Coaches and general managers of Major League Soccer's 14 teams will have their scouting expertise tested Friday as the 2008 MLS SuperDraft takes place on at the Baltimore Convention Center (400 Level Ballroom) in Baltimore. The event begins at 2 p.m. ET and will be carried live by ESPN2 and MLSnet.com. The draft order and rules are listed below.
As an MLS expansion team, the San Jose Earthquakes currently hold the first overall selection in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. The SuperDraft consists of four rounds with 14 selections each round. Currently, Western Conference teams FC Dallas and the Los Angeles Galaxy hold the most selections in the draft with seven (7) each. The Chicago Fire of the Eastern Conference hold six (6) selections heading into Friday's SuperDraft. Western Conference club Chivas USA may be looking to deal for draft picks as they hold only one (1) selection that lands in the fourth round.
Last year, 2007 expansion side Toronto FC selected University of Maryland midfielder Maurice Edu with the first overall selection in the SuperDraft. Edu starred for Toronto FC in his first year in the League and became the first-ever No. 1 pick to capture Rookie of the Year Honors. With a surprising pick at No. 5, the New England Revolution selected Wake Forest midfielder Wells Thompson, who proved his worthiness over the course of his first pro season. The Revolution has developed a number of previously unheralded players into stars, including Shalrie Joseph, Michael Parkhurst and Clint Dempsey.
The first hour of the SuperDraft will be televised live on ESPN2. The remainder of the draft, which consists of four rounds of 14 picks each, will be streamed live on www.MLSnet.com, the League's official Web site.
For the sixth consecutive year, the MLS SuperDraft will be held in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention. Thousands of youth soccer coaches from across the country will be in Baltimore on Friday and many will watch from the draft floor as their brightest pupils make a leap from amateur to professional.
The MLS SuperDraft draft features the finest collegiate and youth soccer prospects in the United States. The majority of draft prospects are graduating college seniors from NCAA schools. Others come from Generation adidas, a joint program between MLS and adidas that is dedicated to developing exceptional domestic talent in a professional environment. Each year, a handful of top domestic underclassmen and youth national team soccer players are signed to the league and placed in the SuperDraft through this program.
The MLS SuperDraft is open to the public at no charge, and fans are invited to attend, however seating is limited, and fans are encouraged to arrive early. Fans must pick up a ticket at the fan check-in table outside the ballroom.
Below are details on the selection order, rules and procedures for the 2008 MLS SuperDraft.
The 2008 MLS SuperDraft order follows (as of January 15, 2008):
1st ROUND:
- San Jose Earthquakes
- FC Dallas (From Toronto FC)
- Real Salt Lake
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Colorado Rapids
- Columbus Crew
- Chicago Fire (From New York Red Bulls)
- FC Dallas
- Toronto FC (From Chivas USA)
- Toronto FC (From D.C. United)
- Kansas City Wizards
- Chicago Fire
- New England Revolution
- Real Salt Lake (From Toronto FC)
2nd ROUND:
15. San Jose Earthquakes
16. New York Red Bulls (From Toronto FC)
17. Real Salt Lake
18. New England Revolution (From Los Angeles)
19. FC Dallas (From Colorado Rapids)
20. Columbus Crew
21. Los Angeles Galaxy (From New York Red Bulls)
22. FC Dallas
23. Kansas City Wizards (From Chivas USA)
24. D.C. United
25. Kansas City Wizards (From Los Angeles Galaxy, Kansas City Wizards)
26. Chicago Fire
27. New England Revolution
28. Los Angeles Galaxy (From Houston Dynamo)
3rd ROUND:
29. Los Angeles Galaxy (From San Jose Earthquakes)
30. Toronto FC
31. FC Dallas (From Real Salt Lake)
32. New York Red Bulls (From Los Angeles Galaxy)
33. D.C. United (From Colorado Rapids)
34. Los Angeles Galaxy (From Columbus Crew)
35. Toronto FC (From Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls)
36. Colorado Rapids (from Dallas)
37. Real Salt Lake (from Chivas USA)
38. Chicago Fire (from D.C. United)
39. Kansas City Wizards
40. Chicago Fire
41. New England Revolution
42. Houston Dynamo
4th ROUND:
43. Chivas USA (From San Jose Earthquakes)
44. New York Red Bulls (From Toronto FC)
45. FC Dallas (From Real Salt Lake)
46. Los Angeles Galaxy
47. Colorado Rapids
48. Columbus Crew
49. Colorado Rapids (From New York Red Bulls)
50. FC Dallas
51. Los Angeles Galaxy (From New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA)
52. D.C. United
53. Kansas City Wizards
54. Chicago Fire
55. New England Revolution
56. Houston Dynamo
Selection Order
The MLS SuperDraft selection order is determined as follows: The first selection is awarded to Major League Soccer's expansion team, San Jose Earthquakes. The next four selections are from teams that did not qualify for the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs beginning with the team with fewest 2007 regular season points (3 points per win, one point per tie). The remaining eight positions are ranked by fewest regular season points among the teams that were eliminated in the same round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Procedural rules for the 2008 MLS SuperDraft
Draft Rounds: The 2008 MLS SuperDraft will include four rounds and 56 selections. Once a team has passed, it may no longer participate in the Draft (e.g. may no longer select players, use a timeout, etc.)
Selection Clock: Teams are permitted four (4) minutes to make a selection in the First and Second Rounds. Teams are permitted three (3) minutes to make a selection in the Third and Fourth rounds.
Intermissions: There will be a five (5) minute break between each round.
Timeouts: Each team is permitted one (1), five (5) minute timeout. Selections must be made immediately following the timeout (no additional time given). More than two (2) timeouts cannot be used consecutively.
Failure to Make Selection in Designated Time: Teams that fail to make their selection in time must wait until the next selection is made, regardless if their choice is presented prior to the next team's decision. The team that was delinquent with its selection must immediately have its choice in hand following the selection of the team that followed. If not, the original team must again wait for the next selection to be made.
Trades:
Prior to being announced, trades need to be verified and approved by the Commissioner and/or his designee. Trade announcements should not reveal the identity of players until those players have been contacted by their respective clubs. For example, Team A trades a "player to be named later" for Team B's first selection.
Team Passing:
In the event a team passes, it shall be precluded from making any further picks for the remainder of the Draft.
