1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft

First player draft in MLS history June 2025 The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players to the league's ten inaugural teams. The Inaugural Player Draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996 after each team was allocated four marquee players. The Columbus Crew selected Brian McBride with the first overall pick.https://www.newspapers.com/article/springfield-news-sun/173729672/ Crew makes pick Springfield News-Sun February 7, 1996 6 Newspapers.com ^ Denotes player who has been inducted to the US Soccer Hall of Fame * Denotes player who has been selected for an MLS Best XI team Round 1 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 1 Columbus Crew Brian McBride F VfL Wolfsburg 2 Colorado Rapids Jean Harbor F Seattle SeaDogs 3 Dallas Burn Ted Eck M Wichita Wings 4 Los Angeles Galaxy Robin Fraser D Colorado Foxes 5 New England Revolution Iain Fraser D Sacramento Knights 6 Kansas City Wiz Mark Chung M San Diego Sockers 7 Tampa Bay Mutiny Mark Dougherty GK Hawaii Tsunami 8 San Jose Clash Paul Bravo M Monterey Bay Jaguars 9 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Matt Knowles D Milwaukee Wave 10 D.C. United Raúl Díaz Arce F Firpo Round 2 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 11 Columbus Crew Mark Watson D Vancouver 86ers 12 Colorado Rapids Denis Hamlett D Anaheim Splash 13 Dallas Burn Tom Soehn D Las Vegas Dustdevils 14 Los Angeles Galaxy David Kramer GK Monterey Bay Jaguars 15New England Revolution Peter Woodring D Hawaii Tsunami 16 Kansas City Wiz Peter Isaacs F Tampa Bay Cyclones 17 Tampa Bay Mutiny Peter Hattrup M Seattle Sounders 18 San Jose Clash Altimont Butler M North Jersey Imperials 19 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Troy Dayak D San Jose Grizzlies 20 D.C. United Shawn Medved M Cincinnati Silverbacks Round 3 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 21 Columbus Crew Billy Thompson F Tampa Bay Terror 22 Colorado Rapids Steve Trittschuh D Tampa Bay Terror 23 Dallas Burn Lawrence Lozzano D Tampico 24 Los Angeles Galaxy Jorge Salcedo M Monarcas Morelia 25 New England Revolution Bojan Vučković F Tampa Bay Terror 26 Kansas City Wiz Sean Bowers D Anaheim Splash 27 Tampa Bay Mutiny John Diffley D Long Island Rough Riders 28 San Jose Clash Tim Martin D Atlanta Ruckus 29 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Peter Vermes F New York Fever 30 D.C. United Erik Imler D Raleigh Flyers Round 4 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 31 Columbus Crew Mike Clark D Richmond Kickers 32 Colorado Rapids Brian Bates D Richmond Kickers 33 Dallas Burn Brian Haynes M Seattle Sounders 34 Los Angeles Galaxy John Garvey F Baltimore Spirit 35 New England Revolution Marquis White F Club Destroyers 36 Kansas City Wiz Eric Eichmann F St. Louis Ambush 37 Tampa Bay Mutiny Ivan McKinley M Wits University FC 38 San Jose Clash Rhett Harty D Monterey Bay Jaguars 39 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Jeff Zaun D North Jersey Imperials 40 D.C. United Richie Williams M Richmond Kickers Round 5 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 41 Columbus Crew Bo Oshoniyi GK New York Centaurs 42 Colorado Rapids Troy Edwards D Myrtle Beach Boyz 43 Dallas Burn Jason Kreis F Raleigh Flyers 44 Los Angeles Galaxy Mark Semioli D Monterey Bay Jaguars 45 New England Revolution Ted Chronopoulos D Panionios 46 Kansas City Wiz Jeff Causey GK Richmond Kickers 47 Tampa Bay Mutiny Diego Viera F C.A. Cerro 48 San Jose Clash Paul