sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alecko Eskandarian, Allocation Money, Andrew Jacobson, Andy Iro, Brek Shea, Brian Edwards (soccer)

Los Angeles Times: Galaxy trades Albright, takes Franklin in Page 1 of 3

http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-spw-draft19jan19,1,1781125.story?coll=la-headlines- sports-soccer From the Times

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

Galaxy trades Albright, takes Franklin in draft Kansas City makes UCLA's Myers the No. 1 pick of the MLS draft. By Grahame L. Jones Staff Writer

January 19, 2008

The Galaxy, gearing up for the 2008 season, made two surprising moves Friday at the league's annual college draft in .

Defender , a U.S. national team player who has anchored the right side of the defense for the last six seasons, winning two MLS championships in the process, was traded to the for an unannounced amount of .

The Galaxy then made Cal State Northridge and U.S. under-23 national team defender its first pick in the draft, taking him fourth overall.

Franklin, 22, from Palmdale, is a well-regarded player but was not expected to go so high, especially with such players as Virginia Tech forward of Ghana and Connecticut defender of Trinidad and Tobago still available. Both had been widely touted as potential No. 1 picks.

"We had a hole we needed to fill [Albright's right back slot], and we had Sean ranked in the top four players in the draft," said Paul Bravo, the Galaxy's director of soccer.

For the second time in three years, a UCLA player was the league's top pick. Sophomore midfielder/defender , 20, of Thousand Oaks was snapped up by the Kansas City Wizards. Myers, a teammate of Franklin on the U.S. under-23 team, became the 41st former Bruin to be drafted since MLS was founded in 1996 -- the most of any school.

In all, six defenders, five midfielders, two goalkeepers and one forward were taken in the first round, including two members of the U.S. under-17 national team. The draft seemed to be driven by economics as much as anything, with seven of the 14 first-round selections being developmental players whose salaries will not count against team salary caps.

Chivas USA did not have a pick until the fourth round and selected West Florida midfielder Keith Savage, 22.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-spw-draft19jan19,1,5943440,print.story?coll=la-h... 1/22/2008 Los Angeles Times: Galaxy trades Albright, takes Franklin in draft Page 2 of 3

The Galaxy had seven picks overall and, in addition to Franklin, Los Angeles chose Washington forward (21st overall), Wake Forest goalkeeper (28th), Wake Forest defender Julian Valentin 29th), Creighton goalkeeper Matt Allen (34th), University of San Francisco defensive midfielder Brendon McDonald (46th) and Santa Clara midfielder/defender Matt Hatzke (51st).

Franklin said he was happy to stay in Southern and to play alongside the likes of , and Carlos Ruiz.

"There was talk about the Galaxy being interested in me, but I wasn't sure where I was going to go. I'm excited about being around a group of superstars like that," Franklin said.

Coming in as a potential replacement for Albright puts an immediate burden on Franklin.

The Revolution, meanwhile, was delighted to land Albright, 29, who won an MLS title with D.C. United before earning two more with the Galaxy. Albright was sidelined for all but five games in 2007 after suffering a torn right hamstring in May. He has since recovered and was re-signed by the Galaxy only last week. Apparently, that was done only to make the trade with New England, which freed up $150,000 or so in money, and also added allocation money if the Galaxy pursues Portugal's Luis Figo, as rumored.

MLS 2008 DRAFT

FIRST-ROUND PICKS *

Name / Position / School / MLS Club

1. Chance Myers / D / UCLA / Kansas City

2. / D/M / U-17 national team /

3. / D/M / UCLA /

4. Sean Franklin / D / Cal State Northridge / Galaxy

5. Ciaran O'Brien / M / UC Santa Barbara / Colorado

6. / D / UC Santa Barbara / Columbus

7. Patrick Nyarko / F / Virginia Tech /

8. / G / U-17 national team / Dallas

9. Julius James / D / Connecticut /

10. / M / Wake Forest / Toronto

11. / M / State / Kansas City

12. Dominic Cervi / G / Tulsa / Chicago

http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-spw-draft19jan19,1,5943440,print.story?coll=la-h... 1/22/2008 Los Angeles Times: Galaxy trades Albright, takes Franklin in draft Page 3 of 3

13. / D / San Francisco / New England

14. / D / Old Dominion / Real Salt Lake

Chivas USA, D.C. United, Houston, New York and San Jose did not have first-round picks.

