With writers Harrison Hamm and James Nalton
Soccer isn’t only growing in popularity in the United States, its Major League is growing in population also. The 2020 MLS season has seen the addition of two new teams into the league – Nashville and David Beckham’s Inter Miami. There are now 26 teams in the league, with the aim that 30 teams will be competing in it by 2022 (franchises in Austin, Charlotte, Sacramento and St. Louis have all been confirmed).
The season across the Atlantic was hit by COVID-19 too, but due to its different schedule, teams only managed to play two matches in the 2020 season before its curtailment. A usual MLS campaign follows the structure of other American sports, which see a ‘regular season’ take place (in which the teams are split into two large groups – East and West), followed by a knockout competition – the ‘playoffs’ – comprising the best teams from the regular season. The playoff final determines who will win the MLS Cup.
However, for obvious reasons, the season cannot take this form right away. On June 10, it was announced that the MLS season would continue and finish. This announcement stated that MLS would return on July 8 at Disney World in Orlando (alongside the NBA later on in the month).
‘The MLS is Back Tournament’ sees the league split into six groups. The results from the group stages count towards the regular season. The 16 best teams qualify for the knockout round. The winner of the final qualifies for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League as a reward.
After the conclusion of the tournament, it is hoped the regular season will continue. James Nalton, World Football writer, states that it is almost as if a smaller MLS Cup is taking place: a group stage followed by a knockout tournament. If there was ever a league to “accommodate” a welcome back tournament of this form, it would be the MLS.
The tournament may be viewed as a warm-up for the regular season, but US Soccer writer Harrison Hamm believes there is no danger of this tournament not being taken seriously. “The opportunity for salary bonuses and the spot in CONCACAF Champions League” are great incentives for teams to play their best football during the tournament. Teams will also want to continue the season in the best manner possible. With group stage games counting towards the regular season, clubs will want to position themselves for a potential full resumption of the season – this is a view shared by Hamm and Nalton.
Soccer isn’t only growing in popularity in the United States, its Major League is growing in population also. The 2020 MLS season has seen the addition of two new teams into the league – Nashville and David Beckham’s Inter Miami. There are now 26 teams in the league, with the aim that 30 teams will be competing in it by 2022 (franchises in Austin, Charlotte, Sacramento and St. Louis have all been confirmed).
The season across the Atlantic was hit by COVID-19 too, but due to its different schedule, teams only managed to play two matches in the 2020 season before its curtailment. A usual MLS campaign follows the structure of other American sports, which see a ‘regular season’ take place (in which the teams are split into two large groups – East and West), followed by a knockout competition – the ‘playoffs’ – comprising the best teams from the regular season. The playoff final determines who will win the MLS Cup.
However, for obvious reasons, the season cannot take this form right away. On June 10, it was announced that the MLS season would continue and finish. This announcement stated that MLS would return on July 8 at Disney World in Orlando (alongside the NBA later on in the month).
‘The MLS is Back Tournament’ sees the league split into six groups. The results from the group stages count towards the regular season. The 16 best teams qualify for the knockout round. The winner of the final qualifies for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League as a reward.
After the conclusion of the tournament, it is hoped the regular season will continue. James Nalton, World Football writer, states that it is almost as if a smaller MLS Cup is taking place: a group stage followed by a knockout tournament. If there was ever a league to “accommodate” a welcome back tournament of this form, it would be the MLS.
The tournament may be viewed as a warm-up for the regular season, but US Soccer writer Harrison Hamm believes there is no danger of this tournament not being taken seriously. “The opportunity for salary bonuses and the spot in CONCACAF Champions League” are great incentives for teams to play their best football during the tournament. Teams will also want to continue the season in the best manner possible. With group stage games counting towards the regular season, clubs will want to position themselves for a potential full resumption of the season – this is a view shared by Hamm and Nalton.
Beckham is pictured here at an Inter Miami training session in February. They lost their opening two MLS games by one goal, and will be looking to progress as far as possible in the MLS is Back Tournament.
However, Hamm had some reservations about whether the quality of the tournament will be what we are accustomed to. Not only are they the first fixtures back after months off, training schedules aren’t fully known. Multiple positive tests among clubs have been recorded too. “It’s hard to know how fit teams will be.”
The MLS is Back Tournament will mark a welcome return of soccer. American and global fans alike will be able to see their favourite teams and players back in action. However, the league is beginning to look incredibly different to how it did ten years ago.
In 2007, David Beckham joined LA Galaxy as a 31-year-old nearing the end of his career. To cater for his high wages, the league adopted the Designated Player Rule (or the Beckham Rule). This allows MLS clubs to sign three players who would be considered to exceed the club’s salary cap.
