The 1997 MLS Expansion Draft was held November 6, 1997. Two teams participated, the Chicago Fire and
Miami Fusion F.C.
The Miami Fusion was a professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for four seasons, from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one of the league's first two expansion teams, their best seas ...
, both expansion
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
clubs starting play in the 1998 season.
Format
Each team in the league made ten players, including at least one foreign player, available for the Fire and Fusion to select. From this pool of available players, the two teams then selected twelve players. Although
Paul Caligiuri
Paul David Caligiuri (born March 9, 1964) is an American former soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder.
Caligiuri's professional career spanned 16 years, during which he played for numerous teams in the United States and Germany, ...
of the
Los Angeles Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began play ...
was listed as exposed, he had recently won a lawsuit against the league which forced the league to place him with the Galaxy as his original contract with the league had stipulated. Consequently, he was not available for selection. The Fire won the first selection through a coin toss. The draft was held via conference call.Expansion Draft Unlikely To Give Fire Much Fuel /ref>
Expansion Draft
Team-by Team breakdown
Colorado Rapids
*Withdrew
Sean Henderson
Sean Henderson (born July 25, 1972 in Everett, Washington) is a retired American soccer midfielder who spent two seasons in Germany, three in Major League Soccer and five in the USL A-League. He is now the scouting director for Seattle Sounders ...
upon selection of
Matt Kmosko
Matthew W. Kmosko (born January 8, 1972 in Ship Bottom, New Jersey) is a former U.S. soccer defender who played three and a half seasons in Major League Soccer. He also earned three caps with the U.S. national team in 1992. In January 2023, he ...
(18)
*Withdrew
Paul Grafer
Paul Grafer (born August 7, 1974) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who spent six seasons in Major League Soccer with the Colorado Rapids and MetroStars. He was the goalkeeper coach for the United States U-17 men's national soccer team b ...
upon selection of
Brian Bates Brian Bates may refer to:
* Brian Bates (psychologist) (born 1944), British professor of psychology and writer
* Brian Bates (soccer)
Brian Bates (born August 16, 1972 in Woodbridge, Virginia) is a retired American soccer defender who spent fou ...
(19)
*Reached maximum upon selection of Steve Patterson (23)
Jason Farrell
Jason Farrell (born December 31, 1970 in Seattle, Washington) is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who spent four seasons in Major League Soccer, two in the American Professional Soccer League, one in the A-League, three in the National Profess ...
Scott Garlick
Scott Garlick (born May 29, 1972 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an American retired soccer goalkeeper who played 10 seasons in Major League Soccer from 1997 to 2006.
Garlick went on trial to Waterford United in 1994. Initially for a month he stayed fo ...
upon selection of
David Vaudreuil
David Vaudreuil (born December 21, 1966) is an American former professional soccer player whose career spanned fifteen teams in over six leagues including seven seasons in Major League Soccer. He is the former head coach of Tulsa Roughnecks FC. V ...
(2)
*Withdrew
Roy Wegerle
Roy Wegerle (born March 19, 1964) is a former United States men's national soccer team, United States international association football, soccer player who appeared for the national team 41 times between 1992 and 1998. Born and raised in South Afr ...
upon selection of
John Maessner
John Maessner (born June 2, 1969 in Hackensack, New Jersey) who spent six seasons in Major League Soccer, two in France, two in USISL, two in the National Professional Soccer League and one in Germany.
Player
Youth
Maessner was a 1987 Parade M ...
(4)
*Reached maximum upon selection of
Kris Kelderman
Kris Kelderman (born December 10, 1968 in Neenah, Wisconsin) was a U.S. soccer defender who is currently the head coach for the Milwaukee Panthers men's soccer team. Kelderman was a member of the U.S. team at the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championshi ...
(6)
Dallas Burn
*Withdrew
Eric Dade
Eric Dade (born January 19, 1970, in Buffalo, New York) is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the National Professional Soccer League, Continental Indoor Soccer League and Major League Soccer.
