Real Salt Lake Announces 16 Protected Players in 2018 MLS Expansion Draft

Published on December 10, 2018 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release

SANDY, Utah - Real Salt Lake has announced the 11 players on the club's Protected Player list in advance of the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft, taking place this Tuesday, December 11. FC Cincinnati will select five players with no club losing more than one player to the expansion side.

The following 11 RSL players will not be eligible for selection by Cincinnati when Major League Soccer's newest club makes its selections:

GK Nick Rimando

DF Justen Glad

DF Nedum Onuoha

DF Marcelo Silva

MF Kyle Beckerman

MF Damir Kreilach

MF Pablo Ruiz

MF Albert Rusnák

MF Sebastian Saucedo

FW Joao Plata

FW Jefferson Savarino

In addition to those 11 players, Homegrown Players DF Danilo Acosta, FW Corey Baird, MF Jose Hernandez, DF Aaron Herrera and DF/FW Brooks Lennon are exempt from the draft and cannot be selected. Glad, Saucedo and DF/FW Jordan Allen are products of RSL's Academy, too, but are no longer exempt from the Expansion Draft because they were listed on RSL's senior roster in 2018.

With the Protected Player list established, this means that the following players under contract in 2018 with Real Salt Lake will be available for selection by FCC:

Goalkeepers: Alex Horwath, Andrew Putna, Connor Sparrow

Defenders: Shawn Barry, Tony Beltran, Nick Besler, Adam Henley, David Horst, Taylor Peay, Demar Phillips

Midfielders: Luke Mulholland, Sunny

Forwards: Jordan Allen, Ricky Lopez-Espin, Luis Silva

Real Salt Lake History in MLS Expansion Drafts

2006: Toronto FC - Jason Kreis selected (re-acquired by RSL in exchange for allocation money)

2007: San Jose Earthquakes - no RSL player selected

2008: Seattle Sounders FC - Nathan Sturgis selected

2009: Philadelphia Union - no RSL player selected (RSL traded Chris Seitz to Union in exchange for allocation money on eve of expansion draft)

2010: Portland Timbers/Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Portland selected Robbie Findley and David Horst

2011: Montreal Impact - Collen Warner selected

2014: New York City FC/Orlando City SC - NYCFC selected Ned Grabavoy and Chris Wingert

2016: Minnesota United/Atlanta United - Minnesota selected Jeff Attinella

*** Prior to its inaugural 2005 campaign, Real Salt Lake selected Andy Williams, D.J. Countess, Pablo Brenes, Brian Kamler, Nelson Akwari, Chris Brown, Matt Behncke, Rusty Pierce, Kevin Ara and Erick Scott in the 2004 MLS Expansion Draft on November 19, 2004.

Major League Soccer Stories from December 10, 2018

• Timbers Sign Midfielders Marvin Loria, Renzo Zambrano - Portland Timbers
• FC Cincinnati Signs Jimmy McLaughlin - FC Cincinnati
• Toronto FC Move up in Allocation Ranking - Toronto FC
• Earthquakes Acquire Allocation Money in Trade with Toronto FC - San Jose Earthquakes
• Orlando City Announces Protected List for 2018 Expansion Draft - Orlando City SC
• Chicago Fire Announces Protected Players in Advance of 2018 MLS Expansion Draft - Chicago Fire FC
• LAFC Announces List of Protected Players for 2018 MLS Expansion Draft - Los Angeles FC
• FC Cincinnati Signs Justin Hoyte - FC Cincinnati
• New York Red Bulls Announce Protected Player List - New York Red Bulls
• New England Revolution Protect Players Ahead of 2018 MLS Expansion Draft - New England Revolution
• Protected Players by Impact Listed Ahead of MLS Expansion Draft - Club de Foot Montreal
• Whitecaps FC Reveal Protected Player List for Tuesday's MLS Expansion Draft - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
• MLS and D.C. United Announce Available Players for Selection in 2018 MLS Expansion Draft - D.C. United
• Timbers Announce Roster Status Ahead of 2019 Season - Portland Timbers
• MLS Announces Available Players for Selection in 2018 MLS Expansion Draft - MLS
• New York City FC Submit Protected List for MLS Expansion Draft - New York City FC
• Dynamo Protect 11 Players Ahead of MLS Expansion Draft - Houston Dynamo FC
• Philadelphia Union Announce Protected List for 2018 MLS Expansion Draft - Philadelphia Union
• FC Dallas Announces 11 Protected Players Ahead of Tomorrow's MLS Expansion Draft - FC Dallas
• Real Salt Lake Announces 16 Protected Players in 2018 MLS Expansion Draft - Real Salt Lake
• MNUFC 2018 Expansion Draft Protected Player List Announced - Minnesota United FC
• Sounders FC Receives $50,000 in General Allocation Money from Vancouver for Rights to Andy Rose - Seattle Sounders FC
• Whitecaps FC Acquire Midfielder Andy Rose - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
• FC Cincinnati Signs Emery Welshman - FC Cincinnati
• Timbers Sign Defender Zarek Valentin to New Contract - Portland Timbers
• FC Cincinnati Signs Nazmi Albadawi - FC Cincinnati
• FC Cincinnati Signs Blake Smith - FC Cincinnati

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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