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The Houston Dash have already hit the ground running with their first three allocations coming this past Friday in Whitney Engen (USWNT), Teresa Noyola (MWNT) and Melissa Tancredi (CWNT). They announced Randy Waldrum, former Notre Dame Head Coach, as their Head Coach on Monday.
We also found out on Monday the NWSL Expansion Draft is slated to take place on Friday, January 10th at 10AM Central Time via conference call. Below you will find the rules and procedures for the other NWSL franchises for selecting players to protect or leave unprotected, as well as for the Houston Dash to select from the unprotected players. Following the list or rules and procedures we've included the most recent national team allocations announced this past Friday.
If you were in charge of any of the other 8 clubs, who would you protect and leave unprotected and why?
As the lone expansion club, the Houston Dash will be able to select up to ten (10) players from the expansion draft list of unprotected players.
A “protected” player is a player who is not eligible to be drafted by Houston in the Expansion Draft. All other players are “unprotected” and are eligible to be drafted by Houston. The complete list of protected and unprotected players for all clubs will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Any club with more than two (2) U.S. allocated players must leave at least one U.S. allocated player unprotected.
The Dash will be allowed to select no more than two (2) U.S. allocated players, one (1) Canadian allocated player and one (1) Mexican allocated player.
The Dash will only be able to select up to two (2) players from any one club, except if they select a U.S. allocated player in which case they may not take any additional players from that club.
In the event Houston selects a player who is not an U.S. allocated player, that club may then designate an additional player to be added their protected player list.
The existing eight (8) NWSL teams will be allowed to protect up to the following number of players:
- Ten (10) players for non-playoff clubs (Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Seattle Reign FC, Washington Spirit)
- Nine (9) Players for playoff clubs (FC Kansas City, Portland Thorns FC, Sky Blue FC and Western New York Flash)
All players eligible for the Expansion Draft include:
- Any current NWSL players including U.S., Mexican and Canadian allocated players
- Any player listed as a discovery player
- Any player claimed via waivers but is unsigned
- Any player that has been loaned to a club outside the NWSL
- Any player who has her rights to play in the NWSL controlled by a specific team
In addition, clubs are required to protect players falling into one of the following categories: On Loan from another league, Non-allocated internationals and contractual agreement limiting movement between teams.
Following are the club-by-club allocations:
Boston Breakers
Meghan Klingenberg (USA)*
Kristie Mewis (USA)
Heather O'Reilly (USA)
Chelsea Stewart (CAN)*
Kaylyn Kyle (CAN)
Dinora Garza (MEX)Chicago Red Stars
Shannon Boxx (USA)
Amy LePeilbet (USA)
Christen Press (USA)*
Adriana Leon (CAN)
Erin McLeod (CAN)
Rachel Quon (CAN)*Houston Dash
Whitney Engen (USA)*
Melissa Tancredi (CAN)*
Teresa Noyola (MEX)FC Kansas City
Nicole Barnhart (USA)
Lauren Holiday (USA)
Amy Rodriguez (USA)
Becky Sauerbrunn (USA)
Desiree Scott (CAN)
Lauren Sesselmann (CAN)
Cecilia Santiago (MEX)Portland Thorns FC
Rachel Buehler (USA)
Tobin Heath (USA)
Alex Morgan (USA)
Christine Sinclair (CAN)
Karina LeBlanc (CAN)
Jackie Acevedo (MEX)*Seattle Reign FC
Stephanie Cox (USA)*
Sydney Leroux (USA)
Megan Rapinoe (USA)
Hope Solo (USA)
Carmelina Moscato (CAN)
Arianna Romero (MEX)*Sky Blue FC
Jill Loyden (USA)
Kelley O'Hara (USA)
Christie Rampone (USA)
Jonelle Filigno (CAN)*
Sophie Schmidt (CAN)
Monica Ocampo (MEX)Washington Spirit
Yael Averbuch (USA)*
Ashlyn Harris (USA)
Ali Krieger (USA)
Robyn Gayle (CAN)
Diana Matheson (CAN)
Renae Cuellar (MEX)Western New York Flash
Carli Lloyd (USA)
Abby Wambach (USA)
Selenia Iacchelli (CAN)*
Veronica Perez (MEX)* = New Allocated Player
Make of all of that what you will, but I am most intrigued to see who Seattle, Portland, Washington and KC leave unprotected from the USWNT allocations as there are some stellar names there.