2004 MLS SuperDraft

The 2004 MLS SuperDraft, held in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 16, 2004, was the fifth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The draft was most notable at the time for the selection of one of the youngest athletes in American sporting history, Freddy Adu, with the first pick by D.C. United after a trade from the Dallas Burn. The trade was initiated by the league after Adu had signed in November 2003 with the intent of playing for D.C., his local team.

The draft also included Clint Dempsey (1st round), who later won MLS Rookie of the Year, and teenager Michael Bradley (4th round), the son of MetroStars coach Bob Bradley. Both players went on to earn over 120 caps with the U.S. national team and play overseas for European teams before returning to MLS.

Player selection

thumb|[[Columbus Crew|Columbus selected Chad Marshall 2nd overall. He is a 3x MLS Defender of the Year and 4x MLS Best XI selection. He earned 12 caps with the US Men's National Team.]]

thumb|[[New England Revolution|New England selected Clint Dempsey 8th overall. The 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year is a 4x MLS All-Star, 3x U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, and the 2017 MLS Comeback Player of the Year. He earned 141 caps with he US Men's National Team, representing the United States at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 FIFA World Cup. With 57 goals, he and Landon Donovan are tied for most goals for the USMNT. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2022.]]

;Key

{| class="wikitable"

| style="background:#FFCC00"|*

| Denotes a player contracted under the Project-40 program

| style="background:#CFECEC"| ^

| Denotes player who has been selected to an MLS All-Star Game

| style="background:#CCFF99"|§

| Denotes a player who won the MLS Rookie of the Year

| style="background: #FBCEB1"| †

| Denotes player who has been selected for an MLS Best XI team

| style="background:#FFFF99"| ~

|Denotes a player who won the MLS MVP

Round one

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|1|| D.C. United