The Columbus Crew announced today that it has agreed to terms with two more of its 2012 draft selections, defender Aubrey Perry and midfielder Kirk Urso, as the club finalized its roster in accordance with the league’s roster-compliance deadline. Per club and league policy, no further terms of the deal were disclosed.
Perry and Urso join fellow draftee Ethan Finlay – the Crew’s first selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft (No. 10 overall), who had already signed a contract with the league prior to the draft – on the club’s roster.
Teams must submit a roster with a maximum of 30 players by 5 p.m. ET on March 1 to be in compliance. The moves bring the Crew’s roster to 28 players, giving the club flexibility to continue to look at players still on trial. While a club may continue to add or release players from its roster or training camp, the club’s official roster – players under contract – must remain within the MLS roster guidelines. CLICK HERE for the 2012 Roster Rules and Regulations.
Selected in the second round (No. 26 overall) of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Perry spent four years at the University of South Florida, establishing himself as a strong speedy right back. He started all 83 matches for the Bulls becoming the school’s all-time leader in games played and started. A native of Ocoee, Fla., he is a graduate of the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., and was a member of the Crew Juniors USL Super-20s national championship team in 2010.
“Perry is a very fast right back who is good on the ball and picks his runs when he goes forward,” said Crew head coach Robert Warzycha on draft day. “He will learn a lot from (Sebastian) Miranda and be good competition for him. As he gains experience, he can become a top right back.”
Urso was selected in the first round (No. 10 overall) of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft. He was a 2011 NSCAA All-South Region First Team selection and joins college teammate Ben Speas with the Crew. While at Carolina, he started 80 of the 91 matches in which he appeared, tallying 15 goals and 24 assists. He started in the Tar Heels’ 2011 NCAA Men’s College Cup final 1-0 victory over UNC-Charlotte and was named to the All-Tournament Team. During his college career, Urso took a semester off to train with Bolton Wanderers of the English Premier League and Borussia Dortmund of the German Bundesliga. He is a native of Lombard, Ill., who played for the United States in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2007.
“Urso is a very physical player who is a good passer and has a winning mentality,” Warzycha said. “He played in the College Cup each of his four years in school and won the championship this year. He’s a good midfielder who can provide a lot of stability in the middle of the field.”
