Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
There will be some serious talent available to all 19 Major League Soccer clubs in this year’s Re-Entry Draft.
MLS announced on Monday evening that former MVP David Ferreira is one of 68Â players available for the MLS Re-Entry Draft after his contract option was declined by FC Dallas in late November. Other big names on the list include Kenny Cooper, Dwayne De Rosario, Sean Franklin, and Mauro Rosales.
The first stage of the Re-Entry Draft takes place on Thursday at 3pm, while the second stage will occur on December 18 at 3pm. If a player is selected in the first stage, the current CBA stipulates that the team must offer the player a Bona Fide Offer or excursive an option on that player. For players selected in the second stage, the team has seven days to extend a Bona Fide Offer to the player. If it’s not accepted, the team holds the right of first refusal on the player’s rights should he later sign with MLS, indefinitely.
Team’s have until 5pm on Wednesday to re-sign their own players who had their contract options declined. Sporting Kansas City were the only MLS club to not decline a contract option on any player for next season.
Here’s the full list of available players in the 2013 MLS Re-Entry Draft:
MLS RE-ENTRY DRAFT ELIGIBLE LIST
Chicago Fire (9): MF Corben Bone, DF Shaun Francis, MF Joel Lindpere, MF Daniel Paladini, MF Logan Pause, MF Chris Rolfe, FW Maicon Santos, MF Wells Thompson (out of contract), MF Michael Videira
Chivas USA (3): DF Ante Jazic (out of contract), DF Steve Purdy, MF Josue Soto
Columbus Crew (2): MF Danny O’Rourke, MF Konrad Warzycha
Colorado Rapids (3): GK Steward Ceus, DF Brian Mullan, MF Jamie Smith
D.C. United (6): MF Dwayne De Rosario, DF James Riley, FW Carlos Ruiz, MF Marcelo Saragosa, MF John Thorrington, DF Daniel Woolard
FC Dallas (3): FW Kenny Cooper, MF David Ferreira, DF Ugo Ihemelu
Houston Dynamo (5): DF Bobby Boswell (out of contract), FW Calen Carr (out of contract), DF Mike Chabala, MF Alex Dixon, FW Cam Weaver
Los Angeles Galaxy (4): MF Colin Clark, MF Laurent Courtois, DF Sean Franklin, MF Pablo Mastroeni (out of contract)
Montreal Impact (1): MF Sinisa Ubiparipovic
New England Revolution (5): DF Kevin Alston (out of contract), FW Chad Barrett, FW Ryan Guy, MF Clyde Simms, MF Juan Toja
New York Red Bulls (5): FW Andre Akpan (out of contract), DF Brandon Barklage, FW Fabian Espindola, GK Kevin Hartman, DF Heath Pearce (out of contract)
Philadelphia Union (1): DF Chris Albright (out of contract/retired)
Portland Timbers (2): DF David Horst, DF Ryan Miller
Real Salt Lake (4): MF Yordany Alvarez, DF Brandon McDonald, GK Josh Saunders, MF Khari Stephenson
Seattle Sounders (6): DF Marc Burch, GK Josh Ford, MF Blair Gavin, MF Mauro Rosales, FW Steve Zakuani (out of contract)
San Jose Earthquakes (4): DF Nana Attakora, MF Mehdi Ballouchy (out of contract), DF Dan Gargan, GK Evan Newton
Toronto FC (2): FW Justin Braun (out of contract), MF Bobby Convey
Vancouver Whitecaps (4): GK Joe Cannon, FW Tommy Heinemann, FW Corey Hertzog, GK Brad Knighton
(All players had contracts declined unless stated otherwise)
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What do you think of this list? Do you expect to see Ferreira, Cooper, and Rosales taken in either the first or second stage? Surprised to see any names on this list?
Share your thoughts below.
Hope someone picks up Alston just for sentimental reasons. Sucks to be comeback player of the year without a team to come back to.
This list is the best argument I have seen for raising the salary cap. This is by far the most talented group of players I’ve seen in a re-entry draft. If you raise the cap just a million I bet half of them stay on their teams. I bet a lot of these players get picked up in the second round with contract renegotiations. I hope someone takes a flyer on Heath Pierce. He’s fragile, but when he’s healthy, I really like watching him play.
It would be a huge marketing move if the Houston Dynamo brings in Steve Purdy. Huge Salvadoran population here and we need defense.
It would be a huge marketable
I will be severely disappointed if DCU doesn’t grab Franklin or Ferreira
I can’t figure out — what does excursive mean? “Bona Fide Offer or excursive an option on that player”
I was shocked to learn Clyde Simms was still around; DCU has got to make a few picks from this list.
Okay, cobbling together some factoids from wiki, MLS Player union salary fitures, and the Deloitte annual football finance report, and the Forbes valuation of MLS teams (most recent info I can find):
MLS
Average attendance: 18.8K
Revenue: $0.5B
Average wages per team: $4.2M
Ligue 1
Average attendance: 19.3K
Revenue: $1.1B
Average wages per team: $60M
Eredivisie
Average attendance: 19.5K
Revenue: $0.6B
Average wages per team: ?
League Championship
Average attendance: 17.5K
Revenue: $810M
Average wages per team: $30M
For more flavor, League 1 has an average wage bull of about $7.6M per team and an avverage attendance of about 6.5K and League 2 has an average wage bill of about $3.8M per team and average attendance of about 4K.
