2010 MLS Expansion Draft Preview: Philadelphia Union

On November 22, the Philadelphia Union and the other 15 teams in the MLS will send in official protection lists for the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. On November 24 the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps are able to do what the Union did last year as they select players left unprotected by teams.

Each of the 16 MLS teams are only able to lose a maximum of two players though the expansion draft between the Timbers and the Whitecaps. Every team has a list of 11 players that it can put on its protection list, which means that those 11 players cannot be drafted by either the Timbers or the Whitecaps in the expansion draft. On top of those 11 players, a team can further protect another player if the team has a player chosen in the draft. If either the Timbers or the Whitecaps chose yet another player on that same team, one more player may be protected (basically 13 players cannot be selected). After that second extra player is selected the team can not deny either the Timbers or the Whitecaps from selecting the remaining unprotected players.

There are other rules to consider.Chris Vito, of the Delaware County Times, outlined the additional rules that affect the Union in his latest guest column for the Brotherly Game:

The Union can protect as many as 11 players from the expansion draft list. However, there are a couple of rules to consider here:
* Any player with Generation Adidas status is safe, so Danny Mwanga, Amobi Okugo and Jack McInerney are in the clear. Though, it is possible Chris Seitz will have earned enough MLS experience/minutes to have graduated GA, making him unlikely to retain his GA status. (More on that if I hear anything down the road.)
* The Union have four players with international status, in Roger Torres, Juan Diego Gonzalez, Toni Stahl and Eduardo Coudet. League rules stipulate that teams more than three international players must protect at least three of their international players. (Assistant coach John Hackworth has said recently that the club is trying to keep Torres on loan through next season … so draw your own conclusions.)
* No team can lose more than two players in the draft.

After the jump, my protection list for the Union.

Goalkeeprs: None

Defenders: Sheanon Williams, Michael Orozco-Fiscal, Danny Califf, Juan Diego Gonzalez (I)

Midfielders:, Sebastian Le Toux, Justin Mapp, Fred, Kyle Nakazawa, Roger Torres (I), Shea Salinas, Toni Stahl (I), Amobi Okugo (GA)

Forwards: Danny Mwanga (GA), Jack McInerney (GA)

GA = Generation Adidas, (I) = International player

Left uprotected:

Andrew Jacobson
Alejandro Moreno
Stefani Miglioranzi
Jordan Harvey
Brad Knighton
Eduardo Coudet
Cristian Arrieta
Nick Zimmerman
J.T. Noone
Chris Seitz

Questions to answer:

Why is starting left back Jordan Harvey not protected on your list?

Harvey was a season long starter at left back but that doesn't mean it is necessary to protect him. Shea Salinas is incredibly versatile and has the ability to (and has) play full back. The Union can still block the selection of Harvey if the Timbers or Whitecaps were to draft him.

Huh, no goalkeepers?

Unlike Chris Vito, I don't see the need to protect either Knighton or Seitz in the expansion draft. While Knighton was an improvement over Seitz he wasn't so good that he can't be replaced. Worst case scenario the Union lose one goalkeeper and go with the one left, which is what they did for half the season with Seitz and then half the season with Knighton. 

Andrew Jacobson – 'splain please.

Jacobson is a physical specimen, someone who could dominate in soccer if his technical skill matched up with his physical talent. He would be quite the player if he could improve his game. My choice for the second post-11 draft protected player after Harvey.

Have any other questions? What are your thoughts?