So far this week you’ve had a chance to read about which defenders and midfielders the Portland Timbers are most likely to protect in the upcoming MLS Expansion Draft on December 10. You can read about which defenders they’ll probably protect here, and read about the midfield here.
If you missed the previous two pieces, here’s a quick refresher on the basics of the Expansion Draft:
- Teams may protect eleven players from their Senior and Supplemental roster combined.
- Generation Adidas players who have not graduated at the end of 2014 are not available, nor are Homegrown players on the Supplemental roster.
- Designated Players with no-trade clauses must be protected and count as one of the eleven protected players.
If you read the pieces on defenders and midfielders you know that I’m predicting the Timbers to protect eight players from the defense and midfield, leaving three spots open with only the forwards remaining. So without further ado, here are the forwards Portland is most likely to protect next week:
Fanendo Adi – Adi was signed on loan during the 2014 season and eventually brought on permanently as a Designated Player. As a DP, Adi may have a no-trade clause, which would require the Timbers to protect him whether they want to or not. That said, they’ll absolutely want to protect Adi, who registered 9 goals and 4 assists in 18 starts (24 appearances) in 2014. The Timbers will probably hope for more consistency from Adi in 2015, as his 9 goals came in just 5 games, but his strength and physicality added a different dimension that the Timbers attack lacked prior to his arrival.
Maximiliano Urruti – Urruti is one of the most exciting young talents Portland has, forming a great tandem with Adi in 2014. While they played very few minutes together, Urruti often came off the bench to serve as a change of pace, offering more speed and high pressure on the ball than Adi. Urruti scored 10 goals in 12 starts (30 appearances) in 2014, and will certainly be protected. The young forward made major strides in 2014, and don’t be surprised if he continues to improve and force himself into more of a starting role in 2015.
Gaston Fernandez – Fernandez split time between forward and midfield, but even as a midfielder he played as more of a withdrawn forwarded, which is why he makes this list, rather than this one. Fernandez, known as La Gata, made 17 starts in 2014 and 32 appearances, but figures to be the early season replacement for Diego Valeri, who will miss the beginning of the season recovering from a torn ACL. Valeri’s injury is exactly why Fernandez will almost certainly be protected. Fernandez recently suggested in an interview with FutbolMLS.com that he is planning on returnning to Portland in 2015 and negotiating a new contract right now, which only further solidifies the idea that the Timbers will protect the Argentinian playmaker.
With Fernandez, Adi, and Urruti protected, that makes 11 players, completing the list. Here’s the complete predicted list:
Jorge Villafana, Liam Ridgewell, Alvas Powell, Will Johnson, Diego Chara, Rodney Wallace, Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri, Fanendo Adi, Maxi Urruti, and Gaston Fernandez
While these seem like the most likely players to be protected, there are a few players whose place on that list could be debated. As mentioned in my piece on defenders, it’s possible Portland could chose to leave Liam Ridgewell unprotected (assuming he does not have a no trade clause as a DP). This would be a significant risk, leaving their best defender unprotected, but neither NYCFC or OCSC are likely to want to use a DP spot on a CB, so it could be a risk worth taking.
The other player who has been mentioned on social media as one the Timbers could leave unprotected is midfielder Will Johnson. The Timbers captain broke his leg near the end of the 2014 season and will miss the beginning of the 2015, which could be reason enough for New York or Orlando to avoid him in the Expansion Draft. However, he’s a top quality midfielder in MLS, and either team could decide it would be worth waiting for him to recover in order to have him as the foundation of their midfield.
So why leave either Ridgewell or Johnson unprotected and risk losing them? The answer is (most likely) Ben Zemanski. After Johnson was injured late in 2014 Zemanski stepped in admirably and helping Portland to a strong finish. With Johnson missing the beginning of 2015, Zemanski will again be essential to a strong start for Portland, something they desperately need if they’re going to return to the playoffs. Even when Johnson returns, having a third central midfielder of the quality of Zemanski is a must, as he can serve as a backup to either Johnson or Chara, or even a late game substitute for a more attacking player like Valeri when Portland is protecting a lead.
Given Zemanski’s quality and age (26), I would be shocked if either NYCFC or OCSC does not take him if Portland leaves him unprotected. Gavin Wilkinson and Caleb Porter certainly have a difficult decision to make. As I said when looking at which defenders to protect, I would leave Ridgewell unprotected and protect Zemanski. What would you do?
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