Charlotte FC Is On The Clock, Five Potential Options For The 2022 MLS Expansion Draft
The 2022 MLS Expansion Draft is only a few hours away and as of right now Charlotte FC has 11 players on their roster; 1 goalkeeper, 3 fullbacks, 2 centerbacks, 1 defensive midfielder, 3 central midfielders, and 1 striker. The expansion draft is a perfect opportunity for a brand new MLS club to pick up players… or assets to then flip. In saying that, there is no way to predict who Charlotte is ready to pick up to flip. However, I did want to take a quick look at some potential Expansion Draft targets where Charlotte could add some talent to their growing roster. When looking at the current state of the Charlotte roster I think that a top target should be a striker. Many people thought that last season’s newcomers (Austin FC) built a strong roster, but what was their main flaw? Scoring goals. When I look at the unprotected list of players for this draft, I think that the top striker add could be the Sounder’s Will Bruin. Bruin is only 32 years old, has been a MLS Cup champion, has over 320 games played, and 86 career goals. I would think he could be a great veteran MLS option right up the spine for Charlotte to start their history. Selecting Bruin would also knock off some top targets from Seattle like Kelyn Rowe and Shane O’Neill though. I think what we’ve seen from the overall style of Major League Soccer over the last few years, a strong spine will win you games. A strong keeper, centerback pairing, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, and striker. Even if Bruin ends up being the backup option at striker for Charlotte, not a bad locker room guy to have either.
I’ve done some research and I’ve heard that Miguel Angel Ramirez plays in a 4-3-3 formation that transitions often during the run of play. A 4-3-3 that transitions into a 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2, and more. I was thinking of a versatile player that can come and play winger or a wide midfielder and came down to the Timber’s Andy Polo. A Peruvian international wide player who has a ton of MLS experience would be a fantastic option for Ramirez to start his tenure. Polo playing wide up top next to a MLS veteran like Will Bruin could be a nice start. Similar to Bruin as well, Polo could even end up being a strong bench piece for Charlotte FC come 2022.
In my imaginary Expansion Draft I have a striker and a winger on the roster for Charlotte. Now my mind is shifting towards the backline and looking at adding a talented fullback. There are two big questions about adding a fullback to the roster; Where is Jaylin Lindsey playing? And is Christian Fuchs playing left-back or centerback? Right now I see Fuchs as a backup left-back option and see him more as a starting centerback. So if Lindsey is playing right-back, Fuchs is at one centerback, I am looking at who are open options for left-back. When I looked at the Unprotected Player List I went straight to the MLS Cup Champions and saw that NYCFC left Malte Amundsen unprotected. Amundsen was very impressive over the course of the regular season and then in the playoffs as well, playing in a total of 36 games for the club. Adding Amundsen would give Charlotte an immediate young starting fullback option to build off of.
The next addition that I think Charlotte FC should consider is a veteran keeper. They already have Pablo Sisniega on the roster who is an experienced MLS keeper, but hasn’t proven to be the best always during his time at LAFC. At 26 years old Sisniega has won a Supporter’s Shield and played in 32 games for LAFC, however, in those 32 games he only has 4 shutouts and has allowed 47 goals. I think that keeping Sisniega as a strong back-up option and adding in an experienced MLS keeper, like what Austin FC did with Brad Stuver, could be the play here. I think that the top keeper option that is available for Charlotte is the current Rapids backup in Clint Irwin. Irwin is only 32 years old and has over 140 games played in his career between the Rapids and Toronto FC. He also has over 40 career shutouts as well to his MLS name and in my opinion he is the strongest backup keeper that you could ask for in the league. Charlotte should give Irwin a chance again to be a starter in MLS.
No matter what the draft is, I always think that with a final pick it should end up being a value pick. What is the best kind of value that you can add in the MLS Expansion Draft? It is MLS experience. Someone who knows how MLS plays and the grind of a very long season in the U.S. So when I was covering the MLS unprotected list that is exactly what I found up north in Minnesota. Minnesota United’s Ethan Finlay is a player that has made a MLS Cup, that has played in large playoff games, and has over 270 games played to his name (split between Minnesota and the Columbus Crew). I think that at this point Finlay should be coming off the bench more for a club, but can still be a spot starter.
There you have it! My five picks for Charlotte FC in the 2022 MLS Expansion Draft:
Will Bruin
Andy Polo
Malte Amundsen
Clint Irwin
Ethan Finlay
Who do you think that Charlotte FC should take to begin their MLS lives? Let me know down in the comments below!
