Sporting Kansas City selected a pair of 22-year-old midfielders on Friday in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft at McCormick Place in Chicago, picking Kamar Marriott of Florida Gulf Coast University in the first round (No. 21 overall) and Camden Riley of the University of the Pacific in the second round (No. 45 overall, pictured above).
The first two rounds of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas took place on Friday. Sporting KC also holds the No. 69 and No. 93 picks in the third and fourth rounds, respectively, which will be conducted Monday via conference call.
Marriott, a 6-foot-4 midfielder also capable of playing in central defense, contributed to 26 shutouts in 64 career appearances for the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles from 2014-2018. He totaled three goals and six assists over four seasons, helping Florida Gulf Coast to two NCAA Tournament appearances, three regular season titles and two conference tournament championships in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
A native of Tampa, Florida, Marriott is a product of the FC Dallas Academy and was part of the FC Dallas U-17 side that finished second at the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships. While at Florida Gulf Coast, he also enjoyed Premier Development League stints with South Florida Surf in 2016, the Tampa Bay Rowdies U-23s in 2017 and the Seattle Sounders FC U-23s last summer.
After leading the Eagles with four assists as a sophomore in 2015, Marriott reached new heights in 2016 as a member of the All-Atlantic Sun First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Second Team. He assisted the go-ahead and game-winning goals in the Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship versus Jacksonville before Florida Gulf Coast secured their first NCAA Tournament victory in program history against South Florida. Marriott missed the 2017 season through injury but bounced back as a redshirt senior in 2018, earning All-Atlantic Sun Second Team honors.
Riley started 57 of 66 appearances for Pacific over four seasons, recording 19 goals and 10 assists from 2015-2018 as the program’s all-time leading scorer. His college career was highlighted by NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his last three seasons, helping the Tigers go 38-13-6 during that time. As a senior in 2018, Riley notched a team-best nine goals and five assists and was named a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, and MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist.
Raised in Dallas, Texas, Riley became a regular starter during a 2016 sophomore campaign that yielded four goals, three assists and culminated in West Coast Conference Honorable Mention accolades. He added five goals and two assists the following year, with Pacific posting their second straight 13-4-2 record and falling to eventual national champion Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. As a junior, Riley was a member of the All-West Coast Conference First Team and landed United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region recognition. He was also a West Coast Conference All-Academic Team selection in his final two seasons.
While at Pacific, Riley gained Premier Development League experience with Burlingame Dragons FC in 2017 and the Portland Timbers U-23s in 2018. At the youth level, he played for the Dallas Texans in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and garnered All-District honors at Flower Mound High School. At the 2019 MLS Combine in Orlando, Florida, Riley scored for Team X in Wednesday’s matchup with Team Nemeziz.
VITALS
Kamar Marriott
Position: Midfielder
Born: 9/21/1996 (22 years old)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 185 lbs.
College: Florida Gulf Coast University
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Birthplace: Tampa, Florida
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @kamar_marr25
Instagram: @kamar_marr25
VITALS
Camden Riley
Position: Midfielder
Born: 8/20/1996 (22 years old)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175 lbs.
College: University of the Pacific
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @camdenriley2
Instagram: @camdenriley
