We’re going to be focused on domestic players in the expansion draft, and then a week later we’ll be putting all our focus in on the internationals. — Atlanta Beat Head Coach Gareth O'Sullivan

The Atlanta Beat

The Atlanta Beat General Manager, Shawn McGee, is interviewed during the team's naming ceremony.

Three hundred and sixty four days after the seven charter WPS sides were allocated their first three players, the league’s first two expansion sides will begin to fill their rosters.  The Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence will be allowed to select up to nine players from the existing squads in a conference call expansion draft to be conducted Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re definitely excited about adding our first few players to our roster,” Beat coach Gareth O’Sullivan said.  “We definitely think there are some very good players on the list.  Along with Philly, we’re excited to hopefully get a couple of starters out of this.”

The teams and WPS elected not to release the protected lists, but teams were only allowed to protect 10 players meaning that everyone will theoretically lose one starter.  Additionally, multiple teams protected two goalkeepers.

Like most coaches starting a roster from scratch, O’Sullivan is preaching attractive soccer and is looking to bring in players who are composed on the ball to get the Beat off the ground.  With the bulk of the offensive threats likely to be protected, the expansion clubs might have better luck in that department a week later at the International draft.

“We’re going to be focused on domestic players in the expansion draft,” O’Sullivan said, “and then a week later we’ll be putting all our focus in on the internationals.”

O’Sullivan said there is a well distributed mix of available players at positions all over the field.  That makes the most challenging part of the draft playing chess not only with the other expansion team, but with the existing teams that can pull unprotected players back after every one they lose.  No team will lose more than three players, and three teams figure to lose only two.

“It’s kind of difficult to ascertain exactly who’s available until we see after the first round of picks as to who’s been called back by the clubs,” O’Sullivan said.

Beat fans from days gone by when the WUSA team of the same name was among the most successful in that league’s three-year run might remember when Sharolta Nonen and Nancy Goffi (then Nancy Augustyniak) combined to form one of the stiffest center back combinations in the league.  Without confirming the availability status of either, O’Sullivan did say that both players have been discussed as possible targets.

“Both those girls are definitely on our radar,” the coach said.  “We’re very well aware of both their qualities and they’re definitely in the mix.”

Nonen and Goffi will be 32 and 31 respectively by the time training camps roll around.  Both were mostly reserves in 2009, Nonen with the Sol where she was brought in late in the year, and Goffi in Boston.  Neither figures to play at the same level that they did from 2001-2003, but either or both could be significant contributors, especially as familiar faces in a city looking to re-establish a fan base for women’s soccer.

For Philadelphia, Heather Mitts and Kelly Smith are obvious connections as they played on the WUSA’s Charge, but the pair, who are now teammates in Boston, are likely on the Breakers’ protected list.

The results of Tuesday’s Expansion Draft will be announced on womensprosoccer.com two hours following the conclusion of the selections.  Any gaping holes on the field after the Expansion Draft could offer clues as to which direction the new teams will go in the following week’s International Draft.
 

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Dan Lauletta is a freelance writer and can be reached at thirtymtp@aol.com.  The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Women’s Professional Soccer or http://www.womensprosoccer.com.