PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The San Jose Earthquakes selected Florida International University defender Paul Marie in the first round (No. 12 overall) and UNLV’s Danny Musovski (No. 30) and University of Louisville’s Mohamed Thiaw (No. 35) in the second round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft on Friday.
Used as both a fullback and winger, Marie totaled 18 goals and 15 assists in 68 appearances during his collegiate career. Marie, 22, turned pro after his stellar senior season, where he tallied eight goals and six assists in 17 games, leading to Third Team All-America, First Team All-Southeast Region and First Team All-Conference USA honors.
“I feel amazing. I am so happy to join San Jose,” said Marie moments after being selected. “I think it is a great team and a great opportunity. I can’t wait to get started with the team, coaching staff and all the fans.”
He spent his freshman year at Newbury College, where he scored four goals and added an assist in 16 appearances in 2014 as an Honorable Mention All-South Athletic Conference selection. After transferring to Florida International, Marie made 52 appearances for the Panthers and totaled 14 goals and 14 assists. In 2016, he was a Second Team All-Southeast Region and First Team All-Conference USA honoree.
“Paul has the profile we were looking for from the very beginning heading into the combine and the draft,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “We were looking for a fullback. We see in him an offensive-minded outside back that has technical qualities and the ability to read the game. We especially liked that he has character and in the interview that we had with him, he convinced us. The entire coaching staff are really excited about having him part of the club.”
The native of Saint-Aubin-des-Bois, France previously represented his home country at the U-16 level internationally. He also competed for the U-19 side at Caen of France’s top-flight Ligue 1. Despite his French citizenship, Marie counts as a domestic player on San Jose’s roster.
In addition to his experience in France and the NCAA, Marie played for Reading United AC of the Premier Development League (PDL) in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He finished with 14 goals and four assists in 30 PDL appearances during that time.
Musovski, 22, was a four-year starter and two-time All-America selection for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During his senior season in 2017, he scored 15 goals and added six assists in 16 appearances, earning Third Team All-America, First Team All-West Region, First Team All-Western Athletic Conference and Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors.
After tallying six goals during his freshman season, he scored 14 and 12 in his sophomore and junior years, respectively. He ultimately graduated from UNLV with 47 goals and 23 assists in 88 total appearances, earning numerous team, conference and national awards in the process.
Musovski also competed for the Quakes’ PDL affiliate Burlingame Dragons FC while in college.
“Danny is a striker that we actually saw as one of the biggest prospects considering that over four years he had scored around 50 goals,” said Fioranelli. “He is a player that we already knew because he was inside of our ecosystem. We are excited to have him at the club. The last point is that Danny showed more enthusiasm than any other player to join the organization, which was a determining factor for him to join us.”
A native of Henderson, Nev., Musovski was previously named the Gatorade Player of the Year at Liberty High School, where he set the high school single-season and career records for goals.
Thiaw, 22, scored 61 goals over four collegiate seasons at the University of Louisville and Cincinnati State, adding 20 assists. After tallying 41 goals and 16 assists in 34 games at Cincinnati St. in 2014 and 2015, he transferred to Louisville and scored 20 goals in 41 appearances for the Cardinals during his junior and senior seasons.
Thiaw is a two-time All-American and the 2015 Junior College Player of the Year. During his senior season, he was named a Second Team All-ACC selection.
“What we really liked about Mohamed is that he scored over 50 goals in four seasons in a difficult conference,” explained Fioranelli. “He is 6-2, yet he is athletic and finds the goal. This type of profile could certainly be of value to our organization.”
A native of Dakar, Senegal, Thiaw carries American citizenship and will count as a domestic player on the Quakes’ roster.
Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) – Earthquakes select Florida International University D Paul Marie in the first round (No. 12 overall) and University of Nevada Las Vegas’s F Danny Musovski (No. 30) and University of Louisville’s F Mohamed Thiaw (No. 35) in the second round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.
