Hello. I am usually on a forum for mainly Soccer in India and I am one of the users who always shout for an MLS-J.League model in India (as you can guess that is not a popular idea) but this thread is not about that. While I was on that forum today I was asked "Hey Arsenalkid, so Dider and Anelka are going to China over MLS and many other big players are tempting to move to the Arabian leagues over MLS. So do you think MLS is losing it?" Obviously I took this with offense to MLS as this user hates MLS and is one of the "Europe (England) is king" people but that question got me thinking. Are we? He then went on to talk about the rumor how Ronaldinho skipped MLS, went to Brazil and is currently in talks to play in India next year. This got me thinking again. Then I started wanting opinions and here I am. Are we losing it when it comes to the big stars? I know we have Beckham and Henry as the main guys and then many more but is that being threatened?
There is not nearly as much capacity in MLS for Big DP's as there are rumours of DP's wanting into MLS. Fact is, at their salary demands, there is probably zero demand in MLS for Ronaldinho, Drogba, or any of these others. These stars create their own rumours about MLS then "turn down" MLS. It is all BS. MLS doesn't get every player they go after -- but they get enough to all the demand we have for DP players. For me, there is growing evidence that these big name DPs are not worth the money and a relatively small investment on Fabien Morales, David Ferriera, Boniek Garcia (DP due to transfer fee only), Freddy Montero type DPs produces better results.
Not at all. Alot of the players who are signing with China and elsewhere aren't those world class marketable players like Beckham albeit maybe Drogba. I really doubt losing a player like Nikolas Anelka or Milan Baros(hypothetical) to China will have a big impact on us, they aren't the type of players that will drive up interest at a high rate in this country. In fact I think it's better that these old washed up players are collecting their final paychecks in China rather in the MLS. It's better for the MLS not to waster our $$ on over-payed players who'll probably become injured or unmotivated. It will be better for the teams in the long run and will force us to find alternative options and possibly younger ones. To be honest if a Chinese team can prevent the NYRB from buying a future DP similar to Rafael Marquez I'm all for it!
Well old over paid Henry is doing very well for NJ this season. Is a hit or miss, I remember Nery Castillo, what a bust that was.
Well each case is different, I mean with out Hollywood I doubt that Beckham would be in MLS, China can pay more than MLS, is just supply/demand. The demand for those type of player is just more competitive, European teams are the main losers I guess, now if they do not over pay their aging stars MLS, China and the Oil kingdoms are more than willing to bid up their salary demands (Brazil growing economy will also attract more South Americans to their league).
He didn't skip MLS. Dinho wants to play for Brazil in the 2014 World Cup, and to do that he needs to not only be playing at a high level, but also available to the Brazil Team. This is difficult when he's playing in Europe (i.e. not playing, and riding the pine at a Big Euro Club as he did at AC Milan). Going back home to Brazil he actually plays and puts in an effort, and this is why he's in Brazil and not MLS. Well that and MLS won't pay his ridiculous wage demands. He'll be playing in Brazil until after the 2014 World Cup.
Henry is one of the marketable superstars that a team can build around, the type of players I am all for..
I wouldn't say that MLS is losing it. Beckham and Henry were exceptions and not the norm--i.e. global superstars that had the opportunity to make more money in "better" leagues but still chose MLS. It's simply impossible for us to compete financially with the petroleum leagues or upstarts desperate for attention (China) nor can we compete from a performance standpoint with the likes of the Brazilian league. That said, MLS does seem to do a good job of landing the players that are genuinely interested in the league. What you have seen recently, though--as in the past two or three years--is the league turning towards DPs that either a. don't cost too much but have a decent history of performance, or b. players that can be sold at a later time for a profit. Whereas some might view that as "losing it," I view it as "making sound financial decision-making."
Your Jarjus aside, if the current trend of DP signings is an indicator of MLS "losing it", then I hope MLS loses it a whole lot more. What we have now is definitely far healthier than the old model of doing things that the ME leagues of the Chinese Superleague are now coopting.
I'll take Henry, Beckham, Keane, Cahill, Donovan, and Frings for about 22.5 million a year over Drogba and Anelka at something like 25 million a year. As long as MLS keeps grabbing DPs that are looking to play rather than looking for huge paydays, I think MLS will do just fine. A lot of what MLS has built over the past few years through the friendlies, the all-star games, the players that have transfered to the EPL, and the word of mouth from DPs they have signed (like Beckham and Henry) has allowed them to show players that they can come over and still play in a league that will challenge them. A couple years ago I doubt you see a team be able to sign a Keane or Cahill for the money they signed for (3 or 3.5 million). They aren't signing for huge sums of money like they do in China or the Middle East, but for amounts that are roughly equal to what they were making in the EPL. I really think MLS is in a stronger position for DPs that will make a meaningful impact than they were a few years ago.
