CARSON, Calif. -- CD Chivas USA will have the first draft of unprotected players in the upcoming expansion draft, getting the opening opportunity to begin to stock their roster in advance of their inaugural season next year, after a coin flip was help Sunday just before the MLS Cup match between D.C. United and the Kansas City Wizards.
CD Chivas USA president Antonio Cue and Real Salt Lake CEO Dave Checketts participated in the coin toss, which Chivas won, meaning they have the first selection in next Friday's Expansion Draft and Real Salt Lake. By losing the coin toss, Real Salt Lake will the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, with Chivas picking second.
"We want to see what we can get with the expansion draft," said Cue. "We haven't chosen a player yet but we like the choices with the expansion draft."
Said Checketts: "Real Salt Lake is pleased to gain the No. 1 overall pick in the January MLS SuperDraft. We know the depth of the talent pool in this country will allow us to pick a top young player -- hopefully the caliber the recent of No. 1s, MLS Cup MVP Alecko Eskandarian or Freddy Adu."
The Expansion Draft will be televised live on ESPNews (Nov. 19, 4 p.m. ET). Fans will also be able to follow the proceedings on MLSnet.com with a live draft tracker. This year's expansion draft will be the second in league history and the first since 1997 when the Chicago Fire and the now-defunct Miami Fusion FC were initiated into the league. With the inclusion of CD Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake, MLS will become a 12-team league, though the alignment of conferences has yet to be announced.
The rules of the Expansion Draft state that each team may protect 12 senior roster players. Those classified as Project-40, transitional internationals and developmental players do not have to be protected. Further, only one senior international can be left unprotected.
An existing team can only lose a maximum of three players, and they may also protect one additional player for each man taken by either CD Chivas USA or Real Salt Lake. All 10 current teams must turn in their protected player lists to the league office by 5 p.m. on Monday, with the lists of available players to be announced on MLSnet.com on Tuesday after the two expansion clubs have been notified.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
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