NEW YORK — The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps still have several months to go before they face off on the field, but the two 2011 MLS expansion sides will juice the rivalry on Monday afternoon during the Expansion Priority Draft.
Basically, the Expansion Priority Draft allows the two teams to select their priorities in the various draft mechanisms set up to help them build their squads.
Here are the mechanisms and choices available to the two teams:
- First pick in the Expansion Draft
- First pick in the MLS SuperDraft
- USL Player Priority on opening of signing period
- Allocation Ranking
- Designated Player Ranking
- Discovery Ranking
- Lottery Ranking
- Waiver/Re-entry Draft Ranking
Vancouver's Greg Anderson won a coin toss conducted at the MLS All-Star game in Houston, giving the Whitecaps the first choice in the priority draft. This means that Vancouver will choose first, naming the mechanism they would like to have priority in. For example, the Whitecaps could choose to take the first pick in the SuperDraft, after which the Timbers could choose to take the higher place in the allocation ranking.
Gavin Wilkinson will represent Portland while Vancouver will be represented by Tom Soehn, director of soccer operations, on the priority draft teleconference.
