I am confused about happenings in MLS (no surprise, as you have to be a master of the Chaos Theory to truly grasp what is going on). So we lose Earnie Stewart to DC. Whatever. It would have been nice to have that big name on our team and he's a good player, but thats OK. The only reason, I have read in many articles, that we were in consideration, is that we were one of two teams (DC being the other) that had room under the cap to sign Stewart. DC has an allocation. They trump us. They have Stewart. I am OK, to this point. Now, I hear that Joe-Max Moore and Franklin Hejduk (Frankie?, the guy's 28) are coming back to MLS. Great, this is what we always wanted, the good players from abroad to come back. And I hear and read that Columbus is interested in Hejduk and that Moore will probably return to New England. Where are these teams finding cap room? Are Hejduk and Moore worth that much less that Stewart? Again, it is not that big a deal that other teams get these players (although I would like Moore), our midfield is good and our forwards are decent, but why can teams that could not get Stewart be able to obtain younger, experienced players? Perhaps I overlooked the obvious. i'm at work, I'm tired. (and screwing around on the computer)
I, too, am at work, tired, and screwing around on the computer. (my post count as skyrocketed this month) I understand the way MLS distributes USMNT caliber Yanks coming in to the league from abroad is this: 1. Players' agent says his client is interested in coming to MLS. 2. MLS says "great we're interested". Give us a couple days and we'll know more about what we can offer. 3. MLS contacts all its teams and says "Hey, player XYZ is interested in coming to MLS. Do you want him and how much would you be willing to pay him?" 4. Clubs respond NOTE-I think this is why only DC and Dallas were in the running for Stewart. We were the only who indictated interest in him. Only New England and DC experessed interest in Moore, and apparently only Columbus has inquired about Hejduk. 5. MLS makes and offer based on what those teams say. 6. Player accepts or decline contract WITH MLS, not the team. 7. Now MLS has the player. It assigns him to a team. If 2 teams are interested, the one with the worst record last year gets him.That's why even if we got an allocation from the Metros, DC still had dibs. If the worst team in the league wants a player and is willing to use an allocation on him, that's the MLS equivalent of the Ace of Spades.
Not bad questions. I guess the main thing would be interest in Hejduk or Joe Max. Both are obviously pretty darn good players. But for those players you are talking $200,000 per year minimum. We have players who are nearly as good, maybe making 1/2 to 1/3 the cost, who can produce and play at almost the same level. Where would you play Hejduk? In MLS - I would put him at outside mid-field. There, we have Chivas and O'brien who are darn near as good and combined cost less than Hejduk. Play him at outside Defense, and we've got Suarez and Broome who play pretty well themsleves, not to mention Gbandi. We've got 3 good forwards - Joe Max would be a nice addition but not at max salary. Of the remaining two nats - he is the one that could add the most to this team. I just don't see it happening.
I think we can count on Kreis, at least in the beggining and Cerritos had integrated well before he was injured and all you Johnson lovers say he's ready to have a break out year, and Rhine always finds a way to score so I think we're ok in the Forward department.
MLS has always counted USMNT players from abroad coming to MLS as players requiring an allocation. There is very little that has been "policy" with MLS but that is one. My understanding is that the arrangement prior to this year was: 1. Teams will allocations (based upon order of either record or the allocation order--there are MAJOR and minor allocations) get to choose or decline. If no teams with allocations are interested or there are no allocations available then we proceed to... 2. A lottery. This year, evidently the league decided to junk the idea of the lottery and if no allocations were used on Stewart (say, SoS, Colorado and DC passed and no-one would trade an allocation to Dallas), then instead of a lottery, it would be a draft by reverse order of finish (which means DCU would again get first crack--unless someone traded positions with a swap of sorts). It is not true that DCU and Dallas were the contenders for Stewart's favors b/c they had cap room. Prior to the Stewart decision (if Swift's comments are indeed correct), the teams with the most available cap room were: KC and DC. While Dallas is under the cap, I don't believe it's by much and acquiring Stewart would have meant a little cap pruning was in order I think (trading Vaca for the allocation would have helped but I think you'd have still needed to have moved a veteran player). Dallas and DCU were the two options for Stewart b/c those two teams both expressed interest in him and--MORE IMPORTANTLY--those were the two teams Stewart was interested in. As mentioned previously, his Dad is in Texas and he's a Pokes fan. As for DC, he's probably been to the DC area over a dozen times for extended USMNT camps, US Cup games (I believe he made his US debut against Germany at RFK in a US Cup match). Now I'm sure that if Dallas had been horrendously over thein terrible cap trouble, the Burn probably would have had no interest in Stewart (so to that extent, the cap was a factor). But it was DC and Dallas b/c that is where Stewart was interested. As for the other players (Hejduk, JMM), that is only idle speculation. JMM is considering options (but would prefer England). DCU talked to him and is interested in him. But he's likely to go to England AND he's command an MLS max salary. I do not think he'll end up in NE--unless that team acquires the colorado allocation OR does some major cap pruning (they need to move APC to get under the cap b/c of the Nowak acquisition). JMM to KC is just as likely. If KC sends a veteran player to acquire a first round pick (very likely), that may free up enough cap room to be a player for the JMM sweepstakes (assuming he comes to MLS). As for Hejduk, here's the deal: if McBride is impressive at Everton, there is speculation that Everton would make an offer. If sold to Everton, Columbus would than have an allocation (plus would have dumped a max salary spot on the cap). With a little more pruning (b/c they aren't substantially under the cap now with McBride off it b/c of his loan), they could then use their allocation on Surfer Dude. I like Hejduk, admire the job he did in Korea--he proved to be a real spear carrier. But can any of you tell me that you'd swap McBride (and probably another player to clear cap room) for Frankie Hejduk? B/c that is pretty much what this would turn in to. A stupid swap if you ask me.
Percy was a discovery signing. JMM and Hejduk are Allocations. Money is not the problem as Burn had room for Stewart. The problem is that the Burn NEVER get marqee players without trading for one. The last Burn allocation was Chad Deering in 1998.
The got a pick at the top of the Dispersal Draft, where they took the #1 pick, which becasue Gbandi. But they had to trade to get Kubik in the first place. So I guess techincally they did, but hard to call Gbandi a marquee player. Which was my point.