Portland Timbers likely to do well in Expansion Draft...

With the MLS only allowing teams to protect 11 players, the Timbers are likely to do extremely well in the expansion draft. The Sounders left a lot of high quality players unprotected, and there will be talent from many other teams as well. You'd have to have a blind monkey as a GM not to chose well with players like Nkufo, Nyassi, and Tyrone Marshall available:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sounders/2013497999_sounders23.html

And that's coming from just one team...

Oh, I'll gladly take most any of the Sounders. I have no problem saying it in public. The smart Timbers fans know how deep the Sounders are.

Nkufo is old and too expensive (If you look through all the lists, TONS of DPs are available), Marshall is old and ineffective, they won't be taken... You better believe Nyassi will get a close look by both teams along with N. Sturgis, Montano and Leo Gonzalez... Heck even Boss could get a look since he is a Philomath boy to back up Cronin...

Some others I'd think might be chosen include Robbie Findley and Chad Barrett, both guys with Portland/Oregon ties... Dax McCarty is a steal.. And he might be getting older but JP Angel could be a damn good pickup if you think you can sign him long term. there are a lot of solid players to pick from...

I don't know about Findley. He seems to think he can get paid in Europe somewhere, so he would need convincing to sign.

Nyassi and Sturgis have been mentioned a few times by the Timbers fans who know MLS better than me. The Timbers have four keepers on the books for next year, so Boss is probably safe. There's rumors Vancouver is looking at Onstad.

The one name that's really tempting to me is Schelotto. But, yeah, a little old and our money would probably be better spent on others...

Yeah he's like 37, AND a really heavy hit on the salary cap, unless you want to DP him, but damn is he fun to watch.

Good point on Findley, although he might be fast, his touch comes and goes with the wind. And if he has aspirations to go to Europe it might be too expensive to be worth the trouble (And he really was pretty ordinary this past season). Plus I doubt they will NEED the local guy attendance card at all...

Sturgis really came into his own last year, a really good steadying presence, and strong distributor that really let Seattle's speed come into play, the time he stepped into Ljuenberg's spot in the line up was right around the time the Sounders started winning. He's pretty phenomenal in set pieces too, but has a history of injury as well. Nyassi really came along a lot this year, is fast as hell and really improved his finishing touch as the season went on. Both would be great additions that could help a team right away.

Onstad would be a strange choice, I mean the dude is like 42 isn't he? That seems like kind of a reach for a position where there are a fair amount of solid, cheaper options available...

Schelotto was and still is a favorite with Boca fans.



After the 2008 Superclassic which Boca won by 3-2 the fans didn't chant " Riquelme"

They chanted " Guillermo, Guillermo , Guillermo "


He was in NYC by then....

Oh dear, Schellotto is a great talent, but, seems to have an MLS reputation for flopping a lot...

There are really so many players on the list who are worth looking into:

http://www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2010/11/available-player-list-announced-advance-2010-expansion-draft

Nyassi--for his speed and overlapping runs
Nkufo--for his size...which Conor Casey showed helps in the MLS which is a very physical league
Frankie Hejduk might be tempting too...

I would probably take Nyassi in a heartbeat...

I guess it depends on the priorities of the GM. I don't think that Portland needs to have big name DPs to bring in the fans. I think the fan base will be similar to Seattle's...extremely strong just because of having so many former players living in the area because the little league program is so prolific. I expect Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and possibly Toronto to be among league leaders in attendance.

Hejduk/Nkufo = no chance WAY too old/expensive to spend a precious expansion pick with, plus if you are taking a DP JUST to bring in fans and not to improve your team methinks your team won't be sniffing the top of the table very often.

Hahah and what does little league have to do with soccer? IS there a new youth team that plays soccer with bats now that I'm not aware of?

Bornstein? REALLY??

Hell, if you're gonna take Bornstein and Findley, then trade McCarty for a draft pick and a guy from DCU, you may as well take Hejduk.

I'm sure this is part of Gavin's master plan...maybe...

So basically they took 3 players that won't play for them next year?

Did Gavin enroll in the Bill Bavasi School of General Managership this past summer?

Rodney Wallace must be Michael Essien in disguise...

DaTruRochin wrote:
Hahah and what does little league have to do with soccer? IS there a new youth team that plays soccer with bats now that I'm not aware of?

Actually that was more in reference to attendance. The northwest has more former players per capita than any other part of the country, and in my opinion, that's been key to the Sounders' huge attendance numbers. I think that Portland's demographics are similar. That's all...

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Here's a link to the draft results:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2010/11/results_of_the_mls_expansion_d.html

PDX took Dax and Vancouver took Nyassi among other choices. Let the rivalries continue...

Well, those were some good times we had with Dax but he's gone now. Nyassi is no longer with Vancouver either.

Portland:
Traded Dax McCarty (pick #1) and allocation $ to DC for Rodney Wallace and 4th rd. draft pick.

Traded Anthony Wallace (#4) to Colorado for allocation $

Traded Arturo Alvarez (#10) RSL for a 2d rd. pick.

Robbie Findley (#6) is out of contract and Jon Bornstein (#8 ) is signed with Tigres in Mexico. GW and JS must have a good feel for their situations, though.

The players we have left are Eric Brunner (#2), Adam Moffat (#3), David Horst (#5), Peter Lowry (#7), and Jordan Graye (#9).

Vancouver:
Traded Sanna Nyassi (#1) to colorado for allocation cash

Traded Alan Gordon (#5) and Alejandro Moreno (#7) to chivas usa for allocation cash and an international roster spot

Traded O'Brian White to seattle for allocation cash (See, it worked out for Seattle )

That leaves them Atiba Harris (#2), Nathan Sturgis (#3)
Shea Salinas (#4), Joe Cannon (#8 ),
Jonathan Leathers (#9), and John Thorrington (#10).

Gavin and Spencer say the draft worked out great for Portland. They got the guys they really wanted and they were able to pick up some allocation money for a returning USNT player and a South American. One or both of these could be a DP. After listening to them I trust them and am excited about what they have planned.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:Gavin and Spencer say the draft worked out great for Portland. They got the guys they really wanted and they were able to pick up some allocation money for a returning USNT player and a South American. One or both of these could be a DP. After listening to them I trust them and am excited about what they have planned.

After all the talk about probably not getting a DP, could they have really had a trick up each sleeve?