Might this also be a move for the expansion draft? (Re-)Acquire a guy so that you can leave him available for the draft?

That’s another advantage, but we mostly need cover in the back, especially with the Worlds about to start.

Buzz–

I definitely hope we haven’t seen the last of Wally in an FCD uniform .. Surely they would get rid of somebody like Blake before him, right?

Chase,
I’m pretty IR means Wally is still under contract, just doesn’t count against roster size. I’d think he, Blake, Purdy and others will all be exposed in the expansion draft.

Wallace is a GA player. As long as he does not graduate from the GA program he probably won’t be eligible for the expansion draft.
In past expansion drafts GAs could not be selected and did not need to be protected.

jonesing,
good point. Wallace, Shea, Lambo, Avila, Guarda, and Marosevic are GAs and should all be safe (I’d figure only Shea is at risk of graduating). Then they get to protect 11 more, leaving 7 at risk. My votes for the unprotected list would be:
Rocha
Purdy
Torres
Wagner
then the tough decisions on the last 3 exposed would be:
Burse
Hernandez
George John (hoping against hope that Philly would be scared away by his injuries)

I doubt that we’d be able to expose Rocha (as much as I would like to).. I doubt his deal from Paranese would allow him to be traded. My guess is we’ll just terminate it and send him packing at the end of the season. I’d like to see us keep Ferreira though.

Just saw that we signed Brian Leyva…

Brian Leyva the 17-year-old? Where’d you see that, jonesing?

Press release is coming out soon.

He can train with the team and play in non MLS games the rest of the season. Next season he will be able to play MLS games.

Oh it was a STH email announcement.

I was a bit slow in posting the Leyva release cause I wanted to make sure I understood the rules correctly.

“I wanted to make sure I understood the rules correctly.”

Well if you understand them Buzz, you are probably the first person on Earth to do so…

International players may not be left unprotected. So, Jair Benitez, Marvin Chavez, David Ferreira, Pablo Ricchetti, Andre Rocha, Daniel Torres can not be chosen by another team.

You’re right about how they treated G/A players in the past. But we can only protect 5 of the players below (if I understand the rules correctly):

Ray Burse
Jeff Cunningham
Kyle Davies
Atiba Harris
Daniel Hernandez
Ugo Ihemelu
George John
Dax McCarty
Steve Purdy
Dario Sala
Dave van den Bergh
Blake Wagner

So, If I’m right I’d protect 5 of these 6:

Kyle Davies
Atiba Harris
Ugo Ihemelu
George John
Dax McCarty
Dave van den Bergh

Leaving the players below plus 1 more available):
Ray Burse
Jeff Cunningham
Daniel Hernandez
Steve Purdy
Dario Sala
Blake Wagner

Of the list above, and assuming the rules interpretation is correct, I would protect the following players (not in any particular order).

Ray Burse
Jeff Cunningham
Kyle Davies
Dave van den Bergh (he is not considered an Int’l?)
Dax McCarty

That leaves the following vulnerable:

Atiba Harris
Daniel Hernandez
Ugo Ihemelu
George John (HATE this choice, but w/injuries…)
Steve Purdy
Dario Sala
Blake Wagner

It is crazy to think that we would have traded Drew Moor only to lose the player we got for him (Ugo Uhemelu) to the expansion, but really, who are you going to sacrifice instead? Maybe Ray Burse IF you feel as though Lambo is a viable option, but I do not. Sala is not getting any younger and is prone to injury, so you have to keep Burse or trade for another keeper anyway.

The other factor would be if JC has another year left in him. If you asked me at the all-star break I would have said no, but I think the second half of the year proves that he certainly does!

Players like Jeff Cunningham & Dave van den Bergh aren’t considered Internationals because they have their Green Card.

Cunningham will probably be let go because of his age & salary.

I don’t think they’ll let Ugo Ihemelu go do you really?

I think we put both Keepers out there & keep the one not chosen.

To me we protect Davies & Ihemelu
for sure. If Shea is coming back they might leave Dave van den Bergh exposed.

Remeber, that some pre & lots of post selection trades are made. So, we might give something up to retain a Cunningham, etc.

I don’t think you leave the team’s leading scorer unprotected.

Keep in mind we may leave someone unexpected exposed just because we have a good feeling that the Cheesesteaks won’t take that player – doesn’t fit their needs or another player might be available to them that they prefer. For example at keeper, I expect we leave Burse unprotected, but I would be surprised if the Cheesesteaks take him as they will most certainly find a keeper with more MLS starting experience in the expansion draft.

jonesing,
I agree with most of what you said. But, I think there’s a good chance FCD either: makes a pre-selection move to help protect guys like Cunningham, or more likely looks for an alternative to Cunningham, regardless. Just a hunch.

All players with at least 3 SMU credits must be protected.

yes I agree Saban, a pre expansion draft trade with the Cheesesteaks so they don’t take any one from FCD is also a possibility.
How about we give them Bruno if they don’t take one our unprotected players?