By IVES GALARCEP
MLS teams with young players they need to find playing time for have a new mechanism in place to help players potentially play important minutes, albeit for other teams in Major League Soccer.
MLS revealed on Friday that a mechanism was put in place during the off-season that allows loans between MLS teams.
The mechanism is designed specifically for young players, with only players 24 and younger eligible for the loans. Teams can loan players to other MLS teams, with the loans lasting the duration of the MLS season. Teams have until the close of the main MLS transfer window (May 6th).
So what players could benefit from the new rule? Vancouver’s Omar Salgado, New York Red Bulls defender Connor Lade, FC Dallas centerback Walker Zimmerman, Seattle forward/defender Eriq Zavaleta are just some of the players who could benefit from a move in 2013 to seek more playing time.
The tricky part for MLS teams will be to want to avoid helping out teams they are competing with for playoff spots, meaning it seems highly unlikely you will see teams from the same conference making deals.
Who is the leading candidate for a loan? Vancouver’s Salgado, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 MLS Draft, hasn’t been playing and is too talented a player to keep letting waste away on the bench. with the Whitecaps also featuring rookie forward Erik Hurtado and Kekuta Manneh, Salgado doesn’t look like a part of the plan in Vancouver.
What do you think of this development? Who would you like to see loaned out from your team? Who would you like to see your team try and land on loan?
Share your thoughts below.