Draft will take place on Thursday, January 9, 2020
New scouting opportunity set for Dec 13-15, 2019
MIAMI, Fla. (December 13, 2019) —
The details for the 2020 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas were released today. The draft will take place on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 12 p.m. ET.
Some changes were also announced by the league. The draft is evolving in 2020 to streamline the draft process and provide fans with an innovative experience in collaboration with media partners ESPN and Twitter.
What’s New:
MLS and ESPN to collaborate on new draft presentation;
Embedded cameras and real-time reactions to amplify 2020 SuperDraft presented by adidas;
A new 2019 adidas MLS College Showcase is added to scout top college prospects. It will take place Dec. 13-15 in Raleigh, N.C.
The 2020 SuperDraft presented by adidas will be conducted during a jointly produced MLS and ESPN show. The show will stream live on Twitter, with a Twitter Event Card that includes the live stream and real-time highlights from the event all in one comprehensive experience. The live stream will feature cameras embedded with players and club decision-makers for real-time draftee reactions, live look-ins on club draft rooms, and instant engagement from fans on Twitter during the first round. Additional content and analysis will be provided across MLS league and club digital and social channels. The 2020 SuperDraft presented by adidas will also stream live on the ESPN App, YouTube and Facebook.
The 2020 MLS expansion clubs will have the top selections in the draft, with Inter Miami CF owning two of the top three picks, the first and third picks overall, and Nashville SC selecting second overall.
“The MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas is an important opportunity for MLS clubs to acquire top talent from the collegiate game as well as promising youth internationals,” said J. Todd Durbin, MLS Executive Vice President, Competition & Player Relations.
“The new format will enhance the experience for players and fans, while maintaining the traditional competitive aspects of the SuperDraft.”
The SuperDraft will be conducted in four rounds with 26 players selected in each round. To streamline the process, clubs now will be permitted three minutes, instead of four in previous years, to make their player selections, and there will be no intermission between rounds.
Complete 2020 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas Rules and Procedures, are available on Russo Law and Soccer: CLICK HERE.
The eligible player list for the 2020 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas will be announced on Monday, Dec. 30, following the 2019 adidas MLS College Showcase.
MLS College Showcase (Dec. 13-15) — A new scouting opportunity
The 2019 adidas MLS College Showcase is a three-day event in Raleigh, N.C., where technical staffs from every MLS club will have an opportunity to scout the top collegiate prospects in the nation, including players with remaining NCAA eligibility. The event will feature approximately 40 top college players, ranging from freshmen to seniors, participating in a series of training sessions, testing, interviews, and match play. This event will allow MLS technical staffs to interact with potential SuperDraft selections earlier in their collegiate careers without jeopardizing players’ collegiate eligibility.
The 2019 adidas MLS College Showcase occurs in conjunction with the 2019 Men’s College Cup and is a closed-door scouting event officially sanctioned by the NCAA.
Note that Homegrown-eligible underclassmen players – young talents developed by MLS club academies – will not participate in the 2019 adidas MLS College Showcase.
“It’s a 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes; it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses. Hit it!” The Blues Brothers
MIAMI, Fla. (December 1, 2019) —
The franchise is named after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and was founded as the Chicago Fire Soccer Club on October 8, 1997, the event’s 126th anniversary. The team began play in 1998 as one of Major League Soccer’s first expansion teams.
Now, they have just undergone a rebrand, one which has drawn the anger of many of their most loyal fans. Just how bad is the new look? It’s bad, and not in the sense of it’s cool, or good, or “that’s sooo bad, take my money now.” No, it’s just plain bad.
Driving in the dark with sunglasses while smoking something may be a good metaphor for this rebrand.
“The club had to get this brand refresh 100% right. It’s not even close.“
If you’re considering a brand redesign, don’t stray too far from what made your brand successful and distinct in the first place. You want your current audience to recognise you post-redesign. Big, abrupt changes can alienate even loyal fans of your brand.
The Chicago Fire have been in existence over twenty years, long enough to build up a strong and dedicated fan base that takes pride in the team’s image, both on and off the pitch. Their fans have cultivated traditions just like fans of so many other clubs have done. The Chicago Fire are also largely under publicised in their market, the third largest metropolitan area in the U.S. They are a club that could use more attention and more fans, and this was the motivating factor behind why they negotiated their way out of their lease in suburban Bridgeview for a return to the downtown lakefront.
With the Fire moving back to Soldier Field for the 2020 season, there had been rumours that a rebrand was forthcoming. Again, something that could be considered very reasonable given the club’s objectives. An update to their look. What actually happened though, looks more like a complete makeover, one that has been sharply criticised by professionals and fans alike.
Making their new look official, the Fire unveiled a new logo along with the rest of their visual identity, complete with videos and stories created to support the change.
In the Fire’s press release, the team explained “The change from ‘soccer’ to ‘football’ reflects a long-term vision for the club as Chicago’s global ambassador to the world’s game.”
Call me a sceptic, but I find it unlikely that anyone in Tokyo, Krakow or Belo Horizonte will suddenly become a fan of the Fire just because Chicago is now a “football club,” rather than a soccer club. It makes no sense to change it after over 20 years of existence and it makes no difference in terms of fan support or identity. People will still just call the team the Chicago Fire.
There were also arguments that people confuse the badge for the actual Fire department. Again, this misses the mark. The use of a Florian cross, which is a symbol of firefighters the world over, was exactly the point of the Chicago Fire logo, to honour the Fire department, and it gave the Fire a thoroughly distinctive look. A much bigger problem from a branding perspective might be the name Chicago Fire itself. The popular NBC television show “Chicago Fire” appears on Google searches before the soccer team.
Discussing the elements of the logo, the team press release played up the fact that the oval-shaped logo is “first of its kind” in league history. I don’t find an oval logo particularly groundbreaking. It’s commonplace in Italian soccer, for example. It’s also very hard to use an oval logo well. I’ve tried. The most interesting part of the logo is the crown/flame element that is front and centre. The press release states that it’s supposed to represent “flames inverted to become a crown.” The team included a .gif in its official “Stand for Chicago” unveiling package on their website.
The choice of colours is also quite odd. It’s true that MLS has far too many teams with red and/or blue. But the Fire already have two decades in the books and people expect to see them dressed in red. The new colours also already exist in MLS: they look to be identical to those of Real Salt Lake. And with a new team coming to Saint Louis, preliminary images the investment/ownership group released give a strong indication that the team may well adapt the colours of that city’s flag: blue, red and yellow.