Hopefully, this will end as a positive. This is going to be a weird comparison but bare with me. Anybody remember the WWF Attitude vs WCW:NWO. WCW was taking the WWF Stars and over paying them so the WWF had no other choice but to build their own stars such as Austin, Rock, HHH, Michaels and etc. Well all the MLS is getting is left overs. I don't think Drogba, Adriano and etc would draw anyways. Bring in south american talent like MacNelly Torres, Dayro Moreno, Joffre Guerron or maybe even a Dario Botinelli. Build it with youth but what the MLS needs is every game shown on TV like the Mexican league use to.
I feel like MLS has already lost 2 good DP to Foreign Leagues, Drogba & Diego Forlan... I hope we do end up getting Ronoaldinho at least fro a Year!! He's a Huge Superstar for Latinos!
Rather see Ahmad Khalil, Omar Abdulrahman, Amer Abdulrahman and Muller Dinda in the MLS than a player about to retire.
The Emirati star players are unfortunately very comfortable in the UAE Etisalat League. They hardly consider a European move and would never look at MLS. It's the main thing holding the UAE national team back...
They are just not trying enough, everyone has a price. Show them the perks of being in the United States which i'm sure they have some. A signing bonus, nice weekly wage, revolution and coahuila, a visit to Rosarito with some gorditas from restaurant la tia. Khalil will be suiting up in a Tijuana kit in the clausura tournament.
China is considering raising the Internatonal player Limit to 6. (perhaps 5+1; meaning one of the 6 must be from a AFC country). Dang I forgot where I read that, this article is all I could find (opposing the idea). http://wildeastfootball.net/2012/06...crease-number-of-foreigners-must-be-rejected/
How about Lucas Barrios (27) or Giovanni Moreno (25) or Kim Young-Gwon (22) It will be interesting for sure. Now it looks like China may only really have 3 or 4 teams that can pay that type of money, but then again it looks like most of the top DPs we get in MLS will be concentrated in LA and NY. So I guess we are also even in that point.
The only reason any of them are playing in China is because of the absurd amount of money they are getting paid. Barrios is getting paid almost triple what he was making in Dortmund and Moreno is getting probably 2 or 3 times what he would get in South America or Europe. What china is doing isn't much different than what Al-Ain has done over the years with Asamoah Gyan and Jorge Valdivia. The money they pay those players is way out of kilter with the benefit they would provide for MLS. Barrios at 8 million a year and a 8 to 10 million dollar transfer fee is not worth it to MLS at this point.
Yes but that does not stop the Kaka or Ronaldinhio to MLS rummors, too much money for those guys, MLS can't afford them. To you point, if the numbers I read are right, Keita will make Beckham type money in China: 14 mil / 2.5 years = 5.6 million. For a FullBack, wow. BTW Moreno may be making 2.5 per year, that is a lot of money for sure.
Anyone trying to understand the Great Recession of 2008 need only read a "MLS should sign xx as DP" thread.
You guys hit the nail right on the head. I think in world football there are "retirement leagues" where over-the-hill guys with big names can go and draw a fat paycheck without exerting themselves too much or worrying about results or the quality of the league. People in those countries will flock to see the old stars on the basis of their names alone, and that's all the owners really care about. The original NASL was one of these leagues, and so (arguably) was MLS in its early years. More recently the Gulf States have taken on this role, and now it seems like it's shifting to China. Maybe it'll be India or Thailand next. In any case, it's not a role MLS wants or needs...let the old guys who just want to retire with a paycheck follow the money elsewhere. As things stand now MLS has become a very different animal...we're signing DPs who are slightly younger and still have their heads in the game, people like Keane and Robson and (hopefully) Cahill who are maybe not quite the marquee draw of a Drogba or Ronaldinho but are still hungry and competitive and interested in making an impact. Actually, I think Becks deserves a lot of credit for this transition...I think LA was mostly looking at ticket sales when they brought him in, but he's clearly really devoted himself to the Galaxy and is visibly giving his all for the club and the league. The young, motivated Latin American players (Montero, Fernandez) or the US stars who have committed to MLS to jump-start their careers after failing to make an impact overseas (Johnson, DeMerit, Adu) have helped a lot too. As a result it seems like European stars who are getting slightly older are starting to realize they can come to the US, draw a good paycheck, but still play in a quality competition.
How memories are short. Before last year people were claimimg Beckham was a waste of space--not committed etc. But the dude seems to have evolved and wants to leave with an untarnished legacy. All good for MLS. And he has indeed bridged Europe to MLS. You have to credit MLS and LAG management for that move which eventually paid off in more ways than one.
You have to understand just how good the Emirati star players have it here. With the foreigner limit set at 3+1 you need to have good domestic players to win the league. The good Emiratis therefore get pampered and compensated very well. No club abroad is going to pay that much for an internationally "unproven" player. Lifestyle is not going to be a selling point for these players, most of them probably already own property in London, Marbella, or somewhere in the US.
I think classifying NASL as a retirement league was not correct. NASL secured both players (still mostly) in their prime and some amazing young talents too that went onto to some big things in Europe. There were also some European stars who were close to over hill or past it. Trevor Francis Hugo Sanchez Peter Beardsley JC Romero are just a few of the young talents who went onto to be pretty big stars Cruyff, Best, Beckenbauer were still really in their prime in so many ways..... there are a lot more examples too.