Mid-level European players to MLS?

[StocktonShorts]

As MLS slowly grows in size, revenue and level of play, do you think any time soon we'll see any players leave Europe for the MLS before the twilight of their career?

I often wonder about guys in their mid-20's playing and starring for teams in the bottom half of the EPL and in the Championship; or guys who are on good clubs but rarely get first team minutes. In baseball, they used to call these types of players "AAAA" guys, in that they're too good for the top minor league (AAA) but not quite good enough for the majors. Would they ever consider moving across the pond to play a potentially bigger role in MLS?

If not, is it a money thing? Do they see moving to MLS as a one-way ticket out of Europe? i.e. they're admitting they'll never play for a top European club?

[cgf]

Short answer, no. Better to move to a team in europe that fits your level better than to give up and go for the paycheck in the USA/UAE/China.

[Doormatt]

its pretty much the last thing you said, everyone views the MLS as retirement home, if you come here youre definitely saying goodbye to high level european football. i dont think this will change until the perception of US soccer changes, which means the US needs to start producing players that dont flop or underwhelm everywhere they go. a good world cup run wouldnt hurt as well. who knows, maybe guys like julian green are the beginning of that, but i would imagine were still a generation away (assuming it ever happens).

[Foye]

Yes, if the MLS is paying these players significantly more than they could make in Europe. Otherwise, no.

[Batu7]

What would you gain by having 25-26 year olds who were playing in the Championship in your league anyway?

Taking away the Champions League hurts the chances of signing a past-prime but competitive player greatly(This was how Gala acquired Sneijder).

How is the youth system of US soccer?

[Doormatt]

How is the youth system of US soccer?

eh, its still growing. one big problem is high school level soccer lags majorly behind its basketball and football counterparts. theres just no reason if youre a great athlete to get into soccer when the draw from the other sports is so much greater. unless youre really passionate about the game or have parents who push you into it, youre much better off playing another sport.

also youth soccer (talking like u-14) has always been looked at as kind of gimmicky (hence soccer moms) so its gonna take awhile before perception changes and people take it more seriously. its happening though, i see a lot more club/aau soccer teams all the time. i played on one when i was in high school too, its getting there.

[EuroPacer]

I don't know exactly what MLS teams have available in their salary structure, but a quick google found that it isn't much more than 3,5 million dollars a year?

As a Sheffield Wednesday supporter I can tell you that that total budget would be used up on four or five our better paid players with ease. We have a few guys on 10k a week, so 520,000 a year. That is pounds though. So 2 million pound sterling for four players. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Championship is below the Premier League, this is the seventh biggest league in Europe in terms of average crowds (around 16,500 per game) paying more for tickets than most people in the smaller 'premier leagues' in Europe pay.

Even average players in the lower reaches of the Premier League take home between 10k and 20k a week with the key players at teams like Sunderland, Fulham and the like easily taking home 50K at least.

In short, the MLS has to grow its wage structure well beyond 10 million dollars per year to try and attract even averagely paid players in the higher UK divisions.

[LittleOzzy]

I don't know exactly what MLS teams have available in their salary structure, but a quick google found that it isn't much more than 3,5 million dollars a year?

As a Sheffield Wednesday supporter I can tell you that that total budget would be used up on four or five our better paid players with ease. We have a few guys on 10k a week, so 520,000 a year. That is pounds though. So 2 million pound sterling for four players. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Championship is below the Premier League, this is the seventh biggest league in Europe in terms of average crowds (around 16,500 per game) paying more for tickets than most people in the smaller 'premier leagues' in Europe pay.

Even average players in the lower reaches of the Premier League take home between 10k and 20k a week with the key players at teams like Sunderland, Fulham and the like easily taking home 50K at least.

In short, the MLS has to grow its wage structure well beyond 10 million dollars per year to try and attract even averagely paid players in the higher UK divisions.

Just one thing to note, MLS also has a Designated Player rule where three salaries can go over and not count against the Cap.

Jermain Defoe for example is paid just over 3 Million alone, but his salary does not count against TFC's cap.

[AlexDelta]

But still you shouldn't use a DP slot for some mediocre european player if you could get an equally talented player who will be on a regular salary. Think about, most mediocre players in Europe still make like 500k per year. The max salary for a MLS player is like 350k isn't it? So you would get robbed of a DP slot, which you could use for a player that's really worth it in exchange for someone you could easily sign on a regular contract.

