By Farhan Devji/whitecapsfc.com
On Monday, August 23, at 1 p.m. PT, Major League Soccer (MLS) will hold the Expansion Priority Draft. In the fourth and final installment, club correspondent Farhan Devji examines the history of the USSF D-2 priority, Designated Player, and Lottery Ranking -
CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE
HERE FOR PART THREE
USSF D-2 PRIORITY
With either the first or second ranking in the USSF D-2 Player Priority list, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Portland Timbers will be given priority over other MLS teams, if they wish to sign any free agents from the USSF D-2 Pro League. "Throughout the last 14 years or so, you’ve seen certain division two players come up and have success in Major League Soccer," Whitecaps director of soccer operations Tommy Soehn told whitecapsfc.com. "We're assessing not only ourselves, but also our opponents, to make sure there's a piece out there that can make that transition, so we'll know who that is and we'll have the ability to select that player."
For example, in January 2009, Seattle Sounders FC used their priority to sign Cuban midfielder Osvaldo Alonso from former United Soccer Leagues First Division club Charleston Battery. In his first season with the Sounders, Alonso started 28 of his 29 appearances for the Washington State outfit.
In addition to having priority over free agent USSF D-2 players, both Whitecaps FC and Timbers will have 'first right of refusal' on all their current roster players competing in the USSF D-2. This means that Vancouver and Portland will have the right to sign any of their current players to MLS contracts, before they are made available to the rest of the league.
To put this into context, eight USL-1 Sounders, including Sebastien Le Toux and Roger Levesque, made the jump from USL-1 to MLS with Seattle in 2009.
DESIGNATED PLAYER RANKING
Much has been made about the 'Designated Player' rule of late, with New York Red Bulls' recent signings of former French international Thierry Henry and Mexico captain Rafael Marquez.
The rule, which was instituted in 2007 to accommodate David Beckham's transfer to Los Angeles Galaxy, allows MLS franchises to sign two players above the MLS salary cap, with the option of purchasing a third Designated Player slot for US$250,000. This allows MLS clubs to compete for stars in the international market, as teams can sign Designated Players for however much they please, with such a player counting for US$335,000 against that team's salary cap.
The Designated Player ranking comes into play when two MLS clubs wish to negotiate with the same player. In this case, the club with the higher ranking receives priority.
However, Soehn says the chances of this occurring are slim. "The likelihood of that isn't that high," he said. "I don't know that the Designated Player priority has as much weight as people have been putting on it. Everyone has different needs and looks at different players, so when you’re looking at one guy from your list, the chances that another team is looking at the same guy is a bit smaller."
Priority aside, Soehn says the 'Caps would be open to making use of their Designated Player slots, if they find the right situation. "Most importantly, we’d want someone who is going to make our team better, add leadership, and understand what it means to win championships," said Soehn. "Someone who is also a great role model for the other players. In the event we find someone who meets all those criteria, and we feel they would make us a better team, then that's the type of player we're looking for."
LOTTERY RANKING
Every season, dating back to 2000, MLS has seen at least one weighted lottery draft take place and this is a trend that could potentially continue, as Whitecaps FC enter the league next year. Most recently, Chivas USA were awarded former Hannover 96 striker Sal Zizzo after the American was placed into the lottery draft.
Earlier this year, 16-year-old Luis Gil was also placed into the draft, which resulted in the youngster becoming a member of Kansas City Wizards. The American midfielder, who had two trials with English Premier League club Arsenal FC, was later traded to Real Salt Lake, where he is currently being groomed as a potential superstar.
For the expansion Whitecaps, the weighted lottery draft may not be an immediate concern, as they will either end up with the 17th or 18th slot in priority. This means that the existing MLS clubs will have priority over the 'Caps and Timbers, if they wish to sign players from the weighted lottery draft - though teams are not required to participate.
The MLS holds the weighted lottery draft for 'Generation adidas' players who sign with the league after the annual MLS SuperDraft; draft eligible players to whom an MLS contract was offered, but who failed to sign with the league prior to the draft; and for those who simply have not been assigned to an MLS club through any of the league's other player acquisition mechanisms.
