Loons select defender Hugo Bacharach with No. 9 pick in draft

Minnesota United selected defender Hugo Bacharach with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.

Bacharach, coming off his senior season at Indiana in 2023, earned Top Drawer Soccer third-team Best XI, second-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors last season. 

He had four goals and four assists for the Hoosiers. Bacharach was at Fairleigh Dickinson for three years before transferring to Indiana.

The Loons’ defense struggled at times throughout the 2023 season, particularly late in games. As the struggles continued late into the season, United fired manager Adrian Heath and technical director Mark Watson, looking to usher the team into a new era.

The team hired Khaled El-Ahmad in November to be the new chief soccer officer, but El-Ahmad is finishing out his tenure with Barnsley and isn’t expected to join the Loons until January.

Interim technical director Hank Stebbins is handling decisions for the Loons in the meantime.

Minnesota was also awaiting its selection with the No. 20 pick in the first round of the draft, which it acquired from the New England Revolution.