Mock Expansion Draft Roster Lists By Team

[Zman Gunner]

MLS Mock Expansion Draft Roster Lists by Team

After making my own lists and reading other teams’ bigsoccer.com posts, here is my version of the expansion draft rosters (protected/unprotected/P-40 & Developmental) along with player ages, salaries, and possible expansion picks by Chivas and Salt Lake.

Players Notes
* Age: as of 12/31/2004
* Guaranteed Salary: $ in thousands per Soccer America’s link: http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562134198
A player’s maximum hit to a team’s salary cap is $280,000. Both players not listed in link as well as those who have signed new deals with MLS have estimated salaries based on similar players’ contract values. Estimated developmental player contracts assumed to be $15K/year although some make more and some make less.

* @ = Senior International (only one can be unprotected and you only get 3 per team. Chivas has already said that they will bring 3 SI players from Mexico so I do not see them drafting any MLS SI’s)
* # = Transitional International (become SI when they turn 25)

Since teams can protect 12 of 18 senior roster players and all player contracts are with MLS and not the clubs, I imagine Garber will tell the teams that he does not want to see just high salary, old players on the unprotected list (like is often the case in other sports’ expansion drafts) – thus, I show starting players like Preki, Agoos, Stewart and Jones as protected. There was no mention of the need to protect P-40 or developmental players – I would guess that P-40’s are off limits but developmental players may need to be signed to senior roster contracts prior to the expansion draft or be left unprotected (i.e. could have contributed to current starters like Perkins – DC and Parke – MetroStars getting senior roster contracts during this season). I also assumed that the lists are based on no roster movement (i.e. Beasley still with Chicago, not PSV Eindhoven).

So, here is one man’s potential draft lists for folks to conduct their mock drafts as arm-chair general managers (I listed my expansion picks assuming that every team loses maximum 3 players even though the draft can only be 20, not 30, players – Chivas possibilities are limited due to Spanish-speaking criteria):

CHICAGO
Protected
G – Ring [27-$28]
D – Curtin [25-$55], Whitfield [27-$55], Gray [23-$36], Pause [23-$33]
M – Beasley [22-$153], Armas [32-$325], Mapp [22-$100], Williams@ [27-$100], Buete [24-$25]
F – Ralph# [24-$100], Razov [30-$300]
Unprotected
D – Brown [29-$106], Perez [27-$54], Griffin [22-$25]
M – Marsch [31-$102], Ibrahim# [24-$25]
F – Selolwane@ [26-$26]
P-40 & Developmental
G – Countess [22-$128], Pickens [22-$15]
D – Clanton [22-$15]
M – Pilarski [22-$15]
F – Jaqua [23-$34], Capano [19-$32]

CHIVAS PICKS: Perez-D
SALT LAKE PICKS: Selolwane-F, Griffin-D

COLUMBUS
Protected
G – Busch [28-$39]
D – Hejduk [30-$176], Wingert [22-$40], Herdsman [29-$50], Fraser [38-$90]
M – Martino [23-$70], Paule [28-$90], Elliott@ [30-$121], Oughton@ [27-$31]
F – Cunningham [28-$191], Buddle [23-$78], Testo [23-$40]
Unprotected
G – Jordan [29-$50], Baumstark [21-$25]
M – Maissoneuve [31-$130], Lagos [33-$80], Denton [26-$60]
F – Scott# [23-$75]
P-40 & Developmental
D – Marshall [20-$68], Traeger [24-$15], Akwari [22-$26]
M – Barclay [21-$84]
F – Ritch [23-$15], Sutton [22-$15]

