Timbers Release Protected/Unprotected Lists

Major League Soccer announced the names of players available for selection in tomorrow’s Expansion Draft. The league’s newest team, Charlotte FC, will be making up to five selections from the list of players eligible to be selected.

Each team is allowed to protect up to 12 players on their roster from selection and no team can have more than one player selected in the draft.

The Timbers players that are available for selection are:

• Jeff Attinella
• Pablo Bonilla
• Steven Clark
• George Fochive
• Jorge Gonzalez
• Aljaz Ivacic
• Ismaila Jome
• Larrys Mabiala
• Zac McGraw
• Manny Perez
• Andy Polo
• Diego Valeri
• Josecarlos Van Rankin
• Renzo Zambrano

Therefore, the 12 players the Timbers chose to protect are:

• Claudio Bravo
• Bill Tuiloma
• Dario Zuparic
• Diego Chara
• Yimmi Chara
• Marvin Loría
• Sebastian Blanco
• Santiago Moreno
• Cristhian Paredes
• Dairon Asprilla
• Felipe Mora
• Jaroslaw Niezgoda

MLS Homegrown players are automatically protected which means the Timbers’ Hunter Sulte, Blake Bodily, and Eryk Williamson aren’t available for selection

The biggest name on the unprotected list is Diego Valeri. With his current status and future in Portland cloudy, he may be at risk of being selected by the new boys. Jeff Attinella and Larrys Mabiala are also two attractive names for Charlotte and they may be names to watch tomorrow as well.

Timbers fans may remember the hurt they felt in the dealing of fan-favorite Zarek Valentin to the Houston Dynamo after an Expansion Draft-related deal with Nashville SC in 2019. The last time the Timbers took a hit in an Expansion Draft was when goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was selected by Orlando City in 2014.

The answer to whether Portland fans will have to endure something similar will be revealed tomorrow. The Expansion Draft is set for 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) and will be simulcast on MLS Soccer and the MLS app.

You can read the team’s full press release here.