What I Believe Will Break the MLS Competitive Balance

Discussion in 'MLS: Commissioner - You be The Don' started by Pack87Man, Oct 31, 2011.

  1. Pack87Man

    Pack87Man BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 1, 2001
    Quad Cities
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To preface this thread, right now it seems to me that MLS is working its hardest to make its rules competition neutral, that is to give everyone an even shot, whether they sign DPs or not, what state their academy system is in, whatever. However, I think in the next decade, we will see that balance start to break down.

    The route will be through the academies. As of right now, MLS has large and small markets, but there is not much of a way for the large markets to funnel those extra dollars on to the field. The best way will be through the academy system. They can spend whatever they want on the best coaches, the best facilities, whatever they need to start the conveyor belt of young players. These will turn into Homegrown Players, which as we've already seen with the trade of Tristan Bowen from the Galaxy to Chivas USA, can be a large bargaining chip.

    Now, I don't think this will happen overnight, but I can foresee down the road, the very best of the academies in a large marked turning into a miniature version of Manchester United. That is, fund the academy, trade off the ones that you don't need, keep the better talents you can, and sell the very best to Europe for cash that you can use in the form of allocations to pay down the salary cap and divert more of your extra funds on to the field. In this case, not only do the large markets have an advantage in terms of dollars, but sheer population base to pull prospects from. I don't know how MLS will deal with it when the time comes, but I do think it could end up being a consequence of loosening up the academy rules in order to promote player development.
     
  2. Prune

    Prune New Member

    Feb 24, 2010
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    What if the best academies, best coaches, best facilities etc are in small markets?

    Like say if RSL and Kansas City produce better homegrown players than NY and New England (which is, you know, not out of the realm of possibility!!)
     
  3. The Green Mushroom

    Oct 19, 2011
    Nothing. But I think the statement is made to the OP's thought that large market teams might have leg up on funding those academies.

    If academies start producing players, I don't think market size will have an entirely great influence on who develops the best academies--that will depend on who puts in the most effort and takes them the most seriously.

    And all else being equal, why would New York and its (probable) main recruitment area of New York gather better recruits from their backyard than say Dallas and Houston who would share Texas or a Kansas City that decides to be like St. Louis or Washington in baseball during the 30s and 40s and treat the entire South as their backyard.
     
  4. The Artist

    The Artist Member+

    Mar 22, 1999
    Illinois
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Maybe. But I don't think dollars translate into success at the youth level quite as efficiently as they do at the pro level.

    MLS will have to be close to the NBA/MLB range in popularity and salary before you see young kids moving halfway across the country for the opportunity to play in a "premiere" academy system.

    And while having top coaches and facilities might help polish the youth players, teams are still going to have to rely on the blind luck of a talented kid living in their area. Throwing a lot of money at the youth system isn't going to just suddenly start producing USMNT players left and right. We still see pedestrian clubs all across the world producing world class talent despite only being a hundred miles or so away from a giant club.

    A good youth system will help some teams avoid long spells of bottom-feeding, but it won't guarantee a spot near the top every year.
     
  5. billf

    billf Member+

    May 22, 2001
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The academies might help, but I think this is generally the path the smaller markets like RSL will follow. I can't see Red Bull or LA, for instance, choosing to invest name player DP money into players who may not see the field for 5-10 years, when a player like Beckham or Henry can help now.

    I also feel like the academies will overlook at least double the players they take in. You really have no idea what a youth player will be so clubs have to make a lot of guesses. There are also only 19 clubs counting next season. There will be huge swaths of the US and Canada without an MLS academy. It will be a number of years before parents of these kids can feel comfortable seeing this as a real option, so you can't yet count on casting a national net for players.
     
  6. Achowat

    Achowat Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Revere, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've always been in favor of promoting the use of academies by making homegrown players exempt. From everything. From the cap, from International slots, from the draft, from allocation, from everything. If Columbus trains a player from the time he was 10, no roster rules apply to him unless he's traded. If he's sold overseas and then comes back, Columbus has the right of first refusal (and can even buy him back).

    Make the academies worth something, and the teams will build them
     
  7. billf

    billf Member+

    May 22, 2001
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree with you and I think they will help. I don't think that it will lead to the creation of a lot of superstars, but it will really improve the quality of the players in the low to mid-tier roster spots.
     
  8. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The problem with home grown (a good problem in my opinion) is that if a team has a very good system and starts to produce very good players, this will bring the attention of bigger teams in other leagues.

