The 2004 MLS SuperDraft, held in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 16, 2004, was the fifth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The draft was most notable at the time for the selection of one of the youngest athletes in American sporting history, Freddy Adu, with the first pick by D.C. United after a trade from the Dallas Burn. The trade was initiated by the league after Adu had signed in November 2003 with the intent of playing for D.C., his local team.
The draft also included Clint Dempsey (1st round), who later won MLS Rookie of the Year, and teenager Michael Bradley (4th round), the son of MetroStars coach Bob Bradley. Both players went on to earn over 120 caps with the U.S. national team and play overseas for European teams before returning to MLS.
Player selection
Key * Denotes a player contracted under the Project-40 program ^ Denotes player who has been selected to an MLS All-Star Game§ Denotes a player who won the MLS Rookie of the Year † Denotes player who has been selected for an MLS Best XI team ~Denotes a player who won the MLS MVP
Round one Pick # MLS Team Player Position Affiliation1 D.C. United Freddy Adu*^ F Project-402 Columbus Crew Chad Marshall*† D Stanford University3 Los Angeles Galaxy Joseph Ngwenya F Coastal Carolina University4 Kansas City Wizards Matt Taylor F UCLA5 San Jose Earthquakes Ryan Cochrane* D Santa Clara University6 Dallas Burn Ramón Núñez M SMU7 Dallas Burn Clarence Goodson* D University of Maryland8 New England Revolution Clint Dempsey*^§† M Furman University9 Chicago Fire Scott Buete M University of Maryland10 San Jose Earthquakes Steve Cronin* GK Santa Clara University
Round one trades
Round two Pick # MLS Team Player Position Affiliation11 Chicago Fire Leonard Griffin D UCLA12 Columbus Crew Chris Wingert D St. John's University13 Los Angeles Galaxy Josh Gardner* M University of Cincinnati14 Los Angeles Galaxy Ned Grabavoy* M Indiana University15 Colorado Rapids Adolfo Gregorio M UCLA16 Colorado Rapids Adrian Cann D University of Louisville17 Kansas City Wizards Will Hesmer GK Wake Forest University18 MetroStars Seth Stammler D University of Maryland19 Chicago Fire Matt Pickens GK SMS (now Missouri State)20 Chicago Fire Sumed Ibrahim M University of Maryland
Round two trades
Round three Pick # MLS Team Player Position Affiliation21 MetroStars Zach Wells GK UCLA22 Los Angeles Galaxy Memo Arzate M UC Santa Barbara23 New England Revolution Jeremiah White F Wake Forest University24 D.C. United Kevin Ara M Harvard University25 Colorado Rapids Kevin Taylor D University of Michigan26 MetroStars Olivier Occéan F So. Connecticut State University27 San Jose Earthquakes Mike Wilson M Stanford University28 Chicago Fire Khari Stephenson M Williams College29 Dallas Burn Ty Maurin M UCLA30 San Jose Earthquakes Lindon Pecorelli M University of Connecticut
Round three trades
Round four
Pick # MLS Team Player Position Affiliation31 Dallas Burn David Wagenfuhr D Creighton University32 Columbus Crew Jamal Sutton F SMS (now Missouri State)33 Los Angeles Galaxy David McGill M UC Santa Barbara34 D.C. United Josh Gros^ M Rutgers University35 Colorado Rapids Kevin Richards D University of Notre Dame36 MetroStars Michael Bradley*^ M Project-4037 Kansas City Wizards Jay Alberts M Yale University38 Chicago Fire Denny Clanton D University of Dayton39 Chicago Fire Phil Hucles D The College of William & Mary40 San Jose Earthquakes Marin Pusek M UAB
Round four trades
Round five Pick # MLS Team Player Position Affiliation41 Columbus Crew Adom Crew M Brown University42 Columbus Crew Luke Vercollone M Seton Hall University43 Los Angeles Galaxy Jason Perry D Oakland University44 D.C. United Kevin Hudson M SMU45 Colorado Rapids Gary Sullivan D Adelphi University46 MetroStars Johnny David M Fairleigh Dickinson University47 Kansas City Wizards Justin Detter F University of Notre Dame48 Kansas City Wizards Ryan Barber D UMKC49 Chicago Fire Ian Pilarski M Cornell University50 San Jose Earthquakes Tighe Dombrowski M UW-Milwaukee
Round five trades
Round six
Pick # MLS Team Player Position Affiliation51 Chicago Fire Ryan McGowan M Seton Hall University52 Columbus Crew Matthew Haefner GK University of Pennsylvania53 Los Angeles Galaxy Alan Gordon F Oregon State University54 Dallas Burn Edwin Miranda D Cal State Northridge55 Colorado Rapids John Pulido M Florida International University56 New England Revolution Félix Brillant F Franklin Pierce College57 Los Angeles Galaxy Chris Aloisi D Syracuse University58 New England Revolution Andy Dorman M Boston University59 Chicago Fire Tony McManus D UAB60 MetroStars Jeff Parke D Drexel University
Round six trades
Trade Note MetroStars received a conditional 2004 SuperDraft pick from Chicago Fire in exchange for the rights to midfielder Andy Williams on March 27, 2003. Instead of the conditional pick, MetroStars received defender Edgar Bartolomeu from Chicago on June 25, 2003, to complete the trade.
Notable undrafted players Clyde Simms (MF, East Carolina University) — 220 MLS appearances. Troy Perkins (GK, Evansville)
See also Draft (sports) Generation Adidas Major League Soccer MLS SuperDraft
References