The Houston Dynamo hold the highest pick in team history – No. 7 overall – in tomorrow’s MLS SuperDraft, to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center. Coverage of the first round begins on ESPN2 at 11 a.m. CT. The second and third rounds will be shown live on MLSSoccer.com.
With expansion teams Vancouver and Portland holding the first two picks, the first round will be the largest in Major League Soccer history at 18 teams. This year’s draft will consist of three rounds, with a supplemental draft conducted by conference call on Tuesday consisting of another three rounds.
The Dynamo’s first-round pick tomorrow is scheduled to be their only pick of the day; their natural second- and third-round picks were traded to other clubs. Houston’s previous highest pick was No. 8 overall in its inaugural draft of 2006, in which the Dynamo selected UCLA defender Patrick Ianni.
Thursday’s draft marks the third time in team history – and the first since 2007 – that the Dynamo have had a first-round pick. However, their first selection in the 2008 and 2009 drafts – third-round picks Geoff Cameron and Danny Cruz – have gone on to make major contributions.
The Dynamo are set to open preseason training on Monday, January 24, with their MLS regular season opener set for Saturday, March 19, against the Philadelphia Union at Robertson Stadium. Tickets are available at HoustonDynamo.com.
2011 MLS SuperDraft – Round 1 order
1. Vancouver Whitecaps
2. Portland Timbers
3. D.C. United
4. Chivas USA
5. Philadelphia Union
6. New England Revolution
7. Houston Dynamo
8. Vancouver Whitecaps (from Toronto FC)
9. Chicago Fire
10. Sporting Kansas City
11. Seattle Sounders
12. Columbus Crew
13. New York Red Bulls
14. Real Salt Lake
15. San Jose Earthquakes
16. Los Angeles Galaxy
17. FC Dallas
18. Colorado Rapids
Houston Dynamo MLS SuperDraft History
2006 MLS SUPERDRAFT – January 20, 2006 – Philadelphia, Pa.
Round Pick Player
1 8 Patrick Ianni, UCLA (Generation adidas)
3 32 Andre Schmid, St. John’s
4 44 Mike Chabala, Washington
2007 MLS SUPERDRAFT – January 12, 2007 – Indianapolis, Ind.
Round Pick Player
1 13 John Michael Hayden, Indiana
2 26 Corey Ashe, North Carolina
3 39 Mike Sambursky, South Carolina
4 52 Eric Ebert, Cal
2008 MLS SUPERDRAFT – January 18, 22008 – Baltimore, Md.
Round Pick Player
3 42 Geoff Cameron, Rhode Island
4 56 Jeremy Barlow, Virginia
2009 MLS SUPERDRAFT – January 15, 2009 – St. Louis, Mo.
Round Pick Player
3 41 Danny Cruz, UNLV (Generation adidas)
4 56 Marcus Tracy, Wake Forest
2010 MLS SUPERDRAFT – January 14, 2010 – Philadelphia, Pa.
Round Pick Player
3 43 David Walker, California-Santa Barbara
3 46 Sammy Appiah, Boston University
4 62 Euan Holden, New Mexico
