Coach Bob Bradley of Chivas USA had the No. 1 pick in Friday's Major League Soccer draft and the freedom to choose any player he wanted.
Instead, Bradley traded the selection to the team he used to coach, the MetroStars, who promptly made Marvell Wynne, a UCLA and former U.S. under-20 national team defender, the top player chosen.
Chivas USA got the fifth pick in the first round from the MetroStars and used it to draft Seton Hall midfielder Sacha Kljestan of Huntington Beach, a teammate of Wynne's on the U.S. under-20 team.
The MetroStars also gave Chivas USA right-sided defender Jason Hernandez.
Bradley drafted only one player, taking UCLA winger Jonathan Bornstein of Los Alamitos with the first pick of the fourth round, the 37th overall choice.
"Coming into the draft with [only] two picks, we were looking to acquire several players who could make an immediate impact on our team," Bradley said.
"It was good ... to trade the first pick because we got three excellent players and not just two. Jason is a great defender. I like the way Sacha sees the game and the way that Jonathan moves on the left side."
Kljestan is a spindly 6 feet 1 and 150 pounds but scored 20 goals and assisted on 28 others in 60 games for Seton Hall.
If Chivas USA's draft was quick and easy, the defending MLS champion Galaxy's day was a bit longer at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, site of the draft.
Coach Steve Sampson selected five players, starting with Clemson defender Nathan Sturgis, the 12th player taken overall, yet another U.S. under-20 international.
The Galaxy also drafted Maryland forward Marc Burch (24th overall), Ohio State central defender Kyle Veris (25th overall), Bradley goalkeeper Chris Dunsheath (36th overall) and North Carolina forward Aaron King (48th overall).
Sturgis, 18, from St. Augustine, Fla., is 5-10 and only 150 pounds, but Sampson was impressed by his composure on the ball.
"The beauty of Sturgis over other players in the draft is his great ease [in allowing others] to play through him," Sampson said. "His first touch is outstanding. He has the ability to make good decisions on the ball. He has the ability to make not only the short pass but the long pass with great accuracy.
"And he's a lot more mature than his age. He plays heads-up, directing his defense all the time."
Sturgis will join the Galaxy when it begins preseason training next week.
