The 2004 MLS SuperDraft, held in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
on January 16, 2004, was the fifth incarnation of the annual
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 ...
SuperDraft. The draft was most notable at the time for the selection of one of the youngest athletes in American sporting history,
Freddy Adu
Fredua Koranteng Adu (born June 2, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who played as an attacking midfielder. The last club he played for was Ettan Fotboll club Österlen FF.
From before the time of his signing with D.C. United at ...
, with the first pick by D.C. United.
The draft also included Clint Dempsey (1st round) and teenager Michael Bradley (4th round). Both players went on to earn over 120 caps with the U.S. national team; additionally, after an initial stint in MLS, both players had successful careers in Europe, and returned to MLS as designated players.
Player selection
Any player whose name is marked with an * was contracted under the
Project-40 program.
Round one
Round one trades
Round two
Round two trades
Round three
Round three trades
Round four
Round four trades
Round five
Round five trades
Round six
Round six trades
Trade Note
* MetroStars received a conditional 2004 SuperDraft pick from Chicago Fire in exchange for the rights to midfielder
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
on 2003-03-27. Instead of the conditional pick, MetroStars received defender
Edgar Bartolomeu
Edgar Jaime Pereira Bartolomeu (born September 14, 1976) is an Angolan former professional footballer who played as a defender and midfielder.
Playing career
Early career
Bartolomeu started off playing Futsal in 1992 in Portugal with the Sp ...
from Chicago on 2003-06-25 to complete the trade.
Notable undrafted players
*
Clyde Simms (MF, East Carolina University) — 220 MLS appearances.
*
Troy Perkins
Troy Perkins (born July 29, 1981) is an American former soccer player. During his career, he played for clubs in the United States, Canada, and Norway. The 2006 Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year award winner earned seven caps with the ...
(GK, Evansville)
See also
*
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in some countries (especially in North America) and sports (especially in closed leagues) to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team selec ...
*
Generation Adidas
Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S. ...
*
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 ...
*
MLS SuperDraft
The MLS SuperDraft is an annual college draft for teams of Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada. It takes place in January and is used by teams to select players who have graduated from college or otherwise been signed by the l ...
References
{{2004 MLS season by team
Major League Soccer drafts
Mls Superdraft, 2004