The MLS USMNT Allocation Order is Dumb... Here's Why

by Geoff Gibson on Aug 16, 2011 12:31 PM PDT

Eddie Johnson (left) celebrates with his USMNT team mate Clint Dempsey. Who knows where Johnson will end up after signing with MLS, something Dempsey would have to contend with as well were he to ever return.

This year has seen the return of many U.S. Men's National Team players to MLS. It's great for the league as these guys represent the pinnacle of what most soccer fans care about most: international glory. So when one returns to play in our home league it's a great boost to the fans of whichever team they happen to land in.

For those that don't quite member, the Portland Timbers acquired their own USA international player, Kenny Cooper, earlier this year before the season had kicked off. Since then the Vancouver Whitecaps, DC United, New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union have each secured their own little slice of American talent.

This is all well and good, of course. These players looked to MLS to return to form or find a new avenue of success and, as a loyal USMNT fan, I'm more than happy to oblige. The only problem is that the way MLS doles out these players is, to be blunt, stupid.

The current system to recruit current or former USMNT players is done through what's called an Allocation Order. Essentially, each MLS team (American or Canadian) is on a list that says whether you're next in line for an incoming USMNT player. Here's the current list as reported by WVHooligan.com (not including today's announcement of Eddie Johnson):

Chivas USA
Houston Dynamo
Toronto FC
Chicago Fire
Sporting Kansas City
Seattle Sounders
Columbus Crew
New York Red Bulls
Real Salt Lake
San Jose Earthquakes
Los Angeles Galaxy
FC Dallas
Colorado Rapids
Vancouver Whitecaps (Jay DeMerit)
Portland Timbers (Kenny Cooper)
D.C. United (Charlie Davies)
New England Revolution (Benny Feilhaber)
Philadelphia Union (Freddy Adu)

According to this list Chivas USA will have first rights to Eddie Johnson. If they decline then Houston gets the rights. If they refuse then Toronto and so on in that fashion.

This is a system used to ensure that some of the most popular American stars get spread around sufficiently to ensure a modicum of popularity for each team. In a sense, it's to create more parity in the league. Unfortunately, there are a few key problems with it that just don't make sense anymore in this day and age of stability throughout the league.

First, it creates an artificial limited resource where there is none. The current system encourages the top team to take the next player available in the allocation. It plays on the fear of uncertainty. They know who Eddie Johnson is and they could take him, but what about the next one. Maybe he's even better, maybe he's worse. It essentially pigeonholes a club into taking a player right away for fear that the next one would be a worse trade. And with months in between player transfers it strongly encourages said club to just take the next one coming up.

Second, why can't the appropriate team just trade for said players by themselves? It's pretty much a known fact right now that Eddie Johnson is not going to be signed by Chivas USA or Houston or Toronto... that means that realistically the Chicago Fire are the most likely to take him. But why couldn't Chicago just trade for him themselves if he was who they really wanted? Why bother with all these teams "passing." If Chicago or Houston or Chivas USA want a player they should each be able to bid for them with the team that currently holds the contract and the player involved. Everything else is just convoluted bullcrap.

Third, the player gets absolutely no say in where he ends up. Because of the list he could end up in any of the 18 locations. But what if he wanted to play for Portland and Portland wanted to trade for him, but instead Columbus acquired him? Well tough luck to both because unless Columbus wants to trade him away that player is stuck in Columbus. Such is the folly when signing with MLS.

Fourth, what's the stipulation on being a USMNT player these days? When was the last time Eddie Johnson played a meaningful game for the USA? If a player gets called up a single time, five years ago does it make sense for them to be included in the allocation order? What about a loaned player? Currently Charlie Davies is playing for DC United and yet they used their spot to "acquire" him. Does that make any sense?

Finally, and not to pick on our northern neighbors, but why do Canadian internationals (of which there are quite a few good ones!) not get lumped into some sort of allocation order and yet Canadian teams still get a place on the allocation order list for USMNT players? It makes no sense. Granted most American international players are more marketable, but wouldn't it make more sense to market a player like Jay DeMerit in the USA?

All in all it just doesn't make any sense. It's convoluted nonsense that really doesn't help grow the league in any meaningful manner. In fact, I'd be surprised if there weren't any former USMNT players who turned down an MLS deal for the simple fact that they didn't want their hat to be thrown into a ring to be selected by various teams they had no interest in playing for. Where as had they decided to return under normal circumstances they could play wherever they chose.