Player
Dade attend ...
upon selection of
Joey Martinez
Joey Martinez is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the USL A-League, Major League Soccer and National Professional Soccer League.
Martinez grew up playing for the La Jolla Nomads soccer club. In 1995, Martinez be ...
(8)
*Withdrew
Temoc Suarez
Cuauhtemoc “Temoc” Suarez (born April 19, 1975 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina) is a retired American soccer player who spent three seasons in Major League Soccer, two in the National Professional Soccer League and five in the USL First Di ...
upon selection of
Jeff Cassar
Jeff Cassar (born February 2, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former goalkeeper who last coached Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.
Playing career
Cassar played college soccer at Florida International University, where he was roommat ...
(10)
*Reached maximum upon selection of
Wade Webber
Wade Webber (born January 12, 1967) is an American soccer coach and former player who spent most of his career with clubs in the Pacific Northwest. However, he did see three years in Major League Soccer with the Dallas Burn and Miami Fusion befo ...
(22)
Kansas City Wizards
*Withdrew
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...
Harut Karapetyan
Harutyun Karapetyan (born 7 April 1972) is an Armenian former professional footballer who played as a forward in Major League Soccer (MLS) for the Los Angeles Galaxy, the San Jose Clash, and the Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Karapetyan holds the record fo ...
upon selection of
Danny Pena
Danny Pena (born June 17, 1968, in Inglewood, California) is a retired U.S. soccer defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career, both indoors and outdoors, with teams in the western U.S.
Player
Youth
Pena grew up in Southern California, pl ...
(1)
*Withdrew
Steve Jolley
Steve Jolley (born October 15, 1975) is a retired American soccer defender, who spent ten seasons in Major League Soccer and one in the Premier Development League. Today, Jolley provides color commentary for the New York Red Bull’s games on ...
upon selection of
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Eugene Hartman (born May 25, 1974) is an American former soccer player who played 17 seasons in Major League Soccer, being on the field for a record 37,260 minutes. Nicknamed ''El Gato'' (Spanish for "the cat") because of his agility, re ...
(3)
*Reached maximum upon selection of Bryan Taylor (24)
MetroStars
*Withdrew
Brian Bliss
Brian Boyer Bliss (born September 28, 1965) is a retired American soccer defender and front office executive. He also serves as an assistant coach for the United States U-20 national team.
Bliss played professionally in Europe and the United S ...
upon selection of
Manny Lagos
Manuel "Manny" Lagos (born June 11, 1971) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He and is the former head coach of Minnesota United FC.
Club career
Early career
Born in St. Paul, MinnesotaJeff Zaun upon selection of
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton (born October 10, 1973) is an American former goalkeeper who spent 16 seasons in Major League Soccer with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996–97), Chicago Fire (1998–2006), Colorado Rapids (2007), New York Red Bulls (2008) ...
(11)
*Reached maximum upon selection of
Andrew Lewis Andrew Lewis may refer to:
Law and politics
* Sir Andrew J. W. Lewis (1875-1952), Scottish businessman and politician; Lord Provost of Aberdeen
* Andrew L. Lewis Jr. (1931–2016), American railroad executive and US Secretary of Transportation
*And ...
Shawn Medved
Shawn Medved is a retired American soccer forward and midfielder. Currently, he coaches youth soccer.
Youth
Medved was born and grew up in Issaquah, Washington. His father, Ron Medved, was a noted American football player for the University of ...
upon selection of
Ramiro Corrales
Ramiro Corrales (born March 12, 1977) is an American former professional soccer player who is currently a technical advisor and assistant coach for USL Championship expansion side Monterey Bay FC. He spent most of his professional career with the ...
Nelson Vargas
Nelson Vargas (born August 6, 1974) is an American former soccer player and coach. Vargas spent five seasons in Major League Soccer and earned four caps with the United States men's national soccer team. He was also a member of the U.S. soccer ...