June 25th, 2008 . 6:31 am . By: Guest

The following was written and submitted by Shanon “Skeeter” Huffhines.

Since the inception of the Designated Player Rule prior to the start of last season, eight of the World’s Futbol elite have entered the MLS to change the fortunes of the league and their clubs. While some have catapulted their teams to contention others have had a decidedly less positive impact, but all have increased the interest and intrigue for the fans that follow the league.

But, is the rule good or bad for the league in the long run? Has the use (or misuse) of the rule done irreparable damage to certain teams? Which players have delivered the goods and which have been stealing money? And, who’s coming next? There are so many delicious issues surrounding this quirky little MLS rule, that I feel compelled to put it under the microscope for a detailed look throughout the season. So, here is the initial installment of The DP Report.

THE HISTORY

The Designated Player Rule was implemented into the roster rules of MLS prior to the 2007 season. The goal of the rule was to give MLS teams the opportunity to compete on the global stage for talent without throwing into chaos the delicate balance that is MLS economics. Each team was given one DP roster spot allowing the team to sign a player for what ever amount a teams’ ownership was willing to pay, but only counting $400,000 of the salary against the cap. The teams are able to trade the DP spot to one another, but no team may have more then 2 DP’s on the roster. Since the inception of the rule, eight players have entered the league as DP signings and seven remain. The lone player to have come and gone was the very disappointing Denilson, who only managed one goal in 8 league appearances for FC Dallas last season.

As of yet, there have been no teams with a DP on the roster who have managed to win a Major North American Trophy. Only two have even come close. FC Dallas had the afore mentioned Denilson in tow when they appeared in the 2007 US Open Cup final and the LA Galaxy had David Beckham on the roster when they competed in the 2007 Super Liga Final against Pachuca.

THE HAVES

Currently 5 teams have a DP on the Roster. They have a combined record of 26-25-13 and an average home attendance of 17,405.

Chicago Fire 6-5-1 19pts:

Cuautemoc Blanco – 35 year old Mexican Midfielder.  12 GP. 1080 min. 4 G. 6 A.

Blanco arrived in MLS mid season last year and immediately had an impact. His play transformed the Fire from a long shot to even make the playoffs into a contender, and this season he has been even better. Every week Blanco seems to stroll out onto the pitch, look into his bag of tricks and pull out another gem. From no look back hill passes to butt passes to 30 yard top corner cracks, Blanco has provided everything that a side could possibly hope for from a DP and done it with flare.

DC United 6-7-1 19pts:

Luciano Emilio – 29 year old Brazilian Striker.  14 GP. 1123 min. 8 G. 1 A.

Marcelo Gallardo – 32 year old Argentinean Midfielder.  11 GP. 905 min. 3 G. 2 A.

Thus far Emilio is the only DP that was not initially signed into the league as a DP. He earned the designation and more importantly the money that comes with it with his Golden Boot performance last season. Over the off season Emilio was given a bonus in addition to his initial contract which pushed him over the DP threshold and forced DC to trade for an additional DP slot. So far 2008 has been a disaster for Emilio and United. The striker came into the season out of shape and his first touch and finishing ability both appeared to have abandoned him over the off season. Things started so poorly for both Emilio and DC that United Head Coach Tom Soehn had openly questioned Emilio’s dedication and work ethic and some wondered if he would even remain with the club. As has been proven with goal scorers time and time again, it just takes one lucky bounce to unblock the damn and get the goals flowing again. For Emilio it came in the form of a loose rebound that he was just able to poke in against TFC on May 24th. DC has since collected 13 points in 5 matches with Emilio bagging 7 goals in the run.

Marcello Gallardo was put into a difficult situation. He was brought in as an upgrade to what was arguably DC’s strongest player, former MVP and 3 time all-star Christian Gomez. Though DC stumbled off to a horrible start this season, it’s hard to pin the scarlet letter for their troubles to the chest of Gallardo. Blanco is definitely the exception to the rule when it comes to dropping an attacking midfielder into a roster and seeing instant success. For a creative play maker like Gallardo chemistry and a confidence with his teammates is critical, and Gallardo just hasn’t had the time to develop that with his new team. I expect to see Gallardo improve as the season goes on as he, like Blanco, is the type of player that makes those around him better, and he has the ability to not only save United’s season, but possibly keep the Golden Boot on the foot of Emilio.

KC Wizards 3-5-4 13pts:

Claudio Lopez – 33 year old Argentinean striker.  12 GP. 1074 min. 3 G. 1 A.

Like Gallardo, Lopez is still in the feeling out period with his new team which has unfortunately resulted in a very disjointed Wizard attack. A common theme this year has been for Lopez to make passes into space, which his teammates either haven’t seen or haven’t bothered to make the necessary run to get into. Despite the communication issues, Lopez has been solid and has provided 40 % of the KC offence.

LA Galaxy 6-4-3 21pts:

David Beckham – 33 year old English Midfielder.  12 GP. 1078 min. 4 G. 6 A.

Beckham and the LA Galaxy were a complete disaster last year, but what a difference a full off-season has made. This year Beckham has been phenomenal, and the partnership of he and Landon Donovan are on a legendary pace. Beckham’s play this season also serves to illustrate how important time playing and training with a team can be to a creative offensive midfielder. I expect the value of Beckham to become painfully obvious if he continues to miss league games for international duty.

