Mock expansion draft, part one

Major League Soccer’s expansion drafts are often overlooked; many feel that the players selected only end up being depth players. Only 3 of the 10 players selected in last years expansion draft are currently getting serious playing time for the Seattle Sounders (Nate Jaqua, Brad Evans, James Riley). The core of the expansion team is usually constructed through outside signings and trades. Expansion GM’s also tend to play it safe for the expansion draft. High-priced, high-profile players that are at the end of their careers, are often passed on; and not much excitement transpires on draft day.

Philadelphia may or may not play it safe. It depends on who the GM is. But, they should take a risk or two. Make the bold pick and it may reward your team in the long run. The safe pick usually ends up on the end of your bench, or never making the team at all. Despite what history has proven in MLS expansion drafts, Philadelphia's draft could be different. The players they select could be the faces of their franchise.

The 2009 expansion draft figures to be similar to 2008. Each team may protect 11 players. Generation Adidas players are automatically protected. The rest are available to Philly. Only ten players can be selected, one from each team. Five teams will not have a player selected at all. Below are the speculated protected and unprotected players from each team. And Philadelphia selects:

Chicago Fire

Protected:
Justin Mapp
Brian Mcbride
Dasan Robinson
Chris Rolfe
John Thorrington
Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Gonzalo Segares
Marco Pappa
Wilman Conde
Brandon Prideaux
Jon Busch

Generation Adidas (automatically protected):
Baggio Husidic
Patrick Nyarko
Bakary Soumare

Players Available:
Mike Banner
Stefan Dimitrov
Andrew Dykstra
Nick Noble
CJ Brown
Logan Pause
Daniel Woolard
Austin Washington
Peter Lowry
Calen Carr
Tim Ward

Philadelphia selects: Tim Ward

Chivas USA

Protected:
Jonathan Bornstein
Sascha Klestjan
Michael Lahoud
Gerson Mayen
Carrey Talley
Atiba Harris
Shavar Thomas
Paulo Nagamura
Mariano Trujillo
Eduard Lillingston
Dan Kennedy

Players Available:
Bobby Burling
Chukwudi Chijindu
Jim Curtin
Alecko Eskandarian
Jorge Flores
Maykel Galindo
Ante Jazic
Justin Braun
Jesse Marsch
Ante Razov
Bojan Stepanovic
Claudio Suarez
Zach Thornton
Lawson Vaughn
Sasha Victorine
Lance Parker

Philadelphia selects: Ante Razov

Colorado Rapids

Protected:
Mehdi Ballouchy
Conor Casey
Colin Clarke
Terry Cooke
Omar Cummings
Ugo Ihemelu
Cory Gibbs
Pablo Mastroeni
Nick LaBrocca
Jacob Peterson
Matt Pickens

Generation Adidas (automatically protected):
Nico Colaluca
Ciaran O’Brien

Available:
Steward Ceus
Ivan Guerrero
Ty Harden
Jordan Harvey
Michael Holody
Kosuke Kimura
Scott Palguta
Gregory Richardson
Ross Schunk
Preston Burpo
Greg Dalby

Philadelphia passes.

Colombus Crew

Protected:
Brian Carroll
Emannuel Ekpo
Eddie Gaven
Frankie Hejduk
Will Hesmer
Andy Iro
Chad Marshall
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Danny O’Rourke
Robbie Rogers
Gino Padula

Generation Adidas (automatically protected):
Jed Zayner

Available:
Eric Brunner
Kevin Burns
Corey Elenio
Jason Garey
Alex Grendi
Andy Gruenebaum
Steven Lenhart
Adam Moffat
Pat Noonan
Stanley Nyazamba
Duncan Oughton
Alejandro Moreno

Philadelphia selects: Alex Grendi

DC United

Protected:
Marc Burch
Fred
Christian Gomez
Jaime Moreno
Bryan Namoff
Ben Olsen
Chris Pontius
Luciano Emilio
Milos Kocic
Thabiso Khumalo
Andrew Jacobsen

Generation Adidas (automatically protected):
Rodney Wallace

Available:
Brandon Barklage
Louis Crayton
John DiRaimondo
Dejan Jakovic
Greg Janicki
Avery John
Devon McTavish
Ange N’Silu
Anthony Peters
Santino Quaranta
Josh Wicks
Clyde Simms

Philadelphia selects: Santino Quaranta

Part two - Part three - Wrap-up