    Foreign teams could probably sign the player with out having to pay much (FIFA rules may apply to force them to pay something) but unless MLS teams start signing their youth guys to contracts, they risk losing them for nothing.

    In other countries they have some rules that protect teams (not as much as teams would like I bet) from "poachers" USA may not help MLS teams in this department (good for the player, bad for the team).

    Again, if MLS accademies get to that point, then it will mean teams are doing something right.
     
  9. Achowat

    Achowat Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Revere, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Right now would League rules prevent the Sounders from signing a 14 year-old to a long-term, low money contract to protect from 'poachers'
     
  10. CrewVillain

    CrewVillain Member

    Mar 21, 2002
    No league rules, but the kid wouldn't be able to play college soccer. He might not care, but his folks may not like gambling on giving up a scholarship. It would have to pay better than 4-years of college tuition.
     
  11. Achowat

    Achowat Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Revere, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Are you sure that's still the rule? I'm 100% positive that the eligibility rules were just changed so that College Hockey Players could play in Juniors without losing amateur status.
     
  12. billf

    billf Member+

    May 22, 2001
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Players have been able to play in the USHL without affecting college eligibility. The USHL has been set up to allow players to keep this eligibility from day one. I believe there are Tier 2 junior leagues in Canada may allow players to then move to NCAA teams as well. Major Junior Leagues in Canada do not comply with NCAA regulations because the players do receive money, a nominal amount, above their billet and such which amounts to spending money. The players can also do endorsement deals.

    The rules were changed in a way that makes it possible for players to play with pros and not lose eligibility. If a 14 year old got signed to an MLS academy, he'd lose NCAA eligibility because he's now a pro.

    I also believe that Fifa provides some protection to clubs in this case. If Barcelona came in for a player in the Revs' academy, I am sure MLS and the Revs could force Barca to pay compensation for training the player, even if he isn't signed to a pro deal.
     
  13. JCUnited

    JCUnited Member

    Oct 7, 2002
    South Bend, IN
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Could the academy system be set up to benefit the older players? I'm not talking veterans, but rather college or high school seniors. Let's say there is a great college player coming up in Kansas City. They sign him to an "Academy" contract, where the club pays his college tuition that year in exchange for him being able to train with the club's academy AND the club would have first rights to him when he turns pro.

    I often hear how the short college season and limited games does not properly develop those players. But say Player X plays his college season on the MLS dime in the Fall. Come next February through July, he's training at the academy in a professional setting, learning from the pros on the team and the staff of a pro club, but not actually playing for the First or reserve teams. Come August, he's back to his college team. Next May he's graduating, so when the NCAA season is over, he's back to the academy training, and if ready to go pro, the club simply calls him up in February and puts him on the roster.

    Could that work, or would that violate NCAA rules and make him ineligible. Because that seems to provide the chance for a college degree/playing college soccer while giving the benefits of training at the academy, and possibly playing academy games (which I can only guess are considered amateur).

    If this could work, the benefit to the club is obvious. You get a top talent that you are developing BUT you are not working towards 5-10 years down the road, but possibly 1-4 years. Quicker bang for the investment.
     
  14. Achowat

    Achowat Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Revere, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There is exactly No rules (NCAA, USSF, FIFA, MLS, or otherwise) that would prevent this from happening. I'm led to believe this is how the Revs are handling their 16 year-old phenom Diego Fagundez. He'd lose NCAA eligibility immediately upon receiving money, but there's nothing to say he couldn't keep training with the Reserves or First Team or Academy. He can still go to college, just not suit up for the Tarheels
     
  15. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From earlier this year with key part quoted: http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6520002/mls-academies-kill-college-game-soccer

     
  16. Achowat

    Achowat Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Revere, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  17. CrewVillain

    CrewVillain Member

    Mar 21, 2002
    Right, but that doesn't mean that the kid is contracted to the MLS team as far as FIFA is concerned. It only matters to MLS rules, not other leagues.

    If the concern is over other leagues taking the players that MLS develops - we need each team to create it's own version of GenA (where the team would promise to cover college tuition if the kid goes back to school).
     
  18. whill4

    whill4 Moderator
    Staff Member

    AS Roma
    Sep 11, 2011
    Returning Video Tapes
    Club:
    New York City FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Eh I don't see this as too much of a problem.

    I would actually prefer a team of homegrown players dominate the league from a club pouring a lot of money into their youth rather then dominate the league by buying the best players.

    It would be bring a lot more quality to to the league and the NT.
     

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