NEW YORK - After leading Stanford in assists and holding the joint-lead in goals this season, Ousseni Bouda has signed a Generation Adidas contract with the MLS, making him eligible to be selected in next week's 2022 SuperDraft. Bouda is the second ever Stanford Men's Soccer student-athlete to sign a Generation Adidas contract, joining 2002-03 team member Chad Marshall.
Generation Adidas contracts are given to underclassmen in collegiate soccer who have shown they are ready to take the next step and compete professionally. In each of the last ten years, there have been between five and nine players awarded with these contracts.
"We are very excited to see Ousseni realize his dream of becoming a professional soccer player," said the Knowles Family Director of Men's Soccer Jeremy Gunn. "Whoever signs Ousseni will not only be getting a very special player with untold potential, but they will be welcoming a very special person too. Ousseni has carved out a special place in our hearts here. We will eagerly follow how he impacts the people and matches as he moves ahead in his career."
During an impressive junior year, Bouda recorded nine assists, five goals, and a total of 19 points, leading the team in all three categories. His assist total was good for ninth in the NCAA and he finished 12th in assists per game with 0.56. The junior forward played in 17 games, starting each, and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region first team and to the All-Pac-12 first team this season. Bouda also earned recognition as Pac-12 Player of the Week twice (Sept. 13 and Oct. 4), Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (Oct. 5), and College Soccer News National Team of the Week (Sept. 7).
Bouda missed his sophomore season due to injury, but made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2019. He earned 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors and ranked second for the Cardinal with 15 points, totaling five goals and five assists in his first season. He was the only freshman on the All-Pac-12 first team in 2019.
If Bouda is drafted, it will mark the seventh consecutive year that a Stanford student-athlete has been selected in the MLS draft. During Jeremy Gunn's 10 seasons on The Farm, Stanford has had 11 players selected in the MLS SuperDraft.