News: Thursday, June 22 , 2017

As someone who actually follows Caribbean soccer, I'd just like to say that this guy is all wet.

1) He notes that none of the 20 or so Caribbean nationals who play in MLS is among the league's top 35 in terms of compensation. Offhand I'm sure he's right but the real question is: who does he think ought to be?

2) As he himself notes, Simon Dawkins with San Jose Earthquakes makes $800,000 and Orlando City’s Giles Barnes makes $781,250 (both are Jamaican).

Trinidad and Tobago’s Kenwyne Jones at Atlanta will make $413,333.33 and fellow Soca Warrior Kevin Molino of Minnesota will cash $402,504. Jamaica’s Darren Mattocks of Portland will earn $316,666.67 in 2017.

None of this is exactly chump change by MLS standards. Not by a long shot.

We then have, in no order, Jamaica’s Andre Blake ($186,500), Demar Phillips ($162,837.33), Jermaine Taylor ($135,004), Omar Holness ($133,500), Je-Vaughn Watson ($155,666.67), Alvas Powell ($123,700) and Shaun Francis ($123.333.33); plus T&T’s Cordell Cato ($138,666.67) and St. Kitts and Nevis’s Atiba Harris ($155,004),

He then complains that "no other Caribbean player" will make over $100,000 this year and "several" hover around the league minimum of $50k.

So out of a total of 20 players, 13 of them make over $100,000 (5 of them make over $300,000). This is some kind of exploitation?

And a couple make league minimum? Oh the horror. There are a lot more than a few American players making the same. I'd say, frankly, that a much larger percentage of the American player pool makes minimum than thepercentage of the Caribbean pool.

3) So tell me please, which one of these guys deserves more? Who is being cheated, exactly?

4) He notes: "Players from Central, North or South America, plus the Europeans, however, claim the lion’s share of MLS compensation." and names

Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Kaka of Orlando City all make a lot more than any of the Islanders.

Yes, they do. A lot more. Is he suggesting that the reason Dawkins and Barnes don't make $7,000,000 like those guys is because of discrimination and lack of respect, or is it because you'd have to be quite literally insane to pay them that kind of dough?

5) Best quote:

“I think when it comes to the Caribbean player it is all about market value perception,” explained Damani Ralph, a Jamaican-born agent and former MLS player.

I don't know the definition of market value "perception" is but I damn sure know what "market value" means, and the problem isn't one of perception it's one of reality.

There are 100 leagues around the world. If you think MLS is short changing your talent level then by all means go peddle your skills someplace else.

 

You expect a paper from a country that thought Jack Warner wasn't a crook to write a well balanced article about the economics of soccer?

 

As a side note: Andre Blake @ ($186,500) is an absolute steal. He is only making this low salary because it is still the end of an earlier contract. He will either be double this next year or be gone (his contract runs through the end of 2017). Easily the best money Philly is spending on a player (but that isn't saying much for Philly)

 

No discrimination on BS!

Where else could such a silly article, in such a small paper get actual air time?

 

BTW....lived in St. Thomas for a while....then Tortola. Have visited over 20 islands in my lifetime.

Local papers playing up the poor discriminated islander angle is as old as stereotype liberals complaining about big oil, the evil faceless man keeping everyone down, education never gets enough money, and stereotype republicans complaining about taxes being to high, immigration will destroy us all and foreign threats are everywhere.

The more things change...the more they stay the same.

 

Where does this guy Altidore's family hail from? That may be considered an island by some.

As will Kemar Lawrence making between $100-$200K. He has been fantastic.

 

...and unless both Blake and Lawrence get nice raises they "will" be gone. I think Lawrence might be already unfortunately. He has been very. very good this year.

 

I would add that Kevin Molino has been a sensation, even better than he was with Orlando. He makes the Loons attack work.

Yes, he's already one of the higher paid islanders, but at 27 years is entering his professional prime and could be in for a big payday someplace, if not up North.

Either way, MLS has given all these guys a shot without which they'd be suiting up for Joe Public or Portmore United for pocket change. Sure beats driving a cab part time in Kingston to pay the bills.

As with American MLS players who want to bitch and moan come CBA time, they should thank God they aren't being forced to go get real jobs like everybody else.

 

I do think some of the argument from the paper is largely cultural. I do like Dalmani Ralph's input. The guy who tried to transfer out of MLS the second he got drafted. He knows the "game".

 

This is the part that matters. Those four guys above have options outside of MLS. Caribbean players will get paid more once they have interest from abroad. The article barely notes that at the very end.

 

Time to stuff the ballot for Pulisic. He's up against some tough competition, including players who play on teams with large bandwagon fanbases. But judging from the replies, maybe the online soccer community is vocal enough to put him over the top.

Here are the #BestBreakthroughAthlete nominees:@Giannis_An34@lzhernandez02 @TheJudge44@dak
@cpulisic_10https://t.co/fFqHx7Yilq pic.twitter.com/0mPS0TmuRX

— ESPYS (@ESPYS) June 22, 2017

 

Altidore was excluded because, unlike Dawkins and Barnes, Altidore plays for the country he was born in rather than the country his parents are from...

 

Someone this guy - and, sadly,me as well - forgot completely is Osvaldo Alonso at Seattle.

He's a Cuban, Cuba is a CFU member which makes him bona fide Caribbean, and if I'm not mistaken is a DP at $1,141,667 for 2017. (I'm sure about the salary but DNK whether it's being paid down with TAM.)

 

Ozzie is currently a DP, but if the Sounders are able to get one of the transfer targets during the summer window, they'll be buying him down with TAM.

I'm also going to guess that since it's been a decade since Ozzie defected and last played for the Cuban MNT, he's slipped from a lot of people's memories as a Cuban international.

 

I don't think what you are saying is accurate. Barnes is an English native with Jamaican ties. He is not from the island.

 

That's like saying that the white guy from South Africa is 'African.' Just doesn't steer the conversation where the author wants it.

 

Re-read what I wrote. Giles and Barnes were included because even though they were born in England, they both play for the Jamaican national team. Altidore was excluded because he was born in the US and plays for the USMNT. The article only includes players that were born in a Caribbean country or play for the national team of a Caribbean country. Any player that is of Caribbean descent, but does not play for a Caribbean national team is not included.

 

TBF the middle of the road/lower end guys seem to understand that all to well each CBA.
They carry the vote.

This next CBA could be the real tricky one.....I still predict some type of official hold out where a game or two is missed this time. We are getting to that point IMO.