Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
Eight players were selected in the second stage of the 2013 Major League Soccer Re-Entry Draft, highlighted by the selections of Fabian Espindola and Dwayne De Rosario.
Espindola was the first player selected as D.C. United took the former Real Salt Lake and New York Red Bulls forward, improving their attacking options considerably should he sign. Second off the board was De Rosario, who was taken by Toronto FC, where he played from 2009-2011.
Rounding out the first round were the selections of Medhi Ballouchy (Vancouver Whitecaps), Shaun Frances (Earthquakes) and Chad Barrett (Sounders). The second round began with D.C. United selecting Nana Attakora before the Earthquakes picked Brandon Barklage and the Sounders grabbed Corey Herzog. 14 teams waived their selection in the first round of the draft.
Teams who selected players have seven days to make a “Bona Fide offer,” and if the player refuses and goes abroad, the team holds the right of first refusal on the player’s rights indefinitely.
Surprisingly, former MVP winner David Ferreira and veterans Heath Pearce, Joe Cannon, and Brian Mullan were not selected. Players not selected in the Re-Entry Draft are available to clubs on a first-come first-serve basis.
The selection of Espindola takes the headlines as D.C. United stocks up on experienced forwards following a woeful scoring campaign. If Espindola signs, he’ll join Eddie Johnson and Conor Doyle in the D.C. United attack. De Rosario meanwhile returns to his hometown club in Toronto, but at 35-years of age, there’s plenty of questions about how much he can contribute to the club next season.
TFC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko has publicly stated that he’s interested in signing De Rosario but it would have to be at a salary figure that’s much lower than what the Canadian international was earning with D.C. United.
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What do you think of the draft results? Think that D.C. United’s attack has gone from worst to one of the best? See De Rosario signing with TFC? Think that Ballouchy can contribute for the Whitecaps? Surprised that Ferreira, Pearce, and Mullan weren’t selected?
Share your thoughts below.