{"id":639,"date":"2016-09-15T22:31:57","date_gmt":"2016-09-16T02:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsoccer.com\/?p=639"},"modified":"2016-09-15T22:34:00","modified_gmt":"2016-09-16T02:34:00","slug":"san-jose-earthquakes-expansion-draft-protect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2016\/09\/15\/san-jose-earthquakes-expansion-draft-protect\/","title":{"rendered":"Projecting the San Jose Earthquakes Expansion Draft Protected List"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Editorial)-\u00a0<\/strong>With the addition of Minnesota United<\/strong> and Atlanta United<\/strong> to MLS<\/strong> play next season, the MLS Expansion Draft<\/strong> will come alongside it. With that upcoming draft comes the discussions of who the San Jose Earthquakes<\/strong> should and shouldn’t protect. Here is who they should protect.<\/p>\n

Projecting the San Jose Earthquakes Expansion Draft Protected List<\/h1>\n

The Draft Format<\/h2>\n

Minnesota and Atlanta will get to chose five players from the rest of MLS’s unprotected players. Once a player is chosen from a team, that team may no longer have another player taken from their roster. Basically, ten teams will lose one player, and the other ten won’t. Any player who was on the roster (regardless of them coming to the end of a contract) must be protected. If they are a Homegrown player on a supplemental or reserve roster, or a Generation Adidas player who did not graduate at the end of this year, they are automatically protected and don’t need to be part of 11 player list.<\/p>\n

International players also complicate things. If you want to read the full rule on them, go here<\/a>. To make it simple, the Earthquakes can only protect five international players, but must protect a minimum of three. With that in mind, here is the list of who the Earthquakes should protect in order of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards.<\/p>\n

Goalkeepers<\/h2>\n

David Bingham<\/strong> is a guaranteed protected player. He’s top five in goals against and save percentage in the league. So while the obvious one is out of the way, the question arises of whether or not the Earthquakes should protect Bryan Meredith<\/strong>. Andrew Tarbell<\/strong> likely won’t graduate the Generation Adidas label, due to the fact he has played 45 minutes this season. So that’s two goalkeepers that are going to be protected. They could choose to protect him, but it takes away a spot that the Earthquakes could use within another position group. The answer on Meredith is simply no. With the prospect of signing former academy player and the US U-20’s number one, J.T. Marcinkowski,\u00a0<\/strong>to a homegrown contract, the Earthquakes would likely have all three keepers they need on the roster.<\/p>\n

Defenders<\/h2>\n

As much of a no-brainer it was to protect Bingham, it’s that much of a no-brainer to protect Clarence Goodson<\/strong>, Victor Bernardez<\/strong>, and Marvelle Wynne<\/strong>. While those three are aging, they have played a role in the Earthquakes having one of the most staunch defenses the past two years. Outside of those three, I wouldn’t protect another defender on the roster. You’ll see why a little later.\u00a0That leaves Shaun Francis<\/strong>, Jordan Stewart<\/strong>, Kofi Sarkodie<\/strong>, Andres Imperiale<\/strong>, and Kip Colvey<\/strong> unprotected.<\/p>\n

There is the potential that Clarence Goodson retires. If he does so, he wouldn’t be a part of the Expansion Draft. However, if\u00a0he comes back from retirement, the Earthquakes would lose the right of first refusal to him. If he is going to retire, then the Earthquakes should protect Imperiale. Sarkodie, Stewart and Francis wouldn’t be huge losses for the club, and Colvey is so under-the-radar that he most likely isn’t getting picked by any of them. That actually goes for most of the defenders.<\/p>\n

Midfielders<\/h2>\n

There are three no-brainers when it comes to the midfield: Alberto Quintero<\/strong>, Fatai Alashe<\/strong>, and Anibal Godoy<\/strong>. Godoy has been the heartbeat of the Earthquakes midfield since he arrived last August. Alashe has the youth aspect on his side. Despite experiencing a “sophomore slump,” Alashe is one of the top midfielders at the club. Quintero’s loan deal is technically up at the end of the year. It is no secret that he and the club want to make it a full-time deal. In order for that to happen, he has to be protected. If he isn’t\u00a0protected, and a team selects him, they own his re-entry rights. Who else from the midfield needs to be protected?<\/p>\n

The remaining names are:\u00a0Cordell Cato, Darwin Ceren, Simon Dawkins, Marc Pelosi,<\/strong> and Shea Salinas<\/strong>. The guys to protect?\u00a0<\/b>It depends. Designated Players are not automatically protected. That means San Jose would have to decide whether or not they want to use the final four spots with two midfielders and two forwards, or one mid and three forwards. I think they should go with two midfielders and make it Dawkins and Ceren. Pelosi hasn’t played a minute this year, and the multiple surgeries effectively will protect him, even if the ‘Quakes don’t. Cato would be a bad loss, but with only five picks for each team, I don’t see him getting picked.<\/p>\n

Forwards<\/h2>\n

With only two spots left for the seven\u00a0(yes, seven) forwards they have on the roster, one of them is already guaranteed to be taken up by Chris Wondolwoski<\/strong>. Wondo recently became the first player in MLS history to tally double digit goals in seven straight years. It’s a no-brainer that Wondo gets protected. So, one spot left for six\u00a0forwards (that number still hurts). Who to chose from between Chad Barrett<\/strong>, Innocent Emeghara<\/strong>, Quincy Amarikwa<\/strong>, Mark Sherrod, Tommy Thompson<\/strong>\u00a0and Henok Goitom.\u00a0<\/strong>The last protected spot goes to Amarikwa.<\/p>\n

Amarikwa, despite his lack of goal-scoring production this year, has age on his side. Last season, he had a huge impact on the Earthquakes surge into the playoff picture. That should be enough to keep him around. As for the rest? Chad Barrett is a player who has only scored twice, consistently misses sitters, and can’t go a full 90 minutes. The only player I’d think about protecting\u00a0would be Goitom, just for the fact that he hasn’t played soccer in six months and frankly can’t make an impact now. However, Quincy has far too much upside to protect any of the others.<\/p>\n

The List in Final Form<\/h1>\n

Below is the list which includes the 11 protected, and the two automatic protections:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. David Bingham<\/li>\n
  2. Marvelle Wynne<\/li>\n
  3. Clarence Goodson\/Andres Imperiale<\/li>\n
  4. Victor Bernardez<\/li>\n
  5. Alberto Quintero<\/li>\n
  6. Fatai Alashe<\/li>\n
  7. Darwin Ceren<\/li>\n
  8. Simon Dawkins<\/li>\n
  9. Anibal Godoy<\/li>\n
  10. Chris Wondolowski<\/li>\n
  11. Quincy Amarikwa<\/li>\n
  12. Andrew Tarbell (GA)<\/li>\n
  13. Tommy Thompson (Homegrown)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The 2016 MLS Expansion Draft is Tuesday, December 13th at 2PM eastern time.<\/p>\n

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    Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n