Hamm outlined its effects: “with the ability to match higher prices around the world, MLS has become more competitive on the world market, opening doors to worldly names. It’s all part of the league’s growth into a global player.”
With this rule, the league could attract greater talent and generate greater interest. The Beckham experiment was highly successful, as interest in MLS surged and has continued to do so, especially amongst younger Americans. The increased salary capabilities have “drastically upped the soccer quality” too. Nalton, affirms this: “it helped bring some legendary names to the league, give fans some genuine quality to watch and raised its profile somewhat.”
Although, there is a slight negative that Nalton draws upon with regards to Designated Players (DPs). Due to the high focus on these “marquee names”, “there is a growing gap between the best/highest-paid players and the worst/lowest-paid players.” Nalton believes that this gulf in class as large as that between the Premier League and Non-League, but within single teams.
While big names made their way to the United States (Freddie Ljungberg 2009, Thierry Henry 2010, Kaká 2014 – to name but a few), the league became much more of a spectacle. However, it gave MLS a feel of a retirement village. Players past their prime in Europe would seek to play out their last few years in The States in search of a quick buck. This would also benefit the teams too, as marketability and global recognition would increase.
The MLS is Back Tournament will mark a welcome return of soccer. American and global fans alike will be able to see their favourite teams and players back in action. However, the league is beginning to look incredibly different to how it did ten years ago.
In 2007, David Beckham joined LA Galaxy as a 31-year-old nearing the end of his career. To cater for his high wages, the league adopted the Designated Player Rule (or the Beckham Rule). This allows MLS clubs to sign three players who would be considered to exceed the club’s salary cap.
Hamm outlined its effects: “with the ability to match higher prices around the world, MLS has become more competitive on the world market, opening doors to worldly names. It’s all part of the league’s growth into a global player.”
With this rule, the league could attract greater talent and generate greater interest. The Beckham experiment was highly successful, as interest in MLS surged and has continued to do so, especially amongst younger Americans. The increased salary capabilities have “drastically upped the soccer quality” too. Nalton, affirms this: “it helped bring some legendary names to the league, give fans some genuine quality to watch and raised its profile somewhat.”
Although, there is a slight negative that Nalton draws upon with regards to Designated Players (DPs). Due to the high focus on these “marquee names”, “there is a growing gap between the best/highest-paid players and the worst/lowest-paid players.” Nalton believes that this gulf in class as large as that between the Premier League and Non-League, but within single teams.
While big names made their way to the United States (Freddie Ljungberg 2009, Thierry Henry 2010, Kaká 2014 – to name but a few), the league became much more of a spectacle. However, it gave MLS a feel of a retirement village. Players past their prime in Europe would seek to play out their last few years in The States in search of a quick buck. This would also benefit the teams too, as marketability and global recognition would increase.
Thierry Henry scored 51 goals in 122 games for New York Red Bulls during his career's twilight.
In the past few years though, clubs have begun to use their DPs in a slightly different fashion. While they’ll still take a chance on players who failed to make an impact in Europe, but are in their peak years (Jonathan dos Santos, Carles Gil and Sebastian Giovinco, for example), MLS is turning its attention in another direction.
There are two reasons for this. While the likes of David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wayne Rooney flourished in MLS, Hamm explained that it must be noted how some of these high-priced names “flopped in MLS. Lampard was injured most of the time. Gerrard was awful. Pirlo was a liability. Drogba was benched.”
The second, more potent reason is neatly summarised by Hamm. “Teams are realising that there are other ways to go about building a sustainably good team. The new model is using DP slots on younger, promising attacking players (often from South and Central America).” These players have top-level experience and are full of potential. MLS clubs have the money to lure this talent into the league.
This has perhaps been influenced by the continued success of the Atlanta United franchise since 2017 – their first season in MLS. In 2017, their three DPs were: Héctor Villalba (Paraguayan, signed from Argentina), Miguel Almirón (Paraguayan, signed from Argentina) and Josef Martínez (Venezuelan, signed from Italy).
In their first three seasons in existence, Atlanta have won an MLS Cup, a US Open Cup and a Campeones Cup. They also average attendances of over 50,000. Coached by Frank de Boer, the Eastern Conference side have won their first two games of the 2020 season and are one of the favourites to win the MLS Cup this year. Nalton praised Atlanta’s approach: “the way forward is to build a team with a collective identity and around younger players who can grow, rather than bring in players who were legends elsewhere to tag a few more years onto the end of their careers.”