CHIVAS PICKS: Scott-F
SALT LAKE PICKS: Denton-M, Jordan-G

DC UNITED
Protected
G – Perkins [23-$25]
D – Nelsen [27-$91], Petke [28-$165], Namoff [25-$28], Hendrickson [32-$50]
M – Convey [21-$143], Olsen [27-$161], Stewart [35-$285], Kovalenko [27-$176], Gros [22-$25]
F – Moreno@ [30-$90], Quaranta [21-$95]
Unprotected
G – Rimando [25-$86]
D – Prideaux [28-$69]
M – Quintanilla# [21-$54], Ara [22-$25]
F – Martins [28-$33]
P-40 & Developmental
D – Stokes [22-$31]
M – Carroll [23-$34], Kuffour# [19-$15]
F – Eskandarian [22-$81], Adu [15-$500]

CHIVAS PICKS: Rimando-G, Quintanilla-M
SALT LAKE PICKS: Prideaux-D

METROSTARS
Protected
G – Walker [30-$100]
D – Pope [31-$350], Leitch [26-$25], Parke [22-$25], Brenes [22-$65]
M – Guevara@ [28-$244], Clark [21-$53], Lisi [27-$70]
F – Magee [20-$26], Wolyniec [27-$30], Taylor# [24-$100], Galvan Rey@ [31-$250]
Unprotected
G – Wells [23-$25]
D – Bonseu@[28-$70], Regan [23-$25], Ziadie [26-$28]
M – Vaca# [22-$50]
F – Glen# [23-$80]
P-40 & Developmental
D – Arena [23-$15], Stammler [23-$15]
M – Gaven [18-$78], Bradley [17-$30], Flores [21-$15]
CHIVAS PICKS: Vaca-M
SALT LAKE PICKS: Glen-F, Ziadie-D

NEW ENGLAND
Protected
G – Brown [26-$146]
D – Heaps [28-$75], Franchino [28-$81], John@ [29-$60], Leonard [24-$24], Pierce [25-$49]
M – Ralston [30-$202], Joseph [26-$25], Cancela@ [28-$144], Baker# [24-$75]
F – Twellman [24-$115], Noonan [24-$50]
Unprotected
G – Reis [29-$39], Warren (MLS Rent-A-Goalie) [23-$25]
D – Llamosa [35-$115], Kante@ [26-$46]
M – Kamler [32-$75]
F – Moore [33-$280]
P-40 & Developmental
G – Singer [24-$15]
M – Dempsey [21-$41], Vercollone [22-$15], Dorman# [22-$15], Thompson [23-$15]
F – Brillant# [24-$15]
CHIVAS PICKS: Llamosa-D
SALT LAKE PICKS: Reis-G, Warren-G

COLORADO
Protected
G – Cannon [29-$125]
D – Mastroeni [28-$204], Borchers [23-$24], Kotschau [29-$61]
M – Chung [34-$160], Henderson [34-$147], Beckerman [22-$32]
F – Spencer@ [34-$311], Peguero [23-$45], Roberts@ [25-$145], Delgado@ [26-$65]
Unprotected
G – Vallow [27-$38]
D – Stewart [24-$26], Crawford [24-$25]
M – Powell@ [33-$240], Digiamarino [27-$30]
F – Martinez# [24-$45]
P-40 & Developmental
G – Foss [25-$15]
D – Sullivan [22-$15]
M – Cila [22-$15], Trembly [22-$30], Erush [21-$15]

CHIVAS PICKS: Martinez-F
SALT LAKE PICKS: Crawford-D, Digiamarino-M

DALLAS
Protected
G – Garlick [32-$120]
D – Gibbs [24-$225], Jolley [29-$120], Salyer [23-$30], Gbandi [25-$60]
M – O’Brien@ [25-$62], Valakari@ 31-$200], Davis [23-$61], Quill [26-$70], Nunez [19-$40]
F – Kreis [32-$175], Nhleko@ [25-$125]
Unprotected
G – Cassar [30-$38], Terris (MLS Rent-A-Goalie) [23-$25]
D – Behncke [24-$24], Reyes [30-$75], Wagenfuhr [23-$25]
M – Talley [28-$60], Pareja [36-$80]
F – Rhine [28-$61]
P-40 & Developmental
D – Goodson [22-$40]
M – Maurin [22-$15], Stone [20-$28]
F – Johnson [20-$86], Thompson [23-$30]

