2004 MLS SuperDraft

The 2004 MLS SuperDraft, held in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 16, 2004, was the fifth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The draft was most notable at the time for the selection of one of the youngest athletes in American sporting history, Freddy Adu, with the first pick by D.C. United after a trade from the Dallas Burn. The trade was initiated by the league after Adu had signed in November 2003 with the intent of playing for D.C., his local team.

The draft also included Clint Dempsey (1st round), who later won MLS Rookie of the Year, and teenager Michael Bradley (4th round), the son of MetroStars coach Bob Bradley. Both players went on to earn over 120 caps with the U.S. national team and play overseas for European teams before returning to MLS.

Player selection

File:Chad Marshall Crew.jpg

Columbus selected Chad Marshall 2nd overall. He is a 3x MLS Defender of the Year and 4x MLS Best XI selection. He earned 12 caps with the US Men's National Team.

File:Steve Nicol and Clint Dempsey at the 2005 MLS SuperDraft.jpg

New England selected Clint Dempsey 8th overall. The 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year is a 4x MLS All-Star, 3x U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, and the 2017 MLS Comeback Player of the Year. He earned 141 caps with he US Men's National Team, representing the United States at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 FIFA World Cup. With 57 goals, he and Landon Donovan are tied for most goals for the USMNT. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2022.

Key

*	Denotes a player contracted under the Project-40 program
^	Denotes player who has been selected to an MLS All-Star Game
§	Denotes a player who won the MLS Rookie of the Year
†	Denotes player who has been selected for an MLS Best XI team
~	Denotes a player who won the MLS MVP

Round one

Pick #	MLS Team	Player	Position	Affiliation
1	D.C. United	Template:Flagicon Freddy Adu*^	F	Project-40
2	Columbus Crew	Template:Flagicon Chad Marshall*†	D	Stanford University
3	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon Joseph Ngwenya	F	Coastal Carolina University
4	Kansas City Wizards	Template:Flagicon Matt Taylor	F	UCLA
5	San Jose Earthquakes	Template:Flagicon Ryan Cochrane*	D	Santa Clara University
6	Dallas Burn	Template:Flagicon Ramón Núñez	M	SMU
7	Dallas Burn	Template:Flagicon Clarence Goodson*	D	University of Maryland
8	New England Revolution	Template:Flagicon Clint Dempsey*^§†	M	Furman University
9	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Scott Buete	M	University of Maryland
10	San Jose Earthquakes	Template:Flagicon Steve Cronin*	GK	Santa Clara University

Round two

Pick #	MLS Team	Player	Position	Affiliation
11	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Leonard Griffin	D	UCLA
12	Columbus Crew	Template:Flagicon Chris Wingert	D	St. John's University
13	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon Josh Gardner*	M	University of Cincinnati
14	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon Ned Grabavoy*	M	Indiana University
15	Colorado Rapids	Template:Flagicon Adolfo Gregorio	M	UCLA
16	Colorado Rapids	Template:Flagicon Adrian Cann	D	University of Louisville
17	Kansas City Wizards	Template:Flagicon Will Hesmer	GK	Wake Forest University
18	MetroStars	Template:Flagicon Seth Stammler	D	University of Maryland
19	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Matt Pickens	GK	SMS (now Missouri State)
20	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Sumed Ibrahim	M	University of Maryland

Round three

Pick #	MLS Team	Player	Position	Affiliation
21	MetroStars	Template:Flagicon Zach Wells	GK	UCLA
22	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon Memo Arzate	M	UC Santa Barbara
23	New England Revolution	Template:Flagicon Jeremiah White	F	Wake Forest University
24	D.C. United	Template:Flagicon Kevin Ara	M	Harvard University
25	Colorado Rapids	Template:Flagicon Kevin Taylor	D	University of Michigan
26	MetroStars	Template:Flagicon Olivier Occéan	F	So. Connecticut State University
27	San Jose Earthquakes	Template:Flagicon Mike Wilson	M	Stanford University
28	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Khari Stephenson	M	Williams College
29	Dallas Burn	Template:Flagicon Ty Maurin	M	UCLA
30	San Jose Earthquakes	Template:Flagicon Lindon Pecorelli	M	University of Connecticut

Round four

File:Michael Bradley.jpg

The MetroStars selected Michael Bradley 36th overall. the 3x MLS All-Star, was named the 2015 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year. He's earned 151 caps with the US Men's National Team and was selected to the 2010, and 2014 FIFA World Cup squads.

