The Portland Timbers may not have a pick in next month’s MLS SuperDraft, but they managed to land a first-round talent on Tuesday when they won a weighted lottery for former US U-17 international defender Mobi Fehr.
Portland had an 83 percent chance to land the 18-year-old and the odds held up as their number was called over Seattle and San Jose, the only other teams participating.
According to MLS roster rules, players eligible for the weighted lottery are: "Generation adidas players signed after the MLS SuperDraft or draft eligible players to whom an MLS contract was offered but who failed to sign with the League prior to the Draft."
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Fehr, who was born in New York and holds both Japanese and Swiss citizenship, signed in November. He spent time with Tokyo Verdy of the J-League and Swiss powers FC Basel before training with Portland this past autumn. He is still eligible to represent the US, Japan and Switzerland on the international stage.
“Mobi is a young, versatile player with a great deal of ability,” Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson said in a statement. “After having the opportunity to see him in training with the club this past season, we know him to be a quality player and look forward to seeing his continued development.”
By virtue of their winning the lottery, the Timbers are ineligible for any other player lotteries through the end of the 2013 season until every other team has won a player’s rights via the lottery, or waived their option to do so.
