer started off with a bang on Eastern Conference side Columbus Crew SC back in 2002. Martino's two goals and five assists in his first season earned him MLS Rookie of the Year honors. In 2004, Martino tallied 5 goals and two assists to help Columbus to the longest unbeaten streak in MLS history (18 matches). Martino tallied a career high in assists (8) with Columbus in 2005 before being traded to the LA Galaxy in 2006. Martino made his first cap for the United States in a 2002 friendly against El Salvador.
Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution) - No. 8 - 2004 MLS SuperDraft
Clint Dempsey was picked with the eighth overall selection in 2004. A well-known soccer player around the world, Dempsey was the MLS Rookie of the Year, U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2007, 2011, 2012, and is currently second all-time in goals scored in U.S. Soccer history with 47. Dempsey has appeared in three consecutive World Cups for the United States and is a catalyst for Seattle Sounders FC as a Designated Player.
Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City) - No. 8 - 2009 MLS SuperDraft
A promising American center back with size, speed and a high soccer IQ will always be coveted in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft. For Kansas City, they found just that in Notre Dame Fighting Irish defender Matt Besler, who started in 26 games as a rookie. He was named an MLS All-Star for the first time in 2011 before winning MLS Defender of the Year, MLSSoccer.com Breakout Player of the Year, and MLS Best XI honors in 2012. Besler helped lead Sporting to the club’s first-ever MLS Cup crown before representing the United States in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
