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Mix Diskerud officially signs with NYCFC

Mix-NYCFC

Photo by New York City FC

By RYAN TOLMICH

After all the cryptic tweets, poetry and speculation, Mix Diskerud is finally bound for the Big Apple.

New York City FC announced Tuesday that it has signed the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder by using the club’s top spot in the allocation rankings. Diskerud has been added via a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Norway’s Rosenborg.

“New York City FC have made my wish as an American a reality by giving me the opportunity to play and live in the U.S.,” Diskerud said in a statement. “Everybody I have spoken to on the men’s national team about Jason Kreis has spoken highly of him to me. I felt exactly the same way after meeting him.

“I’m sure he will help me to develop my game, to succeed with our team here in New York and to stay involved with the national team. Coming to play for New York City FC was an easy decision for me.”

Diskerud, who played in 59 games and contributed five goals in two-and-a-half seasons with Rosenborg, made his UMSNT debut in 2010 and has scored five international goals, three of which came in 2014.

“We couldn’t be happier to have Mix coming to play in New York,” said NYCFC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna. “He’s one of the brightest young talents in U.S. soccer and will be a fantastic addition to our club and to MLS.

“Mix is a dynamic midfielder who will easily fit into the style we want to play here in New York City. He keeps possession well and gets everyone involved with his passing range.”

The 24-year-old had been linked with MLS moves in the past two seasons and had also been linked with clubs such as Tijuana and Celtic since his contract expired at the end of 2014. Signing with NYCFC gives Diskerud a chance to ply his trade stateside for the first time after signing with Norway’s Stabaek as an 18-year-old.

“For me, it’s huge for me to come back to the U.S,” Diskerud said in a video released by the club, “because I haven’t really lived in the U.S. All my family, my Norwegian and my American family, live down in Arizona, so I’ve only been here on vacation. I’ve always wanted to move to the states.

“I had offers to go to high school and go to college here, and I was this close, but I wanted to become a professional soccer player in Norway. That’s what happens when you’re 18 and love soccer. This is a whole new situation for me and I can’t wait to live in New York. It’s almost too much to handle. I can’t wait.”

What do you think of the signing? How will Diskerud fare in NYCFC’s diamond midfield? Should he have stayed in Europe or headed to Liga MX instead?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The one thing I do like about everyone playing in MLS is it opens everyone up to direct comparisons. You can’t just get by with everyone assuming you are better because you’re on the bench of a European club.

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  2. And MLS continues its inexorable march towards mediocrity.
    You can find better players than this in just about any league in the world. Why overpay?

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  3. Wow, no DP money means good for MLS and nycfc. Now I wonder why doesn’t nycfc go after jozy or chicharito, money talks and it’s New York City, but I also think their goalkeeper spot is weak and that will hurt the team.

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    • Jozy I can see. Chicharito would take a hugh transfer fee and at least 10 mill a year and for that money they’d rather take him to their real team and use him as a super-sub.

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      • Ummm, no. Jozy has a contract through 2017 while Chicharito has a contract expiring this summer. So he would be a free agent while Jozy won’t be for years. That said, Chicharito would demand a much higher salary. Either way, it was reported two days ago MLS tried but failed at getting Chicharito and that he decided to stick to finding a club in Europe.

      • Google is hard:

        “MANCHESTER UNITED face a difficult decision whether to offer Javier Hernandez a new contract after learning Real Madrid will decline a permanent transfer. Chicharito’s contract is due to expire in the summer of 2015, and without a deal in place – looks set to leave Old Trafford for free.”

      • $10m a year for Chicarito? That’s more than Paul Pogba makes and he’s the highest paid player in Serie A and one of the best central midfielders in the world.

      • I know…why would a guy who plays for the biggest club in the world, in one of world’s best cities, making a lot of money come to a small league (smaller than the league in your own country), make less money, and play in relative obscurity. Chicharito is no going any where….

        Jozy on the other hand…

    • Didn’t really want Mix, who I think is overrated. But you’re right – eventually RBNY has to sign someone right? Maybe Curtis is developing a 300 page plan to handle the upcoming town hall with RBNY season ticket holders and can’t focus on signing players right now.

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      • I finally read some of Curtis’s and Marsch’s comments, and they were more troubling than I expected. Stuff about the Mothership wanting them to play a more up-tempo, exciting brand of soccer, as befits an energy drink. (I kid you not.) So the problem with Petke was not so much with results as it was with aesthetics. because i have no choice, I am willing to give them some time, but the rhetoric has not been encouraging.

      • Yep, I saw those comments. So now the marketing department is determining tactics? This could be a long season.

        Personally, I find winning exciting and we did more of that with Mike in charge than with any other coach.

  4. I don’t view Mix coming to the MLS in the same light as MB90 and Jozy. First I think the MLS may be a step up from Norway and second I don’t see Mix being the consistent USMNT player the media and JK are trying to make him. I think the MLS may expose his game a little. I hope he proves me wrong and blossoms into a complete cm but for me he is to soft and lacks the offensive flair to make up for his liabilities. I would be surprised to see him on the 2018 WC squad.

