With the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft on the horizon, San Diego FC have five important decisions to make as they build their current squad.
As the newest expansion team in Major League Soccer, San Diego FC get to draft players from existing MLS rosters to their club. MLS teams were only able to protect 12 players from selection, leaving a large portion of their rosters vulnerable.
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The Western Conference side already signed Duran Ferree, Marcus Ingvartsen, Paddy McNair, Alex Mighten, Jeppe Tverskov, Tomás Ángel and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, but will need plenty more players to round out its roster. Although there are over 350 players available in the draft, San Diego FC can only choose five.
Here’s five eligible players that San Diego FC should consider.
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5. Paul Arriola (FC Dallas)
Paul Arriola is the captain of FC Dallas. / Soobum Im-Imagn Images
Chula Vista native Paul Arriola could return to San Diego if he is one of the players selected by the expansion team. Every new MLS club needs a leader, both on the pitch and in the locker room, and Arriola fits the description. The 29-year-old is the captain of FC Dallas and has eight years of experience in MLS.
Arriola is a jack-of-all-trades player that can play as a wing-back, a fullback and a midfielder. Despite his varying positions, the captain buried five goals in the 2024 season. He was named an MLS All-Star in 2022 and also has 50 caps for the U.S. men’s national team.
4. Iuri Tavares (Charlotte FC)
Not every player San Diego FC draft can be a proven talent. The team needs to build its depth (while also saving money) and 23-year-old Iuri Tavares is someone worth taking a chance on. The Charlotte FC forward only started eight games this past season, but found the back of the net three times and bagged an assist.
His height also makes him a constant threat on set pieces and a player capable of winning aerial duels. Tavares scored his three goals in three different starts, showcasing his potential production when given consistent minutes.
3. Julian Gressel (Inter Miami)
Julian Gressel celebrates Inter Miami’s 2024 Supporters’ Shield. / Inter Miami CF/MLS Photos via Imagn Images
Julian Gressel is a versatile option who is coming off playing an integral role in Inter Miami’s record-breaking MLS regular season. The 30-year-old proved he can play as a right wing-back, central midfielder or right winger, all while delivering quality service into the box.
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Gressel tallied nine assists for the Herons and created 44 goalscoring chances. He is calm with the ball at his feet and an accurate passer. Gressel is someone who could thrive immediately with a new team.
2. Jovan Mijatović (New York City FC)
Jovan Mijatović’s completed his blockbuster move from Serbia’s FK Crvena zvezda to NYCFC in Feb. 2024 but never found consistent minutes under Nick Cushing. The 19-year-old only started two matches and played a total of 266 minutes, most often coming on as a substitute in the dying minutes of a match.
Although he failed to show his quality in his debut season in MLS, the teenager has arguably one of the highest ceilings in the league if given the time and opportunity to grow. San Diego FC have been vocal about their commitment to developing young talent and they can get started with Mijatović.
1. Dante Vanzeir (New York Red Bulls)
Choosing a player who started every game for New York Red Bulls in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs feels like a no-brainer. Dante Vanzeir was the hero in the first ever playoff Hudson River Derby, assisting Felipe Carballo’s opening goal and sealing the game with one of his own just nine minutes later.
The forward ended the season with six goals and 10 assists despite Red Bulls’ often stagnant attack. The output was a massive step forward from his two-goal haul in his debut MLS season. The 26-year-old now has the experience and production an expansion team like San Diego FC needs to hit the ground running.
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The No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs (6-2) hope to continue a three-game winning run when they host the Cal Baptist Lancers (5-4) at 10:00 PM ET on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at Viejas Arena. The game airs on ESPN+.
San Diego State defeated San Diego 74-57 at home last time out, and were led by Nicholas Boyd (17 PTS, 6 AST, 50.00 FG%, 2-6 from 3PT) and Miles Byrd (13 PTS, 40.00 FG%, 2-3 from 3PT).
Cal Baptist won on the road over UCF 59-74 last time out, and were led by Dominique Daniels Jr. (33 PTS, 44.00 FG%, 3-7 from 3PT) and Javonte Johnson (6 PTS, 66.67 FG%, 2-3 from 3PT).
Here is everything you need to get ready for Wednesday’s college basketball action.
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San Diego State Aztecs vs. Cal Baptist Lancers
Game day: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Game time: 10:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN+
Live stream: ESPN+ – Watch NOW
NCAA Basketball Odds and Betting Lines
Spread: San Diego State -15
Total: 135.5
College basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 5:59 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
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A man who was captured on video attacking a judge in a Las Vegas courtroom after vaulting over her bench and desk has been sentenced to decades in prison.
Deobra Redden was ordered on Tuesday to serve between 26 and 65 years in a Nevada prison for the attack on Clark County District Court Judge Mary Kay Holthus, KLAS-TV in Las Vegas reported.
Redden, 31, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in September to attempted murder and other charges, ending his trial shortly after Holthus had testified that she feared for her life when Redden vaulted over her 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) bench and landed on her.
The attack happened on Jan. 3 as Holthus was about to deliver Redden’s sentence in a separate felony battery case.
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The violent scene was captured by courtroom video that showed the 62-year-old judge falling back from her seat against a wall as Redden flung himself over her bench and grabbed her hair, toppling an American flag onto them. Holthus suffered some injuries but was not hospitalized, courthouse officials said.
Redden’s defense lawyer Carl Arnold has said his client was not taking his prescribed medication to control his diagnosed schizophrenia at the time of the attack.
Arnold said in September when Redden entered his plea that it “reflects a delicate balance between accepting responsibility for a regrettable incident and recognizing the impact of Mr. Redden’s untreated mental illness at the time.”
The Associated Press sent an email Tuesday to a spokesperson for Arnold seeking comment on Redden’s sentence.
Redden said in court Tuesday that he did not intend to kill Holthus, KLAS-TV reported.
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“I’m not making excuses for my actions, but I’m saying I’m not a bad person and I know that I did not intend to kill Mary Kay Holthus,” he said.
Redden will be eligible for parole sometime after 2050, KLAS-TV reported.
A wildfire burned at least 2 acres of brush Tuesday in the Ramona area, amid Santa Ana winds, according to Cal Fire San Diego.
The fire is near Highland Valley Road and Rangeland Road, Cal Fire said on social media at 3:50 a.m. Tuesday. By 5:30 a.m. the fire was 50% contained and by 7:30 a.m. the fire was 100% contained and Cal Fire estimated the final acreage at 1.8.
— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) December 10, 2024
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Cal Fire said the fire had the potential for an extended attack fire.
The county is experiencing the most severe Santa Ana winds of the season. The winds are also combined with drastically low humidity prompting a Red Flag Warning with SDG&E shutting off power to thousands and school closures.
A red flag warning for dangerous fire conditions will be in effect from 10 a.m. Monday until at least 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
