MLS Toronto FC

Toronto FC Looks Ahead to MLS SuperDraft

January 12, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Toronto FC News Release


With the 2009 MLS SuperDraft fast approaching, the Toronto FC coaching staff is going through their final preparations before Draft day on Thursday, January 15. The MLS SuperDraft will take place at the Saint Louis Convention Center in St.Louis, MO with ESPN2 airing the first hour live beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Over this past weekend and continuing early this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida coaches and GM's from around the league are watching the annual combine where senior collegiate players are getting their last chance to impress in scheduled games at Lockhart Stadium.

Toronto FC has both the 2nd and 4th pick, as well as the 13th pick in the first round of the draft. First round picks were obtained by the club via a trade in February of 2008 that sent midfielder Ronnie O'Brien to the San Jose Earthquakes, and the deal that brought forward Chad Barrett over from the Chicago Fire in exchange for the rights to forward Brian McBride. The draft will go a total of four rounds with the team also having a selection in the 3rd round.

This season in MLS, each team will be permitted to carry 18, 19 or 20 senior roster players (at its option) within the overall salary budget (the limit in 2008 was 18 senior roster players). In addition, teams will be permitted to carry up to four developmental players (including Generation adidas players) outside of the team salary budget. Any team with more than four Generation adidas (GA) players carried forward from 2008 will be grandfathered with respect to the size of their developmental roster. The only GA player on the Toronto FC roster currently is forward Abdus Ibrahim. Defender Marvell Wynne is a graduate of the GA program.

Toronto FC has 16 roster spots available for International Players (5 of which must be used on US Domestic Players). The club did not exercise the option for the following players from its 2008 roster: defender Killian Elkinson, midfielder Joey Melo, forward Carlos Ruiz, and defender Derek Gaudet. The team lost forward Jarrod Smith to Seattle in the MLS Expansion Draft this past November, and defender Julius James in the deal that brought midfielder Dwayne De Rosario to Toronto. Defender Hunter Freeman joined IK Start in Norway in a move that was already in place when he joined Toronto FC midway through the 2008.

The final touches are also being put on the pre-season schedule for Toronto FC. All players will report to Toronto for medicals on February 2 and the team will remain here through till February 5. Notice of media availability for players and coaches will be sent out at a later date. The team will also spend some time in Florida, here are the dates:

Feb.6 - Feb.14: Team trains in Bradenton, Florida

Feb. 15 - Feb. 19: Team trains in Toronto

Feb. 20 - Feb. 27: Team trains in Sunrise, Florida

Feb. 28 - Mar. 5: Team trains back in Toronto

The rest of the March schedule will be released at a later date.

Toronto FC opens their 2009 season Saturday March, 21 at Kansas City and will follow that up with a match Saturday, March 28 in Columbus against the Crew. The home opener is slated for Saturday, April 4 when expansion side Seattle Sounders FC make their first trip to BMO Field. A full MLS schedule has yet to be released.

Check out the Toronto FC Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from January 12, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central