Going back the the so-called “fire crown” element, it looks more like mountains than a flame. Not to mention that flames are never geometrically perfect or form triangular shapes. Like the colours, this shape already exists in MLS in the logo of the Vancouver Whitecaps. All of this has led to more than one comment that the mirrored triple peak combined with those colours “makes it look like a bastard child of the Whitecaps and Real Salt Lake.”
Named for the greatest story our city can tell – its own legend.
If that wasn’t enough, then there is the not so little issue surrounding the crown itself. First of all, Chicago’s image is that of a hard-working city, not a place of royalty in any sense of the word. Second, there is a serious connotation that the crown symbol is connected to in Chicago. It has been a symbol of one of America’s most notorious gangs, The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, a/k/a the Latin Kings, the oldest and largest Latino street gang worldwide. The Latin Kings were, you guessed it, founded in Chicago. The press release announcing the new identity says this:
The branding exercise included consultation, focus groups and surveys with fans, partners, staff and MLS conducted over a period of more than 18 months. The process reviewed every aspect of the Club’s existing brand identity. The survey considered the original context of the Club’s name, crest and colors and the needs of a team building for future decades in a rapidly expanding league. Upon completion of the research, the badge, secondary marks and a new typeface were designed by creative agency Doubleday & Cartwright.
How does an 18-month-long “branding exercise” that included “consultation, focus groups and surveys with fans, partners, staff and MLS” not turn up this problematic information, anyway? Assuming this information did become known, wouldn’t it have been a better course of action to avoid using such symbols, in order to steer clear of the negative connotations?
The reaction on social media has been nothing short of disastrous. It seems as if the supporters are standing for Chicago alright, but in a different way than what the team would have hoped for. All you have to do is take a glance at the replies to the Fire’s tweets concerning the new logo and it’s quite clear that this new look has resulted in an overwhelmingly negative response from their fan base.
Despite the new logo being a daring attempt at trying something new, it nevertheless falls far, far short of the standard that you would expect from a rebrand at this point in MLS’s history. Gone are silly names like Clash, Burn and Wiz. Instead of being on a level similar to that of LAFC or Inter Miami, the Fire have fallen back into the MLS logo abyss, where they will keep company with the New England Revolution.
The logo reminds me of one of those generic video game soccer logos seen in the PES video game series for teams that the developers could not obtain licenses for. Think Manchester Red, Manchester Blue, West Midlands Village, North London, London FC, etc.
This is simply a poor look for the Fire. It defies credibility that this could be the end result of eighteen months of work. Supporters are right to reject the logo since it’s a sizeable downgrade from what they already had since their inaugural 1998 season.
I reached out to the Chicago Fire executive vice-president of communications and media to see if the team had any official position with regard to the overwhelmingly negative fan reaction. As of this writing I have not received a response.
Obvious Symbolism In Chicago
It wouldn’t have taken much to update the existing look without, excuse the pun, “burning it to the ground.” For starters, any designer who took time to really study Chicago, spend some time there on the ground, would have noted just how popular the city’s flag is. With its distinct light blue and white stripes and red six-point stars, the flag is commonly found throughout the city, and for good reason. The City of Chicago flag was rated the 2nd best in all of North America by the North American Vexillological Society. These people know their flags. In 2017, the flag celebrated its 100th anniversary of its adoption as the official city flag.
Symbols are important to Chicagoans, and the city’s municipal flag is no exception. The city also has its own municipal device, a Y-shaped symbol that is often found on older buildings.
A Study In Contrasts
Earlier this year, the Chicago Red Stars, the oldest professional women’s soccer club in the United States and a founding member of the NWSL in 2012 (after previously playing in several other leagues), unveiled a new home kit. Referred to as the “Elevated kit,” it is a raging success, both in terms of fan reactions and merchandise sales. Almost half the stock had sold on that first night of the release alone.
Wish @ChicagoFire took notes on Red Stars’ jerseys. They are consistently great!
The kit was also the product of months of design ideas and in-house study aimed at portraying an image that would be unique to Chicago. The result was a home kit that incorporated the elevated train lines in Chicago, including the famous inner loop, as well as streets and the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Sweeping around the back, the pattern also uses the imagery to incorporate the city skyline. The kit also takes the famous stars from the city flag. It is pure Chicago.
The Red Stars’ kit, which is sold in both women’s and men’s cuts, has become so successful that it can be considered more than just a soccer shirt: It has moved into the category of lifestyle apparel, an achievement relatively few sports teams’ brands attain. When the team reached the championship of the NWSL last month, the Chicago Transit Authority even posted the following message on its twitter account, attaching the video the club had made earlier prior to the kit’s launch.
We salute our @chiredstarsPR ⚽🙌, who are on track and on the attack for a National Women’s Soccer League championship. Their title quest is Sunday afternoon against the North Carolina Courage. Best of luck, ladies! Score a championship for Chicago! #Bringhomethetitlepic.twitter.com/GCV8p5kuY4
It’s normal for a segment of the population to be critical of and resist change. It may be human nature. However, this rebrand has been so overwhelmingly poorly received that the club should give serious consideration to being responsive to fans’ reactions.
In the wake of the failed rebrand, scores of ideas have emerged. Artists, fans and amateurs alike have posted their renditions and ideas on social media. Here are two of the many ideas, both of which merit consideration by the Fire:
It’s amazing how many good designs have come about as a result of the @ChicagoFire’s failed rebranding. It’s almost as if all those focus groups were comprised of people the FO wanted to back their bad ideas instead of genuine fans and supporters… #cf97https://t.co/HN7BoWrD8q
If you’re a fan of the Chicago Fire but not a fan of the new logo, the best advice is to not give up and do not be silent. Let your feelings be known vocally. Do not buy the new merchandise. Continue to wear the old shirt to games. There is precedent in the world of football for teams realizing that they’ve made a mistake with their logo.
In England, for example, Leeds United unveiled a new logo that depicted a supporter doing a “Leeds salute.” The fans revolted to such a degree that Leeds thought better of it and just continued using their current logo, even though it is also really terrible itself. In that case, Leeds officials claimed they had undergone a rigorous design process that lasted six months and saw over 10,000 people affiliated with the club consulted. Thousands of fans signed a petition calling for it to be scrapped.
This proposed new crest for Leeds United in 2018 caused extreme criticism and was abandoned.