Pick #	MLS Team	Player	Position	Affiliation
31	Dallas Burn	Template:Flagicon David Wagenfuhr	D	Creighton University
32	Columbus Crew	Template:Flagicon Jamal Sutton	F	SMS (now Missouri State)
33	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon David McGill	M	UC Santa Barbara
34	D.C. United	Template:Flagicon Josh Gros^	M	Rutgers University
35	Colorado Rapids	Template:Flagicon Kevin Richards	D	University of Notre Dame
36	MetroStars	Template:Flagicon Michael Bradley*^	M	Project-40
37	Kansas City Wizards	Template:Flagicon Jay Alberts	M	Yale University
38	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Denny Clanton	D	University of Dayton
39	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Phil Hucles	D	The College of William & Mary
40	San Jose Earthquakes	Template:Flagicon Marin Pusek	M	UAB

Round five

Pick #	MLS Team	Player	Position	Affiliation
41	Columbus Crew	Template:Flagicon Adom Crew	M	Brown University
42	Columbus Crew	Template:Flagicon Luke Vercollone	M	Seton Hall University
43	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon Jason Perry	D	Oakland University
44	D.C. United	Template:Flagicon Kevin Hudson	M	SMU
45	Colorado Rapids	Template:Flagicon Gary Sullivan	D	Adelphi University
46	MetroStars	Template:Flagicon Johnny David	M	Fairleigh Dickinson University
47	Kansas City Wizards	Template:Flagicon Justin Detter	F	University of Notre Dame
48	Kansas City Wizards	Template:Flagicon Ryan Barber	D	UMKC
49	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Ian Pilarski	M	Cornell University
50	San Jose Earthquakes	Template:Flagicon Tighe Dombrowski	M	UW-Milwaukee

Round six

File:Alan Gordon playing for LA Galaxy.JPG

The LA Galaxy selected Alan Gordon 53rd overall. Gordon won 2 MLS Cups and a U.S. Open Cup with the Galaxy and a Supporters' Shield with the San Jose Earthquakes.

Pick #	MLS Team	Player	Position	Affiliation
51	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Ryan McGowan	M	Seton Hall University
52	Columbus Crew	Template:Flagicon Matthew Haefner	GK	University of Pennsylvania
53	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon Alan Gordon	F	Oregon State University
54	Dallas Burn	Template:Flagicon Edwin Miranda	D	Cal State Northridge
55	Colorado Rapids	Template:Flagicon John Pulido	M	Florida International University
56	New England Revolution	Template:Flagicon Félix Brillant	F	Franklin Pierce College
57	Los Angeles Galaxy	Template:Flagicon Chris Aloisi	D	Syracuse University
58	New England Revolution	Template:Flagicon Andy Dorman	M	Boston University
59	Chicago Fire	Template:Flagicon Tony McManus	D	UAB
60	MetroStars	Template:Flagicon Jeff Parke	D	Drexel University

Trade Note

• MetroStars received a conditional 2004 SuperDraft pick from Chicago Fire in exchange for the rights to midfielder Andy Williams on March 27, 2003. Instead of the conditional pick, MetroStars received defender Edgar Bartolomeu from Chicago on June 25, 2003, to complete the trade.

Notable undrafted players

• Clyde Simms (MF, East Carolina University) — 220 MLS appearances.
• Troy Perkins (GK, Evansville)

See also

• Draft (sports)
• Generation Adidas
• Major League Soccer
• MLS SuperDraft