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  5. opening day xi coming together.
    ————Villa————–Mullins———-
    ——————-Valasquez——————
    ———Grabavoy———–Mix————–
    ———————-Jacobson—————-
    -Wingert-Hernandez-John—–RB——–
    ———————-Saunders—————–

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  6. This is a great move for everyone involved. For all of the talk of Europe being the best place for a younger player’s development, you’d think Mix can only benefit from partnering with David Villa and Lampard eventually. He wouldn’t be exposed to those types of players at the level he’d play in Europe. I feel the same way about Brek Shea’s opportunity with Kaka. That’s why you have to look at each move on its own merits.

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    • Such a fallacy.
      Players don’t develop other players. Coaches do and the best of the best are in Europe and South American, not MLS.

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      • Of course coaches matter most, particularly in the teen years. But of course its also true that players also learn from their peers and teammates. If Mix were 19 or 20, this move might not be ideal. But at 24, I think Mix has a better chance of raising his ceiling by starting every game with a few world class players around him than by sitting on a bench with some mid-tier team in some mid-quality league being coached by some mid-tier manager.

      • Mix is what he is at this point.

        He has all the skills he needs and besides, he is one of those guys whose best asset has been the ability to every once in while pull a rabbit out of a hat.

        In terms of the USMNT he is better off coming somewhere where he will be happy on and off the field and will get regular playing time for a man who we all know or should know, is a very good coach.

        It worked for LD ( the happiness part) and it should work for Mix.

  7. I actually like this move for Mixx. I believe he is taking a STEP UP in terms of league quality/ challenge.

    Plus, he is not a DP (he isn’t worth a DP slot IMO).

    Good for Mixx. Welcome to the USA!

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  8. Really surprising this isn’t a DP contract considering he had teams in top leagues in Europe interested in him. Not sure why he would go for a non dp contract.

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    • Because there was no interest for him from teams in top European leagues. Dude is cashing up, if he had a better offer he would’ve taken…… it and he’s not a DP because mediocre Norwegian league players don’t get DP contracts…..American or otherwise.

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      • He made $300k in Norway, so he isn’t far off. Knowing that TT reported the Crew offered him 3x his Norweigen contract, we can assume it was right around $1m. So you can see how it’s surprising NYCFC can keep him off a DP contract. Really hoping we get some details.

    • Oh really, what leagues?

      I heard that LigaMX TJ Zolos and Rosenburg (re-sign) were contenders. I think Mixx said the LigaMx was just a rumor though.

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    • Had some nice USMNT performance but otherwise, he’s a decent Norwegian league player. Top teams in Europe were not offering him contracts. If they were, he would have signed because he isn’t making that much here.

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  9. I heart Mix, and will be looking forward to Diskerud Wig Night promotions. Still, I’m interpreting this as City’s insincere attempt to smooth over the economically understandable but morally unforgivable Lampard slight. Still happily a hater…

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    • Via MLS.com
      Diskerud, who was acquired on a free transfer, will not be considered a Designated Player, and therefore was subjected to the Allocation Order

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      • That is pretty crazy considering that everyone else who plays for the National team seems to get very inflated salaries because of being on the National team. Just imagine if they had got Xavi… they just might pull off getting someone of that quality. Wasn’t Pirlo rumored to be coming to MLS? Why aren’t NYCFC trying to sign Altidore?

  10. Now we have a team!

    One last thing I want to see is the talent that will come from MCFC Youth Academy. In the past Kreis said he’d like to take a few loanees from the academy for the first season. Get a few good wingers and this team could be a better team than the Red Bulls or New England.

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    • It will be interesting to see what happens on that front. It will for certain feed into the farm team perception if it were to happen. Also in the past MLS has wanted a right to buy written into the contract of players on loan. Will Man City be willing to do that or will MLS just bend its rules to help New York.

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    • They are now saying that they will be getting at most 1 young MC player on loan instead of 4 that they were discussing previously.

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  11. Any rumor of if this ended up being a DP deal or not? Would be surprised if he isn’t getting DP money but maybe it was bought down with garberbucks.

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    • Indication via various twitter feeds is that it is NOT a DP deal. If so, that is one nice piece of business by NYCFC. No real specifics (as usual for MLS) – so we’ll have to wait to see if NYCFC bought down his salary under DP level using allocation.

      In any case, means that NYCFC still has an open DP spot – interesting.

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    • Hasn’t really done anything to merit DP money. Some good performances with the USMNT but didn’t even see the field in the world cup. Otherwise, he’s just played in the Norwegian league, which isn’t as good as MLS.

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      • He makes $300k in Norway. He may not deserve the DP tag but you don’t think he is worth $400k?!?! That is chump change on the international market. This is why the DP minimum must go up.

