Recruiting is not a perfect science. There are so many things that can go wrong: difficulty adjusting to a new country and culture, a bad fit in the locker room, a poor fit for a specific system, a drop in production, etc. As such, there is a built-in margin for error in building rosters—an expectation that all front offices will miss players along the way.
But the big miss still really hurts — especially in Major League Soccer.
The structure of the MLS salary cap system means teams have little margin for error when it comes to big-money signings. Teams only get three designated players, so if you lose one of those signings, it could sink a season (or more). Just look at Sporting Kansas City when their DP retreat went down with long-term injuries. It’s also harder in MLS to offload players or adjust for mistakes. The cap doesn’t really allow new players to come in and replace losses, and teams only get one contract buyout per season.
GO DEEPER
All-Budget MLS Team 2023: A starting team of players with high-value contracts
League history is littered with DP signings that didn’t pan out, from Steven Gerrard to Rafa Marquez. And when the MLS Players Association releases salaries twice a year, it’s become a tradition — for fans, media and even in locker rooms and front offices — to take to the dumps and despair over some of the bad contracts that have been handed out. . out of the league.
Here’s a look at some of the players who are upping their contracts this year in MLS.
Goalkeeper: Nick Marsman, Inter Miami – $587,184
of The Dutch goalkeeper signed free agent in 2021 and played 22 games that season, but he lost the starting job to Drake Callender in 2022 and played just seven games last year and none this year. In general, MLS teams are loathe to budget heavily at the goaltending position. Spending $500,000 on a backup goaltender is a budget nightmare.
Left back: Mohanad Jeahze, DC United – $660,000
The Swedish-born left-back was signed using target allocation money (TAM) from Hammarby in December, played six games this season and had two assists, but he was arrested on suspicion of assault while on club-approved leave and is currently suspended from the club. MLS.
Center back: Omar Gonzalez, New England Revolution – $450,000
One of the best defenders in MLS history, Gonzalez returned to the league in 2019 and spent two more years as a starter in Toronto before moving to New England and reuniting with his former LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena . He started just eight games last season and struggled, and has played just six minutes so far this season. The 34-year-old still comes with a hefty price tag that simply doesn’t match his role on this Revs team.
Center back: Derrick Williams, DC United – $871,458
Irish centre-back Derrick Williams came to MLS with LA Galaxy in 2021 and was traded to DC United before this season. He has amassed 54 MLS appearances between the two clubs and, while individual defensive stats can be sketchy, he hasn’t rated anywhere near the best defenders in the majors. In this shot, Williams is expected to be among the best quarterbacks in the league.
Back right: Nathan Byrne, Charlotte FC – $607,833
Right back was a tough spot to pick. The most expensive players at the position, like Miami’s DeAndre Yedlin, are key contributors for their teams. There aren’t many bad contracts. Nathan Byrne hasn’t been objectively terrible and has started most of Charlotte’s games, but his cap hit is just north of his impact right now. The 30-year-old had spent his entire career in England, mainly in the Champions League and League One, before coming to MLS.
Midfielder: Rodolfo Pizarro, Inter Miami – $3,350,000
Rodolfo Pizarro was Inter Miami’s signing to start his inaugural season in 2020. Expectations for the Mexico international were high, thanks in large part to a $12 million transfer fee, as well as Miami being constantly linked with football’s biggest names. Pizarro’s talent has not translated into production, with just 17 goals in 56 games. He left on loan last year, but because of that transfer fee, he still haunted Miami by being counted as DP. He is back this year in a more “box-to-box” role.
Midfielder: Ravel Morrison, DC United – $922,844
DC United signed Ravel Morrison in a TAM deal last summer amid a roster overhaul under Wayne Rooney. It was Morrison’s 13th team. This winter, the club made the decision to move forward without the talented but enigmatic midfielder. He hasn’t been with the squad all season but is still under contract as both sides continue to figure out what happens next. As a result, Morrison still relies on the DC hat despite not being with the team. His contract expires at the end of the season, but DC could still acquire him to free up cap space if no trades materialize this summer.
Attacking Midfielder: Xherdan Shaqiri, Chicago Fire — $8,153,000
Major League Soccer’s highest paid player for the 2023 season, Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri has just seven goals and seven assists in 36 appearances. Four of these goals are from the penalty spot. The Fire failed to make the playoffs last year and have already made a coaching change in 2023 due to a disappointing start.
Sider: Luiz Araujo, Atlanta United – $4,483,333
A top winger signed after helping Lille win the Ligue 1 title for a fee of $10 million (with another $2 million in incentives) joining a high-octane Atlanta United attack? Luiz Araujo hasn’t lived up to that billing, with 12 goals and 11 assists in 59 appearances as Atlanta missed the playoffs last year with him leading the charge. Araujo has still contributed a few goals but is nowhere near matching the transfer fee or being among the league’s highest paid players. There were plenty of contenders here, too, including Toronto’s Lorenzo Insigne, who clearly hasn’t lived up to the hype.
Sider: Douglas Costa, LA Galaxy – $4,508,333
Since signing with LA Galaxy ahead of the 2022 season, he has started just 19 of the club’s 47 games and is currently injured again. Costa, now 32, has almost as many red cards (three) as goals (four) in MLS. Costa filled his trophy case during his time with Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayern Munich and Juventus, but had a very disappointing season with Gremio in the season before joining the Galaxy. The Brazilian is under contract for the rest of 2023.
Attacker: Jozy Altidore, New England Revolution – $2,939,963
Jozy Altidore’s salary is split between the two clubs. He was bought by Toronto FC ahead of the 2022 season and signed a max-TAM deal with New England – TFC is still paying the rest. His time with the Revs has not gone to plan, as Altidore has scored just one MLS goal with the club since the start of last season and made just four starts. He was sent out on loan to Puebla FC in the summer – where he played just 88 minutes over three months – and has returned to New England to play just 89 minutes so far in 2023. Altidore has surpassed 1,000 minutes in just one league season times since 2017.
(Unfair) mention.
Goalkeepers: Daniel, SJ – $400,000; Tim Melia, SKC — $637,500; Kenneth Vermeer, MLS – $387,334
Defenders: Kyle Duncan, RBNY – $555,750; Teenage Hadebe, HOU – $1,288,077; Arnaud Souquet, CHI – $679,667
Midfielders: Efra Alvarez, GLV – $766,500; Cristian Dajome, DCU – $965,625; Gaston Gimenez, CHI – $1,633,333; Yuya Kubo, CIN – $1,206,750; Nuno Santos, CLT – $611,387; Matheus Rossetto – $764,375
Attacker: Ayo Akinola, TOR – $771,875; Sebastian Ferreira, HOU – $2,130,200; Anderson Julio, RSL – $820,000; Kacper Przybylko, CHI — $1,212,504; Emiliano Rigoni, ATX – $2,047,996; Khiry Shelton, SKC – $625,000
(Feature photos: Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/Getty Images; Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images. Design: Eamonn Dalton)
