MLS has allocated Swedish national team defender Jan Eriksson to the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Eriksson, 30, is expected to play in central defense for Tampa Bay, which lost starter Cle Kooiman in the expansion draft. He has made 35 appearances for the Swedish national team, where he teamed with Mutiny keeper Thomas Ravelli. “Jan will fill the central defense position and, given the relationship he has with Thomas Ravelli, will create tremendous team chemistry in the back,” said Tampa Bay GM Nick Sakiewicz. “We have seen him train and have conducted a personal interview, as we are now doing with many of our players…he is the type of player who will contribute significantly to our team.” Eriksson began his club career with AIK Stockholm in 1987. After four seasons, he moved to Norrkoeping for a year before moving to Kaiserslautern of the German Bundesliga from 1992-1994. He returned to AIK before joining Servette of the Swiss First Division. After another stint in Sweden with Helsingborg, he played 25 games for Sunderland in the English Premier League last year. “I am very happy to have my good friend Jan Eriksson with us here in Tampa Bay,” said Ravelli. “He is a very, very good player and I will feel very comfortable with him playing in front of me, as I have when we played together for Sweden. I know he will help make the Mutiny a better team.” Note: Eriksson will replace Joao Batista on the Tampa Bay roster. The Mutiny elected not to renew the Brazilian defender’s contract for 1998.