“As we look at the feedback today I think it’s clear that the consultation process that we embarked on, that we were very confident had delivered a result, wasn’t extensive enough,” Angus Kinnear, Leeds’ managing director, told BBC Radio Leeds. “We need to reopen that consultation process very clearly.” In response to the wave of criticism, Leeds released the following statement:
“The volume and depth of opinions expressed reinforced the level of passion our fan base has for our club. While the current board of directors are custodians of Leeds United the fans will always be at the heart of everything we do, and you will be listened to. We conducted thorough research into the desire for a change to the crest to symbolise a new era for the club. However, we also appreciate the need to extend the consultation with supporters and we are committed to working with you to create an identity we can all be proud of.”
Staying in England, Everton FC only lasted one season with an updated crest before going back to the drawing board and working up a better look. Both of those situations are strong examples of clubs listening to their fans and doing better by them after revealing a disappointing look.
Everton supporters continued to fly the flag with their old logo on it, even after the club unveiled … [+]PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Mark Willis is an established artist, designer and soccer fan. He has designed what would be a far stronger crest for the Chicago Fire. See his work here: Identity Sketches For The Chicago Fire
Design: Mark Willis
If Fire fans continue to make their displeasure known, then this new logo may have a short shelf life. Naturally, the club itself is clearly proud of what they came up. Through silence, they have implicitly stated that they are not considering any changes at this time. The strength of the club’s position and its resolve not to listen to its supporters will be tested both by the degree and duration of the protests against the new identity. In situations where fans’ response is so overwhelmingly negative like it has been thus far, it’s worth at least revisiting the whole idea of a change, even if it’s done quietly and behind the scenes.
It’s fine to admit making a mistake and that may be what the Chicago Fire ultimately need to do in this situation.
In the meantime, Chicago Fire fans have also launched their own petition on Change.org which can be found here: Save Our Fire Identity. As of Tuesday, this petition had more than 4,500 signatures.
One other piece of advice: save this redesign for the Esports team.
This year’s MLS Expansion Draft kicks off at 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 19, 2019.
A key point is that once a player has been claimed from a club’s list of eligible players, Nashville SC and Inter Miami may no longer select players from that club’s list. So if Inter Miami’s Sporting Director Paul McDonough is going to pick anyone from his former club, he will only be able to tap into his knowledge of Atlanta United once in the expansion draft.
While there aren’t really many big-time goal-scorers to be found in the pool of available players, there is a wealth of pricey veteran defenders. And both expansion teams are already building up strength in midfield/ defensive midfield, they appear to not have much need at those positions in Tuesday’s draft.
For those who want to watch live, MLSsoccer.com’s 2019 MLS Expansion Draft live studio show will bring fans all of the selections in real-time, providing expert analysis on each team’s picks.
With a pool of 220 players, no clear cut favourites and only ten being selected, any attempt to create a “mock draft” is highly speculative at best. Only 4.5 % of the pool is being chosen by Miami or Nashville. That, my friends, makes predictions a guessing game. Disclaimers provided (what else would you expect?), let’s dive into the player pool and highlight a few players to watch.
PLAYERS AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION IN 2019 MLS EXPANSION DRAFT
Available Player List – Sorted By Team
MLS Club
Player Name
Pos.
Pts.*
Atlanta United
Justin Meram
M
96
Atlanta United
Michael Parkhurst
D
77
Atlanta United
Jeff Larentowicz
M
66
Atlanta United
Brek Shea
D
52
Atlanta United
Florentin Pogba
D
50
Atlanta United
Brandon Vazquez
F
39
Atlanta United
Dion Pereira
M
33
Atlanta United
Mikey Ambrose
D
3
Atlanta United
Kevin Kratz
M
1
Atlanta United
Jon Gallagher
D
0
Atlanta United
Jose Hernandez
D
0
Atlanta United
Alec Kann
GK
0
Atlanta United
Brendan Moore
GK
0
Atlanta United
Luiz Fernando
M
0
Chicago Fire
Bastian Schweinsteiger
D
161
Chicago Fire
Nicolas Gaitan
M
145
Chicago Fire
Nemanja Nikolic
F
120
Chicago Fire
David Ousted
GK
64
Chicago Fire
Marcelo
D
42
Chicago Fire
Diego Campos
D
14
Chicago Fire
Amando Moreno
M
8
Chicago Fire
Cristian Martinez
M
5
Chicago Fire
Stefan Cleveland
GK
0
Chicago Fire
Elliot Collier
M
0
Chicago Fire
Richard Sanchez
GK
0
Colorado Rapids
Tim Howard
GK
99
Colorado Rapids
Danny Wilson
M
61
Colorado Rapids
Axel Sjoberg
D
8
Colorado Rapids
Niki Jackson
F
4
Colorado Rapids
Kofi Opare
D
3
Colorado Rapids
Abdul Rwatubyaye
D
2
Columbus Crew SC
Hector Jimenez
D
71
Columbus Crew SC
Federico Higuain
M
65
Columbus Crew SC
Waylon Francis
D
63
Columbus Crew SC
Luis Argudo
M
57
Columbus Crew SC
David Guzman
M
55
Columbus Crew SC
Connor Maloney
D
36
Columbus Crew SC
Youness Mokhtar
M
28
Columbus Crew SC
Ricardo Clark
M
19
Columbus Crew SC
Romario Williams
F
16
Columbus Crew SC
Eduardo Sosa
M
14
Columbus Crew SC
Josh Williams
F
10
Columbus Crew SC
Jon Kempin
GK
8
Columbus Crew SC
Ben Lundgaard
GK
0
Columbus Crew SC
Edward Opoku
M
0
FC Cincinnati
Emmanuel Ledesma
