It’s a bit of a relief to take a break from the Sturm und Drang of the North American soccer second division to simply note a bit of interesting RailHawks player news: Caleb Patterson (sometimes called Caleb Patterson Sewell), the sparkling young goalkeeper who split time with Eric Reed last year, was left unprotected by Red Bull New York for possible drafting by the expansion Philadelphia Union.
The way it works: Each existing MLS team is allowed to protect 11 players, and the Union can select a total of 10 players, with no more than one selected from any team.
Patterson joins fellow RBNY keeper Danny Cepero on the list, as the club decided to protect Bouna Coundoul. There’s some interesting company on the list: The Galaxy’s Josh Saunders, for example, just days after his excellent emergency substitution for Donovan Ricketts in the MLS championship. (Patterson may be on the MLS expansion list, but he’s also spending some time in Cary; he was present to pose for this Nov. 11 photograph of retired France international Lilian Thuram during his visit to WakeMed Soccer Park. Patterson is at the far right.)
Other notables on the MLS list: Mexican superstar Cuauhtémoc Blanco; U.S. internationals Frankie Hedjuk, Ricardo Clark, Tony Sanneh, Clint Mathis and Bobby Convey; as well as one-time Duke star Michael Videira.
Here’s the complete list, with more explanation and context.