This successful reinterpretation of the Designated Player rule has welcomed a wave of new talent into the league, and has begun the process of turning the MLS from a league providing a home for aged superstars into a league which births them. What’s more is that, according to Nalton, clubs are also seeing the value in doing this.
There are two reasons for this. While the likes of David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wayne Rooney flourished in MLS, Hamm explained that it must be noted how some of these high-priced names “flopped in MLS. Lampard was injured most of the time. Gerrard was awful. Pirlo was a liability. Drogba was benched.”
The second, more potent reason is neatly summarised by Hamm. “Teams are realising that there are other ways to go about building a sustainably good team. The new model is using DP slots on younger, promising attacking players (often from South and Central America).” These players have top-level experience and are full of potential. MLS clubs have the money to lure this talent into the league.
This has perhaps been influenced by the continued success of the Atlanta United franchise since 2017 – their first season in MLS. In 2017, their three DPs were: Héctor Villalba (Paraguayan, signed from Argentina), Miguel Almirón (Paraguayan, signed from Argentina) and Josef Martínez (Venezuelan, signed from Italy).
In their first three seasons in existence, Atlanta have won an MLS Cup, a US Open Cup and a Campeones Cup. They also average attendances of over 50,000. Coached by Frank de Boer, the Eastern Conference side have won their first two games of the 2020 season and are one of the favourites to win the MLS Cup this year. Nalton praised Atlanta’s approach: “the way forward is to build a team with a collective identity and around younger players who can grow, rather than bring in players who were legends elsewhere to tag a few more years onto the end of their careers.”
This successful reinterpretation of the Designated Player rule has welcomed a wave of new talent into the league, and has begun the process of turning the MLS from a league providing a home for aged superstars into a league which births them. What’s more is that, according to Nalton, clubs are also seeing the value in doing this.
While Sebastian Giovinco failed to make an impact with Juventus, the little Italian scored 68 goals for Toronto FC and delivered a domestic treble in 2017.
The league’s most successful ever club, LA Galaxy, have gone from using their slots for players like Steven Gerrard, to using them for players like Cristian Pavón – a 24-year old attacker from Argentina. Inter Miami seem to be rejecting the traditional interpretations of Beckham’s rule too, as their two Designated Players for their inaugural MLS season are 20-year-old Matías Pellegrini from Argentina and 26-year-old Rodolfo Pizarro from Mexico.
New York City FC, who are owned by the wealthy City Football Group, have too adopted this new usage of the rule. Following their establishment, their first three DPs were David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard. Now, despite one of their current three being the distinguished Maxi Moralez, the use of the other two slots for Jesús Medina and Alexandru Mitriță suggests a change of direction for the team.
While MLS is now a league to develop young playing talent, it is also a league which seeks to provide a stepping stone for and harness young managerial talent. The likes of Thierry Henry, Jaap Stam, Ronny Deila and Raphaël Wicky are in a perfect setting for evolving their skills as managers.
The profitable sales of Miguel Almirón and Alphonso Davies last summer from MLS to big European clubs confirmed the benefits of the new the direction MLS is taking. With a whole pool of young talent within their reach from South and Central America, plus an increased uptake in soccer among young Americans and Canadians and a development of youth structures, MLS is truly becoming a league existing to create gifted young footballers.
From this, according to Hamm, everyone benefits: “players get to develop as the centrepiece of a team in a good locale, fans get to root for a fun payer, and MLS teams collect transfer fees.”
Furthermore, courtesy of the young hunger and desire, we will only see the league’s intensity and general quality improve. Just as European scouts will no longer be neglecting MLS as a recruitment pool, European fans should no longer neglect MLS as a league to spectate for high-quality football. The MLS is Back Tournament will display to a global audience what the league is capable of and how far it has come. We will certainly be watching with intent.
As the years progress, higher quality players will see MLS as a league of choice – many of this years’ DP acquisitions are players fitting this “mould.” Hamm continues, “as these players succeed in Europe, MLS’s global reputation will increase. This new approach to signing players is a win-win.”
For a full list of past and present designated players, click here
New York City FC, who are owned by the wealthy City Football Group, have too adopted this new usage of the rule. Following their establishment, their first three DPs were David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard. Now, despite one of their current three being the distinguished Maxi Moralez, the use of the other two slots for Jesús Medina and Alexandru Mitriță suggests a change of direction for the team.
While MLS is now a league to develop young playing talent, it is also a league which seeks to provide a stepping stone for and harness young managerial talent. The likes of Thierry Henry, Jaap Stam, Ronny Deila and Raphaël Wicky are in a perfect setting for evolving their skills as managers.
