Wednesday, November 24, 2010

MLS Expansion Draft

This thing is live and streamable at mlssoccer.com or directly at http://ht.ly/3f2Me.

We'll be updating this post as the draft progresses with some thoughts and surprises on who will be joining the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers for their inaugural 2011 seasons (or as trade bait).

For the entire unprotected list: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mls-releases-unprotected-list-expansion-draft

The New York Red Bulls have left some quality players up for grabs after trading away right back/midfielder Jeremy Hall for a third round draft pick.  Juan Pablo Angel could go but it's not evident whether he's more valuable on the field or in a future trade to an Eastern Conference team like New England, DC, or Philadelphia.

  • Angel, Juan Pablo
  • Boyens, Andrew
  • Chinn, Conor
  • da Luz, Austin
  • Garcia, Irving
  • Nielsen, Brian
  • Robinson, Carl
  • Salou, Ibrahim
  • Sassano, Luke
  • Sutton, Greg
  • Talley, Carey
  • Ubiparipovic, Sinisa
Unlikely to go: Conor Chinn, Austin da Luz, Irving Garcia, Brian Nielsen, Carl Robinson, Luke Sassano, Greg Sutton, Carey Talley.

More likely to go: Andrew Boyens, Ibrahim Salou, Sinisa Ubiparipovic.  

The only people who know who will likely be changing teams today have quite a task today... some other big names that could move teams on the draft board today:

Dax McCarty (FC Dallas)
Pat Onstad (Houston)
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus) 
Frankie Hejduk (Columbus)
Freddie Ljunberg (Chicago)
Tim Ward (San Jose)
Julian de Guzman (Toronto)
Blaise Nkufo (Seattle)
Sanna Nyassi (Seattle)

Also a familiar face to Red Bull fans is Nick Zimmerman - many were disappointed when he was left unprotected in last year's expansion draft and was lost to Philadelphia.  For the second consecutive year, Zimmerman finds himself unprotected and could find himself moving West.  

Just about to get started, updates coming soon.  

UPDATE 1 (2:08 PM): Dax McCarty goes to Portland #1 and Vancouver take Nyassi from Seattle.  Great picks to start the afternoon.  Dallas has protected Daniel Hernandez and Seattle has pulled back Patrick Ianni.

UPDATE 2 (2:15):  Eric Brunner, Columbus Defender goes to Portland,  Attiba Harris (FC Dallas) to Vancouver.    Columbus pulls back Kevin Burns.  Columbus not completely revamping roster but definitely will be making some more roster adjustments.  FC Dallas thrilled not to lose Eric Avila but two big hits with McCarty and Harris.  Dallas now can't lose any more players to Portland or Vancouver.

UPDATE 3 (2:19): Adam Moffat to Portland, Nate Sturgis to Vancouver.  Columbus and Seattle players are now all pulled back from the pool.

UPDATE 4 (2:24):  Anthony Wallace, Colorado Rapids defender goes to Portland.  This comes after the Rapids traded away two defenders on Monday for Seattle midfielder Peter Vagenas.  Shea Salinas (Philly) goes to Vancouver.    Colorado pulls back Wells Thompson and Philly protects GK Chris Seitz.

UPDATE 5 (2:30):  David Horst (RSL) will be heading to Portland and veteran Alan Gordan goes to Vancouver.  Salt Lake pulls back Collen Warner and Chivas pulls back Trujillo.  With a break in the action between rounds the only big surprise, and surprises are hard to pull off in expansion drafts, is Alan Gordon to Vancouver.

UPDATE 6 (2:33): ROBBIE FINDLEY GOES TO PORTLAND.  So much for no big surprises.

UPDATE 7 (2:41): Real Salt Lake off the board with that Findley pick.  Lots of speculation that Findley would be moving to Europe, so there was either some early signaling or this is a real dice roll.
Vancouver picks O'Brian White from Toronto who subsequently protect Julian de Guzman.

UPDATE 8 (2:45): Peter Lowry from Chicago to Portland, Alejandro Moreno from Philly to Vancouver.  Jonathan Bornstein to Portland???? Why is Portland stocking up on players leaving MLS? (Oh, because USMNT players don't go into a reallocation draft if (when) they return to MLS.  Portland retains their rights.  Savvy.

UPDATE 9 (2:53):  Joe Canon (San Jose) to Vancouer, Tim Ward pulled back.  Also need to mention Dasan Robinson pulled back by the Fire from the Lowry pick, Chivas players off the board with the Bornstein pick.  Jordan Graye (DC United) to Portland and DC pulls back Morsink.  Vancouver takes Sporting Kansas City back Leathers.  Kansas City for some reason pulls back a goalkeeper despite Portland and Vancouver being set between the sticks.

UPDATE 10 ( 2:55): To Portland: Arturo Alvarez from San Jose and the Earthquakes are off the board.

UPDATE 11 (2:57)  Last but not least, with the final pick of the draft, Vancouver picks John Thorrington from the Chicago Fire.  Seattle, Chicago, San Jose, Dallas, Philly hit hard.  Los Angeles and NYRB untouched....    

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