CHIVAS PICK: Reyes
SALT LAKE PICK: Rhine, Behncke

KANSAS CITY
Protected
G – Meola [35-$264]
D – Conrad [27-$63], Garcia [25-$83], Thomas# [23-$44]
M – Preki [41-$149], Klein [28-$146], Walsh@ [25-$45], Zavagnin [30-$67]
F – Wolff [27-$419], Simutenkov@ [31-$125], Arnaud [24-$25], Taylor [23-$35]
Unprotected
G – Oshoniyi [33-$30]
D – Rasovic@ [31-$90], Zotinca [27-$44]
M – Stephenson# [23-$25], Gomez [25-$56], Gutierrez [32-$118]
P-40 & Developmental
G – Hesmer [23-$15]
D – Roberts [22-$15], Graham [24-$15], Burciaga [23-$29]
M – Jewsbury [23-$15]
F – Detter [22-$15]

CHIVAS PICK: Gomez-M, Gutierrez-M
SALT LAKE PICK: Zotinca-D

LOS ANGELES
Protected
G – Hartman [30-$180]
D – Califf [24-$95], Suarez [27-$35], Albright [25-$75], Marshall [30-$66]
M – Herzog@ [36-$280], Jones [34-$175], Saragosa# [22-$30]
F – Ruiz@ [25-$50], Kirovski [28-$150], Ngwenya# [23-$40], Moreno@ [25-$26]
Unprotected
G – Popik [25-$28]
D – Hong [35-$290], Broome [28-$54]
M – Victorine [26-$54], Vagenas [26-$51]
F – Torres [24-$24]
P-40 & Developmental
D – Lewis [22-$37], Aloisi [23-$15], Thompson [23-$15]
M – Grabavoy [21-$40], Gonzalez [18-$80], Gardner [22-$35]

CHIVAS PICK: Torres-F
SALT LAKE PICK: Victorine-M, Vagenas-M

SAN JOSE
Protected
G – Onstad [36-$94]
D – Agoos [36-$150], Dunivant [24-$52], Robinson [26-$46], Waibel [29-$34], Roner [25-$25]
M – Mulrooney [28-$161], Mullan [26-$35], Corrales [27-$69]
F – Donovan [22-$368], Ching [26-$33], DeRosario@ [26-$69]
Unprotected
G – Conway [27-$41]
D – Dayak [33-$100], Hart [27-$50],
M – Russell [29-$66], Ekelund@ [32-$125]
F – Brown [27-$75], Walker [23-$24]
P-40 & Developmental
G – Cronin [21-$40]
D – Cochrane [21-$40]
M – Alvarez [19-$42], Dombrowski [22-$15]
F – Levesque [23-$33]

CHIVAS PICK: none
SALT LAKE PICK: Russell-M, Walker-F, Brown-F

CHIVAS ROSTER POSSIBILITIES (11 players)
G – Rimando
D – Perez, Reyes, Llamosa
M – Vaca, Quintanilla, Gomez, Gutierrez
F – Scott, Martinez, Torres
My guess of the 10 players would be Rimando, Perez, Reyes, Vaca, Quintanilla, Gomez, Gutierrez, Scott, Martinez, and Torres.

SALT LAKE ROSTER POSSIBILITIES (19 players)
G – Reis, Warren, Jordan
D – Prideaux, Ziadie, Griffin, Crawford, Behncke, Zotinca
M – Denton, Digiamarino, Russell, Victorine, Vagenas
F – Selolwane, Glen, Rhine, Walker, Brown
My guess of the 10 players would be Reis, Prideaux, Ziadie, Crawford, Denton, Russell, Victorine, Selolwane, Glen, and Walker.

