MLS: 1997 Collegiate and Supplemental Draft Order
- by Soccer America , Jan 31, 1997
Here is the order for the 1997 MLS Collegiate Draft and the 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft, to be held Feb. 1-2 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
MLS Collegiate Draft
FIRST ROUND
| Pick | Team |
| 1 | Colorado |
| 2 | Tampa Bay (from New England) |
| 3 | Columbus |
| 4 | San Jose |
| 5 | MetroStars |
| 6 | Dallas |
| 7 | Kansas City |
| 8 | Tampa Bay |
| 9 | Los Angeles |
| 10 | D.C. United |
Tampa Bay received New England's selection as compensation for the signing of coach Thomas Rongen.
SECOND ROUND
| Pick | Team |
| 11 | Colorado |
| 12 | New England |
| 13 | Columbus |
| 14 | San Jose |
| 15 | MetroStars |
| 16 | Dallas |
| 17 | Kansas City |
| 18 | Tampa Bay |
| 19 | Los Angeles |
| 20 | D.C. United |
THIRD ROUND
| Pick | Team |
| 21 | Colorado |
| 22 | New England |
| 23 | Columbus |
| 24 | San Jose |
| 25 | MetroStars |
| 26 | Dallas |
| 27 | Kansas City |
| 28 | Tampa Bay |
| 29 | Los Angeles |
| 30 | D.C. United |
MLS Supplemental Draft
FIRST ROUND
| Pick | Team |
| 1 | Colorado |
| 2 | New England |
| 3 | Dallas (from Columbus) |
| 4 | San Jose |
| 5 | MetroStars |
| 6 | Dallas |
| 7 | Kansas City |
| 8 | Tampa Bay |
| 9 | Los Angeles |
| 10 | D.C. United |
Dallas receives Columbus' pick as part of the deal which sent an allocation spot (eventually Brad Friedel) to Columbus.
SECOND ROUND
| Pick | Team |
| 11 | Colorado |
| 12 | New England |
| 13 | Columbus |
| 14 | D.C. United (from San Jose) |
| 15 | MetroStars |
| 16 | Dallas |
| 17 | Kansas City |
| 18 | Tampa Bay |
| 19 | Los Angeles |
| 20 | San Jose (from D.C. United) |
D.C. United and San Jose switched second-round picks as part of the deal that sent Shawn Medved to San Jose.
THIRD ROUND
| Pick | Team |
| 21 | Colorado |
| 22 | New England |
| 23 | Columbus |
| 24 | San Jose |
| 25 | MetroStars |
| 26 | Dallas |
| 27 | Tampa Bay (from Kansas City) |
| 28 | Tampa Bay |
| 29 | Los Angeles |
| 30 | D.C. United |
Tampa Bay received Kansas City's third-round choice as part of the trade that sent Alan Prampin to Tampa Bay for Steve Pittman.
Clash win appeal, will draft fourth
The San Jose Clash, which appealed after it was announced that they would pick 5th in the MLS draft, was awarded the 4th pick Jan. 31.
Teams were awarded their draft positions in inverse order of their 1996 finish, including the playoffs. San Jose and New York/New Jersey had identical 15-17 records, and both teams were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Initially, the league used goal difference to break the tie, and since San Jose (50-50) had a better differential than the MetroStars (45-47), the Metros received the fourth pick.
"Our contention was that the first tiebreaker should be head-to-head results, which is the first tiebreaker for determining playoff positions," said Clash GM Peter Bridgwater, who noted that the MetroStars had won two of three games against San Jose in 1996. "When we pointed that out, the league agreed that we should draft fourth and the MetroStars should draft fifth."
