2021 MLS Expansion Draft
The 2021 MLS Expansion Draft was a special draft for the Major League Soccer expansion team Charlotte FC that was held on December 14, 2021. The list of exposed players was revealed on December 13, 2021.[1] The picks were made on December 14, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET with Charlotte selecting McKinze Gaines, Anton Walkes, Joseph Mora, Tristan Blackmon, and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.[2]
| 2021 MLS Expansion Draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date(s) | December 14, 2021 |
| Overview | |
| 5 total selections in 5 rounds | |
| Expansion teams | Charlotte FC |
| Expansion season | 2022 |
Format
Teams who had players selected in the 2020 MLS Expansion Draft are exempt. These teams are San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, Nashville SC, LA Galaxy, and Orlando City SC. All other teams from the 2021 season are subject to the draft. These teams have 12 protection slots that they may apply to any draft eligible player on their senior, supplemental, and reserve rosters. Players who have not graduated from Generation Adidas, and homegrown players age 25 and under as of the end of the 2021 season are not eligible for the draft. Players with contracts expiring at the end of the season, designated players, and players with no-trade clauses are part of a team's roster and are eligible for the draft. In the case of player's with no-trade clauses, a team must use one of their protection slots for that player. If a team has a players selected in the draft, that team becomes exempt from any further picks in the draft. The expansion team, Charlotte FC was given 5 picks for the draft.[3]
Expansion Draft picks
| Pick | MLS team | Player | Previous team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte FC | McKinze Gaines | Austin FC | |
| 2 | Anton Walkes | Atlanta United | ||
| 3 | Joseph Mora | D.C. United | ||
| 4 | Tristan Blackmon | Los Angeles FC | Traded to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in exchange for $475,000 of General Allocation Money.[4] | |
| 5 | Ismael Tajouri-Shradi | New York City FC | Traded to Los Angeles FC in exchange for $400,000 of General Allocation Money.[5] |
Team-by-team-breakdown
Atlanta United FC
| Exposed |
|---|
| Mo Adams |
| Mikey Ambrose |
| Josh Bauer |
| Jürgen Damm |
| Alex DeJohn |
| Ronald Hernández |
| Emerson Hyndman |
| Alec Kann |
| Erik López |
| Ben Lundgaard |
| Jake Mulraney |
| Amar Sejdič |
| Erick Torres |
| Anton Walkes |
Austin FC
Chicago Fire FC
| Exposed |
|---|
| Robert Berić |
| Francisco Calvo |
| Elliot Collier |
| Johan Kappelhof |
| Kenneth Kronholm |
| Álvaro Medrán |
| Bobby Shuttleworth |
| Luka Stojanović |
FC Cincinnati
Colorado Rapids
| Exposed |
|---|
| Dominique Badji |
| Steven Beitashour |
| Clint Irwin |
| Jeremy Kelly |
| Nicolás Mezquida |
| Drew Moor |
| Younes Namli |
| Andre Rawls |
| Diego Rubio |
| Collen Warner |
Columbus Crew
| Exposed |
|---|
| Saad Abdul-Salaam |
| Harrison Afful |
| Evan Bush |
| Eric Dick |
| Waylon Francis |
| Marlon Hairston |
| Erik Hurtado |
| Perry Kitchen |
| Grant Lillard |
| Kevin Molino |
| Josh Williams |
| Vito Wormgoor |
| Bradley Wright-Phillips |
D.C. United
FC Dallas
| Exposed |
|---|
| Bryan Acosta |
| Bressan |
| Caiser Gomes |
| Phelipe Megiolaro |
| Andrés Ricaurte |
| Freddy Vargas |
| Kyle Zobeck |
Houston Dynamo FC
Los Angeles FC
Inter Miami CF
| Exposed |
|---|
| George Acosta |
| Ventura Alvarado |
| Dylan Castanheira |
| Jay Chapman |
| Sami Guediri |
| Joevin Jones |
| Kelvin Leerdam |
| Blaise Matuidi |
| John McCarthy |
| Josh Penn |
| Patrick Seagrist |
| Ryan Shawcross |
| Brek Shea |
Minnesota United FC
CF Montréal
| Exposed |
|---|
| Sebastian Breza |
| Rudy Camacho |
| Bjørn Johnsen |
| Mustafa Kizza |
| Ismaël Koné |
| Emanuel Maciel |
| Aljaž Struna |
| Ballou Tabla |
| Róbert Thorkelsson |
| Victor Wanyama |
New England Revolution
| Exposed |
|---|
| Emmanuel Boateng |
| Luis Caicedo |
| Scott Caldwell |
| A. J. DeLaGarza |
| Earl Edwards Jr. |
| Wilfrid Kaptoum |
| Edward Kizza |
| Brad Knighton |
| Christian Mafla |
| Arnor Traustason |
| Collin Verfurth |
New York City FC
Philadelphia Union
| Exposed |
|---|
| Matheus Davó |
| Joe Bendik |
| Jesús Bueno |
| Cory Burke |
| Aurelien Collin |
| Stuart Findlay |
| Ilsinho |
| Matej Oravec |
| Gino Portella |
| Alvas Powell |
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
| Exposed |
|---|
| Toni Datković |
| Everton Luiz |
| Douglas Martínez |
| Justin Meram |
| Ashtone Morgan |
| Justin Portillo |
| Noah Powder |
| Andrew Putna |
| Jeizon Ramírez |
| Donny Toia |
Seattle Sounders FC
| Exposed |
|---|
| Nicolas Benezet |
| Will Bruin |
| Abdoulaye Cissoko |
| Stefan Cleveland |
| Jordy Delem |
| Fredy Montero |
| Shane O'Neill |
| Spencer Richey |
| Kelyn Rowe |
| Brad Smith |
| Andrew Thomas |
References
- "2021 MLS Expansion Draft Eligible Player List". mlssoccer.com. December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- "2021 Expansion Draft results: Charlotte FC makes picks ahead of inaugural season". mlssoccer.com. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- "2021 MLS Expansion Draft Rules & Procedures". mlssoccer.com. November 19, 2021. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- Jonathan Sigal (December 14, 2021). "Vancouver Whitecaps acquire defender Tristan Blackmon in Expansion Draft trade". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- "LAFC land forward Ismael Tajouri-Shradi via Expansion Draft trade". mlssoccer.com. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.