Akpunonu Named to 2023 MLS Generation adidas Class; Watch Party Set for Wednesday Afternoon

NEW YORK – Bowling Green State University men's soccer standout Joey Akpunonu has been named to Major League Soccer's 2023 Generation adidas class. The announcement came from MLS on Monday afternoon (Dec. 19).

Akpunonu was one of the first eight players named to the class and the list of players eligible for selection in MLS SuperDraft 2023 presented by adidas. These talented players will be eligible for selection in MLS SuperDraft 2023, which will start at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday (Dec. 21) with SuperDraft coverage streaming live on MLSSoccer.com, the MLS App, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

WATCH PARTY
Falcon fans interested in joining Akpunonu and other BGSU men's soccer players and coaches are invited to attend a watch party, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday inside the Maurer Center on the BGSU campus. Details are as follows...

Event - Joey Akpunonu MLS SuperDraft Watch Party
Date – Wed. Dec. 21, 2022
Time – 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location – Schmeltz Atrium, Maurer Center

The full list of 364 eligible players representing 143 different schools can be found HERE and is subject to change, including the Generation adidas class.

Throughout the program's history, Generation adidas players have made a significant impact in MLS and on the international stage. Seven players at the 2022 FIFA World Cup began their MLS careers through the Generation adidas program, including U.S. Men's National Team members Sean Johnson (No. 51 overall selection, 2010 SuperDraft), Cristian Roldan (No. 16, 2015), and Walker Zimmerman (No. 7, 2013), as well as Canadian National Team players Tajon Buchanan (No. 9, 2019), Cyle Larin (No. 1, 2015), Richie Laryea (No. 7, 2016), and Dayne St. Clair (No. 7, 2019).

In addition to Akpunonu, the first eight players named to the 2023 Generation adidas class include Joshua Bolma (Maryland), Moise Bombito (New Hampshire), CJ Fodrey (San Diego State), Shakur Mohammed (Duke), Owen O'Malley (Creighton), Ilijah Paul (Washington) and Joey Skinner (Clemson).

A Toledo, Ohio native, Akpunonu became one of the best defenders in college soccer at Bowling Green. In 2022, he was an All-MAC first-team selection after leading the team with six goals from defense and playing every second of his 16 starts for the Falcons. Akpunonu also played 1,866 of the team's 1,877 total minutes in 2021 and was named to the All-MAC second team. A biology major, he was selected to the 2022 Academic All-America first team by the College Sports Communicators after finishing the year with a 4.0 GPA.

More information on the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas, including the SuperDraft selection order, is available HERE.

2023 Generation adidas Class
Name	Position	College	Year	Hometown
Joey Akpunonu	Defender	Bowling Green State University	Junior	Toledo, Ohio
Joshua Bolma	Midfielder	University of Maryland	Redshirt Sophomore	Accra, Ghana
Moise Bombito	Defender	University of New Hampshire	Junior	Montréal, Québec
CJ Fodrey	Forward	San Diego State University	Freshman	San Diego, Calif.
Shakur Mohammed	Forward	Duke University	Sophomore	Kumasi, Ghana
Owen O'Malley	Midfielder	Creighton University	Sophomore	Cary, N.C.
Ilijah Paul	Forward	University of Washington	Sophomore	Gilbert, Ariz.
Joey Skinner	Defender	Clemson University	Sophomore	Charlotte, N.C.

About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer – celebrating its 28th season in 2023 – features 29 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including 2023 expansion team St. Louis CITY SC. For more information about MLS, visit www.MLSsoccer.com.

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