http://www.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=127156&cpid=218&title=MLS+seeking+Hejduk+return"/> Ok, given that MLS/Gazidis are stating that returning US nats are allocation worthy... Is Frankie worth it? Might be a non-issue, if none of the folks that have the first 3 or 4 allocations want him, but still... Let's say Columbus picks him up -- there goes an allocation, even if the whole thing is agreed upon by all the teams in the league.
He's about as good an outside back as a team in the league could hope to sign. Is the idea of making these players worth an allocation meant to Americanize the league, or to discourage americans from ever leaving the league in the first place?
Yep, thats true. and yet some crew fans aren't excited at the prospects of getting him. i don't get it.
That's a good question. In my opinion, it's more about placing a high value on our National Team players. Wouldn't want to just fold them into the league without exacting a pound of flesh... at least from a PR/Marketing angle. Also, I don't really think players give a hoot about HOW MLS deals with these issues. I don't think a National Team-caliber player is going to NOT play overseas due to the fact that when he returns a team would have to give up an allocation.
I disagree with this...but I'd be happy to be proven wrong. My concern is will he come back at a salary commensurate with his skill level. Or will the league and whichever team signs him be blinded by the "he played in Europe and Bruce picked him" syndrome.
You are probably right. What I meant by that was that it might make a player less marketable when he comes out. A team might think, "yes, i'd like him, but he's not worth a precious allocation." With that reality established, a player thinking long-term might reconsider that short-term pay day for signing a 2-year deal with FC Sauerkrautten of Region Nord 3rd Division in Liechtenstein. Just a thought. But as you say, a nat team player should be above that level of concern.
Hey, he's proved he deserved to be called in and to play. He's a solid performer (if a bit insane). I think he's grown through the inconsistency and the wild, undisciplined play. I think that tearing him down now is done while looking at his early matches. He's worth the allocation.
i think it might be more about mls trying to make teams really use their discoveries... let the allocations be special people... great players and older national team players... these players, the league goes after discoveries should be used like what colorado did with grimandi, which isn't to say grimandi isn't a damn good player... just that, as others have pointed out, he wasn't the biggest of names... although still very, very solid every team has discoveries, and they are about the teams going after the player
For any given salary cap, I want my most expensive players to be central defenders, central midfielders or up top. If selecting Frankie means I have to skimp on any of those positions, then I'd pass.
i'm guessing that depends on whether a single team goes after or if mls goes after him (or he just comes to mls and says here i am) if he comes to mls or mls goes after him, he would be up for allocations, if no one wants him, it would go to a draft allocations are worth just about the same as discoveries, it's just a difference in how it's used... and not every team gets allocations