CINCINNATI — FC Cincinnati picked up two players in the MLS SuperDraft, including a standout from nearby University of Dayton.
The Orange and Blue took University of South Florida defender Brian Schaefer with their first pick of the draft, the No. 27 overall selection. In four seasons with the Bulls, the center back led USF's defense to seven clean sheets in 44 starts. He also finished with five goals and three assists.
Schaefer was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2020 and then named second-team All-ACC in 2022.
An Atlantic Beach, Fla. native, Schaefer helped lead his high school team to a state championship in 2018. He also played club soccer for the Jacksonville Armada of the National Premier Soccer League.
With their second (and final) pick of the draft, FCC nabbed Dayton midfielder/forward Kenji Mboma Dem with the No. 56 overall pick.
Mboma Dem finished his senior season with three assists and nine goals — six of which came in his last five matches — in 15 starts with the Flyers. He was named first-team All-Atlantic 10.
He transferred to Dayton from the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he had 12 goals and 12 assists in 42 games. While in Omaha, Mboma Dem was named to the All-Summit Conference Newcomer Team in 2020 and the All-Summit First Team in 2021.
Before college, the Frenchman attended Northwood Prep School in New York, leading his team to the semifinals of the U-19 Dallas Cup in 2018. The next year, he scored 26 goals in route to a U-19 IMG Cup title.
FC Cincinnati did not have a third-round pick, sending their spot to Austin FC for the rights to defender Kipp Keller.
