INTERESTING - 2007 Major League Soccer Player Salaries

[MylesKnight]

Courtesy of the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/mls/longterm/2007/salaries_07.html

Just under $13K League Minimum.. Wow!

[Easy Mac]

Been that way every year. A lot of guys have second jobs.

[MylesKnight]

Cuauhtemoc Blanco is guaranteed more money than the entire remaining roster of the Chicago Fire.

Is this kind of pay difference amongst players on teams going to work? We are not talking the league minimum still being VERY livable like in other sports (NFL, NBA, MLB)...

On the same squad you've got a guy making 2.5 Million and a few guys who are working Full Time Off-Season Jobs at Best Buy (I realize this is a silly example, but you get the point).

[Young Drachma]

Yeah, it's been that way a while. That's part of why a lot of younger guys try not to play in that league when they're drafted and will opt to play in the A-League. It's the only way that league has been able to sustain itself. They're able to make more as they get more experience on a roster, but league officials tried to defend it as the same as minor league baseball players.

What they failed to neglect is, those guys aren't on major league rosters and getting paid that poorly.

Every league has to start somewhere I guess and anyone staying in the US to play, can't necessarily expect to get paid the same premium as other pro athletes, just because they're pros. So..I don't really begrudge the league for it. I figure they have tons of other problems that are far more pressing, like actually getting the league into markets where there are people.

[Ryan S]

I am surprised Guillermo Barros Schelotto is on $150k. I guess he must be raking in money from sponsors.

[Young Drachma]

Also, if you consider that a decade ago..these jobs wouldn't have existed at all...and that the league hasn't folded, those numbers -- while abysmal in the context of a pro 'major league' athlete in the US -- aren't really all that bad. After all, if MLS went away..those fringe guys would be pushing out guys at lower levels or might not have jobs at all.

[Easy Mac]

Baseball was the same thing when Babe Ruth was around. I agree it is ridiculous. That's why you see kids going to the USL or to some Swedish 3rd division.

[MylesKnight]

Another question this brings to mind is how in the heck is the MLS able to put together deals for Soccer Specific Stadiums with price tags surpassing $100 Million, and at the same time not be able to afford halfway decent player salaries across the board?

A very unique way of doing things.

[Young Drachma]

Someday, MLS will become the minor league to a bigger, more ambitious soccer effort in this country. Mark my words.

[Young Drachma]

Another question this brings to mind is how in the heck is the MLS able to put together deals for Soccer Specific Stadiums with price tags surpassing $100 Million, and at the same time not be able to afford halfway decent player salaries across the board?

A very unique way of doing things.


Because they're not paying for them, by and large. Whereas, the cities aren't footing the bill for the players, they are paying for the ballparks. 20,000 seat stadiums aren't really all that expensive in the era of big-box ballparks, anyway.

I mean, they're okay. But...it doesn't really show me how 'strong' the league is, that they had to leave the cool, big stadium where if you could fill it up it'd be loud and amazing, because they couldn't get anyone to give a damn...so they wanted to go somewhere smaller.

BMO in Toronto seems to rock pretty good, because those fans seem connected to their team. It's part of the culture and all. Here? I think you have to work harder at all levels. It starts with a good uniform that folks want to buy merch for, a name they can connect with locally and of course, faces that become recognizable.

Personally, I think it'd be way better to just attract the hard core soccer demographic here, get the kids to buy in and then hit overseas hard in places where we could penetrate those brands the same way other teams do. It would take time, but...it's not impossible to do.

[QuikSand]

I like the concept here... playing off the POL tag for FOFC threads. If every thread at FOFC that was actually interesting was given this "INTERESTING - Blah Blah Blah" tag in its title, it would save everyone a lot of time. Or me, at least.

[dacman]

The senior minimum in MLS is $30k a year. The guys you see making less are the adidas generation / youth development players.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Monday 7/9, 3rd Round US Open Cup
Atlanta Silverbacks @ FC Dallas

Goooooooo Silverbacks !

[Passacaglia]

Becks's guaranteed salary is 15.75% of the entire league. Wow.

[RPI-Fan]

The senior minimum in MLS is $30k a year. The guys you see making less are the adidas generation / youth development players.

GA salaries are typically over $100k.

[MylesKnight]

Because they're not paying for them, by and large. Whereas, the cities aren't footing the bill for the players, they are paying for the ballparks. 20,000 seat stadiums aren't really all that expensive in the era of big-box ballparks, anyway.

I mean, they're okay. But...it doesn't really show me how 'strong' the league is, that they had to leave the cool, big stadium where if you could fill it up it'd be loud and amazing, because they couldn't get anyone to give a damn...so they wanted to go somewhere smaller.

BMO in Toronto seems to rock pretty good, because those fans seem connected to their team. It's part of the culture and all. Here? I think you have to work harder at all levels. It starts with a good uniform that folks want to buy merch for, a name they can connect with locally and of course, faces that become recognizable.

Personally, I think it'd be way better to just attract the hard core soccer demographic here, get the kids to buy in and then hit overseas hard in places where we could penetrate those brands the same way other teams do. It would take time, but...it's not impossible to do.


DC, I agree with almost everything you've said here. The only thing that I see a need to argue is that the cities involved in the building of SS-Stadiums for their MLS Team did not foot the bill for the entire cost the complex.
Costs were split, at different percentages at each location of course, but costs were shared by the owners of the franchise involved as well.

By the way, I agree 10000000000% with this comment.

"I mean, they're okay. But...it doesn't really show me how 'strong' the league is, that they had to leave the cool, big stadium where if you could fill it up it'd be loud and amazing, because they couldn't get anyone to give a damn...so they wanted to go somewhere smaller."

Instead of the cost of a new stadium, the cities/counties involved could have worked with the existing facilities that were being used for MLS Games and put together very good rental/usage deals for the teams. That is, if the deals the teams had with the stadiums were as awful as they've said they were at the time.

How was the MLS able to sell the fact that they needed SS-Stadiums to survive anyway?

[Pumpy Tudors]

I don't follow the A-League at all. Does the A-League seriously pay more than MLS? If this is the case, why are people taking $13k to play in MLS?

[RPI-Fan]

I don't follow the A-League at all. Does the A-League seriously pay more than MLS? If this is the case, why are people taking $13k to play in MLS?

The minimum salary may be a bit higher, but typically MLS salaries are a good deal higher than the A-League. Fred, MVP of the A-League, transferred to MLS because they offered 3 times more salary than the A-League was (and Fred isn't even a DP).

[Easy Mac]

I think there is A-League (Australian league) and USL confusion going on

[RPI-Fan]

I don't follow the A-League at all. Does the A-League seriously pay more than MLS? If this is the case, why are people taking $13k to play in MLS?

Oh, if you're referring to USL Division 1 (formerly the A-League? maybe it still is...), they'll pay a bit more than MLS for some players, but the ceiling is way lower. So while you might make a little more your first couple years professionally, you'll burn bridges in MLS and limit your future options.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Yeah, I meant USL when I said A-League. I know it's not called the A-League officially anymore, but I thought that's how people still referred to it.

[cthomer5000]

I wonder if Cladio Reyna really, really wanted that extra $8 on his 1,500,008 salary. Maybe he had his eye on a nice sandwich down at the local deli?

[sterlingice]

Really, really interesting stuff. I had always heard MLS salaries were a fairly closely guarded secret. Guess not anymore.

I wonder if Cladio Reyna really, really wanted that extra $8 on his 1,500,008 salary. Maybe he had his eye on a nice sandwich down at the local deli?

:D

SI