[email protected]

If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.

Article licensing and reprint options

Copyright 2008 Los Angeles Times | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service Home Delivery | Advertise | Archives | Contact | Site Map | Help partners:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-spw-draft19jan19,1,5943440,print.story?coll=la-h... 1/22/2008 LA Daily News - Locals dominate MLS draft Page 1 of 2

"It's an honor to be here and be chosen No. Locals dominate MLS 1," said Myers, a sophomore defender from UCLA draft and a graduate of Thousand Oaks High. "I look forward to coming in and contributing right away." Wire, staff reports The Galaxy, selecting fourth, took Article Last Updated: 01/18/2008 02:31:47 PM PST midfielder/defender Sean Franklin, a product of

Cal State Northridge and Highland High. The

Galaxy also traded defender Chris Albright to the

New England Revolution in exchange for allocation money.

Brek Shea, a 17-year-old midfielder, was taken by FC Dallas with the second pick, and Real Salt Lake used the third selection on Myers' UCLA teammate, midfielder Tony Beltran.

Myers, 20, started all 21 games for the Bruins last season, scored three goals and earned an All-Pac 10 first team selection. He said he wasn't sure if he was ready for the draft, but UCLA coach Jorge Salcedo gave him the green light.

The Wizards traded eight-year veteran defender to the on Tuesday in exchange for the rights to the top selection.

"When I heard they traded for the No. 1 pick, (MLS commissioner) Mike Garland said the interest was high and I could be No. 1," Myers Chance Myers' decision to leave school said. "After the season was over, it was kind of early paid off Friday when the Kansas City unexpected if I was going to leave or going to Wizards selected him with the first pick in the stay, but my choice paid off." Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

Advertisement

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8010478 1/22/2008 LA Daily News - Locals dominate MLS draft Page 2 of 2

The Wizards (11-12-7) finished fifth in the East last season and lost to the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference finals.

Other first-round selections were: No. 5, Ciarin O'Brien (); No. 6, Andy Iro (); No. 7, Patrick Nyarko (Chicago Fire); No. 8, Josh Lambo (Dallas); No. 9, Julius James (Toronto); No. 10, Pat Phelan (Toronto); No. 11, Roger Espinoza (Kansas City); No. 12, Dominic Cervi (Chicago); No. 13, Rob Valentino (New England Revolution); No. 14, David Horst (Real Salt Lake).

Advertisement

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8010478 1/22/2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Other Sports Page 1 of 5

Local US/World Sports Business A&E Life Comics Photos Opinion Blogs Subscribe Buy Ad OTHER SPORTS

Friday, January 18, 2008 FEATURED GAL MLS SuperDraft: Wizards take Myers first

By Pat Martin, MLS Editor Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - The Kansas City Wizards took UCLA's Chance Myers first overall in the 2008 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, held on Friday at the Baltimore Convention Center. Sao Paulo Paris Haute Fashion Week Couture -- Myers, a 20-year-old defender/midfielder, was considered by many the -- Monday Day 1 best sideline player in the draft. He is a versatile player who can play fullback or wing.

"It's a dream come true," said Myers, who was a First Team All-Pac-10 selection this season. "I will bring a strong work ethic and team attitude to Kansas City. Playing at UCLA taught me how to adapt and play at a high level. I look forward to playing with former Bruins like , and in Kansas City."

