MLS expansion draft fever!

Just a reminder that Friday afternoon, just when you're trying to decide on your Grey Cup party options (CC or Champale?

REUTERS PHOTO

DeRosario: Protected.

Always a tough call, that), Toronto FC will be picking its team by adding 10 players from the existing MLS lineup (and no more than one from any of them. For the full list and rules, go here). It's the MLS expansion draft - catch the excitement!

With 2005 MLS MVP Dwayne DeRosario of Scarborough the apple of T'Citeh's eye, champions Houston have protected him - not much of a surprise there. If they want him, they're going to have to deal to get him. Won't be cheap, either.

Another Canuck, Adrian Serioux, is available (the only Canadian on the list, by my count), if they're interested.

AP PHOTO

Serioux: Available.

I'm no expert at all here, but after going down the list I'm going to hazard a guess that Nate Jaqua is high on their list - 25-year-old forward, proven scorer, a starter with Chicago, and how often do those kinds of prime candidates come along in these kind of drafts? - although Jamaican international Andy Williams will also attract attention. Colorado left open U.S. international Clint Mathis and Fabrice Noel. From the greybeard file, there's Tony Meola  and Cobi Jones.

As usual when there is precious little mainstream info out there, the blog world is the place to go for more. Heartening words here from The Crossbar, who's a lot more up on this stuff than I am:

Looking over the list of players, Toronto could build an incredibly good team; especially if they start from the back. It is safe to say that they will snatch any Canadian on the list. At the time being, it appears that Adrian Serioux is the only Canadian available in Friday's draft. So with Serioux and Brennan on the backline how will Toronto proceed?

Well, there's the question of the day.

Comments

[Jameel Amadi]

Hey Chris,
thanks for the update. Do you know when Toronto FC will start the sale of tickets for the upcoming games? Any information when the stadium will be done and whether or not they have asked a team like England or Brazil to play the first game there as a friendly?

[vincent muambi]

Hey, as a soccer fan myself this a great development for Canadian soccer. Would hope that these possible players you've mentioned would turn out to be a great and entertaining squad. Looking forward to this upcoming Spring.

Viva La France! Vive La France!

[cy]

Jameel, they've already started selling season tix. as for individual game tickets, that'll be out there around the time they announce the schedule - usually early February. But I will check on that. No friendlies, but the stadium is reportedly on schedule for a spring opening and the big non-MLS item on the calendar is the under-20 world championships next summer.

[BBTB]

Hey Chris, Andy Williams who you mention was born in Toronto and is a Canadian citizen despite plyayed for Jamaica. In addition to blogs other places to go for more info about MLS is the bigsoccer website:-

http://www.bigsoccer.com

and Toronto FC fan websites like:-

http://www.toronto-fc.com
http://www.usector.ca

[cy]

Thanks BBTB. I'm going to put together some footy links for the blogroll - if anyone has any candidates, send them along for consideration.

[Maggie]

Hi,
That was BORING!!!
Make something intresting for KIDS!!
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Nitendo RULES!
SO DUDE!
GET SOME KIDS STUFF
Maggie

[cdub]

Serioux would be a great pickup! Filled in wonderfully on Sunday.

And if anyone else was wondering what "generation adidas" was and why they were exempt from the draft:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project-40

[MoJo]

Hey Chris,

What are you thinking about Toronto FC's moves these past few days, including the trade of Serioux. How do you feel they've handled themselves? Do they look competitive to you after the recent draft?

[cy]

I'll play along, MoJo. I'm still learning about this MLS but it seems like you're paying attention with the allocation money angle -- a salary cap dodge, that, and you tell me how much more you need to make a serious run at De Rosario -- and capitalizing on what sounds like an internal player-coach feud in Dallas to pick up a more offensive player in Ronnie O'Brien.
And Tuesday, you announce some Canadian signings. Maybe let us know whether Jaqua is staying or going, too, 'cause there's mixed signals there.
The other thing I've noticed is that this team faces a hard road to getting noticed in this market. Even with MLSE behind it, the expansion draft barely registered.
Anyway, since you asked, and it's early days yet but well played, Mo. I'll make one of those TFC pub nites yet.