This year’s crop of talent coming through once again has a good number of talented players, a few of whom could thrive and prosper in MLS given the right opportunity.
First round coverage of the draft will be streamed live at 12:30 pm ET on the ESPN app, as well as through ESPN social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
The broadcast will feature real-time look-ins on club draft rooms and draftee reactions, as well as analysis from Taylor Twellman, Adrian Healey, Matt Doyle and special guests.
For more information and a look at who the top players are, click on the below:
Alonso arrives in Vice City with an already impressive list of trophies and accomplishments which he will certainly be looking to add to with the Rosanegro
Image courtesy of Inter Miami CF
For starters, Alonso is the only person to have coached two different teams to Concacaf titles and he’s now the second coach in MLS to have won that tournament before.
“In Diego we found a manager that fits our culture and has a strong desire to build a winning club for our fans. He brings a lot of experience and championship-winning mentality as we begin our drive to be among the best clubs in the Americas,” Inter Miami sporting director Paul McDonough said. “We have big aspirations for our club and believe Diego has the right drive, passion and leadership to accomplish our goals.”
Home games will be at Riccardo Silva Stadium On The FIU Campus
MIAMI, Fla. (December 12, 2019) —
The Miami Football Club will once again be in the second division of U.S. Soccer. The fifth-year club, which began life in and became one of the flagship teams in the now-defunct NASL, has played the last two seasons in the NPSL and NISA, lower level leagues outside of the official division sanctioning of U.S. Soccer.
Statement Released by the Miami FC on December 11, 2019
The team will join the United Soccer Leagues and begin play in the USL Championship in March, 2020 with its home games to be played at Riccardo Silva Stadium on the campus of Florida International University (“FIU”) in the western part of Miami-Dade County. That venue was renamed in 2017 by FIU in recognition of Silva’s financial contributions to the college’s athletic programs. It marks a full time return to that venue for the first time since 2017.
The news was announced at last week’s USL 2019 Annual Winter Summit, held in Orlando. Miami FC sporting personnel and club employees were present, holding meetings and attending sessions.
The Mechanics
The pathway to the USL Championship bears the label “Made in Canada / Fait au Canada.” Here is the background: The Ottawa Fury was owned by Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (“OSEG”). The club joined the NASL in 2014, later moving from the NASL to the USL in 2017. The club has averaged nearly 5,000 fans over the past three seasons, and reached the USL Championship Playoffs in 2019. On November 8, 2019, The Fury announced a suspension of their operations. after receiving news that their sanctioning to play in USL would not be renewed. This was not entirely unexpected, as Ottawa had to fight to receive sanctioning from Concacaf prior to the 2019 season, and Concacaf had been clear that the licensing would be for 2019 only. The confederation has been accused of trying to force Fury FC into the Canadian Premier League, something the club’s owners did not wish to do.
Relocation of the franchise to the United States was one of the ways the franchise could continue in the USL Championship, since it eliminated the need for approval from Canada Soccer, U.S. Soccer and Concacaf. Moreover, a relocation clause was contained in the club’s franchise agreement with the USL.
Last Wednesday, OSEG announced that they had exercised those contractual rights to relocate. Under the arrangement, Ottawa Fury are officially relocating to Miami pursuant to their USL franchise agreement. They then will enter into a contract to sell the club to Riccardo Silva. Under the terms of the sale, the club will operate under the existing the Miami FC name, with Miami FC’s logo and iconic aqua, orange and blue colour scheme. The purchase by the Miami FC involves its same club and staff, which means the Miami FC will not field a team in either the NPSL or the NISA moving forward. The club will also maintain the same ownership and technical staff.
The amount the Miami FC are paying to purchase OSEG’s franchise was not disclosed. For context, the initial expansion fee for USL Championship was estimated to be $7 million in 2018. The likelihood is that the purchase price was less than that, given the desire/need of OSEG to sell its franchise, but probably still a significant amount given the level of interest around the country in obtaining a USL franchise.
“We are extremely grateful to USL CEO Alec Papadakis and President Jake Edwards for their leadership and whole-hearted support during this difficult process,” said Ottawa Fury FC President John Pugh. “We’re also thankful to Paul Dalglish and his team for helping to facilitate this transaction and wish The Miami FC well.”
The Miami FC have been highly successful from the start, winning nine trophies and becoming an established presence in the heart of the Miami soccer community. The club recently launched The Miami FC Youth Academy Program with the past year, as part of its commitment to growing the game not only at the professional level, but also at the youth level in Miami.
Miami FC in a Miami derby versus Miami United FC at Barry University on April 20, 2019. |
“We could not be more excited to bring The Miami FC to the USL Championship in 2020,” said The Miami FC General Manager Paul Dalglish. “We will build on the Fury’s success and honour their history, while also elevating our club and our community as part of the fastest growing professional soccer league in the United States. I want to thank Ottawa Sports Entertainment Group for putting this deal together, and to USL CEO Alec Papadakis for welcoming us to the league.”
