Expansion Draft: Which Galaxy Players Would You Protect?

By: Laurie | November 13th, 2007

I guess I could be talking about Beckham’s new underwear modeling contract, but frankly I find the expansion draft much more interesting. Is there something wrong with me? Don’t answer that.

But here’s the deal on the expansion draft. According to Wikipedia (and everybody knows Wikipedia is ALWAYS right), here were the rules for 2006:

•Only one player may be selected from each team, two of the league’s 12 current teams will not have a player selected.
•Teams will be allowed to protect 11 players from their 28-man rosters. Generation adidas players are automatically protected, though players who are graduated from the program to the senior roster at the end of the 2006 season are not.
•Each team may only leave one senior international player unprotected.

If these aren’t right, feel free to leave corrections and I’ll fix the post. It’s also my understanding that when teams pick up players, they also pick up the contract terms (e.g. salary, etc.)? Is that right? (This is my first expansion draft. Bear with me.)

I have my own thoughts on players I’d like to see protected, and I’ll post them tomorrow. Till then, I’d like to see your thoughts. Also, since Frank knows exactly what our players are capable of, who do you think he’ll pick from LA?

Here’s the current roster from the website, minus Cobi. Senior Internationals are marked S-I. And am I correct is assuming that Generation Adidas players Quavas Kirk and Israel Sesay are automatically protected?

Chris Albright
David Beckham
Edson Buddle
Joe Cannon
Mike Caso DEV
Steve Cronin DEV
Landon Donovan
Lance Friesz DEV
Gavin Glinton
Alan Gordon
Kelly Gray
Ty Harden DEV
Kevin Harmse SYI
Ante Jazic S-I
Quavas Kirk DEV (Adidas?)
Chris Klein
Kyle Martino
Carlos Pavon S-I
Mike Randolph DEV
Troy Roberts
Israel Sesay (Adidas)
Josh Tudela
Peter Vagenas
Kyle Veris DEV
Abel Xavier S-I

Some Related Galaxy Posts:

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Laurie

Unfortunately the rules state that you can leave only one Senior International unprotected. So it wasn't a choice between Tudela and Pavon, it was a choice between Pavon, Jazic, Xavier and Beckham. I would have left Pavon unprotected. The Galaxy chose Xavier. (But I also would have protected Tudela.)
neville

I am puzzled about Coarlos Pavon been protced; the Galaxy may lose Josh Tudela. Did we all see pavon this year? he is much too slow, he can not dilever; he is a huge disappointment. Unfortunately, we of to let go of the past; Pavon will not be any younger next season. With the exception of Beck and Landon in midfield, Josh is one of the best midfilders on the Galaxy team. I would procted him over Chris Klein, Chris has big problem with his first touch and he has zero skills as a midfelder. To build a great soccer team one can not keeping on trading old for old and mideocre players for a starting eleven while having young talented players on the bench. Getting: Pavon, Xavier and chris Klein, Kelly Gray and Kyle Martino to replace Marshall, Ugo Ihemelu, Joeseph Ngwenya, Robie Findley, and Herculez gomez was a huge mistake by the Galaxy.
Laurie

Alexi and Ruud and Cobi apparently agree with you, Neville. The Galaxy protected him, along with all defenders but Kyle Veris and Abel Xavier.
neville

In responding to the views of the above protected lists, I can not belive Troy Roberts was not protected. By far Troy is one of the best player on the Galaxy team; he can play any where in back field. Please let me know which other defender on the Galaxy team can.

Thanks, Neville
David

I'd go with Ronny's list, but swap Gray for Harden. Not that Harden is so great, but I don't think we can afford to give up a defender. We have more depth in midfield.

I think Albright, Klein, Beckham, Jazic, Harmse, and Xavier are no brainers, either becuase of skill or because who in their right mind would want to protect Pavon!

You have to protect Donovan. Even if he might leave (which seems unlikley to me), why would you give up that trading chip? It makes no sense to lose him for nothing in expansion, when you can trade him for two players otherwise.

Our front line has left a lot to be desired. Glinton has been a pretty reliable sub, so I probably wouldn't want to give him up. I think Buddle has been tremendous, personally, but he is older and I am less inclined to protect him.

Randolph was a stunningly great surprise last season (Grahame Jones of the LA Times called him a "revelation.") Again, with so little depth in the back I would absolutely protect him.

