Dan Loney
15 Nov 2006, 01:06 PM
Deportation Day is on Friday for ten MLS players. The New Metros (hey, the name is available now) won't even have to worry about outmaneuvering another expansion team. "Is Matt Taylor still going to be on the board in the next round?", was the agonizing cry from Salt Lake City and North Guadalajara. Not this time. And not the next, either, unless MLS adds three teams the next go-round. Which I strongly recommend - Expansion Draft Apocalypse would be awe-inspiring.
Here's who I would take, if Toronto FC were ill-advised enough to ask me:
CHICAGO: Nate Jaqua. Can't believe this guy's left unprotected, really. I know the Fire are forward-rich, but between him and Calen Carr available for free, that's going to be a tough decision. Jaqua's only a year older, so I'd go for him. Classy: protecting Chris Armas.
CHIVAS USA: Drew Helm, I guess, although the last high draft pick to be nabbed in an expansion draft was Matt Taylor - oh, look, Taylor's also available.
COLORADO: Both Kirovski and Mathis are available? However will Toronto choose between them? About the time you say "Hey, Melvin Tarley" is about the time you realize that all these guys won't make the roster, either for not being Canadian or for having plateaued, career-wise. Still. Hey, Melvin Tarley.
COLUMBUS: Four pretty decent keepers on their list, I notice. One of those guys might end up being pick number ten.
DALLAS: Ooh. Chris Gbandi's star has fallen. So have those of Wagenfuhr and Goodson. And I thought people liked Roberto Mina. I'd probably go with Mina, on the grounds that backing up Dallas forwards is more legitimate than starting in the Dallas defense.
DC UNITED: I don't know why seeing Donnet and Dyachenko on the list makes me smile, except as a fairly loud admission that subbing out Adu against New England probably wasn't that good an idea. Jamil Walker is the only one who interests me here, especially since a late forward sub to try to get back in the game is going to come in awfully handy in Expansionville.
HOUSTON: Wouldn't it be funny if they didn't take Adrian Serioux?
KANSAS CITY: I can't imagine why you'd take any of these guys. Zotinca, maybe, since he's at least got some experience in the league, and will only be 30 next year, but geez.
LOS ANGELES: A year ago I would have died of shock that Paulo Nagamura would be left unprotected. As it is, I think I'll live. At some point, again jumping on non-Americans and non-Canadians would backfire, but he's only going to be 24 next year, for heaven's sake. Not classy: exposing Cobi Jones.
NEW ENGLAND: Wow, a bunch of FU's here. Although how do you protect Jay Heaps and leave Jeff Larentowicz and James Riley open?
NEW YORK: I should probably let matrim55 tell you all about Mark Lisi, Edson Buddle, Danny O'Rourke, and what those guys are doing unprotected. Toronto pretty much has to take a flier on Buddle, don't they? Unless they think that Jaqua, Mina, Jason Kreis, or a big signing can carry the offensive load.
SALT LAKE: Jason Kreis has the first goal in the history of two franchises. Might as well go for three.
WHO DEFINITELY WON'T BE PICKED:
Tony Sanneh
Zach Thornton
John O'Brien
Carlos Llamosa
Sebastian Rozental
Guillermo Gonzalez
Peter Canero
Here's who I would take, if Toronto FC were ill-advised enough to ask me:
CHICAGO: Nate Jaqua. Can't believe this guy's left unprotected, really. I know the Fire are forward-rich, but between him and Calen Carr available for free, that's going to be a tough decision. Jaqua's only a year older, so I'd go for him. Classy: protecting Chris Armas.
CHIVAS USA: Drew Helm, I guess, although the last high draft pick to be nabbed in an expansion draft was Matt Taylor - oh, look, Taylor's also available.
COLORADO: Both Kirovski and Mathis are available? However will Toronto choose between them? About the time you say "Hey, Melvin Tarley" is about the time you realize that all these guys won't make the roster, either for not being Canadian or for having plateaued, career-wise. Still. Hey, Melvin Tarley.
COLUMBUS: Four pretty decent keepers on their list, I notice. One of those guys might end up being pick number ten.
DALLAS: Ooh. Chris Gbandi's star has fallen. So have those of Wagenfuhr and Goodson. And I thought people liked Roberto Mina. I'd probably go with Mina, on the grounds that backing up Dallas forwards is more legitimate than starting in the Dallas defense.
DC UNITED: I don't know why seeing Donnet and Dyachenko on the list makes me smile, except as a fairly loud admission that subbing out Adu against New England probably wasn't that good an idea. Jamil Walker is the only one who interests me here, especially since a late forward sub to try to get back in the game is going to come in awfully handy in Expansionville.
HOUSTON: Wouldn't it be funny if they didn't take Adrian Serioux?
KANSAS CITY: I can't imagine why you'd take any of these guys. Zotinca, maybe, since he's at least got some experience in the league, and will only be 30 next year, but geez.
LOS ANGELES: A year ago I would have died of shock that Paulo Nagamura would be left unprotected. As it is, I think I'll live. At some point, again jumping on non-Americans and non-Canadians would backfire, but he's only going to be 24 next year, for heaven's sake. Not classy: exposing Cobi Jones.
NEW ENGLAND: Wow, a bunch of FU's here. Although how do you protect Jay Heaps and leave Jeff Larentowicz and James Riley open?
NEW YORK: I should probably let matrim55 tell you all about Mark Lisi, Edson Buddle, Danny O'Rourke, and what those guys are doing unprotected. Toronto pretty much has to take a flier on Buddle, don't they? Unless they think that Jaqua, Mina, Jason Kreis, or a big signing can carry the offensive load.
SALT LAKE: Jason Kreis has the first goal in the history of two franchises. Might as well go for three.
WHO DEFINITELY WON'T BE PICKED:
Tony Sanneh
Zach Thornton
John O'Brien
Carlos Llamosa
Sebastian Rozental
Guillermo Gonzalez
Peter Canero