Orlando City SC today announced its protected list for the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft. Scheduled for Tuesday, December 11 at 2 p.m. ET, the Expansion Draft gives FC Cincinnati the opportunity to add five players to their roster, with no more than one player allowed to be drafted from each club.
The five teams who had players selected by the Los Angeles Football Club during the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft are exempt from the 2018 Expansion Draft. They are: Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City, the San Jose Earthquakes, Columbus Crew SC and Toronto FC.
The remaining 18 MLS clubs that competed during the 2018 season can protect 11 players between their Senior, Supplemental and Reserve Roster. If the player’s contract expires at the end of 2018, he will still be considered part of the club’s Senior Roster. If a club protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player’s option.
As Homegrown Players, midfielder Cam Lindley and goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar are automatically protected and will not occupy a spot on City’s protected list.
Orlando City has protected the following players:
Tesho Akindele
Carlos Ascues
Josué Colmán
Dom Dwyer
Mohamed El-Munir
Adam Grinwis
Chris Mueller
Shane O'Neill
Oriol Rosell
Amro Tarek
Yoshimar Yotún
The following players will be unprotected in the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft:
RJ Allen
Pierre Da Silva
Cristian Higuita
Will Johnson
Sacha Kljestan
Stefano Pinho
Dillon Powers
Lamine Sané
For full 2018 MLS Expansion Draft rules, please click here.