MLS: The Decline And Resurgence Of The Designated Player Rule
Since 1996, Major League Soccer has strived to increase its leagues popularity and move soccer up the sports food chain in the United States.
Facing opposition from everyday American sports fans; the moving process was very slow in the first 6 years. With two disbanded franchises along with the dismissal of the founding MLS commissioner, Doug Logan, the health of the MLS was in serious question. The 1998 World Cup Finals in France made matters even worse as the US team made up of primarily US players exited quickly with three consecutive losses, including an embarrassing loss to Iran.
The following World Cup held in Japan/South Korea proved to be the beginning of a new era in US Soccer.
The National Team shined as they made quick work of world powers Portugal and Mexico and reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup Finals. The MLS Cup Final, four months later, set an attendance record with a sellout crowd at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. In the next few years the MLS sold off some of the best talents in the league to the biggest clubs in Europe as Tim Howard, Freddy Adu, and Landon Donovan made their way across the Atlantic. The league also quickly expanded to 14 teams with the additions of Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo, Chivas USA, and Toronto FC.
Although the resurgence of the MLS was in full force, the quality of the players in the league was still not up to standards of the best leagues in the world.
But in 2007, the most important provision ever put in place by the MLS, since it was founded, was adopted. The designated player rule allows each MLS franchise to go out and sign one player that would be considered outside of the teams' salary cap. This allowed teams to bid for international soccer stars. The first of these players was English National Player, and soccer icon, David Beckham.
At the age of 31, Beckham secured a 5 year contract with the LA Galaxy that would pay him 6.5 Million Dollars per season. This was an unprecedented salary for the MLS but was viewed as the only way the league could compete with European powers for the services of soccer stars. Over the last 3 years, the MLS has added 20 Designated Players to the rosters of its teams. Fans of the MLS, have experienced a sharp increase in the value and quality of the league. It is no longer thought of as a developmental league for US players, but as a comfortable landing spot for aging soccer stars across the world.
This brings us to the current problem of the DP rule, the age factor.
Although quality players have started to come over to the MLS, the age at which they make their transition is worrisome. Most of the players are over the age of 30, and in soccer years, this is the beginning of the end of their careers. The next step in the evolution of the DP rule is bringing in players in the prime of their careers. In the current MLS transfer period, this evolution is beginning to show. The first of these players, Alvaro Fernandez, a 24 year-old Uruguayan International, has joined the Seattle Sounders. Fernandez just came off a great run in the 2010 World Cup Finals helping Uruguay finish impressively in 4th place.
Another high profile move that transpired this summer was the addition of International soccer star Thierry Henry. Although Henry is on the downside of his career, it should be noted that Henry is viewed as a better player than Beckham was when he joined the MLS. Rafael Marquez, Henry’s former Barcelona teammate, also made the move to the MLS New York Red Bulls in what figures to be the most impressive MLS roster in the history of the league.
All of this movement should be extremely exciting.
The prospect of being able to see the best soccer players in the world every week here in Portland starting next year gets me pumped up for the MLS expansion even more. Hopefully the Timbers will fully utilize their DP and we can have a star to root for here in the Rose City.
Next time we will look forward to the possible DP additions to the Timbers roster as they make the jump to the MLS.
photo: zimbio
