FOLLOW ALONG AS NASHVILLE SC MAKES ITS PICKS FROM OLE RED® NASHVILLE
NASHVILLE - Welcome to Nashville Soccer Club's 2019 Major League Soccer Expansion Draft Liveblog. We'll be providing live updates from the War Room as we make our five Expansion Draft picks at Ole Red® Nashville starting at 4:30 p.m. CT. If you want to watch the live broadcast, visit MLSSoccer.com.
5:12 p.m. CT
Here are the trades we have made following the Expansion Draft:
Nashville SC trades Zarek Valentin to Houston Dynamo for goalkeeper Joe Willis.
Nashville SC trades Brandon Vazquez to FC Cincinnati for allocation money.
Nashville SC trades allocation money and a 2020 international roster spot to Sporting Kansas City for goalkeeper Adrían Zendejas.
Nashville SC trades allocation money and a 2020 international roster spot to Montreal Impact in exchange for USMNT defender Daniel Lovitz.
5:01 p.m. CT
With their ninth and final pick, Inter Miami CF selected Bryan Meredith from Seattle Sounders FC.
With the 10th and final pick, Nashville SC supporter Gabby Acosta announced that the club has selected defender Jimmy Medranda from Sporting Kansas City. Medranda, 25, has spent his entire MLS career with SKC dating back to 2013. He’s a versatile player who can play as an outside back, a winger or in the central midfield. He has made 64 starts in that span, pitching in with five goals and five assists. He has his best season in 2017, scoring two goals and adding an assist in 24 regular season starts. He also played in one MLS Cup Playoff match that season. Medranda began his professional career in his native Colombia for Deportivo Pereira, coming up through the club’s academy to the senior team. He made 16 appearances for the senior side before coming to Kansas City.
4:56 p.m.
With the seventh pick, Inter Miami CF selected Luis Argudo from Columbus Crew SC.
With the eighth pick, Nate Zuercher of the local band Judah and the Lion announced that Nashville SC has selected forward Brandon Vazquez from Atlanta United FC. Vazquez, 21, has spent the last three seasons with Atlanta United and the club’s USL Championship affiliate Atlanta United 2. In 2019, he gained a foothold on the club’s MLS roster, making seven starts and scoring a pair of goals to go with one assist. In 2018, he made eight appearances. In 2017, Vazquez scored a minute into his MLS debut against Real Salt Lake on April 22, 2017. He was signed from Club Tijuana of Liga MX ahead of Atlanta’s inaugural MLS season. Internationally, he has represented the United States at the youth levels, scoring a pair of goals in the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup for the U.S. The only other goal scored by the U.S. in that tournament was scored by Christian Pulisic.
4:51 p.m.
With the fifth pick, Inter Miami CF selected Lee Nguyen from LAFC.
With the sixth pick, Boston Red Sox outfielder and Middle Tennessee native Mookie Betts announced that Nashville SC has selected defender Jalil Anibaba from the New England Revolution. Anibaba, 31, has spent the last two seasons with New England Revolution. In 2019, he started 19 matches and helped guide New England to an MLS Cup Playoff berth. He also pitched in on the offensive end, scoring once and adding two assists. He was a regular starter in 2018 with 29 starts out of 31 appearances. Prior to his time in New England, he played for two seasons with the Houston Dynamo. In 2017, he helped anchor the defense in the MLS Cup Playoffs, making four appearances and adding an assist. Before going to Houston, Anibaba spent time with the Chicago Fire, Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City. He was an Expansion Draft pick by Orlando City SC in 2014 before being traded to Sporting Kansas City. He played his college soccer at Santa Clara and the University of North Carolina.
4:46 p.m.
With the third pick in the Expansion Draft, Inter Miami CF selected defender Alvas Powell from FC Cincinnati.
With the fourth pick, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry announced on stage that Nashville SC has selected defender Zarek Valentin from the Portland Timbers. Valentin, 28, has spent the last four seasons with the Portland Timbers. This past season, he made 17 starts en route to a MLS Cup Playoff berth. In 2018, he was a mainstay in the Timbers backline, starting 30 regular season matches and making five playoff starts en route to a MLS Cup appearance. Prior to his time in Portland, Valentin played for three seasons with FK Bodø/Glimt in Norway, helping the club earn promotion to the first tier. He went to Norway after beginning his career in MLS with Chivas USA and the Montreal Impact. He was selected by Chivas USA in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft after a successful college career at the University of Akron.
4:40 p.m.
With the first pick in the Expansion Draft, Inter Miami CF selected defender Ben Sweat from New York City FC.
With the second pick, Nashville SC owner John Ingram took to the stage announced that the club has selected forward Abu Danladi from Minnesota United. Danladi, 25, was selected by Minnesota United with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft ahead of the club’s inaugural season. In his three seasons in Minnesota, he has been a regular contributor, making 67 appearances and 24 starts. He scored eight goals in his rookie campaign and added three assists. After dealing with injuries during his 2018 season, he bounced back with 24 appearances in 2019 and registered a pair of goals and assists. Danladi is originally from Ghana and graduated from the Right to Dream program, the same program that produced Nashville SC winger David Accam. He played his college soccer at UCLA.
4:30 p.m.
The Expansion Draft is officially underway, and we've got a packed house at Ole Red® Nashville. Stay tuned for the first picks coming up soon.
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While you're waiting for the draft to get started, here's some pre-draft reading for you:
How the MLS Expansion Draft works
List of players eligible for selection
A look into General Manager Mike Jacobs' approach to the Expansion Draft