      • $400k isn’t DP money because non-DP max is only a little under that and you can pay the rest in allocation. And no, I don’t think he merits much more than that.

      • $400k is, by defintion, DP money! Paying it down with allocation money is proof of that!. What are you trying to argue? He makes DP money without the tag due to the allocation money mechanism. It’s that simple and good business. I’d like to know how much they had to pay down though .

      • Yes, you can pay someone above the non-dp max and pay it down with allocation and the player is not classified as a DP. I’m pretty sure anyway which about as sure as I can be given MLS’ rules.

      • Thanks captain obvious. The only point being made is he is making DP money. His check isn’t paid down…he’s still getting paid about the DP minimum. His cap hit is what’s getting paid down. I never said he WAS a DP, just that he is worth DP money and being paid DP money.

        At this point you are just arguing to argue. Which is weird because I don’t even disagree with you regarding him not being worth a DP tag. But certainly worth the DP minimum $387.5k (or even $400k).

      • DP money doesn’t generally mean $400k – but if you enjoy “winning” pointless arguments through technicalities no one cares about then you win. Great job.

      • Slow – you said he hasn’t done anything to merit DP money. Because DP money isn’t always huge, multimillion dollar contracts, it needed to be said he does, in fact, deserve DP money ($387.5k is all it takes to merit DP money). The whole reason I said that, and before you got your panties in a twist, was to discuss yet another reason the DP minimum is too low. Even though NYCFC avoided the DP tag, they had to burn allocation money.

        Has nothing to do with winning pointless arguments, it’s about avoiding the argument altogether and moving the conversation to the main topic. Maybe next time…

      • In the spirit of transparency, I wil hope for statement from Garber that explains exactly how, and under what rules regtarding allocations and salaries, Mix came to sign with NYCFC. But I will not hold my breath.

      • I will never get, why when every team in the league is happy with the way something like this is going down, blog commenters are not.

        My Sounders are getting screwed by this ? And they are not complaining ? I find it very hard to believe, they have to have some pull with the league. If NY is cheating the system, they and the other 20ish teams would do something, no ?

      • Because they are all one team. They make money regardless which local outlet wins.
        And then they get SUM money from international friendlies

        Fans care more than the single entity does.

      • We’ve been around this block before, Quit. It’s not about one team cheating or another team getting shafted. It’s about consistent, understandable rules, consistently applied. The fact that the owners like this or that decision does not answer the entire question. I continue to believe that the current labyrinthine system — especially (but not only) when the rules are bent or changed on the fly — ill serves the league and the fans, and underrmines the integrity of competition. You will, no doubt, call me a “whiner” or something like that, but it’s not going to change my mind.

      • As a US international, Mix was subject to the allocation process NYCFC was #1 in the allocation order so had first dibs. This one was cut and dry and should need no explaining (MLS wishy-washiness not withstanding).

    • Garberbucks. LOL.

      Yes, those do indeed seem to exist in MLS. Nobody’s quite sure what they’re worth or how to redeem them, but they do seem to be in play here, if NYCFC somehow got Mix in for less than DP salary.

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  12. super corny putting “MIX” on that jersey, but it matches the u9 first name on the jersey with it being grossly over-sized as well

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  13. I realize there will be a million comments on how random dudes wish he was playing Europe.

    So let me start it off by saying, how cool is that that we have a league, so guys can play here is they want ?

    VERY !!

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    • This is a great signing for the league and NYCFC. I can’t wait to see Mix in action. Luckily I don’t live far from where they will be playing.

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      • The pre-whine Whine. LOL

        I am very excited about these moves. The league will be incredible to watch this year. Best year ever and that has been true every year since my Sounders moved over.

        We are very lucky.

      • The league’s ascendancy began a few years before your Sounders moved up, not over. You can thank my Galaxy for that.

    • I’m glad he got the move he wanted, and has wanted for years.

      But as a US fan, I’m gutted. He’s one of our brightest, most creative players. MLS doesn’t develop those kinds of players at his age.

      I wonder how much his failed stint in Belgium fueled his desire to leave Europe.

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      • He’s had some nice USMNT performances but he’s an above-average Norwegian league player. And he’s 24, he should be in his prime, not in a developmental stage. Sure, all players develop to some extent throughout their entire careers but I don’t think Mix’s ceiling is much beyond where he is currently is.

        What offers did he even have in Europe?

      • Oh, I think it is. There’s nothing wrong with his creative flair or technical ability. The biggest problem with him is that he’s soft defensively and fades after 60 minutes and is pretty much invisible in the second half of games.

        That will not fly for Jason Kreis, or in MLS, which may not be overly technical, but is certainly physical and athletic. You’d better still be running after 60 in MLS. Or you won’t be a starter. A lot of very technical types have gotten into MLS and discovered they needed a lot more gas in the tank than they had to hang. Some of them adjusted.

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