To hear general manager Jesse Fioranelli tell it, it didn’t take much convincing for the San Jose Earthquakes to fly in the face of most pre-draft punditry on Friday morning.
Florida International defender Paul Marie didn’t appear in the first round of many mock drafts or media depth charts, but Fioranelli, coach Mikael Stahre and the other members of the Quakes’ brain trust were “unanimous,” according to the GM, when the French-born right back was still available as San Jose prepared to make the No. 12 overall selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.
“He was actually the fullback that we rated the highest from the very beginning,” Fioranelli told reporters via conference call Friday after the Quakes selected Marie and forwards Danny Musovski and Mohamed Thiaw on Friday. “Every player needs work, but to be frank, looking at the qualities that he has displayed over the Combine and also the information that we have gathered through Bruno [Costa, the Quakes’ scouting chief], he is going to help us on both ends of the field.”
The 22-year-old Marie will give San Jose options at right back, a spot that was looking bare behind incumbent Nick Lima; the Quakes let Kip Colvey go to Colorado via the waiver draft this winter, and the contract of veteran Kofi Sarkodie ran out at the conclusion of 2017.
It also increases the European influence at Avaya Stadium. San Jose have brought in Stahre and new Designated Player Magnus Eriksson from Sweden this winter, and secured the transfer of formerly on-loan Dutch forward Danny Hoesen.