[United_Caps_Fan]

DC UNITED
Protected
G – Perkins [23-$25]
D – Nelsen [27-$91], Petke [28-$165], Namoff [25-$28], Hendrickson [32-$50]
M – Convey [21-$143], Olsen [27-$161], Stewart [35-$285], Kovalenko [27-$176], Gros [22-$25]
F – Moreno@ [30-$90], Quaranta [21-$95]
Unprotected
G – Rimando [25-$86]
D – Prideaux [28-$69]
M – Quintanilla# [21-$54], Ara [22-$25]
F – Martins [28-$33]
P-40 & Developmental
D – Stokes [22-$31]
M – Carroll [23-$34], Kuffour# [19-$15]
F – Eskandarian [22-$81], Adu [15-$500]

CHIVAS PICKS: Rimando-G, Quintanilla-M
SALT LAKE PICKS: Prideaux-D




I hope you are right about ours. I could definately live with those 3 leaving. I dont think that would hurt DCU very much if at all.

The only thing I wish we COULD do is somehow get rid of Stokes.

[Zman Gunner]

I hope you are right about ours. I could definately live with those 3 leaving. I dont think that would hurt DCU very much if at all.

The only thing I wish we COULD do is somehow get rid of Stokes.


After watching the Nottingham Forest game on Wednesday, Rimando should have done better on the goal that he gave up but he was solid in the PK shoot-out. Prideaux seems to be down on Nowak's list of defenders with Hendrickson signed. Quintanilla would have some appeal to Chivas since he is a Transitional International who does not become a Senior International until 4 years or so. The El Salvador fans in DC would not be happy if he left - first, Cerritos gets the axe, then Quintanilla. In the end, I agree with you that there would be minimal impact to the core of the team moving forwards assuming those three expansion picks, all of whom make decent $ as back-ups.

[UxSxAxfooty]

No way in hell Colorado protects Zizi.

Plus, Martinez and Delgado are pretty much a package deal. I bet neither of the two will be moving.

I bet Powell and Zizi are both left unprotected, while Crawford is protected.

[myshap]

I don't know one way or another, but you might have wanted to account for players that probalby won't be P-40 after this year because they will "graduate" from the program with so much playing time.

Specifically:
Jaqua-CHI
Marshall-CLB
Akwari-CLB
Carroll-DC
Esky-DC
Gaven-MET
Dempsey-NE
Johnson-DAL
Grabavoy-LA
Cochrane-SJ

[Zman Gunner]

No way in hell Colorado protects Zizi.

Plus, Martinez and Delgado are pretty much a package deal. I bet neither of the two will be moving.

I bet Powell and Zizi are both left unprotected, while Crawford is protected.

You can only protect 1 Senior International (I agree that Roberts and Powell would both be unprotected if the rules did not prohibit it) - the Rapids have 4 of them on their roster since they put Roberts on the season-ending IR list:

* Spencer
* Delgado
* Roberts
* Powell

As of now, 3 of them would have to be protected (unless Spencer retires at the end of the season). I agree that Martinez could very well be protected as part of the Cuban Connection but I am not sure who else gets unprotected (Kotschau ?, Henderson ?, de la Torre ?).

[Zman Gunner]

I don't know one way or another, but you might have wanted to account for players that probalby won't be P-40 after this year because they will "graduate" from the program with so much playing time.

Specifically:
Jaqua-CHI
Marshall-CLB
Akwari-CLB
Carroll-DC
Esky-DC
Gaven-MET
Dempsey-NE
Johnson-DAL
Grabavoy-LA
Cochrane-SJ

Good point - I was not sure when the "graduation" ceremony took place but if it is strictly based on games played, it can obviously occur before the expansion draft. Based on the list that you made, I would think that the following players would then become unprotected:

Buete or Whitfield - CHI
Oughton & Fraser - CLM
Hendrickson & Quaranta or Petke - DC (assuming Convey or Nelsen does not leave before the draft)
Leitch or Lisi - METRO
Leonard or Pierce - NE
Marshall - LA
Roner - SJ
Gbandi or Quill - DAL

[rokstedy]

Los Angeles's Saragosa is on loan from Sao Paolo. I thought loaners can't be protected.