M
117
FC Cincinnati
Roland Lamah
M
81
FC Cincinnati
Kekuta Manneh
F
77
FC Cincinnati
Darren Mattocks
F
72
FC Cincinnati
Przemyslaw Tyton
GK
57
FC Cincinnati
Caleb Stanko
M
51
FC Cincinnati
Justin Hoyte
D
35
FC Cincinnati
Alvas Powell
D
34
FC Cincinnati
Fanendo Adi
F
24
FC Cincinnati
Forrest Lasso
D
19
FC Cincinnati
Corben Bone
M
8
FC Cincinnati
Nazmi Albadawi
M
1
FC Cincinnati
Hassan Ndam
D
0
FC Cincinnati
Logan Gdula
D
0
FC Cincinnati
Jimmy Hague
GK
0
FC Cincinnati
Ben Lundt
GK
0
FC Cincinnati
Jimmy McLaughlin
M
0
Los Angeles Football Club
Jordan Harvey
D
148
Los Angeles Football Club
Tyler Miller
GK
139
Los Angeles Football Club
Steven Beitashour
D
114
Los Angeles Football Club
Lee Nguyen
M
70
Los Angeles Football Club
Mohamed El-Munir
D
38
Los Angeles Football Club
Josh Perez
M
28
Los Angeles Football Club
Adrien Perez
M
17
Los Angeles Football Club
Peter-Lee Vassell
M
10
Los Angeles Football Club
Danilo da Silva
D
9
Los Angeles Football Club
Rodolfo Zelaya
F
9
Los Angeles Football Club
Dejan Jakovic
D
6
Los Angeles Football Club
Javier Perez
M
1
Los Angeles Football Club
Lamar Batista
D
0
Los Angeles Football Club
Phillip Ejimadu
GK
0
Los Angeles Football Club
Alejandro Guido
M
0
LA Galaxy
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
F
272
LA Galaxy
Uriel Antuna
M
129
LA Galaxy
Favio Alvarez
M
87
LA Galaxy
Jorgen Skjelvik
D
85
LA Galaxy
Chris Pontius
M
51
LA Galaxy
Perry Kitchen
M
32
LA Galaxy
Servando Carrasco
M
21
LA Galaxy
Emil Cuello
M
14
LA Galaxy
Diedie Traore
D
13
LA Galaxy
Matt Lampson
GK
2
LA Galaxy
Juninho Vitor Junior
M
2
LA Galaxy
Tomas Hilliard-Arce
D
0
LA Galaxy
João Pedro
M
0
League Pool GK
Charlie Lyon
GK
0
Minnesota United FC
Ethan Finlay
M
111
Minnesota United FC
Angelo Rodriguez
F
93
Minnesota United FC
Brent Kallman
D
75
Minnesota United FC
Miguel Ibarra
M
60
Minnesota United FC
Abu Danladi
F
45
Minnesota United FC
Rasmus Schuller
M
45
Minnesota United FC
Lawrence Olum
M
26
Minnesota United FC
Wilfried Moimbe-Tahrat
D
22
Minnesota United FC
Marlon Hairston
M
18
Minnesota United FC
Carter Manley
D
0
Minnesota United FC
Ally Ng’anzi
M
0
Minnesota United FC
Wyatt Omsberg
D
0
Minnesota United FC
Bobby Shuttleworth
GK
0
Montreal Impact
Evan Bush
GK
128
Montreal Impact
Maximiliano Urruti
F
114
Montreal Impact
Bacary Sagna
D
87
Montreal Impact
Rudy Camacho
D
70
Montreal Impact
Jorge Corrales
D
56
Montreal Impact
Zachary Brault-Guillard
D
47
Montreal Impact
Anthony Jackson-Hamel
F
43
Montreal Impact
Omar Browne
M
38
Montreal Impact
Ken Krolicki
M
19
Montreal Impact
Rod Fanni
D
17
Montreal Impact
Amar Sejdic
M
2
Montreal Impact
Jeisson Vargas
F
0
New England Revolution
Juan Agudelo
M
95
New England Revolution
Edgar Castillo
D
83
New England Revolution
Juan Caicedo
F
75
New England Revolution
Michael Mancienne
D
52
New England Revolution
Jalil Anibaba
D
28
New England Revolution
Cody Cropper
GK
24
New England Revolution
Brad Knighton
GK
21
New England Revolution
Brian Wright
F
2
New York City FC
Ebenezer Ofori
M
71
New York City FC
Sebastien Ibeagha
D
65
New York City FC
Jesus Medina
M
53
New York City FC
Ben Sweat
D
50
New York City FC
Tony Rocha
D
41
New York City FC
Gary Mackay-Steven
M
34
New York City FC
Eric Miller
D
28
New York City FC
Brad Stuver
GK
20
New York City FC
Daniel Bedoya
M
1
New York City FC
Juan Pablo Torres
M
1
New York City FC
Luis Barraza
GK
0
New York City FC
Jeff Caldwell
GK
0
New York City FC
Abdi Mohamed
D
0
Orlando City SC
Brian Rowe
GK
143
Orlando City SC
Lamine Sane
D
118
Orlando City SC
Will Johnson
M
87
Orlando City SC
Robinho
M
72
Orlando City SC
Sacha Kljestan
M
66
Orlando City SC
Carlos Ascues
D
63
Orlando City SC
Kyle Smith
D
48
Orlando City SC
Shane O’Neill
D
36
Orlando City SC
Cristian Higuita
M
33
Orlando City SC
Dillon Powers
M
27
Orlando City SC
Alex De John
D
18
Orlando City SC
Greg Ranjitsingh
GK
7
Orlando City SC
Adam Grinwis
GK
0
Philadelphia Union
Haris Medunjanin
M
196
Philadelphia Union
Marco Fabian
M
91
Philadelphia Union
Aurelien Collin
D
21
Philadelphia Union
Warren Creavalle
M
20
Philadelphia Union
Olivier Mbaizo
D
16
Philadelphia Union
Joe Bendik
GK
13
Philadelphia Union
Fabinho
D
1
Philadelphia Union
Michee Ngalina
F
1
Philadelphia Union
RJ Allen
D
0
Portland Timbers
Zarek Valentin
D
63
Portland Timbers
Claude Dielna
D
58
Portland Timbers
Andy Polo
M
49
Portland Timbers
Andres Flores
M
39
Portland Timbers
Jeff Attinella
GK
37
Portland Timbers
Tomas Conechny
M
34
Portland Timbers
Renzo Zambrano
M
34
Portland Timbers
Dairon Asprilla
M
31
Portland Timbers
Modou Jadama
D
2
Portland Timbers
Aljaz Ivacic
GK
0
Portland Timbers
Kendall McIntosh
GK
0
Real Salt Lake
Nick Rimando
GK
138
Real Salt Lake
Kelyn Rowe
M
38
Real Salt Lake
João Plata
M
25
Real Salt Lake
Justin Portillo
M
5
Real Salt Lake
Luke Mulholland
M
1
Real Salt Lake
Tony Beltran
D
0
Real Salt Lake
Alex Horwath
GK
0
Real Salt Lake
Pablo Ruiz
M
0
San Jose Earthquakes
Harold Cummings
D
71
San Jose Earthquakes
Marcos Lopez
D
61
San Jose Earthquakes
Paul Marie
D
15
San Jose Earthquakes
Carlos Fierro
M
11
San Jose Earthquakes
Francois Affolter
D
3
San Jose Earthquakes
Eric Calvillo
M
2
San Jose Earthquakes
Luis Felipe
M
2
San Jose Earthquakes
Kevin Partida
D
1
San Jose Earthquakes
Matt Bersano
GK
0
San Jose Earthquakes
Jimmy Ockford
D
0
San Jose Earthquakes
Andrew Tarbell
GK
0
Seattle Sounders FC
Harry Shipp
M
93
Seattle Sounders FC
Victor Rodriguez
M
73
Seattle Sounders FC
Roman Torres
D
63
Seattle Sounders FC
Saad Abdul-Salaam
D
50
Seattle Sounders FC
Chad Marshall
D
41
Seattle Sounders FC
Will Bruin
F
27
Seattle Sounders FC
Alex Roldan
M
23
Seattle Sounders FC
Jonathan Campbell
D
17
Seattle Sounders FC
Justin Dhillon
F
9
Seattle Sounders FC
Luis Silva
F
8