Holocher M Monterey Bay Jaguars 49 New York/New Jersey MetroStars A.J. Wood F University of Virginia 50 D.C. United Thor Lee D Wichita Wings Round 6 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 51 Columbus Crew Brandon Ward M Hampton Roads Mariners 52 Colorado Rapids Scott Cannon D Cincinnati Silverbacks 53 Dallas Burn Mark Dodd GK Colorado Foxes 54 Los Angeles Galaxy Joey Kirk F St. Louis Ambush 55 New England Revolution Yari Allnutt F Irapuato 56 Kansas City Wiz Tommy Reasoner M San Diego Top Guns 57 Tampa Bay Mutiny Frank Yallop D Ipswich Town 58 San Jose Clash Jeff Baicher F San Jose Grizzlies 59 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Ted Gillen M Richmond Kickers 60 D.C. United Brian Kamler M Richmond Kickers Round 7 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 61 Columbus Crew Janusz Michallik M New York Centaurs 62 Colorado Rapids Matt Kmosko D Cincinnati Silverbacks 63 Dallas Burn Rene Ortiz M San Diego Sockers 64 Los Angeles Galaxy Harut Karapetyan F Los Angeles Salsa 65 New England Revolution Robert Ukrop F Richmond Kickers 66 Kansas City Wiz Scott Uderitz F Las Vegas Dustdevils 67 Tampa Bay Mutiny Frankie Hejduk D UCLA 68 San Jose Clash Jeff Betts F Portland Pride 69 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Zach Thornton GK Loyola-Maryland 70 D.C. United Mile Milovac GK United Serbs Round 8 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 71 Columbus Crew Todd Yeagley M Richmond Kickers 72 Colorado Rapids Scott Benedetti F Colorado Foxes 73 Dallas Burn Gerell Elliott M Sacramento Knights 74 Los Angeles Galaxy Curt Onalfo D Tampico 75 New England Revolution Darren Sawatzky F Oregon Surge 76 Kansas City Wiz Nyanforth Peters F FC Locarno 77 Tampa Bay Mutiny Tayt Ianni D Raj Pracha FC 78 San Jose Clash Dave Salzwedel GK Los Angeles Soccer Club 79 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Eddie Soto F Los Angeles Salsa U-23 80 D.C. United Kris Kelderman D St. Louis Ambush Round 9 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 81 Columbus Crew Ramiro Corrales D California Jaguars 82 Colorado Rapids Ian Butterworth D Norwich City 83 Dallas Burn John Kerr, Jr. M Walsall 84 Los Angeles Galaxy Manny Motajo D Washington Warthogs 85 New England Revolution Tom Lips D New York Fever 86 Kansas City Wiz Uche Okafor D Ironi Ashdod 87 Tampa Bay Mutiny Mike Duhaney M University of Nevada, Las Vegas 88 San Jose Clash Victor Mella F Colo-Colo 89 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Giovanni Savarese F Long Island Rough Riders 90 D.C. United Clint Peay D University of Virginia Round 10 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 91 Columbus Crew Marcelo Carrera F Canton Invaders 92 Colorado Rapids Felipe Rodriguez M Pumas 93 Dallas Burn Jimmy McGeough, Jr. D Wichita Wings 94 Los Angeles Galaxy Joey Leonetti M Portland Pride 95 New England Revolution Richard Weiszmann D North Bay Breakers 96 Kansas City Wiz Alan Prampin F Raleigh Flyers 97 Tampa Bay Mutiny Flávio Ferri F San Antonio Pumas 98 San Jose Clash Henry Gutierrez M Myrtle Beach Boyz 99 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Pat O'Kelly D North Jersey Imperials 100 D.C. United Ben Crawley F Richmond Kickers Round 11 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 101 Columbus Crew Shane Battelle D St. Louis Knights 102 Colorado Rapids Lance Hill F New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers 103 Dallas Burn Jorge Flores M Paramount High School 104 Los Angeles Galaxy John O'Brien M Anaheim Splash 105 New England