MLS Draft 2019: Orlando City Selects FIU Forward Santiago Patino at No. 3

Orlando City would have loved to have signed Santiago Patino as a Homegrown Player. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough time in the academy to qualify but today the Lions got their man anyway. Patino was taken by OCSC with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft.

The Orlando native and Freedom High product recently attended the MLS Player Combine at Orlando City Stadium and was enthusiastic about the possibility of becoming a Lion.

“It would be a pleasure to play in Orlando City,” said Patino. “I’m from here. My family lives here. I would love to play here.”

Here’s the goal he scored at the combine:

MLS Homegrown Player rules require players to be in the academy for a year, so Patino fell just short of the mark. He was named the Orange County Athlete of the Year as a senior. He also played in the NPSL with Kraze United.

He was involved in 46 of them in his four years at FIU. As a freshman, he scored two goals with one assist in 18 games, although he started only five times. His sophomore year he produced eight goals and an assist in 17 games (12 starts). He appeared in a career high 18 games (all starts) in his junior season of 2017 and set career highs in goals (15) and assists (5). He added 12 goals and two assists in his senior season in 2018 in 16 matches (all starts).

Patino was a second-team All-Southeast Region selection in 2018 and won the Conference USA Golden Boot. He was named to his all-conference first team as a senior and a junior and was a Mac Hermann Trophy semifinalist in 2017. As a junior, he also made the first team All-Southeast Region squad and was the Conference USA Player of the Year.

He joins a strike force that includes Dom Dwyer, Stefano Pinho, and Benji Michel.

Here is his highlight package: