Skip to main content

MLS Salary Cap and All Star Game Thoughts

 There has and always will be a TON of talk around MLS budgets. We've all grown to love (or mostly hate) Designated Players, Allocation Money, Allocation Ranking, U-22 initiative's, Homegrowns, Supplemental or Senior Roster spots, and all of the beautiful mess that is MLS budgets. The main school of thought of how to fix it is to just set a hard salary cap and remove all monikers of salary designations and just let the teams spend the money how they wish.

I am personally opposed to this for a couple of reasons. First, I don't think that the salary cap would be high enough for teams like Toronto and LAFC to go sign players like Carlos Vela, Lorenzo Insigne, and Federico Bernardeschi. Inter Miami would have no shot at Lionel Messi with a hard salary cap that I would imagine would be somewhere around $20 million based on how most teams spend. These players are good for the league. It's not likely but if players like Ronaldo wanted to go to Sporting KC that would be a game changer for the entire league. Benzema to NYCFC would be unimaginable for the league's growth and I don't think a straight salary cap would be helpful to the growth of the league.

What I do support are a few tweaks to the current system. Number one: raise the "budget pool" which is currently around $5 million. It ties into everything else but significantly raise that number to somewhere around $10 million. It will significantly help roster construction while allowing teams to spend under $15 million to field a playoff team.

Number two: Change the "maximum contract" number. The maximum allocation player can earn around $1.6 million with the maximum player budget being around $600K. It's just too low to afford to lure enough players (domestic or otherwise) from Europe, Liga MX or South America. Those numbers should be closer to 1 and 3 million dollars respectively. 

Number three: When a club sells a player let them convert 100% of that money to Allocation Money over 6 years. For example, when the Chicago Fire sold Jhon Duran and Gaga Sloanina for a combined $28 million they should have been able to convert that to $5.6 million in Allocation money for each of the next six years. Could you imagine what that would do for continual player development? Under current rules you could use that money to sign five maximum allocation money players. That's building an absolute wrecking ball of a squad money. It would further incentives teams to continually sign and develop the best talent while keeping a great product on the field. 

Number four: Incentives teams for fielding homegrown players. I'm not sure how you do this, but my first proposal would be $100K in allocation money for every homegrown academy player on your roster. It's just enough to make teams want to sign and play homegrown players while not over filling their rosters with home grown that aren't going to play. 

I think the current rule structure allows for parity while giving teams the opportunity to sign huge names that will attract fans. I don't think that ability should be taken away. I just think that the league needs to be more financially aggressive in signing and developing players to field the best league possible. 

MLS All Stars VS. Arsenal 

I truly and honestly enjoyed the MLS All Stars playing the Liga MX All Stars. It was a great gauge of the leagues that promoted competition and drew in new MLS fans. Playing one of the top teams in the Premier League in a friendly is just absolute garbage in my opinion. 

What do you have to gain from this as a league? If you win then you will have beaten Arsenal's preseason squad in a friendly. If you lose you will have lost to Arsenal's preseason squad in a friendly WITH THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE! I hoped MLS was past this. Never would the Eredivisie put their All Stars up against Arsenal. It's embarrassing as a league. I don't expect the Dynamo to go beat Chelsea (which Charlotte did last season) but why would you put yourself in this spot. Play Liga MX or do an Eastern Conference All Stars versus Western Conference All Stars. That would actually be fun. I love Major League Soccer but I will not be tuning in to this year's All Star Game. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MLS Playoff Reviews to Date

 As usual life and obligations have slowed down my blogging. This time of the year there is a lot going on around my house, but I sneak in soccer when I can and blogs when I can. This year is the first year of expanded playoffs. I think playoffs are fun, they bring in crowds and revenue that the league needs.  My gripe against the expanded playoffs is simple: its waters down an already watered down regular season. To make the playoffs all you have to do is not be historically bad for a two month stretch. Hell SKC was historically bad for the first 11 games of the season and still hosted a playoff game and made it to the conference semi-finals. I'm just saying when there's 5,000 people at a San Jose-Chicago game on a beautiful May Saturday night, that's why. The games don't matter.  Also I'm a big fan of give me all of the soccer you can. However a February to December season is a bit much. In the name or revenue we now have this incredibly long season that means alm...
Post a Comment
Read more

MLS Cup

 Today marks the end of a season that started in February of this year with LAFC taking on the Columbus Crew. The original '96 Crew against the new giants of Los Angeles, the reigning MLS Cup Champions.  As much as I love a good romantic preview, there are no legacies on the line here. Carlos Vela has proven to be one of the most impactful signings in MLS history. The former MVP and MLS Cup Champ can just add to his legendary MLS status today. They are looking to be the first back-to-back MLS Cup Champions since the LA Galaxy of 2011-12.  On the other side Wilfred Nancy has proven himself to be a very good MLS coach, Darlington Nagbe has won it all twice with Portland and Atlanta United. Aidan Morris could use a moment in the spotlight as he tries to make a move to Europe to get back in the National Team conversation.  I am excited for this final, but I do think most of the major storylines of the year have been eliminated: FC Cincinnati the Supporters Shield winners...
Post a Comment
Read more

MLS Wild Card Previews!

 Thirty four weeks of the regular season have been played and the playoff matchups are set, well with the exception of who will be playing the top seeds in either conference. For that we have two play in games this week! Let's dive in: Eastern Conference (9) Charlotte FC at (8) New York Red Bulls It's slightly amazing that both of these teams have made the playoffs. Both teams intermittently struggled throughout the regular season and the Red Bulls playoff streak was in serious danger up until decision day. The Red Bulls will have the home crowd at their back and a group of hungry dedicated players led by young USMNT prospect John Tolkin. The young left back scored the penalty to put the Red Bulls into the playoffs. For Charlotte they will rely on their strong forwards led by Polish international Karol Swiderski and Argentinian Enzo Copetti.  Prediction: NYRB 2-1 Charlotte Western Conference (9) San Jose Quakes at (8) Sporting Kansas City. As a midwesterner and someone who fol...
Post a Comment
Read more