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MLS Salary update: Giovinco highest paid, newcomer Rooney in top 10

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Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco is the highest paid player in Major League Soccer according to the updated MLS salary guide that was released on Tuesday. This year’s update marks the sixth straight year that the league’s players association released the players’ annual salary information.

Giovinco is the highest paid player in total compensation, making $7.1 million this year while his teammate Michael Bradley makes $6.5 million.

MLS newcomers Carlos Vela (LAFC) and Wayne Rooney (D.C. United) are scheduled to make $6.2 million and $2.7 million this year, respectively. Tim Howard rounds out the top-10 highest paid players at $2.4 million.

 

 

Comments

  1. Best bargin for consecutive years running is Diego Chara. One of the best defensive midfielders in MLS and he makes $575,000? Eighth highest paid player on the Timbers roster and they have never won without him in the lineup

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  2. Bradley + Altidore for $11.5 million is the worst investment Toronto could have ever made. Altidore joined Bradley in January 2015 and what have they achieved? A one-hit wonder? Back to back titles maybe? Winning MLS Cup and MLS Supporter shield together in the same year and can’t even make the play-offs the following year? One good year for $11.5 million, with both players far from their prime?? A team that without Giovinco are absolutely trash? One good year doesn’t make them outstanding or the best of anything….that’s like saying Leicester City is the best team assembled in the EPL for winning the EPL championship right after they came up from the championship league. Nope they are not, and neither is Toronto FC.

    ——MLS CUP——————————————————MLS SUPPORTERS SHIELD—–
    D.C. United
    1996 D.C. United LA Galaxy TB Mutiny LA Galaxy
    1997 D.C. United Colorado Rapids D.C. United Kansas City Wizards
    1998 Chicago Fire D.C. United LA Galaxy D.C. United
    1999 D.C. United LA Galaxy D.C. United LA Galaxy

    Houston Dynamo
    2006 Dynamo NE Revolution D.C. United FC Dallas
    2007 Dynamo NE Revolution D.C. United Chivas USA

    Columbus Crew
    2008 Crew New York Red Bulls Crew Dynamo
    2009 RSL LA Galaxy Crew LA Galaxy

    L.A Galaxy
    2011 LA Galaxy Dynamo LA Galaxy Sounders FC
    2012 LA Galaxy Dynamo Earthquakes Sporting KC
    2013 Sporting KC RSL NYRB Sporting KC
    2014 LA Galaxy NE Revolution Sounders FC LA Galaxy

    Toronto
    2016 Sounders FC Toronto FC FC Dallas Colorado Rapids
    2017 Toronto FC Sounders FC Toronto FC New York City FC

    So what has Toronto achieve with Bradley and Altidore, that is worth $11.5 million? In January 2015, Toronto acquired Altidore; and on January 9, 2014, Bradley….and what do they have to show for? One good year? What have they individually achieved statistically that warrants a $11.5 million price tag? Not a damn thing and its only down hill from here so lets see what happens

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    • Hey don’t take my word for it. Just google “Best MLS Team Ever” and you’ll see there are plenty of people who feel that way about 2017 TFC. I don’t claim it was a dynasty–hardly. But as a single-season performance, sure. Great team.

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    • TFC in 2017 set the record for most points in a season, that’s what I referenced.
      ————————————————————————————————————–
      Average attendance in 2013 was 18,000 for TFC by 2016 it was 26,000. The teams four best records ever are since Bradley was signed. Since Jozy came along all of their playoff appearances, three Canadian Championships, two MLS Cup Finals and an MLS Cup. Giovinco is a large part of that, but to say the success is all on his shoulders is absolutely untrue. You clearly haven’t watched TFC if that’s what you believe. MLS promotes its parity, that’s what hit Toronto this year you lose so many important players to injury including Altidore and the league is too even to not punish you for it. Did Altidore and Bradley earn their salary based on on the field performance in 2018, no obviously not, but that was still money well spent if you are Toronto.

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  3. Actually, a few discrepancies aside, this list is far more encouraging than it has been in some years past. Claims of “Retirement League” are not really supported by this list in the way they might have been in earlier MLS history. Heck, even the unpopular Toronto contingent did deliver an MLS title just a year ago. There will always be bad money thrown around (in any league), but this list is good to see, in my view. Very clear improvement.
    ****************************
    A side note…. it would be very interesting to see a list of this on aggregate over the last 3-5 years, so as to see who has earned most over the life of their contracts to date, and compare to performance. Anyone who wants to do this gets an imaginary beer from me.