Revolution John DeBrito M New York Fever 106 Kansas City Wiz Phil Wellington GK Cocoa Expos 107 Tampa Bay Mutiny Derek Backman M Tampa Bay Cyclones 108 San Jose Clash Oscar Draguicevich D Cleveland Crunch 109 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Mickey Kydes M New York Fever 110 D.C. United Said Fazlagić D NK Rovinj Round 12 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 111 Columbus Crew Pete Marino F Bayer Leverkusen (Regionalliga) 112 Colorado Rapids Eric Puls F St. Louis Knights 113 Dallas Burn Richard Farrer F New Mexico Chiles 114 Los Angeles Galaxy Adan Villalvazo F Cerritos Inter-America 115 New England Revolution Jim Adams GK Cleveland Crunch 116 Kansas City Wiz Kevin Koetters M Kansas City Attack 117 Tampa Bay Mutiny Nelson Vargas M Florida Eagles 118 San Jose Clash Gabe Garcia F Myrtle Beach Boyz 119 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Khary Stockton F Richmond Kickers 120 D.C. United Daniel de Oliveira M Firpo Round 13 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 121 Columbus Crew Paul Young M Charleston Battery 122 Colorado Rapids Josh McKay D Hawaii Tsunami 123 Dallas Burn Jimmy Glenn F Cincinnati Silverbacks 124 Los Angeles Galaxy Brad Wilson M 1. FC Saarbrücken 125 New England Revolution Geoff Aunger M Vancouver 86ers 126 Kansas City Wiz Billy Baumhoff D St. Louis Knights 127 Tampa Bay Mutiny Zen Luzniak M Fort Lauderdale Strikers 128 San Jose Clash Rafael Amaya D Colorado Foxes 129 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Andrew Restrepo D Tampa Bay Cyclones 130 D.C. United Matthew Olson GK Everett BigFoot Round 14 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 131 Columbus Crew Laurence Piturro D Long Island Rough Riders 132 Colorado Rapids Khalil Azmi GK New Hampshire Ramblers 133 Dallas Burn Steve Keller M Rockford Raptors 134 Los Angeles Galaxy David Beall M San Diego Sockers 135 New England Revolution Antonio Superbia M Jersey Dragons 136 Kansas City Wiz Terry Woodberry D Dallas Sidekicks 137 Tampa Bay Mutiny Scott Budnick GK :de:SSV Vorsfelde 138 San Jose Clash Tom Liner GK P.S.V. Schwartz-Weiss 139 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Nidal Baba M Clemson University 140 D.C. United Sterling Wescott F Wichita Wings Round 15 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 141 Columbus Crew Todd Haskins M Washington Warthogs 142 Colorado Rapids Brian Hurley M Tampico 143 Dallas Burn Ed Puskarich D Milwaukee Wave 144 Los Angeles Galaxy Garfield Shaw F Washington Warthogs 145 New England Revolution Derk Droze F Arica 146 Kansas City Wiz Samuel Ekeme D Monterrey La Raza 147 Tampa Bay Mutiny Goran Hunjak F Kansas City Attack 148 San Jose Clash Carlos Farias F Unattached 149 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Jorge Acosta F New York Fever 150 D.C. United Garth Lagerwey GK Hampton Roads Mariners Round 16 Pick # MLS team Player Position Previous Team 151 Columbus Crew Manny Catano M Des Moines Menace 152 Colorado Rapids Joel Shanker M St. Louis Ambush 153 Dallas Burn Gabe Gentile M Dallas Texans 154 Los Angeles Galaxy Carlos Jaguande M Jersey Dragons 155 New England Revolution Jorge Olamendi M Los Angeles Salsa 156 Kansas City Wiz Ken Snow F Tampa Bay Terror 157 Tampa Bay Mutiny Greg Lalas M Avenir Beggen 158 San Jose Clash Kevin Grimes M Raleigh Flyers 159 New York/New Jersey MetroStars Walter Bustamante M Jersey Dragons 160 D.C. United Carlos Garcia M Myrtle Beach Boyz References Sources 1996 season: salaries, drafts - latimes.com Category:Major League Soccer drafts