Will the coin come up featuring the logo of Atlanta United or Minnesota United, the two teams set to begin play in MLS in 2017?
Not to go all “The Price is Right,” but the winner of the toss for Sunday’s Major League Soccer expansion priority draft will get to choose among these fabulous items:
- MLS Expansion Draft (picks 1 and 2)
- MLS SuperDraft (picks 1 and 2)
- Allocation ranking order (ranks 1 and 2)
- Waiver Draft and Re-Entry Draft ranking (ranks 21 and 22)
- Discovery player ranking (ranks 21 and 22)
- USL/NASL player priority ranking (ranks 1 and 2)
For example, if Atlanta United wins the coin flip, it could choose the first pick in the expansion draft, which would result in Minnesota automatically receiving the second pick in the draft. The expansion draft will be held Dec. 13. The 20 MLS teams can protect as many as 11 players, as well as certain Generation Adidas players and Homegrown Players. Once a club loses a player in the expansion draft, that team can’t lose another one.
The coin-flip loser will get the second pick. They could choose the first pick in the SuperDraft, which would result in Atlanta getting the second pick in the SuperDraft. The SuperDraft will be held in Los Angeles in mid-January.
It would seem likely that the winner will choose the first pick in the SuperDraft. Atlanta United Director of Soccer Operations Paul McDonough said that because of various roster rules, it has become easier for MLS teams to ensure that their better players, or those with potential, aren't exposed to the expansion draft.
Therefore, getting the first pick in the SuperDraft may be a higher-percentage choice in securing a player that will be able to contribute in either team’s first season.
The two jewels in the draft are UCLA’s Abu Danladi and former Duke player Jeremy Ebobisse, who signed with MLS and was then sent to Charleston in the USL. Several Atlanta United players — goalkeeper Alex Tambakis, midfielder Andrew Carleton and forward Jeffrey Otoo — were with the Battery during its recently completed season.
Atlanta United hasn’t revealed what it will do, other than McDonough saying they want to win the coin flip because teams would like to control as much as they can.
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