With the Major League Soccer expansion draft coming up on Wednesday, Real Salt Lake released its list of the 11 players it protected from selection.
Four strikers (Alvaro Saborio, Joao Plata, Sebastian Jamie and Olmes Garcia), four midfielders (Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Luke Mulholland and Luis Gil), two defenders (Chris Schuler, Tony Beltran) and one goalkeeper (Nick Rimando) are all on the protected list.
Homegrown Players — players developed through RSL's youth programs — are automatically protected. They include forward/midfieder/defender Jordan Allen, midfieder Sebastian Saucedo, defender Justen Glad and goalkeeper Lalo Fernandez.
Orlando City and New York City will be able to chose from RSL forward Devon Sandoval; midfieders Ned Grabavoy, Cole Grossman, John Stertzer or Sebasitan Velasquez; defenders Carlos Salcedo or Chris Wingert; or goalkeeper Jeff Attinella.
Grabavoy and Wingert started regularly for RSL and are Orlando's and NYCFC's most likely targets. Salcedo and Attinella shined in 2014 as spot starters. Sandoval, Grossman and Velasquez proved to be steady backups while injuries have slowed Stertzer.
The draft (noon, MT) has some intrigue because former longtime head coach Jason Kreis helms NYCFC. However, under MLS rules, no team can lose more than two players. Once a player has been taken from a team, that team can pull one back off the unprotected list.
Both teams have 10 picks, with Orlando getting the first choice. There are plenty of talented players out there with former MLS all-stars Eddie Johnson, Tim Cahill and Donovan Ricketts available.
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