Real Salt Lake Team Photo
Real Salt Lake announced the 11 players on the club’s Protected Player list in advance of the 2014 MLS Expansion Draft, taking place this Wednesday, December 10. New York City FC and Orlando City SC will select 10 players each with no club losing more than two players to the expansion sides.
The following 11 RSL players will not be eligible for selection by NYCFC or Orlando City when Major League Soccer’s two newest clubs make their selections:
GK Nick Rimando
DF Tony Beltran
DF Chris Schuler
MF Kyle Beckerman
MF Luis Gil
MF Javier Morales
MF Luke Mulholland
FW Olmes Garcia
FW Sebastian Jaime
FW Joao Plata
FW Álvaro Saborío
In addition to those 11 players, FW Jordan Allen, GK Lalo Fernandez, DF Justen Glad and MF Sebastian Saucedo are protected thanks to their Homegrown Player status.
With the Protected Player list established, this means that the following players currently under contract with Real Salt Lake will be available for selection by NYCFC and Orlando City:
Goalkeepers: Jeff Attinella
Defenders: Carlos Salcedo, Chris Wingert
Midfielders: Ned Grabavoy, Cole Grossman, John Stertzer, Sebastian Velasquez
Forwards: Devon Sandoval
Real Salt Lake History in MLS Expansion Drafts
2006: Toronto FC – Jason Kreis selected (re-acquired by RSL in exchange for allocation money)
2007: San Jose Earthquakes – no RSL player selected
2008: Seattle Sounders FC – Nathan Sturgis selected
2009: Philadelphia Union – no RSL player selected (RSL traded Chris Seitz to Union in exchange for allocation money on eve of expansion draft)
2010: Portland Timbers/ Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Portland selected Robbie Findley and David Horst
2011: Montreal Impact – Collen Warner selected
*** Prior to its inaugural 2005 campaign, Real Salt Lake selected Andy Williams, D.J. Countess, Pablo Brenes, Brian Kamler, Nelson Akwari, Chris Brown, Matt Behncke, Rusty Pierce, Kevin Ara and Erick Scott in the 2004 MLS Expansion Draft on November 19, 2004.