FC Cincinnati made three selections Tuesday afternoon in MLS SuperDraft 2022. With the second overall selection, FC Cincinnati selected Roman Celentano of Indiana University, a Generation adidas goalkeeper.
With the No. 14 overall selection, which was acquired from LA Galaxy via trade on April 8, 2021, the Orange and Blue selected defender Ian Murphy of Duke University. In the second round with the No. 30 overall selection, FCC selected Northern Illinois forward Nick Markanich, the nation’s top scorer in 2021.
Round 1: Pick 2 (2): Roman Celentano – Goalkeeeper – Indiana University
Celentano was one of eight Generation adidas players in MLS SuperDraft 2022. As a GA player, Celentano has been added to the 2022 FC Cincinnati roster.
Following the 2021 season, Celentano became the first goalkeeper in Big Ten history to win the conference’s Goalkeeper of the Year award multiple times in a career, doing so in consecutive seasons. In 2021, he recorded a career-high 11 shutouts, including seven consecutive clean sheets in the month of October, the second-longest single-season streak in Indiana program history.
A two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, Celentano twice earned Best XI first-team recognition from Top Drawer Soccer. As a sophomore in the 2020-21 season, he was named a second-team All-American by United Soccer Coaches after conceding just six goals in 1490 minutes of action and registering a 0.36 goals-against-average. Celentano’s stellar play helped Indiana advance to the 2020 NCAA National Championship against Marshall, where he was named the Defensive Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
He ended his collegiate career with a record of 37-10-5, allowing just 33 goals in 52 matches.
Celentano became the 45th Indiana student-athlete to be drafted in the MLS SuperDraft, a list which includes FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan, who was drafted ninth overall by the New England Revolution in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.
Round 1: Pick 14 (14): Ian Murphy – Defender – Duke University
A starter in 64 of the 69 career matches he played for the Blue Devils over four seasons, the center back played 1,748 minutes this past season for a Duke defense which allowed just 23 goals in 20 games. He earned third-team All-South region honors in 2021 and is a three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member.
Murphy was named Duke’s Defender of the Year in 2021. The Redlands, California native tallied three goals and three assists during his career, all during his freshman season. Prior to Duke he attended one semester of residency with the United States U17 Youth National Team. His club career was spent with FC Golden State Academy.
Round 2: Pick 2 (30): Nick Markanich – Forward – Northern Illinois University
Nick Markanich was the top scorer in the NCAA in 2021, scoring 16 goals in his final season with the Huskies. A standout at Northern Illinois, Markanich twice earned the honor of Mid-American Conference Player of the Year for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The three-time first-team All-MAC honoree appeared in 69 matches for the Huskies, including 68 starts, where he scored 39 career goals and added nine assists.
Markanich, a native of Bourbonnais, Ill., this past season earned College Soccer News All-America third-team recognition, was named to Top Drawer Soccer Best XI third-team and earned United Soccer Coaches All-North Region first-team honors. He helped lead Northern Illinois to a MAC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth this past year when he was named the MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player for scoring both in the semifinals against Bowling Green and as he scored the golden goal in overtime in the 105th minute against Georgia State.
Nick Markanich’s twin brother, Anthony Markanich, was selected in the first round (No. 26 overall) by the Colorado Rapids.
Check out FC Cincinnati's 2022 schedule HERE. 2022's home schedule begins at TQL Stadium when the club hosts D.C. United in the home opener on March 5. Tickets are currently available through Season Ticket Memberships. Fans can get the best tickets at the best price to the best matches all season long, including the home opener, by purchasing season tickets at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling 513-977-KICK, that’s 513-977-5425.
Fans can now purchase half-season ticket packages, starting at just $170. The “Orange” pack contains nine matches, including the Hell is Real match vs. the Columbus Crew. The “Blue” pack contains eight matches, including the home opener vs. D.C. United. To receive more information on half-season ticket packages, fill out the interest form at fccincinnati.com/tickets/2022-ticket-interest.
FC Cincinnati begin their fourth season of MLS competition in 2022, and their second playing at TQL Stadium. For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
