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MLS Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia Union's Game Plan Set For MLS Expansion Draft

November 18, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Philadelphia Union News Release


CHESTER, Pa. (November 18, 2009) - Team Manager Peter Nowak will make his first official moves when Philadelphia Union selects players from the 15 existing clubs in Major League Soccer in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft. The draft, which will last 10 rounds, takes place Wednesday, November 25 and will give Philadelphia Union their first players as the club assembles its initial roster for the 2010 season.

Philadelphia Union will open their inaugural season as part of MLS First Kick presented by Dick's Sporting Goods on March 25, 2010 against 2009 expansion club Seattle Sounders FC, in a match nationally televised on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

"This is an extremely important day in the process to establish our club, to be successful both on and off the field," said Philadelphia Union CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz. "I know how hard Peter has been at it-scouting and talking with coaches and general managers throughout MLS-making sure he selects the players who have the right balance of character and talent; who will work incredibly hard and give their coaches and our supporters maximum effort every time out."

Here's how the draft works:

Teams can participate in a half-day trade window on Monday, November 23 until Noon Eastern Time. All 15 current MLS teams are required to submit their lists of protected players to the League by 3 PM Monday, ET.

Philadelphia Union will then have until 1 PM ET to send their picks to the MLS office in New York.

Once approved by the League, Philadelphia Union will release the names and complete information on the players selected on the club's internet site, www.philadelphiaunion.com. Peter Nowak and Coach and Youth Team Coordinator John Hackworth will be available to the media at the club's offices shortly thereafter. At the conclusion of the Expansion Draft, results will be posted on MLSnet.com and teams may resume trading.

The most recent MLS Expansion Draft was highlighted by several impact players who helped lead Seattle Sounders FC to a playoff berth in their first season including Brad Evans, Nate Jaqua and James Riley.

Philadelphia Union may not claim more than one player from any given team in MLS - five teams will not have a player taken in the Expansion Draft.

2009 MLS Expansion Draft Rules

Senior Roster

* Teams may protect 11 players between its Senior and Developmental Rosters. * If the Player's contract expires at the end of 2009, he will still be considered part of the Team's Senior Roster. * If a Team protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player's option. It may renegotiate a new budget number for the player as in previous years. * If a player retires, he will not be a part of the Senior Roster, but his Team will lose its right of first refusal to him should he ultimately decide to play.

Developmental Roster

* Players on a Team's Developmental Roster, other than Generation adidas players who have not graduated by the end of the 2009 season and Home Grown Players, will be part of the expansion draft. * Generation adidas players (who have not graduated by the end of the 2009 season) and Home Grown players are automatically protected (teams do not have to use a protected slot on them). If Philadelphia selects a Developmental Player it must offer him a Senior Roster position and he must be on Philadelphia's Senior Roster as of the Roster Compliance Date.

International Players

* Teams are restricted in the number of International player(s) that they may make available per the table set forth below. * For purposes of this expansion process, for U.S.-based teams, any non-domestic U.S. player would count as an International and for Toronto FC, any non-domestic U.S. player or non-domestic Canadian player would count as an International.

Designated Players

* Designated Players do not have to be protected unless the player has a no trade clause in which case he must be protected.

Maximum Player Loss

* Once a player has been claimed from a Team's non-protected roster, that team is eliminated from the expansion draft and may not lose any further players.

Right to Renegotiate

* Philadelphia will have the right to renegotiate a drafted player's salary (either up or down) without having to place such player on waivers or giving his previous Team a right of first refusal.

Priority

* On the first day of the Discovery/Allocation Period, Philadelphia will have priority over players who played professionally in the USL First or Second Division in 2009, subject to another MLS team's right of first refusal.

Rounds

* The expansion draft will be 10 rounds.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYER PROTECTION REQUIREMENT TABLE:

- Teams may make available a number of international players equal to their total number of international players minus three, provided that if a team has three or less international players it may make available not more than one.

Philadelphia Union's first-ever First Kick will take place, March 25, 2010 vs. the Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field. The club's home opener will be April 10th vs. D.C. United at Lincoln Financial Field.

For more information on Philadelphia Union, please visit www.philadelphiaunion.com.

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