Note: * denotes a player on injured reserve.
COLUMBUS
Goalkeepers
| 1 | Brad Friedel |
| 18 | David Winner |
Defenders
| 2 | Ansil Elcock (’96 team: Malta Carib Acorns, Trinidad & Tobago) |
| 3 | Michael Clark |
| 4 | Janusz Michallik |
| 6 | Todd Yeagley |
| 7 | Jorge Salcedo (’96 team: Los Angeles Galaxy) |
| 8 | *Brian Bliss |
| 23 | Todd Denault (’96 team: South Florida) |
| 24 | Sergio Miguez (’96 team: Racing Club, Argentina) |
Midfielders
| 9 | *Billy Thompson |
| 10 | Brian Maisonneuve |
| 11 | Jason Farrell (’96 team: Seattle, A-League) |
| 14 | Altimont Butler (’96 team: San Jose Clash) |
| 15 | Doctor Khumalo |
| 16 | Rob Smith |
| 17 | Todd Miller |
| 19 | Robert Warzycha |
Strikers
| 12 | Pete Marino |
| 20 | Brian McBride |
| 21 | Rob Jachym (’96 team: Hartford) |
| 22 | Marcelo Carrera |
| – | Silvio Rudman (’96 team: Padova, Italy) |
Note: Rudman had not been activated as of April 4, 1997.
D.C. UNITED
Goalkeepers
| 1 | Scott Garlick (’96 team: Carolina, USISL) |
| 2 | Mark Simpson |
| 26 | Jeff Causey |
Defenders
| 4 | *Clint Peay |
| 5 | Erik Imler |
| 7 | Kris Kelderman |
| 11 | *Mario Gori |
| 12 | Jeff Agoos |
| 18 | Carlos Llamosa (’96 team: NY Fever, A-League) |
| 23 | Eddie Pope |
| 24 | David Vaudreuil |
Midfielders
| 6 | John Harkes |
| 8 | *Brian Kamler |
| 10 | Marco Etcheverry |
| 15 | Jesse Marsch |
| 16 | Richie Williams |
| 19 | John Maessner |
| 20 | Tony Sanneh |
| 22 | Joey Thieman (’96 team: free agent) |
Strikers
| 9 | Jaime Moreno |
| 14 | Steve Rammel |
| 21 | Raul Diaz Arce |
METROSTARS
Goalkeepers
| 1 | Tony Meola |
| 18 | Zach Thornton |
Defenders
| 2 | Jeff Zaun |
| 3 | *Matt Knowles |
| 5 | Ezra Hendrickson (’96 team: New Orleans, USISL) |
| 15 | Rhett Harty |
| 16 | Cristian da Silva |
| 24 | Andrew Lewis (’96 team: Princeton Univ.) |
| 25 | Carlos Parra (’96 team: free agent) |
| – | Joao Luis (’96 team: Vasco da Gama,.Brazil) |
Note: Joao Luis had not been activated as of April 4, 1997.
Midfielders
| 6 | Mike Sorber (’96 team: Kansas City Wiz) |
| 7 | Roberto Donadoni |
| 9 | *Manny Lagos |
| 10 | *Tab Ramos |
| 20 | Brian Kelly (’96 team: Duke Univ.) |
| 21 | Kerry Zavagnin (’96 team: Raleigh, USISL) |
| – | Gerson Echeverry |
| – | Guido (’96 team: Sao Paulo, Brazil) |
Strikers
| 8 | A.J. Wood |
| 11 | Antony De Avila |
| 14 | Braeden Cloutier (’96 team: San Diego, CISL) |
| 17 | Giovanni Savarese |
| 19 | Miles Joseph |
| 23 | Rob Johnson |
NEW ENGLAND
Goalkeepers
| 1 | Walter Zenga (’96 team: Padova, Italy) |
| 27 | Scott Coufal (’96 team: Indiana Univ.). |
Defenders
| 5 | Ted Chronopoulos |
| 15 | Greg Lalas (’96 team: Tampa Bay Mutiny) |
| 16 | *Bill Harte |
| 20 | Francis Okaroh |
| 22 | Alexi Lalas |
| 23 | Kevin Wylie |
Midfielders
| 4 | Mike Burns |
| 6 | Leonardo Squadrone (’96 team: Estudiantes, Argentina) |
| 7 | Darren Sawatzky |
| 10 | Alberto Naveda |
| 14 | Sam George (’96 team: Anaheim, CISL) |
| 19 | Steve Klein (’96 team: Bowling Green Univ.) |
| 21 | *Imad Baba |
| 25 | Alejandro Farias (’96 team: Boca Juniors, Argentina) |
Strikers
| 9 | John Kerr | |
| 11 | Chiquinho Conde (’96 team: Sporting Lisbon, Portugal) 12 | *Joe-Max Moore |
| 18 | Paul Keegan | |
| 24 | Patrick Olalere (’96 team: Charleston, USISL) |
TAMPA BAY
Goalkeepers
| 1 | Mark Dougherty |
| 22 | Scott Budnick |
Defenders
| 4 | Cle Kooiman |
| 5 | Frank Yallop |
| 12 | Adam Frye |
| 15 | Mike Duhaney |
| – | David Moxom (’96 team: Milwaukee, NPSL) |
Midfielders
| 3 | Joao Batista (’96 team: Gremio, Brazil) |
| 6 | Martin Vasquez |
| 7 | Ivan McKinley |
| 8 | Nelson Vargas |
| 10 | Carlos Valderrama |
| 13 | Frankie Hejduk |
| 14 | Steve Ralston |
| 16 | Derek Backman |
| 21 | Marco Ferruzzi (’96 team: Raleigh, USISL) |
Strikers
| 9 | *Jacek Ziober (’96 team: Amica Wronki, Poland) |
| 11 | Roy Lassiter |
| 19 | Evans Wise |
| 20 | Giuseppe Galderisi |
| 23 | Alan Prampin (’96 team: Kansas City Wiz) |