| | PASADENA, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy made Maryland
defender Danny Califf its top choice in Sunday's Major League
Soccer draft, trading highly-touted 17-year-old forward DaMarcus
Beasley to the Chicago Fire for the sixth overall pick.
"We lost a great player in DaMarcus Beasley, but it allowed us to move up in the draft and get somebody who will be around a lot more (this) year to play for us," coach Sigi Schmid said.
The Galaxy was assigned Beasley Aug. 11 as part of the league's Project-40 developmental program. He was not scheduled to report to the team until after his high school graduation this spring.
Beasley also figured to miss time with the Galaxy because of his commitments to the under-20 and under-23 national teams -- which also factored into the decision to make the trade, Schmid said.
The Galaxy will also receive a first-round choice in next year's draft for Beasley.
Califf, who will turn 20 March 17, is also a member of the U.S. under-23 national team which is seeking to qualify for the
Olympics. Califf will miss several Galaxy matches to play in a
qualifying tournament in April and several late-season matches if
the U.S. qualifies for the Olympics.
With its own first-round choice, the Galaxy selected UCLA midfielder Sasha Victorine, with the 11th overall selection.
Victorine played three seasons for Schmid at UCLA.
The Galaxy selected another Bruin with its second-round pick, midfielder Peter Vagenas. It chose Rancho Santiago College
midfielder-forward Jose Retiz in the third round, forward Joshua
Henderson from the A-League's Lehigh Valley Steam in the fourth;
Rancho Santiago College forward Thomas Serna in the fifth and San
Francisco Bay Seals midfielder Ali John Utush in the sixth and
final round.
Unlike other professional leagues, the MLS draft includes both collegiate and professional players.
| |
ALSO SEE
MetroStars select UCLA defender first in MLS draft
 |