"Chance Myers is a great young player that has a long-term future in soccer," Wizards coach said. "He is technically sound with an unbelievable engine. He is only 20-years-old, with 15 years of great soccer left. We are excited to draft a very versatile outside midfielder like Chance."

The Wizards, who had two first-round picks after acquiring the top pick from the San Jose Earthquakes for veteran defender Nick Garcia earlier this week, selected Ohio State midfielder Roger Espinoza 11th overall. Both Myers and Espinoza, 21, are members of the Generation program that allows players who have not yet graduated college to join MLS while still working toward their degrees. Neither player will count on the Wizards' salary cap as long as they are involved in the program.

"They were the top two picks on our own power rankings," Onalfo said.

FC Dallas selected United States U-17 defender/midfielder Brek Shea with the second pick while Real Salt Lake selected midfielder/defender Anthony Beltran, Myers' teammate at UCLA, with the third pick.

"I'm overwhelmed right now," Beltran said. "I had a lot of hope that I would go to Utah. It seems like a great situation for me to start my professional career. I know (RSL goalkeeper) likes it there,

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorecard/othernews.asp?articleID=223187 1/22/2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Other Sports Page 2 of 5

and one of my UCLA teammates, James Jaramillo, is from Utah, as well as my sister's best friend. I'm ready to get started."

Los Angeles and Colorado rounded out the top five picks by taking Sean Franklin, a Cal-State Northridge midfielder/defender, and Ciaran O'Brian, a Santa Barbara (UCSB) midfielder, respectively.

Columbus selected UCSB defender Andy Iro sixth, Chicago got the draft's first forward in Virginia Tech's Patrick Nyarko seventh and Dallas picked the first goalkeeper in the U-17 national team's Josh Lambo eighth.

Toronto had the next two picks, taking Connecticut defender Julius James and Wake Forest midfielder/defender Pat Phelan with its first- round picks.

"It's going to take some time for me to step in," James said. "It's going to be a process. I had no idea Toronto was interested in me, but my mind is really open. I expect a real steep learning curve and I hope the technical staff and the guys over there can just help me out."

"We are delighted to have two players of the quality of Julius and Pat," Toronto coach Mo Johnston said. "Both had superb senior years and we think they are capable of battling for a place in our first eleven. From what we have seen and heard they have all the attributes to be solid professionals."

After Espinoza went 11th, Chicago took Tulsa goalkeeper Dominic Cervi, New England, which acquired veteran defender Chris Albright from L.A. for allocation money earlier in the day, took San Francisco defender Rob Valentino 13th and Real Salt Lake took Old Dominion defender David Horst 14th to cap off the first round.

The expansion Earthquakes took Furman midfielder Shea Salinas with the first pick of the second round for their first pick of the draft.

"We are excited to add Shea to the team," San Jose coach said. "He is a great attacker and plays both sides of the wing. He is a very quick and exciting player to watch." SEATTLE BLOGS

The selected Ohio State defender with Reader blog: Seatt the 16th overall pick, also their first of the draft. Blood, sweat & beers · 8 ways in which wo "I think he was one of the strongest defenders in the draft," Red Bull fish... New York Sporting Director said. "We rated him right up · Billy likes to drink s · Runner flashes other at Gree there with the top guys. To have him around and have him available, especially with having a need at that position, I think it was ideal for us Reader blog: Veloc to be able to select him." Seattle-area cycling · Luna Bar Sponsors Women's Race Serie Defending Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United picked California · 2008 Hit List: Com midfielder 24th overall for their first pick of the draft · 2008 Hit List: Racing for the while the champion Houston Dynamo picked Rhode Island midfielder Cyclist 42nd overall to start their draft. Defending Western Reader blog: Cult o Conference regular season champions Chivas USA selected West Florida · The Human Drama midfielder Keith Savage with the first pick of the fourth round, 43rd Competition, or, A R overall, for their first and only pick of the draft. Addiction

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorecard/othernews.asp?articleID=223187 1/22/2008 soccer365.com | mls | Myers Goes No. 1 In SuperDraft Page 1 of 2

SOCCER SHOP | RUGBY SHOP | RUGBYRUGBY

HOME AMERICAN NEWS EUROPEAN NEWS FIXTURES PREVIEWS & RESULTS FEATURES INTERVIEWS

MLS

E-mail this Article Print this Article Save this Article Myers Goes No. 1 In SuperDraft 2008-01-19 14:04:42

UCLA defender Chance Myers was selected first by the Kansas City Wizards in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft on Friday afternoon.

