The Columbus Crew will be without the theatrical play of forward Alejandro Moreno next season. Moreno was among 10 players chosen by the expansion Philadelphia Union. The Crew have great depth, which meant they would lose a player in the draft.
It was surprising to see Peter Nowak pass on veteran Frankie Hejduk and rising star Andy Iro. It was even more surprising to see Nowak choose Moreno over young Venezuelan striker Emilio Renteria. Apparently he needed some experience upfront and Moreno will score him some goals. The Crew will move either Steven Lenhart or Jason Garey into a starting role, which both have earned. It is a pretty simple fix.
The selection of players for the protected list was the first of many difficult decisions this offseason. Fans are very concerned that Guillermo Barros Schelotto will not return after a low contract offer by the front office. Chad Marshall and Robbie Rogers have drawn interest from clubs overseas and key players (such as Jed Zayner) have entered contract negotiations with the club.
Philadelphia made some curious moves, but it might pay off. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Moreno match or exceed last year’s goal total of 4. Nowak chose keeper Brad Knighton instead of Houston’s Pat Onstad and Kansas City’s Kevin Hartman. The Union also took Sebastien Le Toux over Toronto’s Ali Gerba and D.C. United’s Emilio Luciano. These selections showed that a player’s potential is valued by the Union.
Moreno and midfielder Shea Salinas can be penciled in as starters, but time will tell if any more can be made from this draft. Toronto got nothing from their expansion draft, while Seattle found three key players that helped fuel their playoff run.