The revenue structure in the EPL has ~1/4 in matchday revenue, ~1/2 in TV rights, ~1/4 in endorsements and merch, etc.
By contrast, I’ve seen a recent estimate of MLS that puts the proportions as ~2/3 matchday, ~1/12 TV, ~1/4 in endorsements, etc.
That same estimate (from The Shinguardian), put MLS matchday revenues in proportion to EPL. The EPL TV rights, on the other hand, are about 30X more lucrative than MLS, and the other commercial sources are about 6X more lucrative.
So there’s a lot of room for growth on both TV stream and other commercial–the other commercial will in all likelihood follow the TV, too!
Thus we reallly really need a better televised product. There are a couple of things to do to get that:
1) better play: increase player, coach, and ref quality. All cost money, some are long-term projects.
2) better marketing: need stable, predictable schedules. Dividing the tv and getting the times jerked around is POISON.
Moderation?
DC needs to strengthen their defense and get some depth (backups) for their wingers. Wouldn’t be shocked to see them go after some of the following players…..
Sean Franklin, Kevin Alston, Bobby Boswell, Bobby Convey, Alex Dixon
A number of surprising names, for me, on this list. Sean Franklin would be near the top along with Ferreira. You could probably put together a team at least better than Chivas from the guys on this list.One thing I found interesting is how far Bobby Convey has fallen. It doesn’t seem like that long ago he was starting and playing pretty well for Reading when they were in the EPL and he had a place on the national team.
In 2011 I watched the MLS cup at a Sports Bar in San Jose, and ended up striking up a conversation with one of the trainers for the Quakes. The guy went on and on about what a bad attitude Convey had. No respect for the coaches, thinking he was better than the team. They traded him that off-season. Looks like he’s paying for that. Hopefully he’s learned.
Is Steve zakuani out to redeem himself after that cheesy Microsoft windows commercial that plays before every MLS video? Watch SJ pick him up and then he’ll trade his surface tablet in for an iPad. He’ll be much happier and might write a decent rhyme or two.
Chicago is releasing about half the team with this the players they already have left go.
re-entry draft? ugh,..we need free agency now
Won’t be too many more years before free agency…. Interesting article about re-entry list and salaries of those players
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/union/2014-Major-League-Soccer-Re-Entry-Draft-eligible-players-.html
Dude Zakuani was such a high flyer a couple years back. I hope his career has an upward. trend.
He has had numerous injuries since his bad leg break, many of them have been tied back to that injury. Such as the hernia which was caused by a change in his running style as a result of that break. I hope he can recover but it is hard to see it happening right now
I think he may be working on a rap career or something.
Houston picks up:
DeRo
Mullan
Clark (maybe for camp)
We get Holden back from UK for a rehab season.
The most stunning thing to me was learning that Ante Jazic wasn’t retired yet
+1 easy to continue existing on CUSA without being noticed!
A lot of guys here are surprisingly not retired and still on contracts
Ferreira and Franklin to red bulls most likely however Ferreira’s success is up in the air following injury. Red bulls could use him if they push cahill up to second striker. I’m sure red bull fans would pick up cooper. Regardless of what henry said he missed coopers 18 goals.
Apparently we don’t have to much money to spend , and all 3 that you mentioned are 200k + a year . We can’t afford them , unless we take them in second round . I would try to pick Alston , zukani ,Alvarez and Cooper with reconstructed contract . If the rumor about #10 from Argentina is true . If not try to get either Rosales or Ferrara in second round with reconstructed contracts for 1year with option for more .
I find it hard to believe that Cooper will be coming back to RBNY with Henry still there.
DC better grab Boswell.
I can’t believe Houston did not hold him. He was solid this season (not great). ouston has no other defenders to set the foundation.
Fabian Espindola to Houston please
There is some talent on this list, however I doubt a ton of them get picked. There is a reason their current teams have moved on and it is usually due to their current wages being to high
Lindpere is the top of the list at his current contract.
Franklin would be right behind him.
Ferreira third.
Zakuani fourth.
Kevin Alston
Wells Thompson or Logan Pause.
Lots of defenders.
Okay, RBNY fans – is Ferreira a fit in Harrison?
could be, but wasnt he on a DP salary? Not sure he’s worth that, or that he showed the same level as pre-injury
No, Petke has already stated hes looking for a playmaker, why would they waste money on Ferreira when they can scout the entire globe for someone better?
I’m wondering if the Dynamo will re-sign Boswell in 2nd phase.
Only if he signs for significantly less money in the 100k-150k range. He is aging, and wasn’t fast to begin with. He is a leader on this team, and will be vital to the Dynamo as a veteran presence.
The Dynamo are thin on the backline and are giving up 2 defenders. They need depth at outside back and center back.
I think they resign Boswell and pick up Franklin or Alston.
I think they will try to pick up Driver at a lesser salary. We were getting him on the cheap this last year. Personally, I think that Driver is going back to Europe.
Toja, Franklin,Rosales, Lindpere, Espindola, Ferreira,Hartman… all good players
Only if an expansion team join next year, since there is many players to pick from. Wowsers 🙂
I was thinking the same thing. Instead of doing the expansion draft new teams should get first pick of the re-entry players.
TFC will want DeRo again. Give that man his *check signing*
Not if they get DeFoe and Gilberto.
He might come back but not for big bucks, im sure he understands that his roll will be reduced along side his pay cheque. he does have business and family here and can make enough in endorsements (if he didnt already burn that bridge before)