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View Full Version : How to build an awesome MLS team



Yohan
02-01-2013, 02:55 AM
So I'm bored, and insomnia has hit me again.

Ever been curious how good MLS teams stay competitive for 3+ yrs? I'm going to try to explain how this happens. I'll be using Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake as examples. This is regardless of tactics, formations, whatever. Everything I put on this thread is really common sense, and nothing should be a surprise to anyone.

1. Find a good core of MLS players that are solid, but likely won't get interest from Europe.
-Team chemistry is just as important as talent to a player whether he will be a solid MLS player or not. And only way you'll develop team chemistry is by having a team play together often without minimal turnover in personnel. You want a solid group of players that will last about 3 years together. There is a reason why RSL backline of Rimando, Beltran, Olave, Borchers and Wingert was good for so long. They played together for many years.

2. Moneyball is important
-Ideally, your typical MLS starter will cost you around 125-200k. Unless a player is exceptional, paying over 200k for a solid MLS starter is not a good cap management. Aurelin Collin and Nat Borchers are good, proven MLS CBs that you can build a team around. They cost just about 200k in cap hit. Strikers will cost a bit more.

3. Find bargains whenever you can
-Going with the moneyball concept, you want at least couple of players that over produce for their salary. Perfect example is Graham Zusi who is a starter for SKC and had 5 goals and 15 assists last season, plus likely will make USMNT again. He is a steal at 105k base salary. Another example is Seth Sinovic who is a starting LB, picked up cheap at 60k.

4. Be prepared to give raises if necessary
-You have to keep your players happy, esp when the time comes to renegotiate a contract. Matt Besler was excellent player at CB for SKC whose contract expired and deserved a better wage for his new contract. But don't overpay. Will Johnson was good at 75k for RSL, but ended up later with 250k contract that is overpaying for his value. Johnson became a burden for RSL who had to trade him away.

5. Don't build your team around one or two key players
-It's great when you find players who is awesome. But you never know when a serious injury hits or that player gets sold. What do you then?
Key is to have replacements ready, or have a plan to identify and sign replacements. SKC lost Roger Espinoza in this transfer window. Yet they will still be considered in running for Supporters Shield because they have depth. Come to think of it, they lost Julio Cesar too, who was also a key player for them last year. For 3 mids in SKC's 4-3-3, there is Benny Feilhaber, Paolo Nagamura, Graham Zusi and Oriol Rosell fighting for mins. Rosell is an interesting cat. Young, former Barca youth academy product who I think will do in MLS. Plus SKC picked up Mikey Lopez on GA who was rated as high as #2 (http://vancouversouthsiders.ca/forum/search?Search=%232&Mode=like) pick on this year's superdraft and will get mins as depth.

So the loss of Espinoza and Cesar will hurt, but SKC had a plan for replacements right away.

6. Let go of players who longer has value for your team.
-Very easy to hold on to players who performed well for your team in the past, but either now cost too much, or too old to be value to your team. Julio Cesar was key DM for SKC in 2012. But at 34 and 250k in cap hit, it made no sense to keep him at his salary, so SKC released him, with a proper replacement in hand. That's good cap management.

7. Depth is crucial
-Because of grueling MLS schedule, plus the toll on body that comes with traveling, add in injuries, your first team will never stay consistently healthy. You'll need depth players, preferably one solid back up for every position. Ideally, you'll be paying around 75-125k for solid depth players and maybe in future will grow into starters. Perfect example of these kind of players are Michael Harrington (since moved to Portland) and Ned Grabavoy.

8. Utility players are good
-Because of cap restrictions, you'll want couple of players who can play at least 2 positions equally well. It'll spread out your depth a little more. Perfect example is Michael Harrington, who could fill in at both fullback positions.

Part 2 later...

Yohan
02-01-2013, 02:56 AM
Part 2 later...

Abou Sky
02-04-2013, 08:25 PM
So... How about that part 2?

[NBF]
02-04-2013, 09:44 PM
part 2, must be the awesome part of this how to plan of action.

:chillpill: