FC Cincinnati passes on Philadelphia Union players in expansion draft

For the third year in a row, the Philadelphia Union didn’t lose any of their unprotected players in the MLS Expansion Draft.

FC Cincinnati, which already has two former Union players on their MLS roster in former homegrown Jimmy McLaughlin and Corben Bone, ended up with four players after dealing one of their five picks, Kei Kamara, to the Colorado Rapids for an international slot.

Their roster additions include Darren Mattocks from D.C. United, Roland Lamah from FC Dallas, Eric Alexander from Houston Dynamo and Hassan Ndam from the New York Red Bulls.

Of the 11 players the Union left unprotected, only veteran midfielder Haris Medunjanin is currently under contract for 2019. Kacper Pryzbylko has an option for 2019 the Union haven’t exercised (or declined).

The last time the Union lost a player in an expansion draft was in 2014 when Orlando City selected Pedro Ribeiro. The Union lost Justin Mapp to the Montreal Impact in the 2011 draft.

Matthew Ralph

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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