Seattle Sounders FC
Emanuel Cecchini
M
6
Seattle Sounders FC
Bryan Meredith
GK
0
Sporting Kansas City
Benny Feilhaber
M
102
Sporting Kansas City
Krisztian Nemeth
F
89
Sporting Kansas City
Botond Barath
D
85
Sporting Kansas City
Seth Sinovic
D
80
Sporting Kansas City
Andreu Fontas
D
38
Sporting Kansas City
Nicolas Hasler
D
28
Sporting Kansas City
Gedion Zelalem
M
16
Sporting Kansas City
Jimmy Medranda
D
13
Sporting Kansas City
Eric Dick
GK
1
Sporting Kansas City
Rodney Wallace
D
1
Toronto FC
Justin Morrow
D
100
Toronto FC
Laurent Ciman
D
57
Toronto FC
Tsubasa Endoh
M
50
Toronto FC
Drew Moor
D
47
Toronto FC
Eriq Zavaleta
D
41
Toronto FC
Patrick Mullins
F
31
Toronto FC
Nicolas Benezet
M
28
Toronto FC
Ashtone Morgan
D
14
Toronto FC
Ryan Telfer
D
5
Toronto FC
Jon Bakero
M
0
Toronto FC
Caleb Patterson-Sewell
GK
0
A note about the points used to rank the player pool: The points gathered come from this years’s MLS Fantasy Game. While that is obviously a less-than-ideal way to rank a player’s potential, it is an attempt to provide some guidance based on a player’s performance over the 2019 season. A player who has a ‘0’ for his score doesn’t mean that he is not worth a look. It simply reflects that he lacked playing time during the past season.
The Russo Soccer Top 50 Players in 2019 Expansion Draft
Peruvian International Winger Andy Polo of the Portland Timbers (left) is among the players available to Inter Miami CF or Nashville SC. | photo: Portland Timbers
Overview
With teams only being able to protect twelve senior roster slot players, most teams left second and/or third string goalkeepers unprotected. Also, players who have announced their retirement but who are under contract until the end of the year were also naturally left unprotected. Zlatan Ibrahimovitch of the LA Galaxy has announced his departure from MLS, and thus was a natural choice to make the Galaxy’s unprotected player list. The list also features more than a few high-priced older players.
Players To Watch
Forwards
Atlanta United’s Brandon Vasquez is a strong choice to be selected by Inter Miami CF. Vazquez signed with Atlanta United as a Discovery Signing via transfer from Club Tijuana on Dec. 2, 2016. He made eight appearances as a substitute as a forward/winger in MLS and two starts in US Open Cup in 2018. Vazquez scored just a minute into his MLS debut at Real Salt Lake on April 22, 2017 and added two goals and an assist in two US Open Cup starts in 2017. This past season saw him have limited time, appearing in 11 matches, scoring 2 goals and adding 1 assist across 637 minutes played. He was recently added to the US Under 23 Men’s National Team, coached by Inter Miami’s Jason Kreis, ahead of their 2-0 win in a friendly against Japan. Vasquez was in that squad and earned an appearance, coming on in the 72nd minute.
Atlanta United’s Brandon Vasquez, a top choice in the expansion draft. | Photo: Atlanta United FC
New England Revolution forward Juan Caicedo is also a player to watch. The Colombian joined the Revs from Independiente Medellin and has experience playing in the Colombian first division. He has tallied 89 goals in nearly 300 appearances across all competitions through nine professional seasons in the top divisions of Colombia and Argentina and has experience in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. He appeared in 27 games for New England, starting 13 and scoring five goals.
Juan Fernando Caicedo | Photo: New England Revolution
Montréal Impact forward Maximiliano Urruti would offer a combination of skill and MLS experience. The 28-year old Argentine originally came to MLS in 2013 as a high-profile signing by Toronto FC from Newell’s Old Boys of Argentina. The Impact acquired him via a trade with FC Dallas in December 2018. He made 31 appearances for the Les Montréalais during the 2019 season, starting 27 of those matches and netting 4 goals on a team that failed to create enough scoring chances and often struggled to find a rhythm under former coach Remi Garde.
Maximiliano Urruti, Impact de Montréal | Photo: TSN
Midfielders
LA Galaxy’s Uriel Antuna, already a Mexican international, is one of the top players in the expansion draft. The 22 year-old speedy winger who is on loan from Manchester City has drawn interest from both Chivas de Guadalajara and Portuguese giants Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Antuna is believed to have signed a contract extension with City through 2022. He remains on loan with the Galaxy through the end of the season but his future beyond that point has not been determined. He scored 6 goals and contributed 5 assists for the Galaxy during the 2019 season.
Uriel Antuna, 22, of the Los Angeles Galaxy, left, shown competing with LAFC’s Lee Nyugen, another player available in this year’s expansion draft. | Photo: USA Today
Seattle Sounders midfielderVictor Rodriguezis an experienced, versatile, attacking threat who can play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder. The veteran has over 127 appearances in LaLiga dating back to the 2012-13 season he spent with Real Zaragoza. Rumours in a Seattle say that Rodriguez wants to return to Spain for personal reasons. However he might be a gamble someone’s willing to take, because he might well be the best available player and has a low cost-to-skill ratio. He helped to seal the victory over Toronto in MLs Cup with a wonderful shot from the edge of the penalty box that eluded goalkeeper Quentin Westberg in the 76th minute. After winning the MLS Cup MVP, he’s no longer flying under the radar, either. I could see Miami selecting him and using TAM money to give him a raise, also making his trips home to Barcelona much easier.
