Real Salt Lake Announces 11 Protected Players In Advance Of Expansion Draft
Dec 10, 2018, 12:30 PM
Real Salt Lake huddles prior to the playoffs in Sandy on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake has given Major League Soccer their list of 11 players that are protected from getting selected by FC Cincinnati in the upcoming MLS Expansion Draft.
The draft will take place on Tuesday, December 11. FC Cincinnati will select five players with no club losing more than one player to the new MLS club.
Real Salt Lake has submitted the list of 11 players that are protected:
- Goalkeeper Nick Rimando
- Defender Justen Glad
- Defender Nedum Onuoha
- Defender Marcelo Silva
- Midfielder Kyle Beckerman
- Midfielder Damir Kreilach
- Midfielder Pablo Ruiz
- Midfielder Albert Rusnak
- Midfielder Sebastian Saucedo
- Forward Joao Plata
- Forward Jefferson Savarino
Homegrown players that include defender Danilo Acosta, forward Corey Baird, midfielder Jose Hernandez, defender Aaron Herrera and defender/forward Brooks Lennon are exempt from the draft.
The following players can be selected by FC Cincinnati in the MLS Expansion Draft:
Goalkeepers: Alex Horwath, Andrew Putna, Connor Sparrow
Defenders: Shawn Barry, Tony Beltran, Nick Besler, Adam Henley, David Horst, Taylor Peay, Demar Phillips
Midfielders: Luke Mulholland, Sunny
Forwards: Jordan Allen, Ricky Lopez-Espin, Luis Silva
There has been eight expansion drafts since Real Salt Lake joined Major League Soccer in 2005. During that time, eight players have been selected in expansion drafts. The last player taken was in 2016 when Minnesota United selected goalkeeper Jeff Attinella.
