The MLS SuperDraft is just days away…
Claudio Reyna and Patrick Vieira are California-bound this week for Friday’s festivities at the LA Convention Center.
Jack Harrison and Khiry Shelton both came to Yankee Stadium via the MLS SuperDraft in 2016 and 2015 respectively, so it can be a crucial event for the teams looking to add talent to their rosters.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 17th iteration of the event…
When and Where?
Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Friday, January 13 starting at 3 pm ET. The draft will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. Fans can attend the SuperDraft free of charge.
Rounds 3 and 4 of the SuperDraft will take place via conference call on Tuesday, January 17 at a time to be determined.
How to Follow
We’ll have a live stream of the MLS SuperDraft here on NYCFC.com, as well as live coverage of any moves as-they-happen on Twitter.
Who Can Be Selected?
The majority of draft prospects are NCAA college seniors who have exhausted their college eligibility.
Generation adidas players and non-collegiate international players are also eligible for selection in the SuperDraft. Clubs may nominate players for the League's Draft-Eligible List, and only players from that list may be selected.
Many of the players that will be selected are participating in the adidas MLS Player Combine, which kicked off at the StubHub Center in Carson, California yesterday and will run until Jan.12.
How it Works
There are four rounds in the SuperDraft, with each team entitled to one pick per round. The first pick is held by Minnesota United FC, while the second pick is held by Atlanta United FC, per the results of the Expansion Priority Draft on October 16, 2016.
The following eight picks went to the teams that did not make the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, going from lowest to highest regular season point total. The remaining positions were ranked by fewest regular season points among the teams that were eliminated in the same round of the playoffs.
Many of the selections have already changed hands via trades.
NYCFC Picks
NYCFC traded a conditional pick in this draft to Seattle Sounders for the rights of Kwadwo Poku in January 2015. This became a first round pick as you can see from the first round draft order below.
2017 Draft Order
Round 1
Minnesota United
Atlanta United FC
Chicago Fire
Houston Dynamo
Columbus Crew
San Jose Earthquakes
Vancouver Whitecaps
Atlanta United FC (from Orlando City)
Columbus Crew (from New England Revolution)
Portland Timbers
Chicago Fire (from Philadelphia Union)
D.C. United
Real Salt Lake
Sporting KC
Colorado Rapids (from LA Galaxy)
Seattle Sounders (from NYCFC)
NY Red Bulls
FC Dallas
Montreal Impact
New England Revolution (from Colorado Rapids)
Colorado Rapids (from Toronto FC)
Seattle Sounders
Click here for the complete draft order for all four rounds.
What Happens Next?
Most picks will enter training camp with the clubs that drafted them but only about half of them will make an MLS roster.
A player who was drafted by a particular team through the SuperDraft and did not sign, is placed on that team's "College Protected List" until December 31st of the year after the draft, after which the team loses the MLS rights to the player.