The Wizards had traded up with the San Jose Earthquakes this week to land the top spot.

In a first round full of surprises, FC Dallas tabbed U.S. Under-17 defender Brek Shea with the second pick, followed by Real Salt Lake choosing UCLA wingback Tony Beltran third.

Three California-based collegiate players went next, with Cal State Northridge midfielder Sean Franklin headed to Los

Angeles, and Cal-Santa Barbara teammates Ciaran O'Brien and Andy Iro headed to Colorado and Columbus, respectively.

Virginia Tech forward Patrick Nyarko, widely expected to be the #1 choice, fell to Chocago in the seventh slot, while U.S. youth international keeper Josh Lambo went eighth to FC Dallas.

Toronto FC then claimed a pair of draft day droppers ninth and 10th in Connecticut defender Julius James and Wake Forest midfielder Pat Phelan.

The Wizards grabbed Ohio State midfielder Roger Espinoza 11th with their second pick of the first round, and Chicago did likewise to choose Tulsa netminder Dominic Cervi 12th.

To close the round, New England selected San Francisco defender Rob Valentino 13th and Old Dominion back David Horst went to Real Salt Lake.

HAVE YOUR SAY…

Be the first to post a comment on this story. Send us your emails.

http://www.soccer365.com/mls/story_19108140554.php 1/22/2008 San Jose Mercury News - Quakes select Furman midfielder Page 1 of 2

Five of the first six picks in Friday's draft in Quakes select Furman Baltimore were Southern California collegians. UCLA's Tony Beltran, Cal State-Northridge' midfielder s Sean Franklin and Ciaran O'Brien and Andy Iro of UC-Santa Barbara were the third, fourth, fifth and sixth picks, respectively. By Elliott Almond Mercury News The New England Revolution selected USF defender Article Launched: 01/19/2008 01:38:20 AM PST Rob Valentino at No. 13. He was one of eight Bay Area players taken, including Andrew Jacobson, a former Mercury News player of the year from Gunn High. The Earthquakes' only pick in the Major League Soccer draft Friday almost didn't make Jacobson, who starred at Cal, went in the second the combine last week. Shea Salinas shattered his round to D.C. United. Matt Marquess, Jacobson' cheekbone while practicing days before the tryouts s teammate at Gunn, was taken by Kansas City in the in Florida. third round. Marquess was one of four Santa Clara University players picked. But the Furman midfielder decided the night before to compete because he "couldn't sit and watch After last week's moves to build the back line guys play for my spot." with goalie Joe Cannon and Garcia, the Quakes shored up the front with Salinas, who scored 14 The decision helped convince the Quakes that goals and had 21 assists for Furman, a small but Salinas, 21, was worthy of the 15th pick. successful Division I school in Greenville, S.C.

"He is obviously very determined," Coach Frank Salinas' ascent to MLS has been surprising. As Yallop said. "There's nothing to stop him from a talented cross-country runner at Grapevine High stepping right in." in Texas, he expected to attend college on a running scholarship. On a day the Kansas City Wizards took UCLA's Chance Myers with the top pick, the Quakes found "He considered himself to be a runner, not a soccer an unsung player known for his speed and soccer player," Grapevine soccer coach Heath Bullard said. acumen. "But you could tell from the beginning he had talent." "People are surprised how quick he is once he gets on the field," Furman Coach Doug Allison said. Salinas' mother, Mickey, said her son always loved soccer: "As soon as he could walk we had to The Quakes had only one selection after trading the pull him off the field," she recalled. No. 1 pick for Kansas City defender Nick Garcia on Tuesday. They are working to secure five more When Salinas turned 4, the family held a special veterans to fill the 18-man roster. birthday celebration because Shea reached the minimum age to join an area youth team.

