TAMPA, Fla. (Tuesday, January 16, 2001) – United Soccer Leagues today announced the selection order for the 2001 A-League Draft to be held Thursday, Feb. 8 via conference call.
The annual three-round draft will open with the Territorial Round, limiting team selections to players from colleges, universities and high schools within a pre-determined territory surrounding the home city of the club.
The draft was arranged in the reverse order of finish of the 2000 regular season, giving the regular season champion Minnesota the last pick of each round.
The expansion Portland Timbers and promoted Charlotte Eagles will begin each round as new members of the league. As a brand new franchise, Portland was awarded the first slot in each round of the draft. As a former member of the D3 Pro League, the Charlotte Eagles were awarded the second selection in each round.
The remainder of the draft remains as determined by each team’s ranking from the 2000 season with one exception.
Due to a trade conducted in June of 2000, the San Diego Flash will draft in place of the defending A-League champion Rochester Raging Rhinos in the second and third rounds, giving them back-to-back selections in both rounds. Rochester traded the picks and an undisclosed amount of cash to San Diego for goalkeeper Kevin Rueda.
| 2001 A-League Draft Order |
| TERRITORIAL |
# |
SECOND ROUND |
# |
THIRD ROUND |
# |
| PORTLAND |
1 |
PORTLAND |
22 |
PORTLAND |
43 |
| CHARLOTTE |
2 |
CHARLOTTE |
23 |
CHARLOTTE |
44 |
| CONNECTICUT |
3 |
CONNECTICUT |
24 |
CONNECTICUT |
45 |
| CINCINNATI |
4 |
CINCINNATI |
25 |
CINCINNATI |
46 |
| NASHVILLE |
5 |
NASHVILLE |
26 |
NASHVILLE |
47 |
| INDIANA |
6 |
INDIANA |
27 |
INDIANA |
48 |
| PITTSBURGH |
7 |
PITTSBURGH |
28 |
PITTSBURGH |
49 |
| MONTREAL |
8 |
MONTREAL |
29 |
MONTREAL |
50 |
| ATLANTA |
9 |
ATLANTA |
30 |
ATLANTA |
51 |
| EL PASO |
10 |
EL PASO |
31 |
EL PASO |
52 |
| TORONTO |
11 |
TORONTO |
32 |
TORONTO |
53 |
| VANCOUVER |
12 |
VANCOUVER |
33 |
VANCOUVER |
54 |
| HERSHEY |
13 |
HERSHEY |
34 |
HERSHEY |
55 |
| SAN DIEGO |
14 |
SAN DIEGO |
35 |
SAN DIEGO |
56 |
| ROCHESTER |
15 |
SAN DIEGO * |
36 |
SAN DIEGO * |
57 |
| LONG ISLAND |
16 |
LONG ISLAND |
37 |
LONG ISLAND |
58 |
| RICHMOND |
17 |
RICHMOND |
38 |
RICHMOND |
59 |
| SEATTLE |
18 |
SEATTLE |
39 |
SEATTLE |
60 |
| CHARLESTON |
19 |
CHARLESTON |
40 |
CHARLESTON |
61 |
| MILWAUKEE |
20 |
MILWAUKEE |
41 |
MILWAUKEE |
62 |
| MINNESOTA |
21 |
MINNESOTA |
42 |
MINNESOTA |
63 |
| * Acquired in trade with Rochester for goalkeeper Kevin Rueda
|