[swedcrip34]

Where have you heard p40s don't need to be protected? I'd guess they would. p40 graduation is usually in januray now. no way I think Garber will tell MLS teams they can't leave veteran's like Stewart, Joe-Max, Hong off their lists. Garber is more beholden to AEG, KSG than the new owners so I see no reason for him to do them any favor.

[kopiteinkc]

KC is likely to leave Preki unprotected, the logic being that if picked by Chivas or Salt Lake he would retire.

He has stated clearly he will not play anywhere else, look for KC to gamble and leave him unprotected.

[Zman Gunner]

Where have you heard p40s don't need to be protected? I'd guess they would. p40 graduation is usually in januray now. no way I think Garber will tell MLS teams they can't leave veteran's like Stewart, Joe-Max, Hong off their lists. Garber is more beholden to AEG, KSG than the new owners so I see no reason for him to do them any favor.

Read the expansion rules on mlsnet.com. Salt Lake United and Chivas will draft players from the other 10 teams' SENIOR rosters (18 Senior Roster Players + 6 P-40/Developmental Players = 24 man roster). Teams can protect 12 of 18 senior players (no mention of P-40 or Developmental players - considering the league also states how allocations, discovery picks, and super draft picks will work in terms of the expansion teams - it seems strange that there is no mention of if/how P-40/Developmental players come into play with the expansion draft) - the expansion teams then pick from the 6 unprotected senior players on each team. After a player has one of its players selected, it gets to protect another player. So even if a team has 3 players selected, it loses its 11th, 13th, and 15th best player. Considering there are plenty of overpaid, old players who should be unprotected, these expansion teams will seemingly get very little value from this draft and unless they have very sucessful allocation signings - these teams would then be crap for a few years.

[UxSxAxfooty]

You can only protect 1 Senior International (I agree that Roberts and Powell would both be unprotected if the rules did not prohibit it) - the Rapids have 4 of them on their roster since they put Roberts on the season-ending IR list:

* Spencer
* Delgado
* Roberts
* Powell

As of now, 3 of them would have to be protected (unless Spencer retires at the end of the season). I agree that Martinez could very well be protected as part of the Cuban Connection but I am not sure who else gets unprotected (Kotschau ?, Henderson ?, de la Torre ?).
I potentially hope the Rapids go ahead and deal De La Torre for a first-round pick or something of equal value to Chivas.

[swedcrip34]

Read the expansion rules on mlsnet.com. Salt Lake United and Chivas will draft players from the other 10 teams' SENIOR rosters (18 Senior Roster Players + 6 P-40/Developmental Players = 24 man roster). Teams can protect 12 of 18 senior players (no mention of P-40 or Developmental players - considering the league also states how allocations, discovery picks, and super draft picks will work in terms of the expansion teams - it seems strange that there is no mention of if/how P-40/Developmental players come into play with the expansion draft) - the expansion teams then pick from the 6 unprotected senior players on each team. After a player has one of its players selected, it gets to protect another player. So even if a team has 3 players selected, it loses its 11th, 13th, and 15th best player. Considering there are plenty of overpaid, old players who should be unprotected, these expansion teams will seemingly get very little value from this draft and unless they have very sucessful allocation signings - these teams would then be crap for a few years.

It actually says "Each MLS team shall be allowed to protect 12 Senior Roster players " but close enough. Back in 1997 p40s were automatically protected so I suppose they will be again. Chicago did well in there first year though teams could only protect 10 of 20 back then. With 6 discoveries and 3 allocations, teams still could be ok. They may pull of a bunch of trades.

About drafting Preki, if he retired, wouldn't SLC or Chivas then get an extra allocation? Would KC want to give that up? They'd probably ask Preki to retire before the draft instead if MLS would let them.