Victor Rodriguez | Photo: Lindsey Wasson / Seattle Sounders FC
Haris Medunjanin isn’t typically mentioned in discussions about marquee players brought into MLS from overseas in recent years. But given the season he had in 2019 for the Philadelphia Union, perhaps he should be. A former Bosnia and Herzegovina national team player, at 34 years of age, is among a bunch of veterans left unprotected by their teams. Medunjanin has played a key role in the Union’s offense since arriving from Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2017. Positionally, he has played as a deep-lying No. 10 given his wide range of passing. But when Philly adopted a new system in 2019, he took on more defensive responsibilities as a No. 6. He’s also very durable, starting all 34 of the Union’s games this past season. Off the pitch, he has embraced the role of being a veteran leader and role-model for younger players, providing advice and constructive criticism on their play. On this point, he told mlssoccer.com: “I know myself when I was younger, it was harder and you played with a lot of more-experienced players and they would be like cursing you out when you did something wrong,” Medunjanin said. “Like that you learn, and sometimes as a player we should be hard on the younger players to get better.” Medunjanin is out of contract, so the choosing team would have to strike a new deal with him.
Haris Medunjanin of the Philadelphia Union is near the top of our list of available players | Photo: The Athletic
Atlanta United FC’s Justin Meram, a veteran MLS winger who spent five seasons with the Columbus Crew, was traded to Atlanta and was a contributor to both the regular season and the U.S. Open Cup during the 2019 campaign. He also plays on the Iraq National Team. He quickly became a fan favourite in Atlanta. “I’m very thankful for the fans bringing me in as one of their own from the get go,” he said. “They didn’t really look back on the past year I had, a little bit of the struggles. They looked at me as, ‘This guy could help.’ That gave me a little bit of confidence coming in.”
Jun 29, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta United forward Justin Meram (14) reacts after scoring his second goal of the match against the Montreal Impact during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Orlando City midfielder Robinho (Francisco Wellington Barbosa de Lisboa) at age 24, is still a player with potential. The native of Recife, PE, Brazil was acquired by Orlando from Columbus Crew during the summer transfer window. The Brazilian midfielder last played for Ceará Sporting Club in Brazil’s First Division during the second half of the 2018 season, where he made two appearances in the Brazilian First Division – Serie A – following a loan stint at Santa Cruz Futebol Clube of Brazil’s Third Division during the first half of the 2018 season. While at Santa Cruz, Robinho made 37 appearances across all competitions for Santa Cruz, scoring eight goals. Robinho shows signs of being a creative player who can help unlock defenses with his movement and pace. He can provide some speed and quality out on the edge of the pitch and is an affordable player.
Robinho | Foto: Divulgação
It’s worth noting that an Atlanta United veteran who has had an exemplary career in MLS is also on the list of available players. I would of course be referring to none other than midfielderJeff Laurentowicz, 36, who studied and played at Brown University.
Defenders
Orlando City SC Lamine Sané is one of the top ranked defenders among available players. The 32-year-old French born Senegalese international just completed his second season with the Lions, after spending the previous two seasons with Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. Sané is the vocal leader of the back line, shouting out instructions from the first to the last whistle. He featured in 26 games this season at Orlando, starting all but one of those matches. Orlando City coach James O’Connor brought Sané to the forefront this past season, moving to a four-back defensive platform and placing him alongside the Swede Robin Jansson. Sané’s height, at 6 feet, 4 inches (1.72 m) is an asset, allowing him to cut down corners and crosses.
Aug 3, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando City defender Ludovic Lamine Sane (22) and FC Dallas midfielder Santiago Mosquera (11) fight for the ball during the second half at Exploria Stadium. Photo: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Olivier Mbaizo of the Philadelphia Union could be a good choice for either Miami or Nashville. The 22-year-old right back from Douala, Cameroon hasn’t seen much playing time with the Union, losing some time to injuries, and thus didn’t make the top 50 list above. However, he has much potential, is not overpriced, and already is a regular on the national teams of his native Cameroon. It came as a surprise to many followers of the Union to see him among the unprotected players. Mbaizo is also likely to have some significant sale value in the future. This month, he has played for Cameroon’s national team at the under-23 men’s Africa Cup of Nations. He was on the field for every minute of the group stage, and helped set up the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Mali. The team, however, ended up finishing third in the group stage and fell short of the semifinals.
Olivier Mbaizo, Philadelphia Union | Photo: Philadelphia Union
Los Angeles Football Club defender Mohamed El-Munir is fast and displays excellent control on the ball. The Libyan international has 19 caps for his country and made 15 appearances for LAFC this past season.
Mohamed El-Munir | Photo: Los Angeles Football Club
San Jose Earthquakes defender Marcos Lopez, who is only 20 years old, would be a choice based on potential future dividends. The native of Callao, Peru transferred to San Jose from Sporting Cristal Lima and signed a multi-year contract ahead of the 2019 season. Lopez is a young left back that has already made an international appearance with Peru in August 2018 at the age of 18 when he appeared in a game against Germany. He can also play further up the pitch as a left winger. Lopez has a very successful first season with Sporting Cristal Lima, helping the club have a +62 goal differential, the best in the Peruvian league, and helped them earn qualification to the Copa Libertadores group stage. He played in 18 games for the Quakes in 2019, starting 15. This month he was called to the Peru National Team for a pair of international friendlies against Colombia (played last Friday at Hard Rock Stadium) and Chile.
Among the numerous goalkeepers on the unprotected list, several have accumulated significant experience in MLS. Most teams. Among them are Orlando City’s Brian Rowe, who is 31, and longtime Impact de Montréal keeper Evan Bush, who is 33.
Evan Bush of the Impact de Montréal has been consistently good for several seasons. An MLS original with the Impact, Bush completed his eighth season with Montréal. In 2018, he had a career-high 10 clean sheets and was the MLS’ top goalkeeper according to the Audi Player Index. He had a breakout season in 2015, starting 31 games, after only starting 15 games across his first three MLS seasons. He was a finalist for the 2015 Concacaf Goalkeeper of the Year award, following an outstanding Concacaf Champions League campaign in 2015 that saw him win the CCL Golden Glove award.
