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[nas] FW: MLS - 2003 MLS SuperDraft Slated for Jan17 in KC

Title: FW: MLS - 2003 MLS SuperDraft Slated for Jan17 in KC
 2003 MLS SUPERDRAFT SLATED
FOR JANUARY 17 IN KANSAS CITY
Eighth Annual Draft Scheduled in Conjunction with 56th Annual NSCAA
Convention

NEW YORK (Wednesday, October 30, 2002) - Major League Soccer announced today
that the League's annual SuperDraft will be held on January 17, 2003 at the
Kansas City Convention Center beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. For the first time
ever, the event will take place in conjunction with the annual NSCAA
Convention, scheduled from January 15-19. Hosted in part by the National
Soccer Coaches Association of America, the MLS SuperDraft will offer an
exciting new dimension to the NSCAA's 56th annual convention, one of the
country's most important soccer gatherings.

D.C. United, which finished the 2002 campaign with a League-low 32 points,
will have the No. 1 overall selection while the hometown Kansas City Wizards
look forward to five picks, including the third overall. Last year, the 2002
SuperDraft featured a group of impact players beginning with Budweiser
Scoring Champion Taylor Twellman (No. 2 - New England Revolution) and Rookie
of the Year Kyle Martino (No. 8 - Columbus Crew). Both players were called
up to the U.S. National Team camp on Tuesday ahead of the November 17
exhibition against El Salvador in Washington, D.C. as U.S. Head Coach Bruce
Arena begins building his 2006 World Cup Team.

Others who went on to leave their mark in MLS from the Class of 2002
include: midfielder Kelly Gray (No. 5 - Chicago Fire), defender Daouda Kante
(No. 11 - D.C. United later acquired by Eastern Conference Champion New
England), defender Jeff Stewart (No. 19 - Colorado Rapids), goalkeeper Jon
Busch (No. 23 - Columbus Crew), midfielder Gavin Glinton (No. 25 - L.A.
Galaxy), forward Alejandro Moreno (No. 27 - L.A. Galaxy), defender Chris
Leitch (No. 47 - Columbus Crew) and midfielder Jeff Moore (No. 66 -
MetroStars).  

The SuperDraft will be featured live on Major League Soccer's official
website, www.MLSnet.com, with real-time selection-by-selection results and a
live audio web-cast featuring insight and analysis from Dwight Burgess, the
long-time voice of the Columbus Crew.

Many of the potential draftees will be in attendance, as America's top
collegiate prospects converge on Kansas City to accept their designation as
NSCAA/adidas All-Americas at the NSCAA All-America Luncheon on Saturday,
January 18. Details regarding an elite player combine will be finalized in
the coming weeks. The combine will be held in the days leading up to the
SuperDraft.

Aside from the 1996 Inaugural Draft, which was held in New York City, the
annual event had been hosted in Florida for each of the past six years. The
January 17 date will also mark the earliest ever the SuperDraft will be
held. The only other draft to be held in January was the College and
Supplemental Draft in 1998 (Jan. 31 - Feb. 1). Beginning in 2000 the annual
selection process of collegiate, Nike Project-40 and professional players
was combined and renamed the SuperDraft.

For the first time ever, the 2003 SuperDraft proceedings will also be open
to the public. Those attending the event will be able to witness in person
the announcement of each pick by Commissioner Don Garber, the emotions and
speeches of the draftees and the last minute wheeling-and-dealing between
teams looking to improve their draft position.

The 2003 SuperDraft will take place on the third day of the five-day NSCAA
Convention. Each January, the NSCAA hosts what is now known as "The World's
Largest Annual Gathering of Soccer Coaches." Approximately 4,000 coaches and
6,500 attendees from every level of the game in the United States and abroad
gather for four days of instruction, recognition and fellowship. In addition
to top-flight educational experiences conducted by top national and
international coaching names, the Convention also features the largest
soccer-only trade show in the U.S. The Convention also is the culmination of
the NSCAA/adidas Awards Program, which distributes more than 10,000 awards
each year to players, coaches and teams who have distinguished themselves in
the sport.

The joint effort between MLS and the NSCAA to stage the SuperDraft is
another in a series of collaborative initiatives that aim to continue to
promote the sport of soccer in America. In 2001, MLS worked with the NSCAA
to set up the MLS/NSCAA Collegiate Credential, which supplied
NSCAA-registered collegiate coaches with free admission to MLS matches. Over
1,000 members across the country signed up in the program's first year. MLS
coaches present for the SuperDraft will also play a part in the meetings and
instructional sessions during the NSCAA Convention. A recap of the event
follows:
  
WHAT: The 2003 SuperDraft marks the League's annual player selection process
formerly known (prior to 2000) as the MLS College and Supplemental Drafts.
All collegiate, Nike Project-40 and professional players entered into the
draft pool will be eligible for selection.

WHEN: Friday, January 17 (3:30 - 7:30 p.m. ET)

WHERE: Kansas City Convention Center

2003 SuperDraft Selection Order (subject to change via trade)

Round One
1.  D.C. United
2.  MetroStars
3.  Kansas City Wizards
4.  Dallas Burn (from CHI)
5.  MetroStars (from DAL)
6.  San Jose Earthquakes
7.  Columbus Crew
8.  Los Angeles Galaxy (from COL)
9.  New England Revolution
10. Los Angeles Galaxy

Round Two
11. D.C. United
12. Dallas Burn (from MET)
13. Kansas City Wizards (from DC, KC)
14. D.C. United (from CHI)
15. Dallas Burn
16. San Jose Earthquakes
17. Columbus Crew
18. Chicago (from COL)
19. New England Revolution
20. Los Angeles Galaxy

Round Three
21. Dallas Burn (from DC)
22. New England Revolution (from MET)
23. San Jose Earthquakes (from KC)
24. Chicago Fire
25. Chicago Fire (from DAL)
26. Chicago Fire (from DAL, SJ)
27. Columbus Crew
28. Colorado Rapids
29. New England Revolution
30. D.C. United (from LA)

Round Four
31. D.C. United
32. MetroStars
33. Kansas City Wizards
34. Dallas Burn (from CHI)
35. Dallas Burn
36. San Jose Earthquakes
37. Columbus Crew
38. Colorado Rapids
39. San Jose Earthquakes (from NE)
40. Los Angeles Galaxy

Round Five
41. D.C. United
42. MetroStars
43. Kansas City Wizards
44. Chicago Fire
45. Dallas Burn
46. San Jose Earthquakes
47. Columbus Crew
48. Colorado Rapids
49. New England Revolution
50. Los Angeles Galaxy

Round Six
51. D.C. United
52. Dallas (from MET)
53. Kansas City Wizards
54. Chicago Fire
55. Dallas Burn
56. San Jose Earthquakes
57. New England Revolution (from CLB)
58. Colorado Rapids
59. D.C. United (from NE)
60. Los Angeles Galaxy

- www.MLSnet.com -