MLS Draft Has an Orange County Flavor
The Rose Bowl branch of the UCLA alumni society gained two more members Sunday.
The Galaxy, which already has a coach, Sigi Schmid, and seven players who once called Westwood home, added two more former Bruins to its roster at Major League Soccer’s 2000 draft.
Midfielders Sasha Victorine of Corona and Peter Vagenas of Pasadena were selected in the first and second rounds, respectively, by Schmid. Both are 22 and both are on the Under-23 U.S. national team preparing to qualify for the Sydney Olympics.
But other Bruins got away.
Steve Shak, a 22-year-old defender from Cerritos, was the No. 1 draft choice among the 72 players to join MLS. He was chosen by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars.
Defender Carlos Bocanegra of Alta Loma was selected fourth overall by the Chicago Fire. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando of Montclair was taken in the third round by the Miami Fusion.
The Galaxy’s first choice was obtained by a trade. Midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, 17, was traded to the Fire in exchange for University of Maryland defender Danny Califf, of Orange, and the Fire’s first-round pick in 2001.
Schmid also took midfielder Jose Retiz of Santa Ana College; former Duke forward Joshua Henderson of La Canada; forward Tomas Serna from Santa Ana College, and defender Ali John Utush of the A-League’s San Francisco Bay Seals.
Two Cal State Fullerton players were drafted. Midfielder Antonio Martinez went to the Dallas Burn and midfielder Orlando Perez went to the MetroStars.
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The Orange County Waves selected UCLA defender Adam Cooper in the first round of the A-League draft. The Waves, formerly the Zodiac, also picked defender Torsten Damm of Birmingham (Ala.) Southern and defender Morgan McCoy of Washington in the third round.
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MLS Draft
Sunday’s first-round selections. See page 12 for complete draft list.
1, MetroStars, Steve Shak, D, UCLA. 2, Kansas City, Nick Garcia, D, Indiana. 3, Colorado (from Columbus through Dallas), Adin Brown, GK, William and Mary. 4, Chicago, Carlos Bocanegra, D, UCLA. 5, Dallas (from Colorado), Aleksey Korol, F, Indiana. 6, Galaxy (from Chicago), Danny Califf, D, Maryland. 7, Colorado, Wes Hart, M, Washington. 8, San Jose, Travis Mulraine, M, Joe Public F.C. (Trinidad & Tobago). 9, Kansas City, John Wilson, M, Charleston. 10, Colorado (from New England), Alan Woods, D, Clemson. 11, Galaxy, Sasha Victorine, M, UCLA. 12, D.C. United, Bobby Convey, F, Penn Charter HS, Philadelphia.