Advertisement

http://www.mercurynews.com/othersports/ci_8018479?nclick_check=1 1/22/2008 San Jose Mercury News - Quakes select Furman midfielder Page 2 of 2

Thursday, Yallop called Allison to ask about Salinas' speed and attitude. He liked what he heard.

"He is willing to take on players," Allison said. "Shea will go at you."

• General Manager John Doyle said the Quakes have arranged a friendly against D.C. United on Feb. 19 in San Luis Obispo.

Contact Elliott Almond at ealmond@mercurynews. com or (408) 920-5865.

Advertisement

http://www.mercurynews.com/othersports/ci_8018479?nclick_check=1 1/22/2008 MLSnet.com - News - 01/18/2008 8:48PM Page 1 of 2

© 2005 Major League Soccer, L.L.C. All Print Page Rights Reserved.

01/18/2008 8:48PM Wizards make biggest splash in Baltimore K.C. selects UCLA defender Chance Myers first overall By Kyle McCarthy / MLSnet.com Staff BALTIMORE -- The Kansas City Wizards set the stage for the first pick in the MLS SuperDraft by shipping Nick Garcia to the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for the right to open the draft.

With the bar set at a proven MLS defender, the Wizards tabbed UCLA defender Chance Myers with the first pick in Friday's SuperDraft, held at the Baltimore Convention Center and screened live on ESPN2 (first round) and MLSnet.com.

Myers' stock rose through the adidas MLS Player Combine and peaked with his selection, but the Generation adidas member said he just wanted to contribute in Kansas City.

"I'm just looking to come in and play soccer," Myers said. "My expectations are high of myself and the team. I always want to succeed. They have a good foundation, they made a good run last year and hopefully we can build on that and get better."

Myers started a run of three consecutive Generation adidas players at the start of the draft. Those players, who do not count against the salary budget, were popular, comprising eight of the 14 first-round selections. All 10 Generation adidas players were selected within the first 19 selections.

FC Dallas tabbed U.S. U-17 national team midfielder Brek Shea with the second overall pick before Real Salt Lake made it two UCLA defenders in the top three by adding Anthony Beltran.

Los Angeles sprung the first surprise of the draft by sending U.S. international Chris Albright to New England in exchange for allocation funds after selecting Cal State-Northridge defender Sean Franklin with the fourth pick.

"I had talked to some people," Franklin said. "I knew they were interested, but this draft has been unpredictable."

The lack of predictability saw possible No. 1 pick Patrick Nyarko slip to Chicago with the seventh pick after Colorado nabbed Ciaran O'Brien and Columbus selected Andy Iro.

"What made me nervous was the fact that I didn't know where I was going to end up," Nyarko said. "I'm ready to go. I think the Fire is one of the most exciting teams to watch. They can make things happen."

FC Dallas picked U.S. U-17 national team goalkeeper Josh Lambo with its second first-round pick (eighth overall) before Toronto FC took Connecticut defender Julius James and Wake Forest defender Pat Phelan with its back-to-back selections.

Ohio State midfielder Roger Espinoza went to Kansas City with the 11th pick and Chicago selected University of Tulsa goalkeeper Dominic Cervi afterwards.

University of San Francisco defender Rob Valentino (13th overall to New England) and Old Dominion defender David Horst (14th overall to Real Salt Lake) concluded the first round.

With nine different teams selecting in the first round, some clubs didn't enter the draft until the latter stages. San Jose picked Furman midfielder Shea Salinas with its first selection (15th overall) and New York grabbed Ohio State defender Eric Brunner with the 16th pick.