Dalglish recently moved into the general manager role, after being the head coach. Replacing him on the touchline is Nelson Vargas, a former forward who played for the Miami Fusion. Vargas also was on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. He has served as an assistant coach for Dalglish since 2018. Miami is expected to maintain most of the same roster, as many of the players on the current roster are signed for 2020. The squad was both NPSL and NISA champions this season.
Miami FC versus Stumptown Athletic in NISA. | Photo: Miami FC
Dalglish says the move to the USL Championship will help Miami FC further their ties in the community. “The decision to join USL … gives us a stable platform to further expand our academy program and community work, meaning accessible, inclusive and fun family events that bring all of Miami’s soccer community together,” he said.
What makes this turn of events particularly interesting is that it is set against the backdrop of how Miami FC owner Riccardo Silva has positioned the Miami FC since the club’s inception.
Silva has been a leading advocate of opening the system of US Soccer. He founded the club in 2015, along with former AC Milan defender and fellow Italian Paolo Maldini. This came after David Beckham’s initial announcement in February 2014 of his intent to exercise his option to bring an MLS expansion franchise to Miami. At that time, Beckham’s MLS club was only provisional, and initially it was thought the team could begin play in 2016 or maybe 2017 at the latest. However, it would take until January 29, 2018 for Miami Beckham United to even become a confirmed expansion club in MLS. During that interim Silva was able to insert the Miami FC into the market and get them launched for the 2016 NASL season.
Riccardo Silva, right, with Miami FC part owner Paulo Maldini, left, in 2015.
In 2017, Silva made a $4 billion media rights offer to Major League Soccer. That offer was summarily rejected by MLS, though in defence of that position it came at a time that MLS was contractually bound to its existing broadcast rights holders, which made any negotiations impossible without breaching the contracts it had in place. The offer was also conditioned upon MLS agreeing to implement promotion and relegation, something that has been a non-starter for MLS.
Returning to the present, it might seem surprising to some that a club whose owner has been such an advocate of change in the system would join USL, a league that cooperates with MLS, and in fact has clubs that are owned by MLS clubs operating within its very ranks. But USL continues its upward trajectory, gaining new markets and seeing more of its clubs moving to better facilities. The league has established itself as a solid second division league and fertile ground for investors interested in soccer. It has also been exploring a more open system. USL president Jake Edwards has been very open about his aim to add promotion and relegation in the USL between its second-division Championship and third-division League One. While that falls short of the completely open system Silva has been advocating, it would still be a significant step in that direction.
“We are evaluating what the landscape looks like in all of those divisions over the course of the next few seasons,” Edwards said when interviewed this summer. “But that work is happening now… I’m also well aware of the excitement and the drama, the reward for ambition, and the punishment for apathy.”
Analysing the move to the USL Championship, by all accounts it is a smart business decision for Silva and the Miami FC. While they were advocating for change in the system, the collapse of the NASL left them without a viable second-tier league to play in. The NASL, now defunct, is still the subject of an existing lawsuit in Federal Court, one that it is likely to lose. The Miami FC, along with minor league side Kingston Stockade, also filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (“CAS”) in Switzerland, requesting that judicial body to rule that the United States Soccer Federation is in violation of Article 9 of FIFA, which requires promotion-relegation to be the method of determining what teams compete at what level within a country’s domestic league stricture. The CAS has yet to make a ruling, but it would be a real shock to see it intervene in the way the petitioners would like, one that would likely lead to more litigation. Finally, without any disrespect to leagues such as the NISA, the road to having the strength to be a real force for chance is a long and difficult one absent forces beyond them also wanting change.
In conclusion, joining an ambitious league growing in quality and reputation each year, with a vision of where it wants to go can only be a benefit to the Miami FC. Being in a stable league that has a national television contract is something the club needs, given that MLS’ Inter Miami CF also begins its inaugural season in March, has an ownership group worth billions and will certainly be the primary focus of the soccer media’s attention. Competition though, even if indirect and on different levels at different budgets, is always good. Smart scheduling, a well-thought marketing plan, outstanding communications team, proper price points for tickets and merchandise and giving fans a reason to feel invested in the club will all be keys to success. Outsiders may call Miami a bad sports town, but history has proven that a winning sports team here will get attention. Miami and South Florida have enjoyed an explosion of fútbol at all levels in recent years. New clubs have sprung up everywhere from West Palm Beach and Boca Raton, south across Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Some are even bringing the concept of having fans own a stake in the club to the region. The demographics are arguably the best in the nation for soccer. The game resonates with the population, and the city and region surrounding Miami are easily big enough for more than one club to not only survive, but thrive.
To sum up Miami FC’s decision, it’s a positive move by a club that is committed to change and has likely reached a conclusion that the best avenue to continue to push for that change is as a part of the established system instead of as an outsider.
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