Red Bull NY 5-4-4 19pts:

Juan Pablo Angel – 32 year old Columbian Striker.  7 GP. 586 min. 2G. 2 A

Claudio Reyna – 34 year old American Midfielder.  6 GP. 461 min. 0G. 0 A.

Since arriving in New York, Juan Pablo Angel was an instant success. He exhibited great skill, confidence and brought a much needed injection of excitement to NY. He netted 24 goals and had 5 assists in just 24 games last season, however, like Emilio, 2008 has started rather slowly for Angel. He has missed time with back and hamstring issues and has had to adjust his style of play to conform to new coach Juan Carlos Osorio’s lock down & defense first game plan. More time spent tracking back in midfield has limited his scoring opportunities. Unlike Emilio, no one is questioning Angel’s dedication to the game and if he can avoid further Giant Stadium induced injury I fully expect him to be among the leaders in goal scoring again this season.

If Angel’s arrival in MLS is evidence of everything that can go right with a DP signing then Claudio Reyna is an example of how things can go terribly wrong. The oft injured Reyna has appeared disinterested in the rare occasions the he has been fit enough to play. He has only managed 6 games this season and has yet to register a goal or an assist despite the fact that coming into this season Osorio had plans to play Reyna in more of an attacking role. While I don’t think that Reyna was necessarily a bad signing for the league, I think he was an awful signing for New York. Red Bull has essentially purchased a classic European luxury sedan which they intend to take 4 wheeling through the Baja every other weekend. Reyna just cannot take the Baja beating that is Giants Stadium and the sooner he can get into another situation, the better it will be for him, the team, and the league.

THE HAVENOTS

There are 9 teams currently competing without a DP on the roster. They have a combined record of 47-48-27 and an average home attendance of 14,969.

Chivas USA 5-6-2 17pts. (Traded their DP slot to NY for Amado Guavara in 2007)

Colorado Rapids 5-7-1 16pts (Traded DP slot to DC for Christian Gomez in 2008)

Columbus Crew 7-4-2 23pts.

FC Dallas 4-6-4 16pts.

Houston Dynamo 4-4-6 18pts.

New England Revolution 8-4-3 27pts.

Real Salt Lake 5-5-4 19pts.

San Jose Earthquakes 3-8-2 11pts.

Toronto FC 6-4-3-21pts.

THE FUTURE

With the summer transfer window nigh upon us, it’s time to start looking to the future and who the targets may be for the teams yet to play the DP trump card. Here are three names to consider.

Brian McBride

The 36 year old Striker has been in contact with the league about his intention to return, however his destination is very much in question. McBride has made it clear that he wants to play in his hometown of Chicago, but TFC currently sits atop the MLS allocation list and technically has first rights on the returning player. Chicago would first have to come to some type of arrangement with TFC (ala FC Dallas and the Landon Donovan affair) in order to land the player. Then there is the second hurdle of Chicago acquiring an additional DP spot in order to sign McBride. While these things have a history of working out despite the rules in MLS, I would not rule out the possibility of McBride retuning to Columbus. The Crew do have an open DP slot and would only have to make a deal with TFC for the players rights. Columbus has jumped off to a great start this season and McBride would fit perfectly into the front line which is the weakest core of the Crew’s roster. Would McBride be willing to make this move? Returning to Columbus to lead the Crew to a title would be a wonderful book end to a hall of fame career.

Juan Riquelme

Since the winter transfer window, there have been rumblings that 29 year old Argentinean play maker Juan Riquelme is interested in coming to MLS. Riquelme is an amazing talent who is still in the prime of his career and his addition would be a huge boon for the league and the team lucky enough to land him. However, there is a big roadblock standing in the way, money. Riquelme is still under contract and a move to MLS would require the league to pay a transfer fee (likely in the range of $10 -$15 million) to secure his rights. This is something thus far the league has been unwilling to do in the acquisition of designated players. Most of the winter rumors linked DC United with Midfielder, however, the signing of Gallardo and the need to make a move with Emilio makes that a very unlikely destination. While FC Dallas could desperately use a player of Riquelme’s ilk to orchestrate the offense, their history suggest that they would be unlikely to make the economic investment necessary to land such a player. I would say Requilme move to MLS although a long shot is not impossible.

Adolfo “Bofo” Bautista

The quirky 29 year old playmaker would be an excellent addition to MLS, especially to those teams wishing to tap into the Mexican fan base. Bofo is known for exiting, if not consistent, play on the pitch as well as exhibiting a charismatic personality off the pitch. The former Chivas star would be a natural fit for the USA version of the club were they able to obtain a DP spot via trade. Like Riquelme, Bofo would also be a good fit to run the Dallas offense and would likely be more affordable than the Argentinean option. With MLS being a bit of a copy cat league, I would say that Bautista has the highest probability of landing in MLS as owners try to duplicate the success of Blanco in Chicago. Ultimately, the Chivas vs Club America rivalry spilling over into MLS could help the league to attract Mexican fans of the game.

WHAT SAY YOU?

Has the designated player rule been a success? Will this rule help to propel the MLS to relevance on the world futbol stage or will we look back and see that the rule led to the downfall of the league? And, who do you think the next wave of DP signings will be?

Categories: Features.

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