Montreal Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush (1) blocks a shot on goal by the San Jose Earthquakes during the first half of an MLS soccer match in San Jose, Calif., on March 2, 2019. | Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Tony Avelar
Brian Rowe of Orlando City SC is another available keeper. The 31-year-old goalkeeper completed his eighth season in MLS in 2019, after beginning his career in Los Angeles with the Galaxy in 2012. He earned 7 clean sheets in 2019, playing in 32 games for Orlando City. Rowe was exceptional in 2016 with the Galaxy, where he recorded 31 appearances, earning nine clean sheets and earning a 1.07 goals-against average en route to the playoffs. During that 2016 season, Rowe allowed the fewest goals (33) in MLS by any goalkeeper that appeared in a minimum of 30 matches. Rowe also finished third in MLS with 113 saves.
A younger choice at goalkeeper would be Los Angeles Football Club’s Tyler Miller. The 26-year old keeper started 28 games for LAFC this past season. He posted nine clean sheets in the process. Miller was the number one choice at goalkeeper up until last summer’s Gold Cup.Thereafter, he split time with Pablo Sisniega, whom LAFC chose to protect in the expansion draft. A player of Miller’s calibre is a tempting choice for either Inter Miami or Nashville. By leaving him unprotected, LAFC might be hoping he is selected, thus ensuring that none of their other unprotected players can be taken. It would be one way of solving the debate at goal keeper, and not having to renegotiate a contract for Miller, who is out of contract in Los Angeles.
LAFC GK Tyler Miller | Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Danish goalkeeperDavid Ousted of the Chicago Fire, 34, is also available. Ousted has been a starter for most of his six seasons in MLS, including five with the Vancouver Whitecaps. He is considered one of the more consistent keepers in the league, and holds numerous club records for Vancouver including wins, clean sheets and starts. He was finalist for goalkeeper of the year honours in 2015 with the Caps, who also won the Voyageur Cup (Canadian Championship) that year.
David Ousted | Photo: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press
Two 40 year-old goalkeepers were left unprotected, but both have already announced their retirements. Nick Raimondo of Real Salt Lake was one of the best goalkeepers in MLS history. The legendary Tim Howard has also announced his retirement from the game.
Conclusion
Whatever the results of this expansion draft, there are certainly some quality players that Inter Miami and Nashville can acquire to assist them in building their initial rosters. The players they select can of course also be used in trades for other players, draft choices, allocation money or international player slots, so it’s not necessarily the player you obtain, but what you could acquire in exchange for that player.
L’Impact de Montréal a dévoilé samedi la liste de ses 12 joueurs protégés en vue du repêchage d’expansion, qui aura lieu ce mardi 19 novembre à 17:30 HE.
L’Impact a protégé les joueurs suivants:
le gardien Clément Diop,
les défenseurs Victor Cabrera, Daniel Lovitz et Jukka Raitala,
les milieux de terrain Bojan, Lassi Lappalainen, Orji Okwonkwo, Ignacio Piatti, Samuel Piette, Saphir Taïder, Shamit Shome et Ballou Tabla.
Les joueurs membres du programme Génération adidas de la MLS qui n’ont pas gradué à la fin de la saison 2019, de même que les joueurs formés au club faisant partie de l’effectif et âgés de 25 ans et moins, sont exclus du processus, c’est-à-dire Jason Beaulieu, Mathieu Choinière, Clément Bayiha, James Pantemis, Daniel Kinumbe, Karifa Yao et Thomas Meilleur-Giguère.
Joueurs Non-Protégé
Les joueurs suivants peuvent donc être sélectionnés lors du repêchage d’expansion:
Zachary Brault-Guillard
Omar Browne
Evan Bush
Rudy Camacho
Jorge Corrales
Rod Fanni
Anthony Jackson-Hamel (Il est disponible au repêchage puisqu’il est un joueur formé au club âgé de 25 ans et plus.)
Ken Krolicki
Bacary Sagna
Amar Sejdic
Maximiliano Urruti
Jeisson Vargas.
L’Inter Miami CF et Nashville SC, qui amorceront leurs activités en MLS l’an prochain, pourront chacun sélectionner cinq joueurs parmi les joueurs non protégés des autres équipes, excluant les équipes qui ont vu un de leurs joueurs être choisi par le FC Cincinnati l’an dernier, soit D.C. United, les Vancouver Whitecaps FC, le FC Dallas, le Houston Dynamo et les New York Red Bulls.
Notons que les équipes pourront perdre un joueur maximum lors de ce repêchage.
List of protected players by Montreal Impact ahead of MLS expansion draft
The Montreal Impact unveiled on Saturday its list of 12 protected players in preparation for the expansion draft taking place this Tuesday, November 19.
The Impact protected goalkeeper Clément Diop, defenders Victor Cabrera, Daniel Lovitz and Jukka Raitala, as well as midfielders Bojan, Lassi Lappalainen, Orji Okwonkwo, Ignacio Piatti, Samuel Piette, Saphir Taïder, Shamit Shome and Ballou Tabla.
Players who are members of the Generation adidas program who haven’t graduated at the end of the 2019 season, as well as homegrown players part of the roster and aged 25 and under, are not part of the process. Those players are Jason Beaulieu, Mathieu Choinière, Clément Bayiha, James Pantemis, Daniel Kinumbe, Karifa Yao and Thomas Meilleur-Giguère.
Unprotected Players
The following players can be selected during the expansion draft:
Zachary Brault-Guillard
Omar Browne
Evan Bush
Rudy Camacho
Jorge Corrales
Rod Fanni
Anthony Jackson-Hamel (available, even though he’s a homegrown player, because he’s aged 25 and over.)
Ken Krolicki
Bacary Sagna
Amar Sejdic
Maximiliano Urruti
Jeisson Vargas.
Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, who will both play their inaugural MLS season in 2020, can each pick five players among those who are not protected from other teams, excluding the teams that saw one of their players chosen by Los Angeles FC last year. Those teams are D.C. United, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo and the New York Red Bulls.
Teams can lose only up to one player during the expansion draft.
Il s’est engagé pour deux saisons, plus une en option, avec le club canadien.
MONTRÉAL, Québec (le 14 novembre 2019) —
Thierry Henry (42 ans) est de retour en MLS. L’ancien joueur des New York Red Bulls a été officiellement nommé entraîneur de l’Impact de Montréal ce jeudi.
L’ancien coach de l’AS Monaco s’est engagé pour deux saisons, plus une en option.