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  4. One thing that is pretty certain from looking at this. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the greatest bargain in MLS history. He came on a free transfer, costs only $1.5 million a year for 2 years, taking a 95% pay cut. Granted he was coming off a serious knee injury, he was probably worth his salary just on jersey sales alone. As it turns out, if not for Josef Martinez, he would likely be a shoe-in for MVP with 22 goals and 10 assists. If they make the playoffs this weekend, it will be because of him. The Galaxy really should give him a major pay raise next year even though they aren’t legally required to.

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    • Hate to say it (cos I really hope he returns), but it’s very hard to see Zlatan returning next year, playoffs or no. He ain’t in it for the money at this point, and it’s hard to see him being excited about another year with the talent around him.

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  5. Bradley and Altidore make $11.5 million combined bahahahaha and they dont make the playoffs. Im sure Toronto is kicking themselves on those two bad investments

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  6. So let me get this straight…..

    Michael Bradley makes $6.5 million
    +
    Jozy Altidore makes $5 million
    = $11.5 million ?

    Wayne Rooney DC United F $2,769,230.88 $2,776,730.88 ?
    +
    Zlatan Ibrahimovic LA Galaxy F $1,500,000.00 $1,500,000.00 ?
    +
    Diego Rossi LAFC F $1,000,000.08 $1,052,000.08 ?
    +
    Darlington Nagbe Atlanta United F-M $605,000.00 $620,000.00
    +
    Bradley Wright-Phillips New York Red Bulls F $1,500,000.00 $1,635,000.00 ?
    +
    Yoshimar Yotun Orlando City SC M $549,996.00 $599,996.00
    +
    Wil Trapp Columbus Crew M $500,004.00 $550,004.00
    +
    Cristian Roldan Seattle Sounders FC M $154,000.00 $191,000.00
    +
    Fafa Picault Philadelphia Union F $135,000.00 $148,666.67
    +
    Lee Nguyen LAFC M $500,000.00 $500,000.00
    +
    Brooks Lennon Real Salt Lake F $225,000.00 $237,583.33
    +
    Sebastian Lletget LA Galaxy M $240,000.00 $252,666.67
    +
    Perry Kitchen LA Galaxy D-M $450,000.00 $474,166.67
    +
    Miguel Ibarra Minnesota United M $300,000.00 $332,322.00
    +
    Bill Hamid DC United GK $67,500.00 $93,175.00
    +
    Edgar Castillo Colorado Rapids D $99,996.00 $129,996.00
    +
    = approx. $11.3 million ?

    WHO IS THEIR AGENT??? ??

    Reply
    • Well you do have to consider that their contracts were not one year deals. Along with Giovinco and later Vazquez they helped TFC to their first playoff appearance in team history an MLS Cup, the best record ever in MLS and three state Canadian Championships so if you ask a Red Bull fan would they trade BWPs better value for a title they’d take it.

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    • There are all sorts of puzzling disparities. A lot of pay seems to be based on expectations rather than results. As a Galaxy fanm it’s a real head scratcher that Skjelvik, who isn’t even starting now, gets $900 k while Steres and Romney have a combined total or zaround $200 k and they have both started most of the games. Not that they are that great, but the $900 k for Skjelvik makes no sense.

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      • Pay is almost always based on expectations. (What player has a contract that takes the salary from a few hundred thousand to a few million if his team wins the MLS Cup?)

        It is no surprise that Bradley who captained the USMNT and had successful stints in the Netherlands, Germany (maybe not so much) and Italy got the big bucks when he was younger, Similarly for Altidore, while he may have struggled from time-to-time in Europe, he delivered for the USMNT and he is younger and is a physical beast, who knew he would spend so much time injured?.

        If it were worth after the fact, the LA Galaxy wold owe Mike Magee a lot of money.

  7. Wow that is two very overpaid right there for Toronto. With another teammate making $5 million kind of would think you could make the playoffs at least.

    Reply
    • Injuries and age. Vazquez and Bradley played nothing like their form of last year. Their entire defense missed large chunks of the season and Altidore hardly played. Giovinco is a lot easier to stop with Hamikton up top than Jozy.

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    • Yeah c’mon seriously dude. You know this. Last year Toronto bought a title, and even they would never dispute that they overpaid for it. But until some other team wins the treble (which will happen some day no doubt), they bought the title of best MLS team ever assembled. Obviously this year was a total fail. But my guess is that in 10-15 years, TFC and their fans will look back on all of these contracts as good (if expensive) deals in the end.

      Reply

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