But this is the way the system works and will work for the foreseeable future. Eddie Johnson is likely to get passed around quite a bit in the next few days. Where he lands could be anyone's guess...

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Comments

I don't know of course

but I’m pretty sure that no USMNT player who goes through allocation ends up somewhere he really doesn’t want to be. I’m pretty sure the league pays at least some attention to a players’ wishes in terms of where they go (like Nagbe basically saying he didn’t want to play for Vancouver before the draft).

by Nevtelen on Aug 16, 2011 1:11 PM PDT reply actions

Johnson is a free agent, so there is no one to trade with

Unless I misunderstand.
This does serve to keep NY and LA from having the first go at every guy, but I agree the system isn’t ideal.

volatilelyle.com

by almost awesome on Aug 16, 2011 1:19 PM PDT reply actions

Just another reason to curse K Cooper

If we throw him back do we get to go back to the top of the list?

CraigM

by CraigM on Aug 16, 2011 1:32 PM PDT reply actions

Those rules made sense when MLS was a small, horrible league where only two teams had money

but now that it’s a midsized mediocre one, they make a lot less sense.

by pdb on Aug 16, 2011 1:38 PM PDT reply actions

As to the first point:

I’m not sure this is the case. Chivas has had the top spot for the last couple of players into the league and they’ve passed on both. It seems more likely that they’re waiting for a player that fits their needs, rather than just grabbing players. The uncertainty about who the next player could be goes both ways. Maybe he won’t be as good as Eddie Johnson, but maybe he’ll be better. Maybe the next player to go through will be Tim Howard or Jozy. It seems that teams pick or pass based on their positional needs at that time.

To the second point: Teams can just trade for the players they want, they just have to trade within the allocation order. It’s possible that the team they’re trying to trade with would just take the player out of spite, but it’s unlikely. This is a small league, and similar to most American sports leagues, much of the work that gets done between FOs is done on a handshake, not with lots of attorneys in the room. This means that trust and credibility amongst your peers are pretty huge when it comes to your ability to do your job effectively. If a hypothetical GM really wants a certain player and the player really only wants to play for that GMs team, I think a deal will usually get done.

3rd: The whole idea of the order is to remove the decision making power from the players coming back. This is to prevent Real Madrid/Miami Heat type scenarios where good players only want to go to good teams. You think a returning American national, probably frustrated at lack of success overseas, really wants to come back and play for Toronto or New England? They probably don’t, but those teams deserve a shot at good players anyways, or at least deserve some sort of benefit for their spot in the order.

Obviously Garber and the league are pretty obsessed with keeping every team on a relatively even playing field, almost to a fault. Without it this allocation system, however, I think we’d see an even more disproportionate percentage of USMNT players playing for LA or NY simply because those are the teams that get the most exposure, have the deepest pockets, or are close to where many of the USMNT were raised.

by moyerLIVES on Aug 16, 2011 1:53 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

So I just read that allocation resets at the end of the year and is re-ordered based on end of year standings.

This makes point 1 a little weaker, but still valid in the yearlong timeframe.

by moyerLIVES on Aug 16, 2011 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions

I disagree.

Let’s look at each of your arguments:
1) The current system encourages the top team to take the next player available. (FALSE)
I think Chivas USA has clearly proven this is not the case as they passed on several so far this year. They are looking for the right player for their system and because they sucked last year they get the first opportunity at improving their team reinforcing parity in the league which is of course a separate issue.

2) Why can’t the appropriate team just trade for said players by themselves? It’s pretty much a known fact right now that Eddie Johnson is not going to be signed by Chivas USA or Houston or Toronto.. (Not really an argument)
Your question however seems suggest you don’t actually believe the first point you made. Additionally, if a team wants a player bad enough they can make them a DP and circumvent the allocation order.

3) The player gets absolutely no say in where he ends up. (FALSE)
The example of Luis Gil last year showed that players entering MLS outside of the draft indeed do have a say in where they end up. http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2010/02/wizards-win-luis-gil-lottery.html
Teams do however have the option based on the allocation order to decide whether cashing in on the priority is worth it.

4) Why do Canadian internationals (of which there are quite a few good ones!) not get lumped into some sort of allocation order and yet Canadian teams still get a place on the allocation order list for USMNT players? (VALID POINT)
Thought this is out of the leagues hands. For the same reasons (US Labor laws) that MLS rosters can not treat Canadians as domestic players or give preference to Canadians (i.e. Canuck roster spots) the league cannot treat Canadian Mens National Team Players differently than other internationals. Not much can be done here.

by baumerpdx on Aug 16, 2011 2:07 PM PDT reply actions

So you're for this arbitrary method of dividing up players?

