As expansion clubs, Vancouver and Portland received the first and second picks in the SuperDraft.
The SuperDraft has contracted in number of rounds, from four to three, making it the shortest SuperDraft in terms of rounds.
Player selection
54 players were selected during the 3 rounds. Vancouver Whitecaps FC had the first overall selection in the 2011 SuperDraft, followed by Portland Timbers. The following eight selections were from teams that failed to qualify for the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs, starting with the team holding the lowest amount of 2010 regular season points (3 points per win, one point per draw). The subsequent eight selection positions of clubs were sorted by fewest regular season points, from among teams that went out in the same round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. As similar in other drafts, teams were allowed to trade these rights away to other teams for other rights such as players, special roster spots, or other rights of interest. Participating players in the 2011 draw were confirmed in December 2010.[ref 1]
On January 5, 2011, MLS announced that it was eliminating the previously planned fourth-round of the 2011 SuperDraft and re-introducing a three-round Supplemental Draft. Previously traded fourth-round 2011 SuperDraft selections became traded first-round 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft selections.[ref 2]
The selection order was released by the league on January 7, 2011.[ref 3]
Any player marked with an * is part of the Generation Adidas program.
*
Denotes player who has been selected for an MLS Best XI team
^#8: Toronto FC → Vancouver Whitecaps. 25 November 2010: Vancouver acquired this first-round 2011 selection from Toronto FC in exchange for midfielder Nathan Sturgis.[ref 4]
^11: Seattle Sounders FC → Portland Timbers → Houston Dynamo. 13 January 2011: Houston acquired this pick from Portland in exchange for allocation money. Earlier in the same day, Portland had acquired this pick and use of an international roster spot for the 2011 season from Seattle in exchange for pick #20 and allocation money.[ref 5]
^14: Real Salt Lake → Chivas USA. 13 January 2011: Chivas USA acquired this pick from Real Salt Lake in exchange for allocation money.[ref 6][ref 7]
^15: San Jose Earthquakes → Columbus Crew. 13 January 2011: Columbus acquired this pick and allocation money from San Jose in exchange for forward Steven Lenhart.[ref 8]
^#20: Portland Timbers → Seattle Sounders FC. 13 January 2011: Seattle acquired this pick and allocation money from Portland in exchange for pick #11 and use of an international roster spot for the 2011 season.[ref 5]
^#21: D.C. United → Seattle Sounders FC. 30 April 2010: Seattle acquired this second-round 2011 selection from D.C. United in exchange for midfielder Stephen King.[ref 9]
^#22: Chivas USA → Real Salt Lake → Portland. 24 November 2010: Portland acquired this second-round 2011 selection from Real Salt Lake in exchange for forward Arturo Alvarez.[ref 10] Real Salt Lake had acquired a conditional second-round selection in 2010 or 2011 from Chivas USA in exchange for defender Carey Talley on 9 May 2008. Chivas kept its 2010 selection so RSL received this 2011 selection to complete the trade.[ref 11]
^#25: Houston → New York Red Bulls. 27 May 2009: New York acquired this second-round 2011 selection and a first-round 2010 MLS SuperDraft selection (pick #14) from Houston in exchange for forward Dominic Oduro.[ref 12]
^#27: Chicago → Seattle. 30 July 2010: Seattle acquired this second-round 2011 selection, originally a conditional pick, from Chicago in exchange for midfielder Freddie Ljungberg.[ref 13][ref 14]
^#28: Sporting Kansas City → Philadelphia → Columbus Crew. 22 November 2010: Columbus acquired this second-round 2011 selection from Philadelphia in exchange for midfielder Brian Carroll.[ref 15][ref 16] Philadelphia had acquired this pick, a second-round 2012 MLS SuperDraft selection, and allocation money from Kansas City in exchange for defender Shavar Thomas on 30 June 2010.[ref 17][ref 18]
^#30: Columbus → New York. 18 March 2009: New York acquired a conditional selection in the 2011 SuperDraft from Columbus in exchange for defender Eric Brunner. The conditional selection became this pick.[ref 19][ref 20]
^#31: New York → D.C. United. 16 September 2010: D.C. United acquired a conditional 2011 second-round selection, which became this pick, from New York in exchange for defender Carey Talley.[ref 21][ref 20]