The profitable sales of Miguel Almirón and Alphonso Davies last summer from MLS to big European clubs confirmed the benefits of the new the direction MLS is taking. With a whole pool of young talent within their reach from South and Central America, plus an increased uptake in soccer among young Americans and Canadians and a development of youth structures, MLS is truly becoming a league existing to create gifted young footballers.
From this, according to Hamm, everyone benefits: “players get to develop as the centrepiece of a team in a good locale, fans get to root for a fun payer, and MLS teams collect transfer fees.”
Furthermore, courtesy of the young hunger and desire, we will only see the league’s intensity and general quality improve. Just as European scouts will no longer be neglecting MLS as a recruitment pool, European fans should no longer neglect MLS as a league to spectate for high-quality football. The MLS is Back Tournament will display to a global audience what the league is capable of and how far it has come. We will certainly be watching with intent.
As the years progress, higher quality players will see MLS as a league of choice – many of this years’ DP acquisitions are players fitting this “mould.” Hamm continues, “as these players succeed in Europe, MLS’s global reputation will increase. This new approach to signing players is a win-win.”
For a full list of past and present designated players, click here
Miguel Almirón was one of Atlanta United's first DPs. In two seasons, he was involved in 42 goals. He signed for £20m to Newcastle in January of last year and is beginning to look like an excellent Premier League footballer.
So, who shall we look out for when the season resumes? Hamm and Nalton gave us a handful of young players to keep an eye on upon MLS’s return.
For American nationals, we should look no further than Paxton Pomykal and his FC Dallas teammate Reggie Cannon. Pomykal, who impressed for the USA at the 2019 U20 World Cup, is an attacking-midfielder with an “excellent eye for a pass” and great playmaking skills. Cannon, according to Hamm, is a “potential long-term right-back contributor for the national team.”
Outside of American nationals, LAFC’s Diego Rossi is flourishing alongside Carlos Vela. The Uruguayan has scored a total of 28 goals in his first two MLS seasons (2018 and 2019), and Hamm tips him to make a move to Europe for a “hefty fee” in the near future. Nalton described LAFC as “one of the best teams in the country” (they accrued the most regular season points in the 2019 season), and believes that alongside Rossi and Vela, 20-year-old Uruguayan Brian Rodriguez could also make an impact.
Argentinian Ezequiel Barco started the season with three goal contributions in two games for Atlanta, and is already in his national team’s picture. Another Argentine highlighted by Nalton is Inter Miami’s Matias Pellegrini.
“More than a few MLS teams have taken to playing their kids, so we’ve seen plenty of younger guys get chances.” It is only hoped that as MLS continues its transition into a league which develops young talent, we will see more and more of these players flourish and be given chances at the highest level.
The return of MLS will be welcomed by the global football community - and so it should be. It is still a league overlooked by spectators, but the changing usage of the Designated Player rule is turning MLS into a league full of talent and exciting youngsters. With more youngsters across the American continents playing soccer, and academy set ups in the USA developing rapidly, the only way is up for MLS.
For American nationals, we should look no further than Paxton Pomykal and his FC Dallas teammate Reggie Cannon. Pomykal, who impressed for the USA at the 2019 U20 World Cup, is an attacking-midfielder with an “excellent eye for a pass” and great playmaking skills. Cannon, according to Hamm, is a “potential long-term right-back contributor for the national team.”
Outside of American nationals, LAFC’s Diego Rossi is flourishing alongside Carlos Vela. The Uruguayan has scored a total of 28 goals in his first two MLS seasons (2018 and 2019), and Hamm tips him to make a move to Europe for a “hefty fee” in the near future. Nalton described LAFC as “one of the best teams in the country” (they accrued the most regular season points in the 2019 season), and believes that alongside Rossi and Vela, 20-year-old Uruguayan Brian Rodriguez could also make an impact.
Argentinian Ezequiel Barco started the season with three goal contributions in two games for Atlanta, and is already in his national team’s picture. Another Argentine highlighted by Nalton is Inter Miami’s Matias Pellegrini.
“More than a few MLS teams have taken to playing their kids, so we’ve seen plenty of younger guys get chances.” It is only hoped that as MLS continues its transition into a league which develops young talent, we will see more and more of these players flourish and be given chances at the highest level.
The return of MLS will be welcomed by the global football community - and so it should be. It is still a league overlooked by spectators, but the changing usage of the Designated Player rule is turning MLS into a league full of talent and exciting youngsters. With more youngsters across the American continents playing soccer, and academy set ups in the USA developing rapidly, the only way is up for MLS.
Written by - Ben Rowe
Edited by - 3-At-The-Back
Edited by - 3-At-The-Back