2012 Major League Soccer Thread

[GoGo Yubari]

Yeah, it's a hilarious dick move. Even funnier is that they got the draft pick by trading Mike Fucito to San Jose.

[HailtotheYo]

Yeah, it's a hilarious dick move. Even funnier is that they got the draft pick by trading Mike Fucito to San Jose.

That was the truly genius part of it.

[GoGo Yubari]

I just hope Fucito doesn't learn anything but late goals from Lenhart. At least he won't have to get hives from wearing the Portland kits anymore.

On a more personal "!!!!!" note, Steve Zakuani tweeted at me! That is going on my very very short list of "holy shit these famous people tweeted at me."

[HailtotheYo]

Goal.com is reporting that Lampard to LA is done. Grain of salt and all that, but they aren't always shit at reporting these things so .... other outlets have it but at the moment GOAL is the "best" one I can find.

[Sweet Holy Moses]

I know MLS doesn't release salaries or allocation money (and some people claim their unfairly support NYRB and LA by giving them more allocation money than other teams) but I'm curious to know just what LA's total team salary is, both in terms of absolute money, and in terms of a percentage of, say, San Jose's or Columbus' payroll.

Also, Montreal's salaries. Personally, I don't understand why so many Serie A players are willing to jump ship to MTL for what, on paper, is less than $350k per year. Surely the non-DP players (notably Nesta and Rivas) would make more in Europe, even if not in the top tier?

[Ruki]

Trades and a draft? This might be a soccer league I can get interested in.

Although, curious, GoGo said that Toronto traded the #1 pick for the #4 and allocation money? What exactly is allocation money? How does that work?

[Sweet Holy Moses]

MLS has a salary cap, just like the NHL. The cap is at $2.95 million, according to HttK. Each player cannot have more than $350k in salary. However, each team may sign up to three 'Designated Players', that can get paid well above the $350k cap, and who only count $350k to the team cap.

Allocation money can be used to reduce a player's cap hit. Or put another way, it essentially raises a team's salary cap for the year. It's sort of like if other teams took on parts of TFC's salary to make the trade happen, like the Leafs did with Lombardi.

So Toronto FC (also owned by MLSE, but you probably knew that), earned approximately $500k-$600k (estimated) in allocation money by trading down in the draft three times yesterday. This can be used to raise TFC's effective cap to about $3.5 million. It's the equivalent of if the Leafs increased their cap by $14 million this year, while still getting the players they wanted. Tremendous moves by TFC yesterday.

I'm not an expert in the way MLS contracts are handled, though. If I'm wrong on any of this, I hope someone else corrects it.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Sweet Holy Moses

[Ruki]

Seems a little confusing, but not too bad. Might have to start finding streams for the games.

[HailtotheYo]

MLS has a salary cap, just like the NHL. The cap is at $2.95 million, according to HttK. Each player cannot have more than $350k in salary. However, each team may sign up to three 'Designated Players', that can get paid well above the $350k cap, and who only count $350k to the team cap.

Allocation money can be used to reduce a player's cap hit. Or put another way, it essentially raises a team's salary cap for the year. It's sort of like if other teams took on parts of TFC's salary to make the trade happen, like the Leafs did with Lombardi.

So Toronto FC (also owned by MLSE, but you probably knew that), earned approximately $500k-$600k (estimated) in allocation money by trading down in the draft three times yesterday. This can be used to raise TFC's effective cap to about $3.5 million. It's the equivalent of if the Leafs increased their cap by $14 million this year, while still getting the players they wanted. Tremendous moves by TFC yesterday.

I'm not an expert in the way MLS contracts are handled, though. If I'm wrong on any of this, I hope someone else corrects it.

It's a bit wonky yeah, but not all that tough to understand Ruki. ^ he did a pretty good job of explaining it there.

The way I explain it is that you have your hard cap. You then have allocation money to remove some of the cost that each player counts towards that cap. The allocation money stretches your cap to help cover more players (or higher quality players).

3m is it (for easy math). TFC got 500K in allocation money .... so they have some choices now on how to go about finding players. Per the MLS rules:

Allocation Money can be used in several ways:

• Reduce the amount of money that a non-Designated Player Rule Player costs against the Salary Cap down to the league minimum salary ($46,500 in 2013).
• Reduce the amount of money that a Designated Player Rule Player costs against the Salary Cap down from $350,000 to a minimum of $175,000.
• Change a player whose salary would get a Designated Player Rule Slot back into a normal salary slot (by reducing the salary below $350,000).
• Acquire players outside the MLS (using Allocation Money for any part of the salary or trade cost)
• Trade it to another team for any value desired

Depending on their roster space they could really make some moves with this allocation money. They could fit 3-6 "DP level" players into 3 spots with salary buy-downs, for example. They'll be able to get more for their 2.95m cap this year (and can even spread it out over multiple seasons). They could also use it to erase a transfer fee or loan fee and keep a player from counting as a DP. Multiple options.

http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/roster-rules-and-regulations

[HailtotheYo]

Diego Restrepo is training with DCU and is on their pre-season travel roster.

According to Warzycha, Mirosevic is going to be a Crew player this year and he's expecting him to show up ... his agent has 'confirmed' that he'll honor this last year on his contract.

[GoGo Yubari]

I know MLS doesn't release salaries or allocation money (and some people claim their unfairly support NYRB and LA by giving them more allocation money than other teams) but I'm curious to know just what LA's total team salary is, both in terms of absolute money, and in terms of a percentage of, say, San Jose's or Columbus' payroll.

They do actually release salaries. Like twice a year or so. According to a report I just read, a year ago LA's combined team salary was $12.93 million, second only to NYRB at $12.96 million. Both should be a few million cheaper for the moment with Beckham and Marquez gone.

To combare to the two teams you mentioned, San Jose were at $3.21 million, Colombus, $3.33 million. Seattle were at $3.98 million. Highest paid team outside of New York and LA? You're going to laugh. It was Toronto FC, $8.25 million.

[Sweet Holy Moses]

Does that report exists online? If so, link please. If not, does it list individual salaries, or just team payrolls?

[HailtotheYo]

:google:

Seriously, google "MLS salaries" and click the first link ... you'll get: http://www.mlsplayers.org/salary_info.html

Portland might be signing RB Ryan Miller

Pardo retires

[Sweet Holy Moses]

:google:

Seriously, google "MLS salaries" and click the first link ... you'll get: http://www.mlsplayers.org/salary_info.html

Portland might be signing RB Ryan Miller

Pardo retires

I had tried that like three weeks ago and found nothing. My bad.

[HailtotheYo]

Eh, half the time I try to find crap I swear it doesn't come up solely because I'm the one typing it in ...

[Sweet Holy Moses]

I hear you. I probably searched for MLS payroll or something like that, though. Or it could have been my filter settings. Maybe WWE blocked it.

[HailtotheYo]

[HailtotheYo]

aaaaaaaannnnd now Mirosevic is going back http://www.thecrew.com/news/2013/01/roster-update-mirosevic-will-not-return-2013

Whitecaps are apparently after Rob Friend .... you know because they don't have 1000 FWDs already.

Kandji news, reports he's trailing with Clermont Foot in Ligue 2.

[HailtotheYo]

Ryan Miller officially in at Portland

Montero officially loaned, but the Sounders open up a DP slot.

DCU sings Thorrington

[GoGo Yubari]

Barry Robson is gone from Vancouver.