Adu Among The Unprotected By Union

The Union have announced their protected list for Wednesday's expansion draft, but among the bigger surprises is who isn't on the list.

Freddy Adu, who came to the team with such fanfare in August is among the 12 players the Union left unprotected.

Adu, who was hampered by an ankle injury late in the season, will be costly if the Montreal Impact selects him. His 2011 salary was listed at $594,884 by the MLS Players Union.

The expansion Impact will chose 10 players from the unprotected lists of the 18 MLS teams. A team can only lose one player in the draft.

The other unprotected Union players are goalkeepers Chase Harrison and Thorne Holder, defenders Juan Diego Gonzalez and Joe Tait, forwards Ryan Richter, Veljko Paunovic and Levi Houapeu and midfielders Morgan Langley, Justin Mapp, Stefani Miglioranzi and Kyle Nakazawa.

Paunovic, at 34, is likely considered too old to select, but the 27-year-old Mapp, who earned $183,333, could be of interest.

A total of 15 Union players are exempted from the draft.

That consists of 11 protected players and four others who are unable to be selected because they are either homegrown or Generation Adidas players.

The 11 projected players are goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, defenders Danny Califf, Gabriel Farfan, Carlos Valdes and Sheanon Williams, midfielders Brian Carroll, Michael Farfan, Keon Daniel and Roger Torres, and forwards Sebastien Le Toux and Danny Mwanga.

Zach Pfeffer is the one home-grown player. The three Generation Adidas players are Jack McInerney, Zac MacMath and Amobi Okugo.