D.C. United picked University of California midfielder Andrew Jacobson with the 24th selection. MLS Cup champion Houston made its first selection at the tail end of the third-round (42nd overall) with University of Rhode Island midfielder Geoff Cameron.

http://web.mlsnet.com/content/printer_friendly/y2008/m01/d18/c136013.html 1/22/2008 MLSnet.com - News - 01/18/2008 8:48PM Page 2 of 2

The Chicago Fire, Kansas City Wizards and Los Angeles Galaxy ended the day with the most selections, each making six picks. FC Dallas, which came into the draft with seven picks, traded two away to the Columbus Crew for a pair of selections in the 2010 SuperDraft, just one of two draft-day deals that involved '08 picks. Toronto FC also obtained the No. 28 overall selection for allocation money from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

In all, 31 colleges were represented in the 56 selections; two players, Shea and Lambo, entered the MLS draft before attending college. The University of California-Santa Barbara and Santa Clara University led all schools, each with four players selected.

Teams will further delve into the college pool in the supplemental draft, to be held Jan. 24 in a private conference call among the 14 clubs.

Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

http://web.mlsnet.com/content/printer_friendly/y2008/m01/d18/c136013.html 1/22/2008 Toronto FC picks up top defender at MLS draft Page 1 of 3

Toronto FC picks up top defender at MLS draft Last Updated: Friday, January 18, 2008 | 6:03 PM ET CBC Sports

Major League Soccer's SuperDraft threw up plenty of surprises on Friday in Baltimore.

Virginia Tech forward Patrick Nyarko, the player that most soccer experts predicted would go No. 1, wasn't selected until No. 7, and Julius James, considered the top defensive prospect in the draft, was still available at No. 9 when Toronto FC picked him up.

Toronto FC used its other first-round pick, the No. 10 selection, on Wake Forest midfielder Pat Phelan.

"We are delighted to have two players of the quality of Julius and Pat," said Toronto coach Mo Johnston. "Both had superb senior years and we think they are capable of battling for a place in our first eleven. From what we have seen and heard they have all the attributes to be solid professionals."

The surprises actually started earlier in the week, when the expansion Toronto FC coach Mo Johnston has a solid track record of success at the San Jose Earthquakes, who originally owned the top pick in the draft, MLS draft. traded it to the Kansas City Wizards for veteran defender Nick Garcia. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press) Myers makes big leap

With Garcia gone, the Wizards used the No. 1 pick on defender Chance Myers from UCLA. It was a bit of a surprise move as Nyarko was touted as the top prospect in this draft, and most pundits thought Myers would not go in the top 5.

FC Dallas selected midfielder Brek Shea, a member of the U.S. under-17 team, at No. 2. In another surprise move, Real Salt Lake used the No. 3 pick to take Anthony Beltran, a midfielder with UCLA.

Sean Franklin, a defender at California State Northridge, was drafted fourth overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Franklin was followed by two University of California at Santa Barbara players — midfielder Ciaran O'Brien (selected by the Colorado Rapids) and defender Andy Iro (picked by the Columbus Crew). Fire pick prolific Nyarko

Nyarko finally heard his name called when the Chicago Fire used the No. 7 pick to select the third-year collegiate player.

Nyarko was one of the best strikers in the NCAA this past season, and was a first-team all-American in 2007 and a finalist for the M.A.C. , the soccer equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. A native of Ghana, the six-foot, 165-pound forward combines speed and power, scoring touch and

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2008/01/18/torontofc-mls-superdraft.html 1/22/2008 Toronto FC picks up top defender at MLS draft Page 2 of 3

playmaking ability — he scored 31 goals and added 24 assists in 48 starts during three seasons at Virginia Tech.

FC Dallas used the No. 8 selection on Josh Lambo, a goalkeeper with the U.S. under-17 team.

