Ryan Johnston

Follow TFC and the Champions League with Twitter. I will update from training, on match day and whenever news breaks.

David Beckham's new 'do was a don't and we get you ready as MLS expansion draft lists are about to be submitted.

Toronto FC No. 1 Stefan Frei was nominated for MLS top rookie.

It is for the best that David Beckham did not raise a MLS Cup in Year 3 of the experiment.

(It has nothing to do with the fact that Becks latest 'do needs to be forgotten, and not immortalized in one of those trophy-raising moments.)

The league is at its healthy best and a still motivated Beckham is needed as the North American league embarks on a period of expansion that will culminate with a 20th franchise in 2012. Philadelphia in 2010 and Vancouver/Portland in 2011 will be fine on their own, but I can say from experience that there is nothing like a Beckham-week buzz.

MLS exposure

Commissioner Don Garber has done an admirable job in growing the league from a paltry 10 teams to the expected 20, but he continues to do himself a disservice when it comes to exposure. While the numbers are not yet available; very few will challenge my guesstimate that a low percentage of sports fans watched the MLS Cup Final on Sunday night in Seattle.

There exists a narrow slice of space and time for MLS to occupy in the North American landscape, but I am certain that Sunday night is not it. Why leagues not named the NFL insist on playing their championship games on Sunday will long be a head-scratcher to me.

More Dichio magic

Tweet: I repeat what i have said before. Real Salt Lake are going all the way!

11:15 PM Nov 5th from web

If I ever see Danny on the streets in Toronto, I am asking him for six random numbers between one and 49.

Expansion list

The deadline for Toronto FC Director of Soccer Mo Johnston to submit his list of 11 players to be protected in the expansion draft is 3 p.m. ET today (Monday).

It's just a hunch, but we may have seen the last of Marvell Wynne in Toronto. Wynne has unparallel speed, but Preki has made the back four his pet project right off the bat. Chris Cummins went as far as to try Wynne up front one game; Preki might be inclined to do the same if he aims to keep the American.

I will update this space when the list becomes available this afternoon.

UPDATE (5:12 p.m. ET): Apparently these lists are well protected from leaks.

UPDATE (6:42 p.m. ET): Well, I was off in my Wynne hunch. Here is the list:

Attakora-Gyan, Nana

Barrett, Chad

Brennan, Jim

Cronin, Sam

de Guzman, Julian

DeRosario, Dwayne

Gomez, Emmanuel

Sanyang, Amadou

Serioux, Adrian

White, O'Brian

Wynne, Marvell

No goalkeepers, five defenders, four midfield, two strikers.

Carl Robinson and Amado Guevara are the noticeable absentees, but in reality their respective salaries and age are obvious factors. Barrett will draw the ire of many, but a 20-something striker with a double-digit in goals upside is worth the risk. White is a great decision; ESPN commentator John Harkes was on the OB bandwagon after the first-year striker's performance against Real Madrid. Don't remember the exact quote, but it was something along the lines of 'having a future' in this league.

Stefan Frei is listed as Generation Adidas (GA), which in the past allowed teams the luxury of not having to include GAs on the list -- but Los Angeles defender and MLS rookie of the year Omar Gonzalez is a GA player and he is listed in the Galaxy's 11 players. First overall SuperDraft pick Steve Zakuani is also GA but was protected by the Sounders. Looks like Mo Johnston is confident Frei and/or Brian Edwards will slip through or he sees something in the draft. Johnston has plucked two great goalkeepers in consecutive drafts.

The expansion draft goes on Wednesday and Philadelphia may not claim more than one player from any given team in MLS, and five teams will not have a player taken in the expansion draft.