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MLS Ticker: Supplemental draft reportedly abolished; Earthquakes’ stadium delayed; and more

DonGarberMLSSuperDraft2013 (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Not much different from the way the retention fund rule came to light this summer, it seems that Major League Soccer has ended the Supplemental Draft without any prior notice.

A trade executed on Friday sent Philadelphia Union backup goalkeeper Chris Konopka to Toronto FC for a third round draft selection in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, a move that would not have been possible in the last two seasons after MLS shortened the regular draft to two rounds. According to a report from Philly.com, the Supplemental Draft is now indeed abolished, as the league has again installed four rounds for the 2014 MLS SuperDraft set for this offseason in Philadelphia.

This isn’t the first time that MLS has suspended or removed the Supplemental Draft. After it’s creation in 1996, the league ended it in the year 2000. In 2005 it was started up again, only to be removed in 2008 once the league roster size was cut. It was re-introduced again in 2011, but it appears that the 2013 Supplemental Draft is the last one for now.

Of note from last year’s draft is San Jose Earthquakes forward Adam Jahn, who has had a solid campaign in his rookie season, scoring four goals in 21 matches, 11 starts.

Here are some more stories from around the league:

EARTHQUAKES STADIUM DELAYED AGAIN

The San Jose Earthquakes will have to spend another full season at Buck Shaw Stadium after a fresh round of delays at their new stadium’s construction site.

In a press release sent out on Friday, the club said that due to unforeseen circumstances, the new stadium would not be open for business until the start of the 2015 season. Originally the team had hoped to have it ready by the start of next season, though discoveries at the construction site in July pushed the opening estimate to mid-season of 2014.

“Without the certainty that we can open next year, we felt that the best decision would be to move the opening to the start of 2015,” Earthquakes President Dave Kaval said in a statement on the club’s website. “We are obviously disappointed, but we are more committed than ever to build a first-class venue that we know our fans deserve.”

According to the release, the new delays have to do with the complications in connecting the stadium to the city’s sewer system, and a high water table has slowed down other work. Despite this, the release says that the new team office building is set to be built in November, and the stadium seating bowl should begin construction in December.

BURLING EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA haven’t had many positive moments on or off the field this season, but they certainly had a reason to smile on Thursday.

The club announced that defender Bobby Burling has signed an extension with the club through 2015. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Burling, 27, first joined the team in 2007 as a developmental player, playing 23 times for the Goats through 2009, when he was acquired by the San Jose Earthquakes. After two years in Northern California, he was selected by the Montreal Impact in their expansion draft, though he didn’t sign. Chivas USA stepped up and acquired in him July of 2012 after months away from soccer, and he stepped back into the lineup for the team and has been starting throughout the 2013 season.

“Obviously I have a special place in me for this club,” Burling said in a statement. “It’s the second time I’ve been here and there are a lot of familiar faces. I just want to be part of the re-building process and I’m excited to be able to stay in L.A. and be a part of the turnaround of this club.”

SOUNDERS REMOVE ZAKUANI FROM DISABLED LIST

The Seattle Sounders still have former No. 1 overall pick Steve Zakuani in their plans this season.

On Thursday, the Sounders took Zakuani off the disabled list, just one day before the MLS imposed roster freeze that would have ended his season. Zakuani has missed the bulk of the last three seasons with injuries, the first a nasty leg break that kept him out for 14 months between the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and this season, he’s been hampered by a hernia injury.

Back in June, Zakuani completed successful hernia surgery and has been rehabbing from the injury since. Prior to the hernia injury, Zakuani had started the Sounders first six matches of the season, though he hasn’t played a minute since April 20.

Comments

    • Need? No, the draft isn’t necessary. However, given the framework the league has adopted that is aimed at promoting parity, a draft makes sense. If you like the set-up other nationa have, wehre the tile chasers are almost always the same 4 or 5 teams, then you might see no utility in the MLS’ acquisition rules aimed at giving the weakest (and even the poorest) teams a chance at getting the best young players and best returning players.

