News: MLS 2014-15 off-season

It makes sense to me for both sides. Owners know the salary cap is getting raised and they want to find a way to recover some of those costs. Less roster spots means not having to pay guys who likely will never be worth their salaries in regards to team value. The Player's Union is happy because they're really not losing many jobs after taking the expansion teams into account, but this allows them some added leverage in the salary cap discussion as average wages should increase greatly.

 

The Cubo deal is interesting that they were able to reclassify Garcia as a non dp. I assume he was only a dp because of transfer fee.

 

Using the remaining other DP slots for legitimate "difference makers" may help Krafts in their in StadiumQuest.

If a team is crap, or under-the-radar, and no one is really clamoring to see them, then there is not much of a case (nor pressure) to get a stadium done in a locale where the team becomes more accessible to more people.

Now, significantly raise the profile of that team by winning it all, AND by winning with **multiple** broadly recognizable players -- well, that's a very different dynamic and certainly will raise the level of "clamor" around the team. (We saw a little of what is possible this past season with one partial-year DP). Suddenly there is more of a case (and possibly pressure to not be perceived as the roadblock) to get that same stadium done. More people (like customers or voters) vocalizing a desire to see a winning team up-close and local makes more people in positions of authority pay attention.

But this is just another variation of the "spend money to make money" theme. And the jury remains out as to where Krafts stand on this point. Was JJ a one-and-done, to buy back some air cover for the Krafts, or was it a signal of a new approach? Time will tell.

 

Looks like he was at FC Sion at the same time as JoGo; I wonder if they ever were paired together in the center of the defense.

 

Ralston has left Houston

Can confirm Tim Hanley and Steve Ralston have resigned their positions w the Houston Dynamo. @JeffreyCarlisle has linked both with San Jose

— Darrell Lovell (@DarrellLovell) December 30, 2014

 

Hey Steve, the fishing is better in New England

 

The stench of the Lampard situation is reaching epic proportions.

Now it turns out that he was never actually signed by NY and as such was never loaned to Man City.

I don't know if Man City is trying to exploit a FFP loophole or if this was just misrepresented by all parties from the get go.

 

This is pretty bad. Although a great reason to add to the fire of despising a team from NYC unfortunately this doesn't help the league as a whole which is more important. The league needs guys like Lampard to help raise the level of play and the stature of the league. Let's hope some solution can fix it or he destroys it upon arrival.

Maybe Jeter can lace up some boots to help with the PR? Show up to preseason and fake an achilles rupture on day 1 and retire.

 

Sky is reporting that Gerrard is talking to both NY clubs and the Galaxy. If he ends up in NY we'll have plenty of reason to despise whoever gets him. Unfortunately for us, I expect SG will do very well in MLS. He also seems like the kind of player who makes those around him better. Part of me wants him to be in the Western Conference, but if 2015 is our best shot at the Cup, I don't want to play LAG with him added to the players they already have.

 

Looks like Gerrard is 100% coming to MLS but no official word on either LA or NY

@LFC: Steven Gerrard confirms he will move to the USA this summer. Watch exclusive interview at 5pm on @LFCTV and LFCTV GO http://t.co/pwsWtgqp5h

 

ESPN confirms Gerrard will be joining LA for 18 months.

 

I'm not sure exactly why but something about this just piss's me off, big time

 

It's LA and NY's league. We're just visiting it. Seriously. If I say Joe superstar is coming to MLS, you say, "To LA or NY?"

 

----yea and that piss's me off. I really liked it when MLS was a "Parity League" both in team make-up and team expenditure. I know thats not the way things are in soccer leagues around the world and maybe not the best way to grow the game in the US but I really love games played by teams composed of comparable assets. The last few years has seen the League throwing that out the window.