[jamison]

METROSTARS
Protected
G – Walker [30-$100]
D – Pope [31-$350], Leitch [26-$25], Parke [22-$25], Brenes [22-$65]
M – Guevara@ [28-$244], Clark [21-$53], Lisi [27-$70]
F – Magee [20-$26], Wolyniec [27-$30], Taylor# [24-$100], Galvan Rey@ [31-$250]
Unprotected
G – Wells [23-$25]
D – Bonseu@[28-$70], Regan [23-$25], Ziadie [26-$28]
M – Vaca# [22-$50]
F – Glen# [23-$80]
P-40 & Developmental
D – Arena [23-$15], Stammler [23-$15]
M – Gaven [18-$78], Bradley [17-$30], Flores [21-$15]

That was a good post, but just to give you the Metro perspective, Brenes has been a very marginal back up player, and when you look at the fact that half of our team is either an SI or a TI, we are going to be letting some of those guys go at the end of the year. Taylor is on a one year loan, which can be extended if the clubs agree.

I would expect something more like this:

METROSTARS
Protected
G – Walker [30-$100]
D – Pope [31-$350]
D- Leitch [26-$25]
D- Parke [22-$25]
D – Bonseu@[28-$70]
M – Guevara@ [28-$244]
M- Clark [21-$53]
G – Wells [23-$25]
F – Magee [20-$26]
F- Wolyniec [27-$30]
F- Taylor# [24-$100]
F – Glen# [23-$80]

Unprotected
D- Brenes [22-$65]
D - Regan [23-$25]
D- Ziadie [26-$28]
M- Lisi [27-$70]
M – Vaca# [22-$50]
F- Galvan Rey@ [31-$250]

I would expect us to leave SGR unprotected based on his huge salary, with the knowledge that we would cut Bonseu at the end of the year. It's not that anyone wants Bonseu back, but so far SGR has been a big disappointment and if you have the chance for someone like Chivas to go nuts and get you out from under his salary commitments, you take it, even if that is an unlikely scenario. Likewise, Lisi has been a bit inconsistent, our coach doesn't seem to be in love with him, and for $70k, we'd probably be better off spending that money on defense.

Additionally, there is a chance that Metro will land Danny Szetela, who may or may not be P-40, and obviously if they do the P-40 "graduations" of a guy like Gaven before the expansion draft, you would expect us to protect him and leave Wells unprotected. If we should get Szetela and cannot protect him, likely Woly would go uncovered.

[Zman Gunner]

That was a good post, but just to give you the Metro perspective, Brenes has been a very marginal back up player, and when you look at the fact that half of our team is either an SI or a TI, we are going to be letting some of those guys go at the end of the year. Taylor is on a one year loan, which can be extended if the clubs agree.

I would expect something more like this:

METROSTARS
Protected
G – Walker [30-$100]
D – Pope [31-$350]
D- Leitch [26-$25]
D- Parke [22-$25]
D – Bonseu@[28-$70]
M – Guevara@ [28-$244]
M- Clark [21-$53]
G – Wells [23-$25]
F – Magee [20-$26]
F- Wolyniec [27-$30]
F- Taylor# [24-$100]
F – Glen# [23-$80]

Unprotected
D- Brenes [22-$65]
D - Regan [23-$25]
D- Ziadie [26-$28]
M- Lisi [27-$70]
M – Vaca# [22-$50]
F- Galvan Rey@ [31-$250]

I would expect us to leave SGR unprotected based on his huge salary, with the knowledge that we would cut Bonseu at the end of the year. It's not that anyone wants Bonseu back, but so far SGR has been a big disappointment and if you have the chance for someone like Chivas to go nuts and get you out from under his salary commitments, you take it, even if that is an unlikely scenario. Likewise, Lisi has been a bit inconsistent, our coach doesn't seem to be in love with him, and for $70k, we'd probably be better off spending that money on defense.

Additionally, there is a chance that Metro will land Danny Szetela, who may or may not be P-40, and obviously if they do the P-40 "graduations" of a guy like Gaven before the expansion draft, you would expect us to protect him and leave Wells unprotected. If we should get Szetela and cannot protect him, likely Woly would go uncovered.

