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Sakuda Selected 39th Overall In Major League Soccer Draft
Feb. 11, 2002
Former Duke University soccer standout Kevin Sakuda (Fremont, Calif.) was selected in the third round (39th overall) of the Major League Soccer draft by the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday.
Sakuda, the anchor of a strong Blue Devil defense throughout his four-year career, finished his career with one goal and 13 assists, while leading Duke to 33 shutout victories. Sakuda started all 82 contests during his career at Duke.
"I have been working out for teams and performed well last week at the Umbro Select Camp, so I was hoping to be selected," said Sakuda. "It was definitely a pleasant surprise when I found out I was taken in the third round."
Adding to the excitement of being selected in the MLS draft is the fact that Sakuda was chosen by his hometown team. "This is even more special for me because San Jose is my home area and it is a terrific place to play," said Sakuda.
The Fremont, California native led Duke to a 57-21-4 record, including three NCAA Tournament appearances during his four-year career. He also received numerous awards as a Blue Devil: 2001 All-ACC Second Team, 1999 NSCAA/adidas All-South team, 1998 SoccerNews All-Freshman team and 1998 ACC All-Tournament team.
Sakuda will look to become the sixth former Blue Devil in the MLS next season, joining Ali Curtis (Tampa Bay), Jay Heaps (Miami), Brian Kelly (Los Angeles), Jason Kreis (Dallas) and Evan Whitfield (Chicago).
