With the second overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Vancouver Whitecaps FC today selected Jamaican striker Darren Mattocks from the University of Akron. A speedy goalscorer with game-changing qualities, Mattocks signed a Generation adidas contract with Major League Soccer on December 20, 2011.

WATCH: MLSsoccer.com interview Darren Mattocks

“Darren has great pace and an ability to get behind the opposition,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie. “He has power, athleticism, and a good eye for the goal, which is always hard to find. He also brings a solid scoring record and we are extremely pleased we were able to select Darren.”

Mattocks, 21, comes to Vancouver after two outstanding seasons with Akron. As a sophomore, the 6-foot, 155-pound striker finished second in scoring in NCAA Division I with 21 goals in 22 appearances with the Zips. The Caribbean forward’s efforts made him a semifinalist for the 2011 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy as the top male player in NCAA Division I soccer. He was named Mid-American Conference (MAC) Player of the Year and to the All-MAC First Team for a second straight year.

“This will be my first time coming to Canada, so I’m very excited,” said Mattocks. “It’s always going to be a challenge coming to a new environment, but hopefully, I can adjust quickly and show my stuff.”



As a freshman, Mattocks was named MAC Newcomer of the Year after finishing third in NCAA Division I scoring (second among freshmen) with 18 goals in 25 appearances for the Zips in 2010. The striker’s efforts that year earned him Freshman All-American honours with College Soccer News, Goal.com, Soccer America, and Top Drawer Soccer.



A native of Portmore, Jamaica, Mattocks is currently a member of the Jamaican U-23 Olympic team player pool.



Darren Mattocks

Position: Striker

Height: 6-00

Weight: 155

Born: September 2, 1990, in Portmore, Jamaica

Hometown: Portmore, Jamaica

Citizenship: Jamaica

Last Club: University of Akron (National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I)

How Acquired: Selected second overall in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft by Whitecaps FC on January 12, 2012



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