^#32: Real Salt Lake → Sporting Kansas City. 23 February 2010: Kansas City acquired this second-round 2011 selection and an international roster spot from Real Salt Lake in exchange for midfielder Luis Gil. Kansas City will also receive 25 percent of any future transfer fee received for Gil.[ref 22]
^#38: Portland Timbers → New York Red Bulls. 22 November 2010: New York acquired this third-round 2011 selection from Portland in exchange for midfielder Jeremy Hall.[ref 23]
^#39: D.C. United → New England Revolution. 23 April 2009: New England acquired a conditional SuperDraft pick in 2010 or 2011, which became this pick, from D.C. United in exchange for defender Avery John.[ref 24] New England did not receive a pick from D.C. in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
^#43: Houston → Toronto FC. 12 March 2010: Toronto FC acquired this third-round 2011 selection from Houston in exchange for defender Adrian Serioux.[ref 25]
^#44: Toronto FC → Colorado Rapids → Toronto FC. 25 March 2010: Toronto FC acquired this third-round 2011 selection and midfielder Nick LaBrocca from Colorado in exchange for defender Marvell Wynne.[ref 26] Colorado had acquired this pick from Toronto FC in exchange for defender Ty Harden on 10 February 2010.[ref 27]
^#49: New York Red Bulls → Chicago Fire → Toronto FC. 13 January 2011: Toronto FC acquired this pick from Chicago Fire in exchange for goalkeeper Jon Conway.[ref 28] Chicago had acquired this pick, a first-round 2008 MLS SuperDraft selection (#7), and cash from New York in exchange for Master Tactician Juan Carlos Osorio on 18 December 2007.[ref 29]
^#50: Real Salt Lake → Los Angeles → Real Salt Lake → Los Angeles → D.C. United. 13 January 2011: D.C. United acquired this pick from Los Angeles in exchange for two first-round selections in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft.[ref 30] Los Angeles had acquired this third-round 2011 selection from Real Salt Lake in exchange for a third-round selection (#39) in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft on 14 January 2010.[ref 31] Earlier the same day, Real Salt Lake had re-acquired this pick and pick #15 in the 2010 SuperDraft from Los Angeles in exchange for forward Clint Mathis and pick #16 in the 2010 SuperDraft.[ref 32] Los Angeles had previously acquired the pick from Real Salt Lake in exchange for the rights to forward Clint Mathis on 14 August 2008. The original trade reported that the draft pick acquired by LA was a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2010 SuperDraft.[ref 33] However, RSL kept its 2010 fourth-round pick and instead sent this pick, its 2011 third-round selection, to LA to complete the 14 August 2008 trade for Mathis.
^#51: San Jose → Chicago. 6 August 2010: Chicago acquired a conditional draft pick in 2011, which became this selection, from San Jose in exchange for defender Tim Ward.[ref 34]
^#52: Los Angeles → Real Salt Lake. 22 January 2009: Real Salt Lake acquired a conditional draft pick in 2011, which became this selection, and allocation money from Los Angeles in exchange for midfielder Dema Kovalenko.[ref 35]
^#54: Colorado → New England. 22 January 2010: New England acquired this third-round 2011 selection, goalkeeper Preston Burpo, defender Cory Gibbs, and allocation money from Colorado in exchange for midfielder Jeff Larentowicz and midfielder Wells Thompson.[ref 36]
Selections by position
Round
Forwards
Midfielders
Defenders
Goalkeepers
1st
6
4
7
1
2nd
0
9
8
1
3rd
5
10
2
1
Totals
11
23
17
3
Other Draft Day Trades
Los Angeles Galaxy acquired forward Chad Barrett from Toronto FC in exchange for future considerations.[ref 37] Ives Galarcep reported that the future considerations consisted of $125,000 in allocation money and TFC assuming a portion of Barrett's salary.
Trade notes
Real Salt Lake acquired midfielder Will Johnson from Chicago Fire in a trade on 22 August 2008. In return, Chicago was to receive a natural fourth-round 2009 MLS SuperDraft selection and a second-round 2011 SuperDraft selection from RSL.[ref 38] However, the trade also contained a clause that allowed Chicago to receive allocation money in lieu of the draft picks. Chicago chose the allocation money.
San Jose Earthquakes acquired a conditional 2011 SuperDraft selection and a second-round 2010 MLS SuperDraft selection (#28) from Real Salt Lake in exchange for forward Pablo Campos on July 15, 2009.[ref 39] The conditional 2011 selection was contingent on Campos starting 8 games for Real Salt Lake in 2009. Campos started only 5 games so San Jose did not receive the conditional 2011 draft pick.
^Attfield, Paul (January 13, 2011). "Chad Barrett traded to Galaxy". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