I view Cannon like Donovan. He is a great player. Nevertheless, I would consider trading him, but not losing him to expansion. Besides, if we are going to keep Landy and Becks, we need to trade for another DP spot and Cannon is a juicy enough prize to get us such a trade.
Laurie

Well first of all it'll be all 13 teams instead of 12.

Sam = Smartass. But we knew that already, right? ;-)
George

How about keeping Buddle? He's got 5 goals this season, and is second on the team in goals to Donovan (who only scored 3 goals that weren't PK's). I think he's a pretty good shooter and goal-scorer, and he's really shown himself in these recent friendlies (he got 4 goals). I think his injuries hurt him a lot this season, but he's great when he's healthy.

You can watch the nice goal he just got against Minnesota on the Galaxy website (look for the link in the middle that says "Beckham to Buddle"):
http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/t1...
Ronny

These Squad healthy and with Chemistry can do some real Damage out there, with the right guidance....! Look out MLS!

Chris Albright
David Beckham
Joe Cannon
Landon Donovan
Gavin Glinton
Kelly Gray
Kevin Harmse SYI
Ante Jazic S-I
Chris Klein
Mike Randolph DEV
Abel Xavier S-I
Diane

That's an awful lot your DP is exempt from. Is it too late to say that I don't believe in the position? I wasn't here to vote last year :( ... and now look at how confusing things are!

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me how a match can have penalty kicks without overtimes or need either if its casual enough for the teams to be lending each other players for the night (ok one player, still...).

It's not that easy being an offsidelagalaxy fan you know , Laurie.
Laurie

Diane, SYI is Youth International -- either under 24 or 25 years old. I don't know what the S stands for. (I was going to say "Senior," but that would be oxymoronic, wouldn't it?) And an S-I is over 25 and not from the US. (Beckham -- England, Xavier -- Portugal(?), Pavon-- Honduras, Jazic -- Canada.) Although Beckham isn't designated as an S-I, so maybe designated players don't count against your quota?
Ian

I'd pick Sam's list, except swap out Landycakes for Cannon. Landon looks more and more likely to leave, and Cannon saved your bacon so many times this past season I lost count. With a less competent keeper, the Gals season would have gone from mediocre to terrible very quickly.
bluemeanies

Sesay is automatically protected so you get another pick sam. And Yallop has proven in the past that he's willing to make drastic trades to get Cannon (Ihemelu and Herc to Colorado) who is in fact a SJ original if I remember correctly. In short protect Cannon if for nothing else than getting Yallop to draft someone else from another team for a trade. And looking for a better goalkeeper is more of a challenge than you think unless Gullit has faith in the current backup- is that Cronin? I'd also take Pavon off your list because Yallop seems to have decided he's useless.

I think LA will be the last team Yallop picks from and the three he skips will be RSL, Toronto & Columbus though he might have someone in mind from Columbus as a long shot and Colorado meh.

The terms of the contracts iirc last year transfered with the player if they were senior roster and became senior minimum if they were dev.
Only Goalkeeping

I'd protect all 3 goalkeepers and the next eight starting from the back. Just kidding.

Albright
Beckham
Cannon
Vagenas
Xavier
Gordon
Klein
Harden
Harmse
Veris
Jazic
Sam

Well first of all it'll be all 13 teams instead of 12.

I would go with this bunch:

David Beckham
Landon Donovan
Kevin Harmse
Ante Jazic
Quavas Kirk
Chris Klein
Kyle Martino
Carlos Pavon
Israel Sesay
Peter Vagenas
Abel Xavier

Forget Cannon, you'll find someone better.
Diane

What's an SYI and what makes someone an S-I? AND any hopes for a coaching career are shot. I just looked at all the roster pages, to make sure I remembered who was who accurately, and their photos all looked so sincere and bambi-eyed (that's a word) that I wouldn't be able to cut any one! I should never have looked them in the eye...
Tiffany

Well I would choose the unprotected player to be Pavon. But as to who I would protect...is it really protecting them to keep them in LA with Lalas?
That's like saying, "Gee, Chris Albright*, I love you so much I'm giving you a grizzly bear as a pet. Enjoy!"

*: However Chris Albright would be on my list. As well as Kyle Martino. Of course.
Melissa

Can we have Jazic? Not because of his skills (and honestly I wasn't really paying attention to him kicking the ball around), but just because he's so cute! Right... uh, I'll seriously think about this and get back to you.