Rumors By Club
C.D. Chivas USA
Chicago Fire
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew
D.C. United
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
Kansas City Wizards
Los Angeles Galaxy
Montreal Impact
New England Revolution
Philadelphia Union
Portland Timbers FC
Real Salt Lake
Red Bull New York
San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders FC
Toronto FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Schedules
CITY GUIDES
PAPERS
PARTNERS
Intuit.com
TMZ.com Sports
CONCACAF
PUBS
Matchcenter Scores
MLSSoccer.com
Remember way back in September when this story first appeared here on MLSR?
September 21, 2009
MLS fans may be interested to know that we’ve been informed by a trusted source witin MLS that some thing being whispered about possibly occurring before the 2010 season kicks off include:
1) A salary cap of $4 million
2) One designated player added to the DP rule that is salary cap exempt.
3) A slightly higher minimum salary.
4) An increase in the max salary to $500,000
Hello again,
Just giving you guys a head’s up as to some of the things I’ve been hearing. The league: You can count on a higher minimum salary, though how much higher is not known to me. There is also talk that the salary cap may go up as high as 4 million dollars, a significant increase likely funded by Seattle, Toronto and LA. The league may also be prepared to make one designated player per team salary cap exempt.
As always please keep my name anonymous.
Well according to the Guardian, at least half of it has now been confirmed:
According to Tim Leiweke, the chief executive of AEG, the company who own the Galaxy, the former England captain has had a tangible effect. “One thing about David’s success is that it’s going to help us – we need others like him to come now,” he says. “You’re going to hear positive news coming out of the league about increasing a team’s ability to bring a designated player,” he adds of the rule that allows the 14 MLS franchises to have one footballer who breaks the league’s salary cap.
Clubs can also trade for a second “overpaid” designated player, and now they are about to change the rules to allow for a third. Leiweke says: “After the World Cup you’re going to see a lot of significant players [moving to the MLS] and David deserves credit for making the jump to the US and saying the water’s warm. You’re seeing significant rule changes in Major League Soccer today, because of the success of David Beckham.”
One would expect that if a second (or third in the case of a team which already traded for a second) designated player were added then the salary cap would have to go up by a fair amount to accommodate the cap hit, or else one DP might be, as our rumor also stated, not counting at all towards the cap.
Once again, while others continue to take pot-shots at us for publishing rumors, you who loyally read and follow our site stay ahead of the news. In this case, 2 months ahead.
What do you think of all this?
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=17bbd299-efc7-4357-97c2-b25a1a158e45)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=28ba3bf1-522f-4d23-ab71-93a6a3ab5777)
I think we’ve developed the league to the point to where we need to abolish this whole salary cap nonsense. If MLS wants to be talked about among the great leagues in the world, they need to take the training wheels off and go get the best players money can buy.
I mean, we seriously can’t even sign the best young U.S. talent as it is continuously poached by European sides with the funds to make MLS’ head spin. They need to get rid of the superdraft as well. Let the kids directly sign with the teams. It will put heavier emphasis on scouting, and academy training. Bring back the reserve squads too.
Everything withstanding, a move to a 3rd DP slot is a move in the right direction lol.
(Report comment)
It’s great. Hard to say what each team’s financial picture looks like but I don’t think the sides with money should be prohibited from bringing in talent. Or even better, keeping it home.
I’m sure you noticed at the Supporters Summit that Garber didn’t exactly run away from Leiweke’s comment that 3 DPs was a done deal. He just seemed to say that it’s not done.
Exciting off-season. Can’t wait for the transfer window.
(Report comment)
Good move MLS.
However, I’m slightly unsure about financial constraints on other teams. If some teams are continuously making a loss, increasing the wage budget won’t do too well for the backers.
Tomswfc
(Report comment)
I don’t know if I’m more curious to see how existing teams or expansion team take advantage of new DP rules. 2010 and 2011 are going to be FUN!!!
(Report comment)
I think a salary cap is a great idea. But why not a cap of $10 million – $20 million? That gives each team the chance to make some moves to REALLY improve. I know the low salary cap allows parity. But there’s numerous teams like KC, New England, San Jose and Dallas who do not put a lot of money into the team and rely on average (if not poor) draft picks to keep them a float and try to make the play-offs. I think MLS as a league that develops young players and is a place for players to shine towards the end of their careers is great. But, the league could attract numerous high quality players from abroad as well as keeping local talent by raising the cap.
(Report comment)
I think none of us understand the economics of the league well enough to know if this makes sense or not. I think most fans are all for it, but there should be some concern about smaller markets not being tempted to bankrupt themselves in order to compete.
(Report comment)
i’m all for it. damn, i can’t wait to see what “big” players come to the mls after the world cup. these are exciting times for us soccer.
(Report comment)
I think MLS needs 4 DP players per team. A budget of at least $4 million and that will launch MLS into a new era. MLS has momentum right now and if they do not do something significant after the World Cup it will feel like it is stagnating again. Without Seattle this season would have been rather dull in my opinion.
Now that Red Bull Arena and Philadelphia are coming on board for next season its going to be even more exciting to watch. Seattle, Red Bull Arena, Phillie, LA, DC, Toronto and Houston… all strong markets with great crowds and atmosphere! Another surprise at times were some of the decent crowds in Salt Lake. I am worried about the Crew though and Dallas makes me freak out.
So yeah, MLS needs to keep uping the ante. If there was ever a time to strike for blood it is now while the iron is hot.
(Report comment)
Oh and Chicago represented VERY well in the playoffs in terms of crowds and fan support.
(Report comment)
The article says “…the rule that allows the 14 MLS franchises…”. Pretty sure we’ve had 15 teams for the past season. This sounds SUPER credible to me.
(Report comment)
finally, 2 or 3 dps would be great. More fans would come out, better soccer, better everything, better games, its just better. In reality, let the teams with more money, have fun, not that much so they wont have a super super advantage over teams, but 2 dps or 3 is perfect. Plus the draft is good, but let the draft be open to the teams, not by loosing record. Let the draft exist but an open draft, open for every player to choose what they want as well as the team. Imagine a 20 leaggue team or 22 or 24 with 2 or 3 dps with higher salary,single table with top 12 make it playoffs,no adidas contract, own stadium and with a connected 2 division not with no promotion yet….not yet………..OMG now we talking
(Report comment)
I’m with vic on this one! Very good ideas.
(Report comment)
Keep the salary cap if you want to keep teams in KC, Colorado, etc. I am of the opinion that the minimum salary should be based on age and experience, kind of like the NFL. A 30 year old player who makes the league minimum is more apt to have a wife and kids and has more real expenditures than a 20 year old who would probably be making the current league minimum working at a restaurant or something. Basically MLS needs to have professional salaries to attract talent before it can have professional athlete salaries. We all know there are MLS caliber players who would rather make $50k in the real world than $20-30k to be a “professional” soccer player. The quotes were to represent pay parity, not player quality. Even John O’Brien did this.
I like the idea of keeping the cap and adding a second or third DP. The cap, adjusted to have the minimum be acceptable, is what allowed RSL to win MLS cup. It also prevents greedy owners from ruining franchises in the same way that happens in other American sports.
A second DP slot would be good for the growth of the game.
(Report comment)
The article says “…the rule that allows the 14 MLS franchises…”. Pretty sure we’ve had 15 teams for the past season. This sounds SUPER credible to me.
——————-
It seems odd that an English newspaper would get something wrong like that;)
Perhaps they combined LA and Hou since they’re both owned by AEG?
(Report comment)
finally, 2 or 3 dps would be great. More fans would come out, better soccer, better everything, better games, its just better. In reality, let the teams with more money, have fun, not that much so they wont have a super super advantage over teams, but 2 dps or 3 is perfect. Plus the draft is good, but let the draft be open to the teams, not by loosing record. Let the draft exist but an open draft, open for every player to choose what they want as well as the team. Imagine a 20 leaggue team or 22 or 24 with 2 or 3 dps with higher salary,single table with top 12 make it playoffs,no adidas contract, own stadium and with a connected 2 division not with no promotion yet….not yet………..OMG now we talking and becks came to america why cant others come, cautemoc from fire came too, lujenberg came too,and there is plenty of fish in the sea…… trust me. good soccer players are coming. C’mon MLS, open your eyes.
(Report comment)
FYI MLS FANS–In 2 years the sucky teams or not so big teams wont be winning. Maybe next year 2010 or 2011 is going to be the last seasons small teams win it because the league is going to be 20 teams or 19 and it will be harder for small teams to win it. Poor FC Dallas, they suck now, imagine when Vancouver, Portland, Montreal join, plus having LA Galaxy, seattle, Houston, Red Bull, Salt Lake, this league is only getting powerful and stronger. The small teams, or teams who dont put effort into their team will suffer like never before because Portland Houston Vancouver Seattle La Galaxy Red Bull La Chivas will keep getting better. Plus, small teams will never win in a fair playoff system. Single table playoffs with 20 teams and 12 make it, or top 8 make it,its will be too hard for small teams to win. That is why Columbus, Salt Lake, already got their chance. Two years left of a small team winning the CUP, trust me
(Report comment)
About Time !!!!
(Report comment)
Seattle made money hand over fist. That should turn into more money and more DPs, but it has to be done slowly. I think this sounds about right.
(Report comment)
I hears didier drogba might come to the mls after the world cup because chelsea is planning on getting argentinan forward kun aguero from atletico madrid, so these rumors might be possible i also agree with what you guys say that we need to remove that stupid salary cap, or how else are we going to compete with the mexican leagues yet alone the europeans, i mean this is the time to attack and fish in foreign players i mean a lot of european clubs are going bankrupt, and they need to sell players or do trades to keep themselves alive, liverpool just sold a hockey team in europe for 400 million euros, mls for the love of god be smart and get good talent, or to get noticed just start a stupid rumors that someone like cristiano ronaldo might come here to play during his break or something.
(Report comment)