2011 MLS SuperDraft explained

2011 MLS SuperDraft
Sport:	Soccer
Date:	January 13, 2011
Time:	12:00 p.m. (ET)
Location:	Baltimore, Maryland
Network:	ESPN2
First:	Omar Salgado, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Fewest:	Real Salt Lake San Jose Earthquakes (1 selection)
Most:	New England Revolution Seattle Sounders FC (5 selections)
Overall:	54
Prev:	2010
Next:	2012

The 2011 MLS SuperDraft was the twelfth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 13, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, during the 2011 NSCAA Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2011 SuperDraft consisted of three rounds with eighteen selections each, for a total of 54 players selected during the draft. The draft preceded the 2011 MLS season.^[1]

Changes from 2010

As expansion clubs, Vancouver and Portland received the first and second picks in the SuperDraft.
The SuperDraft has contracted in number of rounds, from four to three, making it the shortest SuperDraft in terms of rounds.

Player selection

54 players were selected during the 3 rounds. Vancouver Whitecaps FC had the first overall selection in the 2011 SuperDraft, followed by Portland Timbers. The following eight selections were from teams that failed to qualify for the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs, starting with the team holding the lowest amount of 2010 regular season points (3 points per win, one point per draw). The subsequent eight selection positions of clubs were sorted by fewest regular season points, from among teams that went out in the same round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. As similar in other drafts, teams were allowed to trade these rights away to other teams for other rights such as players, special roster spots, or other rights of interest. Participating players in the 2011 draw were confirmed in December 2010.^[1]

On January 5, 2011, MLS announced that it was eliminating the previously planned fourth-round of the 2011 SuperDraft and re-introducing a three-round Supplemental Draft. Previously traded fourth-round 2011 SuperDraft selections became traded first-round 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft selections.

The selection order was released by the league on January 7, 2011.

Any player marked with an * is part of the Generation Adidas program.

Round One

width=7%	Pick # !	width=25%	MLS team !	width=23%	Player !	width=17%	Position !	Affiliation
1				United States U-20
2				University of Akron Cleveland Internationals
3				University of Akron Chicago Fire Premier
4				University of Akron Reading United Michigan Bucks
5				University of Maryland
6				University of California, Berkeley Orange County Blue Star
7				University of Akron Michigan Bucks
8				University of Akron Cleveland Internationals
9				University of North Carolina Carolina Dynamo
10				James Madison University Reading United
11				Indiana University
12				Indiana University Chicago Fire Premier
13				Pennsylvania State University Reading United
14				LDU Quito
15				University of Michigan
16				Quilmes
17				Stanford University
18				University of North Carolina

Round One Trades

Round Two

width=7%	Pick # !	width=25%	MLS team !	width=21%	Player !	width=14%	Position !	Affiliation
19				University of Notre Dame
20				UC Santa Barbara
21				Southern Methodist University Austin Aztex U23
22				University of Tulsa
23				University of North Carolina Ogden Outlaws
24				University of North Carolina Carolina Dynamo
25				Macclesfield Town
26				University of California, Berkeley Bay Area Ambassadors
27				University of California, Berkeley
28				Duke University Cary Clarets
29				Monmouth University Central Jersey Spartans
30				North Carolina State University
31				University of Akron Cleveland Internationals
32		J. T. Murray		University of Louisville Chicago Fire Premier
33				University of Akron Bradenton Academics
34				University of California, Berkeley Bay Area Ambassadors
35				University of Louisville
36				Michigan State University Michigan Bucks

Round Two Trades

Round Three

width=7%	Pick # !	width=25%	MLS team !	width=21%	Player !	width=12%	Position !	Affiliation
37				University of Notre Dame
38		Billy Cortes		University of Maryland
39				University of Notre Dame Indiana Invaders
40				Brown University Central Jersey Spartans
41				University of Maryland, Baltimore County Reading United
42				Monmouth University Central Jersey Spartans
43				Ohio State University
44				California Polytechnic State University Chicago Fire Premier
45			Forward	University of Maryland
46				Ohio State University
47				Davidson College Atlanta Blackhawks
48				University of South Florida Bradenton Academics
49				LDU Quito
50				University of Denver Real Colorado Foxes
51				University of California, Berkeley
52				University of Portland
53				Lynn University Baton Rouge Capitals
54				College of William & Mary

Round Three Trades

Selections by position

Round	Forwards	Midfielders	Defenders	Goalkeepers
1st	6	4	7	1
2nd	0	9	8	1
3rd	5	10	2	1
Totals	11	23	17	3

Other Draft Day Trades

Los Angeles Galaxy acquired forward Chad Barrett from Toronto FC in exchange for future considerations. Ives Galarcep reported that the future considerations consisted of $125,000 in allocation money and TFC assuming a portion of Barrett's salary.

Trade notes

Real Salt Lake acquired midfielder Will Johnson from Chicago Fire in a trade on 22 August 2008. In return, Chicago was to receive a natural fourth-round 2009 MLS SuperDraft selection and a second-round 2011 SuperDraft selection from RSL. However, the trade also contained a clause that allowed Chicago to receive allocation money in lieu of the draft picks. Chicago chose the allocation money.
San Jose Earthquakes acquired a conditional 2011 SuperDraft selection and a second-round 2010 MLS SuperDraft selection (#28) from Real Salt Lake in exchange for forward Pablo Campos on July 15, 2009. The conditional 2011 selection was contingent on Campos starting 8 games for Real Salt Lake in 2009. Campos started only 5 games so San Jose did not receive the conditional 2011 draft pick.

Notable undrafted players

Homegrown players

Original MLS team	Player	Position	College	Conference
New York Red Bulls	Connor Lade	Defender	St. John's	Big East
Sporting Kansas City	Kevin Ellis	Defender	Barton (KS)	KJCCC

Notes and References

Web site: MLS releases details of player combine and 2011 SuperDraft. Joshua Mayers. The Seattle Times. November 16, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101114074431/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soundersfcblog/2013406165_mls_releases_details_of_player.html. 14 November 2010 . live.