After Toronto's two picks, Kansas City drafted Ohio State midfielder Roger Espinosa (No. 11), Chicago selected Tulsa goalkeeper Dominic Cervi (No. 12), the New England Revolution took University of San Francisco defender Rob Valentino, and Real Salt Lake closed out the first round by picking Old Dominion defender David Horst (No. 14). James dubbed MLS ready

James was named the Big East defender of the year the past three seasons at Connecticut, and was named a first team all-American in 2006 and 2007.

The native of Trinidad and Tobago has a combination of speed, skill, strength and talent and most MLS coaches believe he is ready to step in and be a starter in his rookie season.

"It's going to take some time for me to step in," said James. "I had no idea Toronto was interested in me, but my mind is really open. I expect a real steep learning curve and I hope the technical staff and the guys over there can just help me out.

"I know they have the best fans, and I’m really excited to step on the field and play for them."

Phelan was a first-team all-American this past season, and earned all-ACC first team honours.

Toronto's third pick (28th overall) came in the second round after a trade with Los Angeles in exchange for allocation money. With the pick, Toronto selected goalkeeper Brian Edwards from Wake Forest.

"I'm just really excited to play in that environment in Toronto," said Edwards. "I know they sell out all their games, and you could hear them here over the course of the draft giving some of the other fans a little bit of stick. As for me, I know it’s going to be a notch up being at the pro level when things really start to count and I’m just looking forward to it."

Toronto's other draft picks included UCLA defender Mike Zaher (third round, 30th overall) and forward of Notre Dame (third round, 35th overall).

Johnston has a solid track record of success at the MLS draft.

He took midfielder with the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, and the University of Maryland product went on to win the MLS rookie of the year award.

When Johnston was coach of New York two year ago, he selected standout defender Marvell Wynn (who now plays in Toronto) with the first overall pick, and young forward — one of the league's top young stars — in the second round.

Toronto would have had the second overall pick on Friday, but Johnson traded it to FC Dallas last spring for . The midfielder was later dealt to the Houston Dynamo for defender and a first-round pick.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2008/01/18/torontofc-mls-superdraft.html 1/22/2008 Toronto FC picks up top defender at MLS draft Page 3 of 3

Johnston ended up trading Goldthwaite to New York two months later for defender .

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2008/01/18/torontofc-mls-superdraft.html 1/22/2008 ESPN.com - Galaxy swaps Albright, Chivas acquires Eskandarian on draft day Page 1 of 1

ESPN.com: Soccer [Print without images]

Friday, January 18, 2008 Galaxy swaps Albright, Chivas acquires Eskandarian on draft day

Associated Press

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy traded veteran defender Chris Albright to the New England Revolution for cash on Friday while stocking up on young defenders during Major League Soccer's SuperDraft in Baltimore.

The Galaxy used five of their seven picks to choose three defenders and two goalkeepers, and selected Cal State Northridge defender Sean Franklin with the fourth overall pick.

Los Angeles also took Washington forward Ely Allen and Wake Forest goalkeeper Brian Edwards in the second round; Wake Forest defender Julian Valentin and Creighton goalkeeper Matt Allen in the third round; and University of San Francisco midfielder Brandon McDonald and Santa Clara defender Matt Hatzke in the fourth round.

Meanwhile, Chivas USA received forward from Real Salt Lake for cash on Friday before selecting West Florida midfielder Keith Savage in the fourth round.

Albright, 29, missed all but five games last year because of a torn right hamstring. He played with the Galaxy for six of his eight seasons in MLS and was a member of the United States' 2006 World Cup team.

Eskandarian, 25, will be joining his fourth team in three seasons after playing last year with Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC, which acquired him from D.C. United in December 2006.

Eskandarian was the most valuable player in MLS Cup 2004 but sustained a concussion in June 2005 and missed most of that season because of post-concussion syndrome.

Among the Galaxy's draft choices, Franklin made the All-Big West Conference first team three times, Ely Allen was the Pacific-10 Conference's co-player of the year and Matt Allen was the Valley Conference's two-time defensive player of the year.