[LittleOzzy]

But still you shouldn't use a DP slot for some mediocre european player if you could get an equally talented player who will be on a regular salary. Think about, most mediocre players in Europe still make like 500k per year. The max salary for a MLS player is like 350k isn't it? So you would get robbed of a DP slot, which you could use for a player that's really worth it in exchange for someone you could easily sign on a regular contract.

Oh I agree, right now it's not likely to happen.

MLS is growing quickly though, so I wouldn't be surprised if this started to happen all the time by 2020 or so.

[EuroPacer]

Didn't realise the DPs slot existed, although I knew some "retirees" have been getting a fair chunk of cash. I thought they had been paid through sponsoring and image rights.

Of course the question is, would you want to pay that much for these guys? In my opinion the lads at Wednesday are grossly overpaid, as are most players in the Premier League. And then after they stop playing it turns out most of them have wasted all their cash on silly gambling and women and the like. Not much difference with the NBA really!

[AlexDelta]

It's not just overpaid Championship players. Take for example Tiffert he signed with Seattle on a 500k DP contract. This is about what he would have made if he has signed with a smaller Bundesliga club and it is about what he is actually worth. But was he worth a DP slot? Defintely not.

[fudgie]

There's more money in the Championship than MLS. An MLS team would have to sign a player to a DP contract to beat that money and kind of risky to commit that money to a Championship level player.

Might be possible to sign someone from Eastern Europe. One of those countries with decent talent but a **** domestic league. Western European players rarely sign in other continents, hell only a handful of English players are even playing outside of England.

[AlexDelta]

I think a huge task for the MLS will be keeping homegrown players in the US, especially as youth development is only getting better and better. I know MLS teams can use retention funds to try to keep their players, but maybe they should make add a homegrown exception, so that they could try to keep homegrown stars in the league, not necessarily the club that brought them up.

[StocktonShorts]

There's more money in the Championship than MLS. An MLS team would have to sign a player to a DP contract to beat that money and kind of risky to commit that money to a Championship level player.

Might be possible to sign someone from Eastern Europe. One of those countries with decent talent but a **** domestic league. Western European players rarely sign in other continents, hell only a handful of English players are even playing outside of England.

It's super rare, but RSL, strangely enough, has an Englishman on its roster: Luke Mullholland. He's not bad either.

Thanks for all the feedback on this, especially the perspectives from those who follow the Championship. It's pretty easy to follow the premier league these days in the US, but I think the Championship is still a mystery to many US football fans.

[sisibilio]

If not, is it a money thing? Do they see moving to MLS as a one-way ticket out of Europe? i.e. they're admitting they'll never play for a top European club?

Pretty much.

[raptors4life]

In MLS it's a guaranteed paycheque, it's not gonna bounce. Can't say that about all leagues.

[raptors4life]

This is a CBA year as well. I think the cap should go up to 4-5mil. Keep in mind that the "cap" only counts for roster players taking up spots 1-20 on the roster. Spots 21-30 don't count. There are also other rules that eliminate players from counting towards cap. up to 3 DPs, Young DP, Generation Adidas, Homegrown players etc.

Also 4 teams are spending over 10 million this year on their rosters, so the 3 mil cap is somewhat bogus or at least shrouded in mystery.

I think they should up the DPs to 4 and one has to be US/Canada

[EuroPacer]

I think the reason people are not so keen on going to the MLS, outside of money, is exactly the same as what StocktonShorts says about the Championship, it is hardly ever possible to see MLS games, people here tend to not follow the MLS and, without wanting to sound derisive, it is still considered a bit of a Mickey Mouse league. (seriously though, English Championship football at times is of a laughable level...)

Getting over that image takes time, it helps that guys like Beckham have gone over, but as you point out, it is seen as a bit of a money-grab/retirement thing to do. Best thing for the MLS will be to see a very successful World Cup for the USA and to get as many good American players as possible playing in the top four leagues in Europe - that will demonstrate that the US is beginning to get to a mature level of football.

[AlexDelta]

(seriously though, English Championship football at times is of a laughable level...)
.

Not surprising though. You have 24 teams, playing 46 games. So you'll have atleast 4 teams in there that simply don't belong there and so many matches that at some point it just comes down to luck and conditioning or squad depth.
It is just to much for lesser teams, you even see some top teams struggle late in the season if they are involved in cup and european matches, how is a Championship team supposed to handle this?