This is a really interesting interview with the head if scouting for Pachuca on Mexican clubs recruiting American players. He covers many of the issues that come up often in discussions in BS.
Good read, thanks for posting that link. Loved this vignette: MG: You know what’s very funny? Last week we called a player, an American. He’s an under-20. We can only have two foreigners in our under-20 squad. He doesn’t have a Mexican passport. So he’s looking for ways to become Mexican. He has a Mexican stepmother. I was talking to him and I said, “there’s 20 million Mexicans trying to become American and there’s one American trying to become Mexican.” We don’t even know how to deal with that! We don’t have the paperwork for that!” No, he’s back in the US now. He had to come back. He was a good player. His name was ‘Tren’ Biswell. For those who are interested, Tren Biswell.... http://ussda.demosphere.com/teams/37416866/37418069-37416960/13066063.html
I would go to Mexico in a heartbeat. What a great opportunity, especially if you have a Mexican passport. Poor Omar. Good enough to make 10x what he makes here... In a poorer country. Wow.
I thought you were talking about Tren Biswell. Gonzalez made 257K last year and I think he's talking a new deal which would probably make 500-600K on the new deal. Either way I can't see him making 10x that even at 2.5M per year in Mexico. Honestly I know Mexico pays more but I don't know how much more. How many players make over 1M year in Mexico.
It was a quote from the article. I think 2.5 seems high but I'm sure the scout was just using 10x for emphasis that players can make a lot more in Mexico.
Gonzalez will get PAID big money rather shortly. He's either going to go to Europe after 2013, or the Gals will need to pay him as a DP. I'm sure youngsters in Mexico do get paid more than their MLS counterparts. Of course they do. They also get paid more to go most places in Europe. [I image Marc Pelosi makes more than the majority of US-based U20's other than Luis Gil] However, there are restrictions that prevent most US teens from going abroad. In the case of Mexico, it's very difficult for non-Mexican Americans to make the move. (because they can only have two foreign U20's). And only a certain percentage of Mexican Americans want to move to Mexico. It's why Tijuana is attractive to so many Mexican-Americans. It's so close to Southern California, where many of these kids have been recruited from. That's pretty different than going to Jaguares or Puebla.
What a great, great read. I expect this bit that ended the article will provide fodder for a shitload of BS posts over the next several years.
Is the problem here the NCAA? Kids won't sign contracts because that makes them ineligible for scholarships? If so, MLS could work around this by having a U-20 team with a contract including a college scholarship if things don't pan out. However, it's a significant investment.
There's definately a thread of truth in this that needs to change. How I don't know. There's also some exageration in the interview. If he knows the historical basis of amateur development and eligibility with the NCAA and roster and salary restrictions he would understand why. Not too deep to ask some questions to find out why. How to improve upon those truths is another story for another time. I don't know when this was but MLS Union salary list Has Omar Gonzalez at $257K a yr which is not almost nothing even by Mexican standards it also ignores the fact that there has been talks to extend his deal and he can not make 10x that or $2.57 Million inMexico and not even in Europe on his next deal. Could be close to high six figures to a Million but not 2.5. Then his last statement is just business. In theory if he can make 10x more then he's a very talented and valuable so in fact they would ask for millions and you'd have other teams around the world bidding in competition for his talent and you would have to pay alot or lose out on him. If you say don't sign he can then sign with the best match and not just with you. Blowing some hot air if you as me.
If it was his rookie deal he's listed at total compensation in 2009 at $142K and at that time he would not have been worth $1M a year. If he's comparting his salary from 2009 and his production in 2013 then he's closer to the truth but stretching some logical barriers.
Yeah my bad, I was just taking the scout's word for it. Probably should be more objective, but in reality I don't think it should even be that close.
It being the Pachuca scout's statement offers up some perspective. He has some overall valid points about being able to pick and choose US youth which shouldn't have MLS just shrug their shoulders. The points about salary and transfer are just a part of business and will evolve as MLS grows. These types of posts are important because as much as we think MLS plays in a vacuum they are in direct competition with MFL for talent. They both should care........alot.
Anybody care to tell me what he's talking about here? DK: But if they have a Mexican passport, they don’t count as a foreigner? MG: Right. So if I take a kid who is 15, I can take him over there. But when he turns 17 and enters into professional football, then I won’t be able to register him because FIFA won’t allow me. I know there is a FIFA registration system that pays attention to international moves, but I'm not quite following what he's talking about. I thought as long as you had the passport, you were relatively unrestricted in your movements.
I'm being a stickler here. In direct competition for Mexican-American talent. Still a significant pool.
Very true and good point. Which in my mind is where the growth of soccer and talent for the US will come from. I agree a very significant and important pool of talent.
Well, he's wrong about one thing. There is something MLS clubs can do. They can offer the kid a homegrown contract. I don't think there's any question that's part of the reason FC Dallas signed their raft of Mexican-American kids. Those kids were getting interest from Mexico, and that forced FCD to make a decision. Richard Sanchez could sign a lot of places in Mexico right now if he wasn't signed to MLS. If the Galaxy really want to keep a kid like Arriola to prevent him from going to Tijuana..........they can do that. Personally, I think the development of the reserve league is going to aid in the process. I'm hoping that when the reserve league truly gets going MLS clubs won't have to use roster slots to sign their academy players. In other words they can sign unlimited U20s from their academy to play on their reserve teams. We also need that roadmap to the MLS club to attract the players. A kid like Steive Rodriguez may have stayed in the US if the roadmap was clearer for him to get from the Chivas U18s to the MLS senior team. He simply thought Tijuana was a better place to develop. And he may be right..................... Frankly, right now I'm happy that MFL clubs are grabbing some of these players. Competition from the MFL for these kids will push MLS into developing a better model for youth development.
We also must remember that a lot of this Mexican-American talent doesn't speak Spanish (like Carlos Bocanegra) and isn't interested in a move to Mexico. It's one reason Tijuana is so attractive to all of these youth players. It's as close to the US as you can go and still be a Yank Abroad!!! Frankly, MFL scouts are helping the USSF fill some of their scouting cracks. Jose Francisco Torres would arguably have fallen thru the cracks if Pachuca hadn't discovered him. We've heard of some of the kids that head down to Mexico (Guido, Stevie Rodriguez, etc.)...........but most of them haven't been in US youth teams.
Very good post. At some point (I don't know when) MLS and US Soccer will have to do something (I don't know what) At some point the money used to invest in training players that contribute to other teams will have to make MLS act either by investing more money to sign more players or somehow develop an amateur contract system where the player doesn't ruin their NCAA eligibility while being 'signed' to that clubs development investment.