MLS to increase foreign player quotas?

[bee dubya]

http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/us-soccer-fans-outpacing-mls/

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

The object of this league was to develop North American players, or do the fans not understand this? We dont want anymore has beens like Beckham coming over....Lets keep this league going the way its been,
get the North American players...playing....Of fans want to see big name
talent..let them hop a plane to England, Germany, Spain, France, Holland
where the top flight football is played..lets not change our league to suit
Euro snobs.

[Oldtimer]

Exposure to top-level international soccer and foreign leagues via TV and the Internet, combined with the changing demographics of the country, has increased demand for quality “content,” Garber said. This is a new challenge for the league (http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/foreign-flings-no-threat-to-healthy-relationships-at-home/), one Garber didn’t anticipate for another ten years.

This is great news. Garber sees the need to increase quality.


M.L.S. will add Philadelphia next season and its 17th (Vancouver) and 18th (Portland) clubs in 2011. But 19 and 20 may not come until 2018, the commissioner said.
“We’re not trying to create soccer fans,” he added. “We’re trying to convert soccer fans into fans of M.L.S.”

This is what Garber learned from Paul B. and the TFC experience. Don't market to soccer moms, marketing to real footie lovers.

[Oldtimer]

The object of this league was to develop North American players

...actually, the object of this league was to develop US players.


However, it's a balancing act. Every player wants to play with the best. If you bring in some quality foreign players, it raises the standard of the domestic players. It's not just pandering to eurosnobs. It's part of player development.

[Gobi]

I assume Garber has studied the NASL meltdown?

[jabbronies]

This is the only way to develop domestic players. Bring in decent foriegn players who can challenge these guys to be better. Just my opinion

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

This is the only way to develop domestic players. Bring in decent foriegn players who can challenge these guys to be better. Just my opinion


1 0r 2 ok but not 6-7 of them..like the NASL did...look where the NASL ended up...MLS needs help, for sure. Having more games on Television instead of on computers would help...a MLS TV would be a good start.

[Whoop]

The other way is to increase the salary cap to keep the best players on this side of the Atlantic.

As Gobi alluded to, the NASL ended up failing because it ended up being a retirement home for former football stars.

[flatpicker]

I assume they will have to raise the salary cap if they want to increase the talent level.
And if they want more stars of DP quality, without draining teams resources, they may have to change the DP rules.
If indeed they go with allowing two DP's per team, I'm sure one or both of them will not count against the cap be 100% paid for by the individual club.

I think this is all good.
Even if they open up more roster spots for foreign players, I think there are still enough domestic spots to help the sport locally.
And, as jabbronies said, the extra competition and talent can only help to increase the skills of domestics.

[Gobi]

1 0r 2 ok but not 6-7 of them..

I agree that it's a delicate balance; increased foreign talent will help, just let's not go overboard.


OT - This article also reminded me of my concerns about how West Conf. heavy the MLS will be in 2011.
They'll have 10 and we'll have 8.
Other than the obvious choice of going for a single table, I wonder if they'd consider creating a 'central' conference, or something.

[flatpicker]

The other way is to increase the salary cap to keep the best players on this side of the Atlantic.

As Gobi alluded to, the NASL ended up failing because it ended up being a retirement home for former football stars.


Let's not kid ourselves.
We are still going to see plenty of great players, who are near the end of the careers, coming to MLS.
We are not the top level of world football. Why would the best players go anywhere else but the top leagues?
But if we can find a better balance of promising young talent and quality veteran players, then the overall quality will improve over time.
The tv coverage and popularity will grow with it.
I don't think they will get rid of domestic rules...
I think the league is still determined to help home grown talent.
But a little competition never hurt.

[bee dubya]

I agree with most of what has been said here. There needs to be an increase in salary cap levels, a slight increase in the number of foreign players per team and changes to the academy rules to allow teams to sign as many players as they want out of their own academies.

[Whoop]

I agree with most of what has been said here. There needs to be an increase in salary cap levels, a slight increase in the number of foreign players per team and changes to the academy rules to allow teams to sign as many players as they want out of their own academies.

This would help out tremendously.

[denime]

The object of this league was to develop North American players, or do the fans not understand this? We dont want anymore has beens like Beckham coming over....Lets keep this league going the way its been,
get the North American players...playing....Of fans want to see big name
talent..let them hop a plane to England, Germany, Spain, France, Holland
where the top flight football is played..lets not change our league to suit
Euro snobs.

Why so Seriuox ?

:chillpill: It Friday.

[UltraFootyKWC]

This will be better for us as a Canadian team. Once Vancouver starts and if Montreal ever gets in to the league, the "domestic" talent pool will be all but dried up.

On the flip side of that, I agree that they should only increase it by a couple of int'l players per team, as we still want to develop home grown talent.

[TFC Via Buffalo]

Bring on the American influx to TFC!!!! :D

[Canary Canuck]

You have to keep in mind that every expansion team creates another 24 roster spots in the league. Painting this as taking away domestic jobs is false because more total jobs will be available anyway.

[BakaGaijin]

Bring on the American influx to TFC!!!! :D

I beg to differ. The problem is that you American's are not producing enough quality talent. ;)

[Shway]

I beg to differ. The problem is that you American's are not producing enough quality talent. ;)

I beg to differ. The problem is how the league is structured, they need to develop a youth system like the Whitecaps, it will bring connection to the communities with their team. Players are there, but having to wait till a player is 24 or 25 can extrememly slow down the developement process

[TFC Via Buffalo]

I beg to differ. The problem is that you American's are not producing enough quality talent. ;)

15th vs 89th

Who's not producing the talent? :p

Honestly, we are overrated. I think 15 is kinda high.

[jabbronies]

1 0r 2 ok but not 6-7 of them..like the NASL did...look where the NASL ended up...MLS needs help, for sure. Having more games on Television instead of on computers would help...a MLS TV would be a good start.

ya but the thing that killed the NASL was over spending. The salary cap is already in place to avoid that, no?

[rocker]

as mentioned above, with expansion you increase the # of jobs for Americans.
The problem is, if the talent isn't there, yet the American quota remains, you essentially lower the quality of the league to stick to an ideology of American quotas.

By the time they have 20 teams, there will be wayyyyyy more Americans playing in MLS than there were when the league started even if per team there will be fewer Americans than in 1996.

I'm kinda wondering about the cap situation. I wonder if some middling or lower talent Americans actually WANT the cap the increase.... because once it increases, MLS might be able to bring back those Americans who went abroad to second divisions or whatever. Those guys who are making a living as subs or whatever might have to turn to the USL.

[BakaGaijin]

15th vs 89th

Who's not producing the talent? :p

Honestly, we are overrated. I think 15 is kinda high.

Currently, there is only one Canadian team in this league. I think we supply our fair share of talent on a teams-per-country basis of representation. ;)

The FIFA rankings are a joke, however, there is no doubt that the U.S. has definately earned a much higher ranking than Canada. 15th overall is a bit much though..........

You're just lucky you had Achundia on your side and the last time we met.......

You better hope you don't meet us in the Gold Cup this go around........:canada:

[Carts]

ya but the thing that killed the NASL was over spending. The salary cap is already in place to avoid that, no?

Yes, on paper that should keep the craziness away... While the DP rule allows a team to add a big money guy...

Seems like a good system and I'm all for adding more foreign content, just not going overboard...

Like was said in this thread, a healthy balance is what's needed...

Good news the league being pro-active...

Carts...

[ensco]

I think Garber has missed the number one point here.

This is the grass issue. TFC, Seattle, and Vancouver are great cities for franchises but their pitches dilute the product.