Under normal circumstances, Galvan Rey would be the perfect unprotected SI - older player, makes too much $, and his results have been very underachieving. When I was looking at the MetroStars roster, I thought that Bonseu would be the unprotected SI since there is a better (all be it a remote one) chance that he would be picked as opposed to Galvan Rey. It sounds like Chivas is bringing 3 of its own Mexican League players as SI's for the USA team so they would not draft any SI's. Bonseu is a fairly cheap center-back who did decent a few years ago but been brutal the past two years. Salt Lake will no doubt use an allocation on a SI striker as opposed to wasting $ on Galvan Rey. In the end, I do not see these expansion teams taking any SI players (unless they are dirt cheap like Selolwane - CHI and even then, I would doubt it). If you have 3 allocations to use and a virgin salary cap, I would:

* sign 3 stud SI allocations up the middle at target forward, central midfield playmaker, and stopper/sweeper (3 players @ avg. of $250K/yr = $750K)
*assume other 15 senior roster players average around $60K/yr - there would be some minimum contract players and some $100K or so players but they would all average $60K. Total salaries would be $900K.
* total salary $ would be $1.65M (under the $1.7M cap)

Based on your list, I doubt that Wells needs to be protected as there are plenty of other GK's more draftable than him. Lisi seems to fit the mode of a typical expansion pick - fringe starter who would need to take a bigger role on an expansion team. I included Brenes on the list as they seemed to make a big deal when they signed him (although he got toasted at RFK like all of the other defenders a few weeks ago in the 6-2 game). If the MetroStars leave any of their 4 reasonably priced forwards (Magee, Wolyniec, Taylor - assuming they sign him, Glen) unprotected, I would think that they would be quickly taken.

[BulaJacket]

EXTREMELY likely that, due to cost and play this year, Dallas protects Cassar and not Garlick.

[Zman Gunner]

EXTREMELY likely that, due to cost and play this year, Dallas protects Cassar and not Garlick.

It certainly would make sense on a salary basis to keep Cassar in Dallas although he would offer Salt Lake some experience value having played for MLS expansion teams in the past (Miami Fusion). What is Clarke going to do when Garlick is healthy - I assume if Cassar continues to play well that he will stay in the nets and Garlick will start this year's Goalie Trash Talk Wars (like he did with Bazooka Joe Cannon when he arrived in Colorado).

[Zman Gunner]

KC is likely to leave Preki unprotected, the logic being that if picked by Chivas or Salt Lake he would retire.

He has stated clearly he will not play anywhere else, look for KC to gamble and leave him unprotected.

Wouldn't Preki translate to an allocation (i.e. Etcheverry last year)? If so, I would think that he is worth protecting like some of the other older starters in the league (i.e. Stewart - DC) but not the older fringe starters (i.e. Hong - LA)

[BulaJacket]

It certainly would make sense on a salary basis to keep Cassar in Dallas although he would offer Salt Lake some experience value having played for MLS expansion teams in the past (Miami Fusion). What is Clarke going to do when Garlick is healthy - I assume if Cassar continues to play well that he will stay in the nets and Garlick will start this year's Goalie Trash Talk Wars (like he did with Bazooka Joe Cannon when he arrived in Colorado).
IMHO, I don't think it is even based mostly on salary. I predict Cassar will be in net. He has made highlight worthy saves the past 3 or so weeks every game. He is playing out of his mind right now. He has stolen the job.

[Zman Gunner]

IMHO, I don't think it is even based mostly on salary. I predict Cassar will be in net. He has made highlight worthy saves the past 3 or so weeks every game. He is playing out of his mind right now. He has stolen the job.

Garlick could be a good expansion team candidate based on his experience in the league. If Reis is protected by NE (based on Brown's injury status and contract size, they might protect Reis and let Brown go unprotected and/or goes to Europe) and guys like Thornton do not return to MLS in 2005, Garlick could be a good veteran option who no doubt will face a lot of shots in the nets. When the 2005 season starts, the goalkeeping position will probably be the least of the worries of the expansion teams based on the depth at that position in the US soccer player pool.