MLS expansion outfits Orlando City Soccer Club and New York City Football Club will have the chance to pick up many a fresh face on Wednesday with the MLS Expansion Draft. As such, today teams had to announce their list of protected players from Wednesday's draft. For the Chicago Fire, the list is as follows:
Automatically Protected (Homegrown):
Victor Pineda, Chris Ritter, Harry Shipp
11 Protected:
Sean Johnson, Jeff Larentowicz, Mike Magee, Lovel Palmer, Razvan Cocis (Intl), Matt Watson, Quincy Amarikwa, Juan Luis Anangono (Intl, DP), Robert Earnshaw (Intl), Alex, Patrick Nyarko
Unprotected:
Patrick Ianni, Benji Joya, Steven Kinney, Sanna Nyassi, Florent Sinama-Pongolle (Intl), Kyle Reynish, Gonzalo Segares, Bakary Soumare, Greg Cochran, Matthew Fondy, Marco Franco, Hunter Jumper, Alec Kann, Grant Ward (Intl)
It comes as little surprise to see the Fire willing to part ways with some of their older squad players, and given the recent designated player signing of striker Kennedy Igboananike it was expected that names such as Nyassi and Sinama-Pongolle would be unprotected. However, the Fire have only protected one senior center back in Larentowicz, and although they have just completed the signing of defender Joevin Jones it appears they will look to the draft and transfer market to solidify the defense.
The defense was at times a running joke last season, with horrifically comedic defending the norm throughout the regular season. Veteran players such as Segares and Soumare could be on their way out of the club, and manager Frank Yallop appears set to give youth its head. Jones is just 23 and Igboananike 25, and when they join Rookie of the Year finalist Harry Shipp and young striker Quincy Amarikwa coupled with veterans Lovel Palmer, Mike Magee and one of the best keepers in the league in Sean Johnson the Fire could have a core to be reckoned with.
Another mild surprise in the draft was the decision to protect Anangono. He was signed in 2013 to a designated player contract, but has failed to come close to impressing in his time with the club. Anangono was relegated to a loan spell at LDU Quito in his home country of Ecuador, and many Fire fans expected him to be unprotected.
Among the unprotected players are two international players, and if either Sinama-Pongolle or Ward is drafted this week that would costless up another international spot. The combination of the players left protected - unprotected, their ages and contractual situations have all combined to look like the Fire are set for a major rebuild. With potential international slots open and a designated player spot open, it will be an intriguing offseason for the Fire.