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SuperDraft Sunday Picks carry new weight under combined format
Posted: Friday February 04, 2000 02:58 PM
On Sunday, Major League Soccer boasts that it will hold its first SuperDraft. Actually, the league held a super draft once before, only it wasn't known by that name. The event was the very first draft that stocked the 10 original teams with players -- the MLS allocation draft, a 16-round draft held over two days at the Hotel Intercontinental in New York City. Quite fittingly, Sunday is the fourth anniversary of the first day of that super draft. That allocation draft helped plot the immediate course and future of the teams. If they drafted well, they had a solid foundation from which to work. If they didn't, they could struggle for years. "That first draft was very, very important," current United coach Thomas Rongen said two years ago. "If you didn't draft well then, it would take years for you to rebuild a team." Rongen was right on. Teams such as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and New England Revolution who did not have American-based coaches paid dearly in that draft and since then. Eddie Firmani -- who directed the New York Cosmos to a pair of North American Soccer League titles a generation earlier, but had been guiding teams in the Middle East -- was the MetroStars coach. Without intimate knowledge of the American player, the MetroStars, under general manager Charlie Stillitano, drafted horribly. Not surprisingly, the MetroStars have been playing catch-up soccer since and have the worst all-time record in league history (50-78). The Revs aren't too far behind them. With former Ireland international Frank Stapleton at the helm, the Revs drafted abysmally. They choose 32-year-old defender Iain Fraser in the first round, one of the oldest players available in the draft, and defender Peter Woodring in the second. They lasted all of one season in the league. Not surprisingly, the Revs have failed to reach the playoffs in three of their four seasons and have never finished better than 15-17. That is a pretty difficult feat, considering that, on average over four years, 73 percent of the teams made the post-season tournament. Some clubs, on the other hand, drafted with a purpose, and they're still riding the crest of that wave today. Bruce Arena, who had directed the University of Virginia to five NCAA Division I titles, picked five Cavalier players for his D.C. United team. While only two of those players are still with the team -- national team midfielder Richie Williams and reserve defender Clint Peay -- Arena was setting a philosophy and foundation. Now, four years later, Virginia players dominate the United roster. There are currently nine players who wore Cavalier colors. We all know the history that United has forged -- an incredible three MLS Cup championships in four appearances (Yes, it has been more than just the Virginia players, as standout foreigners such as Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno have put United at a much higher plateau than its 11 rivals).
Or take, for example, the Dallas Burn. Former Colorado Foxes coach David Dir, the only one of the original 10 coaches left standing, took players who played for him in Colorado to stock his team, players he knew. If fact, the Burn has five players still on its roster from that allocation draft, the most of any team. That's right, five -- Ted Eck, Brian Haynes, Jason Kreis, Mark Dodd and Richard Farrer. While the Burn hasn't enjoyed the same success as United, it has reached the playoffs four years running and took the Galaxy to three games in the Western Conference final. Which brings us to SuperDraft Sunday. While draft picks haven't been exactly respected commodities in the past, they take on an entirely new meaning in this particular draft, which is essentially three drafts rolled into one. MLS has combined the college and supplemental drafts and has allowed, for the first time, teams to pick Project-40 developmental players (and youth internationals) instead of having them allocated by the league office. So, teams have some tough decisions to make. Do they pick someone with A-League experience to fill a role right now? Do they take someone just out of college who may or maybe fit the bill? Or do they choose a Project-40 player, who wouldn't count against the active roster, and hope he develops into a bona fide performer? In other words, do they draft with the present in mind, the future or the far future? So many questions, so little time. But that's what makes this draft so intriguing. As it turns out, some of those have-nots still face a difficult time trying to turn it around. In the wake of their atrocious 7-25 season, the MetroStars have "earned" the No. 1 pick in the draft. Instead of dealing it away, as they probably would have in the past, they are holding onto it like it a nuclear secret. But after the first round, the draft turns rather barren for the MetroStars. Because of previous trades upon previous trades made to patch the team together, they don't have another selection until the fourth round. In a draft so deep with talent as this -- expectations are that there are enough quality picks to last two rounds -- the MetroStars cannot afford not to make makes. Like it or not, new general manager Nick Sakiewicz and coach Octavio Zambrano are paying for the sins of the past. So, if they choose wisely and are a bit lucky, the richer might get richer. Who has the most early-round selections? The Chicago Fire, the 1998 MLS champion, has the fourth and sixth choices overall, thanks to trades with the San Jose Earthqukaes and Tampa Bay Mutiny. The Colorado Rapids, who finished 20-12 last season despite a whimper of an offensive finish, also have the fifth and seventh overall picks. Of the so-called have-nots, only the Kansas City Wizards can bulk up in the opening round with two picks. In other words, teams such as the Fire and Rapids are in an enviable position. Not only can they fill some holes on the team for the 2000 season, but they also can fortify themselves in future seasons with a Project 40 pick. That's what happens when you do your homework and plan ahead. Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of Soccer Magazine. To submit a question or comment to Michael Lewis, click here.
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