NEW YORK -- The Columbus Crew bolstered their back line by claiming USA Under-20 right back Korey Veeder in a weighted lottery held on Tuesday afternoon.
A total of four MLS clubs opted to participate in the lottery for the 19 year old and the Crew had the third-best chance of landing the Florida native (19.31 percent). Toronto FC (45.52 percent) and the Seattle Sounders (24.83 percent) had the odds on their side and the defending MLS Cup champs Colorado Rapids (10.34 percent) were also in with a chance.
Each MLS club has the option of withdrawing from participation in any player lottery. The teams' percentage chances, which are calculated by taking into account a team’s record over its last 30 regular season games, will be adjusted ahead of each of the three lotteries based on the number of teams that participate.
The league uses the lottery mechanism for: 1) players who have completed their college eligibility and sign after the SuperDraft; 2) underclassmen who sign Generation adidas contracts after the SuperDraft; and 3) players who were previously offered MLS contracts and did not sign.
Veeder is a former member of the US Under-17 residency program who played with Crystal Palace Baltimore in USL last year. The Florida native is also in Thomas Rongen's US Under-20 pool with the hope of getting called up for CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifying. He has participated in the most recent camps, including in Florida held during January's 2011 MLS Player Combine.
The Columbus Crew (Veeder), Philadelphia Union (Chris Agorsor), Real Salt Lake (Cody Arnoux) and the San Jose Earthquakes (Dave Bingham) are all precluded from participating in future player lotteries until the conclusion of the 2011 MLS season.
