KANSAS CITY, Kan. – On Nov. 11, the latest expansion club, and Sporting Kansas City’s newest rival, St. Louis City SC, will select up to five players from existing clubs to add to their inaugural rosters.
Each eligible team can protect 12 players on their roster that will be exempt from the expansion draft. Teams that had a team selected by Charlotte FC in 2021, will not be eligible to have a player taken in the expansion draft.
Sporting KC Protected Roster
- Defenders: Kortne Ford, Logan Ndenbe, Robert Voloder, Graham Zusi
- Midfielders: Gadi Kinda, Erik Thommy, Remi Walter
- Forwards: Willy Agada, Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell, Daniel Salloi, Marions Tzionis
Additionally, homegrown players 25 years old or younger are protected from expansion selection.
Sporting KC Homegrown Roster
- F Ozzie Cisneros
- M Jake Davis
- M Cam Duke
- M Felipe Hernandez
- D Kayden Pierre
- GK John Pulskamp
- D Kaveh Rad
It leaves a list of eight players that may be selected by St. Louis City beginning at 6 p.m. central on Friday, Nov. 11.
Only one player may be selected per club, so if a player from Sporting KC is selected, the remaining seven will return.
Sporting KC MLS Expansion Draft Eligible Players
- M Roger Espinoza 36
- D Andreu Fontas 32
- D Nicolas Isimat-Mirin 30
- GK Kendall McIntosh 28
- GK Tim Melia 36
- M Uri Rosell 30
- F Khiry Shelton 29
- D Ben Sweat 31
All but two eligible players are at least 30 years old including Roger Espinoza and Tim Melia, a long-time starter in the midfield and one of the club’s best goalkeepers of all time, respectively.
SKC and manager Peter Vermes have long had a focus on building through the youth academy and the list of protected players reflects that sentiment.
The last time Sporting had a player selected in the expansion draft was in 2019 when Nashville SC selected defender Jimmy Medranda.
After the MLS Expansion Draft, clubs will have until Monday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. to exercise contract options on their players.
Free agency opens on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
