Protected List Goodbye Robbies
Real just announced the protected list for the expansion draft, which will be held on Wednesday. Visit our Expansion Draft Page for more detail on how it will work.
Protected
Robbie Findley was not protected for Wednesday's expansion draft.
The following players are protected and unavailable for the two new sides to take:
- GK Nick Rimando
- DF Tony Beltran
- DF Nat Borchers
- DF Jamison Olave
- DF Chris Wingert
- MF Kyle Beckerman
- MF Will Johnson
- MF Javier Morales
- FW Fabian Espíndola
- FW Paulo Junior
- FW Álvaro Saborío
In addition, Luis Gil is on a Generation Adidas contract and is also unavailable for selection.
Findley and Russell
This means Robbie Findley and Robbie Russell are not protected. Both will likely be gone next season.:
Russell is almost certain to be picked in the expansion draft. He is an experienced defender/midfielder who has spent time overseas and in the U.S. He is a veteran of Salt Lake’s record-setting back line and versatile because of his size.
Real Salt Lake General Manager Garth Lagerwey released the following statement on Findley:
“Robbie Findley has informed us that he has offers overseas and will be pursuing an opportunity outside of Major League Soccer as the next step in his career. We respect his decision and thank him for his immensely valuable contributions to Real Salt Lake, as we could not have won a championship without him. We wish Robbie the best of luck with his future endeavors.”
The timing of this announcement is curious. It discourages other teams from taking Findley’s rights in the expansion draft, even though so doing would protect other players that will be here next season. Lagerwey is a straight shooter, so I don’t see this as deceptive. Rather, I think Salt Lake would like to retain the MLS rights to Findley as an asset if/when he comes back to Major League Soccer.
Category: News
[...] RSL Nation: Protected List … goodbye Robbies [...]