      Other people like that MLS offers a realistic (and not bank-breaking) way for even the weakest teams to get better in a systematic way.

      Reply
  1. Poor earthquakes fans, it gets worse and worse. Ur Dp is over paid, play at a college field, no stadium since joining the league, their coach quits, ugly logo and their so famous team name. Their stadium gets double delayed and its a horse shoe. Why notjust pick another area for the stadium or at least redesign the stadium for the fans. But revolution,crew and chivas dont stay behind,even dc united.

    Reply
      • Never thought I’d defend the Earthquakes…
        The stadium if I remember correctly is in a very good spot better than Buck Shaw as it’s right by the train station which runs from SF. As for the size get over it,18,000 is a good number, same size as QPR, Watford. more than Blackpool. Hell Swansea City only has just over 20700. Now the design is far game but make some rational sense in your post but this being the interwebs I’m probably asking too much.

      • Actually the new stadium is on the opposite side of the tracks…no access. Buck Shaw is right across the street from the Caltrain station.

        But with that being said…I can’t agree about the location. Its right across the street from the San Jose airport and its a pretty landlocked location.

        But this is just my opinion…

      • Slyboy, ur name is total weird. Lol 🙂 what about shyboy or dpboy (use ur imagination 🙂 ) but earthquakes remind me of the arizona cardinals

    • You have no idea what you’re talking about. Stop making Texans look bad you ass. The only thing I cant really fault is the DP pay thing, since that’s an opinion ( from someone who is clearly ignorant of their situation anyway )

      Don’t dilute these threads with your nonsense.

      Reply
  2. Will be interested to see if Zakuani still fits into this side if he ever manages to get healthy. He would be a great impact sub but I am not sure he would start anymore.

    Reply
  3. Don’t really care much for the supplemental draft; or the superdraft for that matter.
    Just spend some more money on scouting and sign the players you can sign. No need for drafts at all, really.

    Reply
    • not every team can ‘just spend more money.’ And the draft let’s players that slipped into the college ranks a chance to move on to the next level that might not be there otherwise.

      Reply
      • Whats needed is a second deivision thats; Pays much more, Professional, Respected,.

        So if high class but missed college players doesnt attract MLS attention they can still have a respectable career.

        Everyone on these boards support MLS exansion and raised level of play. But this country is huge. Its impossible to have an MLS franchise in each city that wants one. Until MLS and NASL and USL have such high levels of play that they are on primetime television different channels we wont have reached our pinnacle.

        Maximize MLS first but then dont forget to go watch the “lower divisions”. Hope that they get ona local channel, help the supporters groups grow.

        Being bigger than Spain, Germany, England, France, Netherlands, combined is smaller than us. We need a different rationale as far as what soccer in America can be.

        Have 3 divisions all making money in various cities. End of the season. Have the best compete in a one month champions league type format. Declare a winner. Celebrate.

      • Agree 99%

        I don’t get why you’d want the inter-division champions thing (unless you mean open cup?)

        But all the rest, you are absolutely correct. It’s hard for us american sports fans to accept, but we have to be modest about our soccer right now. It is absolutely growing, but it’s going to take time. I think that even his holiness Don “Make-up-the-rules-as-I-go” Garber’s idea to make ours a world class league in 10-20 years may be a little ambitious – barring, of course, selling our souls to the gazillionare super-moguls like NYCFC.

        We’re already one of the best leagues in the world in my opinon. (READ IT AND TAKE A BREATH) I don’t mean big money leagues in europe or south america, but out of ALL the leagues in the world? We are absolutely upper-echelon.

      • We have lower divisions now that are invited to play in the US Open Cup.
        Division 1= MLS
        Div 2 = NASL
        Div 3 = USL Pro
        Div 4 = PDL

      • And Brazil? You guys are bigger than Brazil? Here we have the National and State Championships. We in the National Series A (20 clubs), the Series B (20 clubs) these points are accrued by the Series C and D and played in groups.

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