1. Chivas is the EXCEPTION not the rule. Don’t confuse them. Portland, Vancouver, DCU, New England and Philly all jumped on the first opportunity that came their way. Historically teams have not passed on a player.

2. You would make Kenny Cooper, Eddie Johnson, or even Feilhaber a Designated Player? Few USMNT players are really worth that kind of money and none of the past 7 have been. "Just make them a DP!" might be an easy answer but it makes no sense when the player isn’t worth it.

3. First Luis Gil did not join through the USMNT Allocation Draft. Second: "Gil’s contract with MLS has special considerations that should accomodate a trade to either Seattle or Real Salt Lake." This isn’t common. Not every player signed to MLS get’s "special considerations." My assumption is that it had to do with his age at the time of signing.

RCTID - Stumptown Footy
Moderator of /r/MLS

by Geoff Gibson on Aug 16, 2011 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions

The example you are looking for....

Is Brian McBride. When he came back from Fulham, he wanted to go only to Chicago, to retire in his hometown club. Instead Toronto took him, and then forced a trade (though given the price, its likely MLS moved the situation along) to Chicago.

The most important thing to realize is MLS is a single entity. Its not the NFL/NBA/Baseball/Soccer anywhere else. Unless its with DPs, ALL contracts are owned and negotiated by the league. In the end, your negotiating with the league, not the team in question (although I’m sure they have some significant sway with their own players, but then again, MLS sets the prices for players, so lets say Brek Shea wants to go to Europe, MLS, not Dallas, sets his transfer fee).

All of the non-DP contracts are paid by MLS, not the Timbers. The checks for Timbers players look no different then the ones by Toronto, or Columbus, or New York, or any club. So, since these USMNT players are coming back not as DPs, how else could you really allow them to negotiate with individual teams? Its definitely different, which leads to alot of confusion, but I’d have a hard time arguing against the current system. Not at least giving the worst teams a shot means stars could really cherry pick (and lets be honest, if Marcus Hahnmann comes back, he’s going to Seattle, regardless where they are in the allocation spot and the how much cash they have), and could take a lower salary to go to certain teams, which decreases the odds of parity. Its imperfect, but I have a hard time arguing against it currently.

by zaggy on Aug 16, 2011 5:11 PM PDT reply actions

Really?

1. Remember when a guy named Troy Perkins came back and Philly jumped all over him. Oh wait, they traded him to D.C. for another player they could use. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011303315.html
Remember when Benny Feilhaber came back and Philly jumped all over him. Me neither. http://wvhooligan.com/2011/04/19/10932/who-needs-feilhaber-the-most/
Remember when Dallas jumped all over Danny Szetela?
Remember when Houston, at the bottom of the list, was able to select Felix Garcia?

2. I didn’t say the solution was just make every returning nat a DP but I did suggest that a team could make a player a DP if they felt that it was really important to get them. Kind of like putting a premium on something that you think would be more valuable to you than anybody else or paying a pile of allocation money to another team in order to trade up to get them.

3. I didn’t state that Luis Gil joined through the allocation order or that every player signed to MLS gets special considerations. So we agree there. My assumption was that he was a special talent that the league wanted badly enough that they were willing to concede special considerations in order to make sure it happened. My assumption is that many returning national team players would desirous for the league to have included and MLS headquarters may again make special considerations.

by baumerpdx on Aug 16, 2011 5:42 PM PDT reply actions

Here's what really irkes you Geoff

Kenny stinks like a chicken coop. Most of his goals this year have required picture perfect service with him standing right in front of the goal. And the two scoring chances he had like that in Houston were missed. No dazzling Kalif’esque assists. No Perlaza type goals and no Jack type goals from near the top of the box, just not much from Cooper at all. Not even any “garbage goals” that result from hard work, except maybe the CHI own goal. At the moment and with the benefit of hindsight we can say the Timbers top spot in allocation was wasted on him and he is overpaid. Your disappointment is compounded by seeing names like Davies, Johnson, Adu, and Feilhaber go through allocation since. If Cooper were playing better you wouldn’t be complaining.

by yepyou'reright on Aug 17, 2011 9:13 AM PDT reply actions