« Thierry Henry partage notre vision de vouloir élever cette organisation en nous aidant à atteindre nos objectifs sur le terrain, mais aussi à l’extérieur, » a commenté Kevin Gilmore, le président de l’Impact, dans un communiqué. « Il est un compétiteur et un leader qui s’est illustré au plus haut niveau tout au long de sa carrière. Il amène ses aptitudes avec lui à Montréal, un endroit où il veut être. »
Henry retired from his stellar playing career in 2014 after playing his last three seasons with the Red Bulls. Henry began his managing career with the Arsenal Academy in 2015 before becoming an assistant to Roberto Martinez with the Belgian Men’s National Team, earning a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Last season, Henry took his first assignment as a head coach, taking over from Leonardo Jardim and assuming command of AS Monaco in October 2018. However, he struggled with the team, and in twenty games as manager, amassed 5 wins, 4 draws and 11 defeats, before his dismissal by the club’s directors.
There are currently four French players on the Montreal roster: Rudy Camacho, who played at Sedan, Zakaria Diallo, former player at Dijon and Brest, former Olympique de Marseille standout Rod Fanni and French international Bacary Sagna.
Henry retrouvera par ailleurs au club son ancien coéquipier au Barça, Bojan Krkic (29 ans), qui lui a souhaité la bienvenue sur les réseaux sociaux.
Henry Will Call Le Stade Saputo Home 📷: Flickr
« C’est un honneur de devenir entraîneur-chef de l’Impact de Montréal et de revenir en MLS, » a déclaré Thierry Henry dans le communiqué.
« C’est une ligue que je connais bien où j’ai passé de très bons moments. Être au Québec, à Montréal, qui a un énorme héritage multiculturel, c’est quelque chose d’extraordinaire. J’ai toujours eu un oeil sur ce club et maintenant j’y suis. »
Thierry Henry
La reprise de l’entraînement est programmée pour la mi-janvier.
Today marks the beginning of the MLS offseason player movement calendar.
The action will start with a 55-hour window starting at 1 pm ET today in which teams may sign and trade players.
Other important dates include the MLS Expansion Draft on Nov. 19, which you will be able to watch on MLSsoccer.com and the MLS mobile app,
Also, the deadline for clubs to exercise options that are contained in some players’ contracts is on November 21.
For players who qualify, the opening of free agency is on November 25.
You can read more about the rules and procedures surrounding the various drafts, the criteria for qualification and the processes for player movement at the Russo Law and Soccer website. Links are below:
The complete offseason calendar is outlined below:
Nov. 11, 1:00 PM ET
Trade Window Opens Following a 10-week roster freeze, MLS clubs may sign and trade players.
Nov. 13, 8:00 PM ET
Trade Window Closes and Blackout Period Begins Blackout Period begins whereby clubs may no longer sign and/or trade players until conclusion of 2019 Expansion Draft.
Nov. 14
Club Deadline to submit Bona Fide Offers MLS clubs notify the League Office in writing of players who have been extended a bona fide offer.
Nov. 19, 5:00 PM ET
2019 MLS Expansion Draft Watch live in the MLS app or on MLSsoccer.com. Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC may select up to five players each from the eligible player list. The list of players eligible for selection in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft will be released on Nov. 16 at 10:00 AM ET:
Club Deadline to Exercise Options MLS clubs notify the League Office in writing of players whose options they are exercising.
Nov. 25, 3:00 PM ET
End-of-Year Waivers The End-of-Year Waivers process is conducted in reverse order of 2019 season finish, taking into account postseason performance. Per the Expansion Priority Draft, Nashville SC will have the 25th pick and Inter Miami CF will have the final selection in each round.
Eligible for selection are players who do not meet the minimum requirements for Re-Entry Process or Free Agency. The list of players eligible for the End-of-Year Waivers will be released on Nov. 22: End-Of-Year Waivers Rules And Procedures
Nov. 25, 3:00 PM ET
Free Agency Opens Clubs may engage with players, other than their own, that are eligible for Free Agency. Free Agency eligible players are out-of-contract and option-declined players who are at least 28 years old and who have completed a minimum of eight service years. The complete list of Free Agents will be released on Nov. 22.
Nov. 26, 3:00 PM ET
2019 MLS Re-Entry Process – Stage 1 The Re-Entry Process, Stage 2 is conducted in the same format as Stage 1 and consists of MLS players who were not selected in the Stage 1. Not all unselected Stage 1 players will be available for selection as players may re-sign with their previous club between stages or may opt out of the process.
The list of players eligible for selection in the Re-Entry Process – Stage 1 will be released on Nov. 22: Re-Entry Draft Rules And Procedures
Dec. 3, 3:00 PM ET
2019 MLS Re-Entry Process – Stage 2 The Re-Entry Process is conducted in reverse order of 2019 season finish, taking into account postseason performance. Per the Expansion Priority Draft, Nashville SC will have the 25th pick and Inter Miami CF will have the final selection in each round.
The list of players eligible for selection in the Re-Entry Process – Stage 2 will be released on Nov. 3 at 10:00 AM ET: Re-Entry Draft Rules And Procedures
Next season is still almost four months away, but we now know what next year’s official Major League Soccer game ball will look like.
Shortly after the Seattle Sounders FC lifted the MLS Cup Sunday, Major League Soccer and adidas revealed the official match ball for the league’s 25th season.
Say buenos días to the 2020 MLS NATIVO XXV.
The 2020 MLS NATIVO XXV ball celebrates the league’s 25th season. By incorporating blue and green accents, it pulls inspiration from MLS’ original logo and its first-ever match ball in 1996.
The ball, which will go on sale online and in stores on January 2, 2020, is the first of “a series of initiatives” planned to celebrate MLS’ 25th anniversary, according to the league office.
Adidas says the ball has its most sustainable design to date. It is made of 100% water-based materials and print colours.
In addition, the “Hi-White” material used is supposed to allow players to see the ball better on the pitch. The ball is constructed of the same high-performance structure and panels as recent World Cup models.
📷 Major League Soccer
The new MLS NATIVO XXV is one of the many ways MLS’ will celebrate its milestone year. In the coming months, MLS will unveil a series of initiatives to celebrate 25 years and to kick off a new decade of soccer in North America.
It is also expected that next year’s kits for the clubs will also pay tribute the the 25th-year anniversary of the league’s founding. Now if only MLS would bring back 3rd and alternate kits . . .
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