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Chivas USA submits 11-player Protected Roster for Wednesday's MLS Expansion Draft

November 24, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CARSON, Calif. (Monday, Nov. 24, 2008) - Per MLS rules, Chivas USA today submitted its 11-player Protected Roster for the 2008 MLS Expansion Draft, scheduled to take place this Wednesday, Nov. 26. Like all 14 current MLS clubs, Chivas USA was allowed to protect only 11 players between its Senior and Developmental rosters, leaving 20 Chivas players available for selection by 2009 expansion entrant Seattle Sounders FC.

"The rules of the Expansion Draft forced us to make some very difficult decisions in putting together our eleven-man Protected Roster," said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic. "Our entire squad contributed to the team's success this year, and we understand the reality that we now may lose one of those players on Wednesday. We wish had the opportunity to protect them all."

Chivas USA's 11-player Protected Roster, in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Bornstein

Braun

Burling

Eskandarian

Galindo

Harris

Kljestan

Marsch

Mendoza

Nagamura

Thomas

"The Expansion Draft is designed to give a new team, in this case Seattle, a chance to be competitive from its inception," said Chivas USA Vice President of Soccer Operations Stephen Hamilton. "Ever since Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake earned a combined nine wins in 64 games back in 2005, MLS has adjusted the Expansion Draft rules to favor new teams and force existing clubs to make regular starters available."

Per Expansion Draft Rules, each team can only lose one player in the ten-round expansion draft. Ten MLS teams will lose one player each, while four teams will not lose any player at all. Including its 11-man Protected Roster, Chivas USA currently has 31 players between its Senior and Developmental Rosters, following season-ending injuries to Eric Ebert, Lawson Vaughn, and Raphaël Wicky.

Chivas USA broke camp last week and will return to training in late January ahead of the 2009 Major League Soccer season, which is scheduled to kick off on March 21. A full calendar of matches, as well as Chivas USA's SuperLiga 2009 schedule, will be released next year. Chivas USA's 18-game Season Seat Package, starting at just $180, is on sale now via 1-877-CHIVAS-1 and cdchivasusa.com.



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