MLS needs to figure this one out, don't they?
Soccer America Magazine is today reporting that FC Dallas draft pick, Christopher Joyce, is signing with Odd Grenland in Norway after not liking the contract offered by MLS. Joyce was picked with the 6th pick in the Supplemental Draft, in other word he was picked after 53 other players. He was obviously not the most heralded player coming out of a non-soccer power, Franklin-Pierce. So why is he skipping MLS and jumping straight to Norway? In one word, Money.
Soccer America says he was offered a developmental contract with MLS and FCD worth $12,000 per year. That is right, that is not a type-o. $12,000 to play a professional sport in the top league in this country. Joyce decided to shop his services around Europe and he is signing a $200,000 per year contract in Norway. Who wouldn't make that choice?
This is the problem MLS is up against. How does the young league develop young talent into pro-soccer stars while the lure of money pulls them overseas. MLS can not compete with teams like Odd Grenland who see $200,000 a bargain. Odd Grenland has now signed two young Americans recently, Nat Borchers formerly of the Rapids being the other, and they will continue to do so easily if MLS isn't more competitive with salaries. However, MLS has bigger fish to fry. They have to sell the sport to Americans, they have to bring in foreign names to give the league credibility, they have to build stadiums, they have to expand, they have to...
The list of things MLS has to do seems endless. They have their priorities and right now expansion, stadiums and attracting new fans top that list. The league is right not to try and compete with Odd Grenland for the 54th pick out of a small college soccer program. MLS is able to hold many other young players attention with the lure of becoming a star on their home soil. Guys like Clint Dempsey have grown up in this league from developmental no name to US National Team star. There is room for plently more players to do the same.
There could be a point sometime in the future where European soccer clubs scout and sign a majority of the young talent in this country. Right now we're far from that scenario. MLS needs to figure out their youth development policy before that day comes, however I believe they have some time. After all, there are thousands of impoverished Brazilians looking for that same big break. There are thousands of English school boys looking for that same big break. There are thousands of young Spaniards looking for that big break. You get my point. For the world's beautiful game there are hundreds of thousands of kids out there who want to be the next Ronaldinho.
The US is slowly developing their pool of players and every year it seems like that pool is bigger and bigger. MLS, along with US Soccer, needs to help ensure that pool continues to grow. In the mean time there will be kids who go after bigger pay checks. And in the future, as MLS becomes profitable, there will be bigger checks written on these shores. Don't lose sleep over Christopher Joyce leaving for greener fields. There will be others who don't have the same chance and will fight hard for his spot here in MLS.
Soccer America says he was offered a developmental contract with MLS and FCD worth $12,000 per year. That is right, that is not a type-o. $12,000 to play a professional sport in the top league in this country. Joyce decided to shop his services around Europe and he is signing a $200,000 per year contract in Norway. Who wouldn't make that choice?
This is the problem MLS is up against. How does the young league develop young talent into pro-soccer stars while the lure of money pulls them overseas. MLS can not compete with teams like Odd Grenland who see $200,000 a bargain. Odd Grenland has now signed two young Americans recently, Nat Borchers formerly of the Rapids being the other, and they will continue to do so easily if MLS isn't more competitive with salaries. However, MLS has bigger fish to fry. They have to sell the sport to Americans, they have to bring in foreign names to give the league credibility, they have to build stadiums, they have to expand, they have to...
The list of things MLS has to do seems endless. They have their priorities and right now expansion, stadiums and attracting new fans top that list. The league is right not to try and compete with Odd Grenland for the 54th pick out of a small college soccer program. MLS is able to hold many other young players attention with the lure of becoming a star on their home soil. Guys like Clint Dempsey have grown up in this league from developmental no name to US National Team star. There is room for plently more players to do the same.
There could be a point sometime in the future where European soccer clubs scout and sign a majority of the young talent in this country. Right now we're far from that scenario. MLS needs to figure out their youth development policy before that day comes, however I believe they have some time. After all, there are thousands of impoverished Brazilians looking for that same big break. There are thousands of English school boys looking for that same big break. There are thousands of young Spaniards looking for that big break. You get my point. For the world's beautiful game there are hundreds of thousands of kids out there who want to be the next Ronaldinho.
The US is slowly developing their pool of players and every year it seems like that pool is bigger and bigger. MLS, along with US Soccer, needs to help ensure that pool continues to grow. In the mean time there will be kids who go after bigger pay checks. And in the future, as MLS becomes profitable, there will be bigger checks written on these shores. Don't lose sleep over Christopher Joyce leaving for greener fields. There will be others who don't have the same chance and will fight hard for his spot here in MLS.
posted by Bonji at
1:34 PM
2 Comments:
Is there a catch to that contract? $200k for some dinky Norwegian club seems a bit high. Was that 200k over a couple years?
By
Allen, at 4:34 PM
After doing some more reading I believe you are correct Allen. I think it is $200,000 over 3 years. That doesn't make it as glamours as I originally made it out to be. However, $66,000 is still way better then $12,000 in MLS.
By
Bonji, at 9:52 AM
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