Edwards was the most valuable defensive player at last year's NCAA College Cup, as he and Valentin helped Wake Forest win its first NCAA men's soccer championship.

Chivas USA's Savage set a career record for assists (25) at West Florida.

ESPN.com: Help | PR Media Kit | Sales Media Kit | Report a Bug | Contact Us | News Archive | Site Map | ESPN Shop | Jobs at ESPN | Supplier Information Copyright ©2008 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3203514&type=story 1/22/2008 MLSnet.com - News - 01/18/2008 7:00PM Page 1 of 2

© 2005 Major League Soccer, L.L.C. All Print Page Rights Reserved.

01/18/2008 7:00PM Galaxy got what they aimed for L.A.'s director of soccer says his club claimed the three players they needed By Kyle McCarthy / MLSnet.com Staff BALTIMORE -- Los Angeles Galaxy director of soccer Paul Bravo said his team entered the draft seeking three players and obtained all of them.

"We got our top three guys," Bravo said. "These are the three names that (manager) Ruud (Gullit) gave us." Aiming to supplement the high-priced talent that lines the Galaxy's star-studded roster, Bravo was looking for players who could step in and possibly contribute without pressing his team further against the salary cap.

Citing those salary cap concerns, the Galaxy shipped veteran defender Chris Albright to New England in a draft-day trade acquiring allocation money in exchange.

"We've accomplished all the goals we've set for ourselves in this draft," Bravo said. "These minimum salary guys are important for us."

The Galaxy selected local product Sean Franklin with the fourth overall pick. Franklin, a defender out of Cal State- Northridge, featured for the U-23 team in a two-match tour in Japan in 2007 and the U-20 national team in 2005.

"I'm excited to go play with Beckham," Franklin said. "I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited to learn from those guys."

Hailing from nearby Palmdale, Franklin said he was excited to play in front of his friends and family.

"Staying close to home is great," Franklin said. "My friends and family can get to see the games."

Second-round pick (21st overall) Ely Allen isn't local, but he will have former teammate Ty Harden to welcome him. The left-sided midfielder, who featured for the U-18 national team in 2004, can't wait to hit sunnier climes.

"I like Los Angeles as a city," Allen said. "There's no rain out there, unlike Seattle. Maybe I can work on my tan."

Allen's destination earned plaudits from his family.

"I think my mom's going to be more excited about me playing with Beckham than I will be," Allen said.

The Galaxy nabbed Wake Forest defender Julian Valentin with the first pick of round three (29th overall), ending the all- American's nervous wait in the audience.

"I'm ecstatic," Valentin said. "It's a new era for the Galaxy and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Valentin played for the United States at the U-17, U-18, and U-20 levels and said that his experience will help him adjust to the rigorous spotlight trained on Galaxy players.

"I think I fit that bill," Valentin said, admitting that he could play in a high intensity environment. "I was in the spotlight with the youth national teams. I think there are a lot of players there that can make me better."

Valentine slipped because of questions about his athleticism. Bravo dismissed those concerns, comparing Valentine to former U.S. international Jeff Agoos and stating that he could succeed at the next level.

"Maybe he's not the fastest player in the draft," Bravo said. "But he has good understanding and awareness. He also has the ability to communicate."

http://web.mlsnet.com/content/printer_friendly/y2008/m01/d18/c135967.html 1/22/2008 MLSnet.com - News - 01/18/2008 7:00PM Page 2 of 2

The Galaxy rounded out their seven selections by grabbing Wake Forest goalkeeper Brian Edwards (second round, 28th overall), Creighton goalkeeper Matt Allen (third round, 34th overall), University of San Francisco defender Brendon McDonald (fourth round, 46th overall), and Santa Clara defender/midfielder Matt Hatzke (fourth round, 51st overall)

Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.

http://web.mlsnet.com/content/printer_friendly/y2008/m01/d18/c135967.html 1/22/2008