COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew SC today announced that it has signed two of its 2018 Major League Soccer SuperDraft selections ahead of the 2018 MLS regular season: goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard and midfielder Luis Argudo. Lundgaard (21st overall) and Argudo (67th overall) both spent the 2018 preseason in training camp with the Black & Gold.
“Ben and Luis quickly integrated into the team and earned a spot on the roster based on their strong work ethic during preseason,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “We look forward to working with them and seeing their continued development during the 2018 season.”
Lundgaard, 22, was selected in the First Round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft with the 21st pick. The goalkeeper played four seasons at Virginia Tech, making 70 appearances (all starts) and registering 23 shutouts. In 2017, Lungaard was named to the First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference and to the United Soccer Coaches’ (USC) Third Team All-East Region. The previous year, he was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Best XI Third Team. Additionally, Lundgaard played for the New York Red Bulls’ Under-23 Premier Development League side in 2017, making 13 appearances and registering 38 saves.
Argudo, 22, was selected in the Third Round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft with the 21st pick (67th overall). The midfielder played two seasons at Wake Forest University from 2016-2017, making 48 appearances (40 starts), while registering nine goals and 10 assists. In 2017, his senior year, he made 23 appearances (all starts), scoring eight goals and six assists en route to being named to the 2017 All-South Region team. Prior to joining Wake Forest, Argudo attended Elon University Phoenix from 2014-2015, where he made 39 appearances (29 starts) and recorded one goal and three assists.
Crew SC opens the 2018 MLS campaign against defending MLS Cup champion Toronto FC on Saturday, March 3 (1:00 p.m. ET / ABC-6, Spectrum Sports, BCSN2, CD102.5, ColumbusCrewSC.com) at BMO Field for the first match of the Trillium Cup. More information on Season Ticket Memberships for the 2018 season at MAPFRE Stadium is available here.
With the addition of Lundgaard and Argudo, Crew SC's current 2018 roster – listed alphabetically below – now stands at 27 players:
Goalkeepers (4): Jon Kempin, Logan Ketterer, Ben Lundgaard, Zack Steffen
Defenders (8): Lalas Abubakar, Harrison Afful, Alex Crognale, Connor Maloney, Jonathan Mensah, Gaston Sauro, Milton Valenzuela, Josh Williams
Midfielders (12): Mohammed Abu, Luis Argudo, Artur, Ricardo Clark, Niko Hansen, Federico Higuain, Mike Grella, Hector Jimenez, Cristian Martinez, Pedro Santos, Eduardo Sosa, Wil Trapp
Forwards (3): Adam Jahn, Edward Opoku, Gyasi Zardes
TRANSACTIONS: Columbus Crew SC signs two 2018 MLS SuperDraft selections: goalkeeper Ben Lundgaard and midfielder Luis Argudo on February 27, 2018.
Name: Ben Lundgaard
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 205
Born: September 25, 1995 in Wilmington, Delaware
Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware
Citizenship: United States
Drafted: Selected in the First Round (21st overall) in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft on January 19, 2018; signed on March 1, 2018
Previous Experience: Virginia Tech (2014-2017)
Name: Luis Argudo (pronounced: loo-EES are-GOO-doe)
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 150
Born: December 13, 1995 in Queens, New York
Hometown: Queens, New York
Citizenship: United States
Drafted: Selected in the Third Round in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft with the 21st pick (67th overall) on January 21, 2018; signed on March 1, 2018
Previous Experience: Wake Forest University (2016-2017), Elon University Phoenix (2014-2015)
