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After a one-year hiatus, the MLS All-Budget XI is back.
Every year when the MLS Players Association salary cap comes out, we dig into the data and take a look at the players who are way better than their salary numbers.
In past years, the limit for this exercise has been $200,000—anyone listed as making more than that in “guaranteed compensation” was ineligible. However, with salary increases over the past two years, we reached that limit at $260,000. In total, 413 players out of 869 qualified – or 47.5 percent. We also left out some players whose salary was below this threshold but who came with a huge transfer fee that actually increases their cost and figure. Portland’s Juan David Mosquera ($1.9 million fee) and Orlando City’s Cesar Araujo ($2 million fee) are good examples. There are also some players, like Columbus’ Aidan Morris, who have recently signed new deals that are not reflected in this salary release.
There are other types of “budget” players, for sure. You can make a good argument that Jeremy Ebobisse, who scored 17 goals last year, is great value for a contract that pays less than $1 million. However, in MLS, a DP only tops out at $651,250, so while Ebobisse is certainly saving ownership money, he’s no different on the cap than forwards who make several million dollars each year. For that reason, we’ve tried to focus on very low-salary players who provide value without eating into cap space, which essentially frees up space elsewhere on the cap to spend on players.
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Several players included on this list in past years have later reached a payday. This list includes LAFC center back Aaron Long, NYCFC midfielder James Sands, San Jose winger Cade Cowell, Chicago Fire forward Chris Mueller and Seattle Sounders defender Nouhou Tolo. Graduates set to make a move abroad include Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, Manchester City’s Zack Steffen, RB Leipzig’s Caden Clark, Venezia’s Gianluca Busio, Arminia Bielefeld’s George Bello and West Brom’s Daryl Dike.
We’ve seen more seniors instead make the roster this year, including some who could line up transfers in the near future. Here’s a look at this year’s XI Budget.
Goalkeeper: Chris Brady, Chicago Fire – $213,246
The Fire sold a local goalkeeper, Gaga Slonina, to Chelsea for $10 million and replaced him with another local goalkeeper. Brady has made some mistakes early this season, as is likely to happen for a 19-year-old starter, but he has been effective in net overall and is currently second in MLS in goals added. according to American Soccer Analysis. He has been good enough that the Fire refused to release him for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, keeping him at home as they try to get back into the playoff picture.
Left back: Caleb Wiley, Atlanta United – $87,044
One of the breakout stars of the 2023 season so far, Wiley has impressed at both left back and wing back for Atlanta United. The local has three goals and two assists in 884 minutes so far this year, and it will come as no surprise to hear of legitimate transfer interest in him this summer window. Atlanta already rejected a transfer offer for Wiley last year. He will play for the USA U-20 team in the upcoming World Cup, and he has also already won his first USMNT cap.
Center back: Henry Kessler, New England Revolution – $220,000
The 24-year-old has been a consistent and reliable starter for New England since entering MLS as the No. 6 overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Kessler has been on the fringes of the USMNT picture in the past — he earned a call-up to the 2021 Gold Cup and has two caps — and this year has continued to prove himself as a key starter for Bruce Arena for a Revs Team that currently sits atop the Supporters Shield standings. Kessler ranks in the top 20 in goals scored this year in MLS, according to American Soccer Analysis.
Center back: Jackson Ragen, Seattle Sounders – $85,444
Ragen has one of the most interesting paths to becoming a starter in MLS. He spent his junior career playing in the Sounders academy, but signed to play college soccer at the University of Michigan. Seattle passed on signing him out of college and the Chicago Fire called up Ragen, who chose to stay in school and play out his senior season. After that season, he played for Tacoma Defiance in the USL and then Seattle traded for his MLS rights and signed him last season. Ragen started 14 games last season and has started all 12 games this season for the Sounders, who are currently atop the Western Conference standings. For less than $100,000, Ragen is offering incredibly valuable minutes.
Back right: Mo Farsi, Columbus Crew – $74,735
Wilfried Nancy took over for Columbus and immediately gave opportunities to players on the roster. One of those who made the most of this opportunity is Mo Farsi, who originally signed with the Crew’s second team and led the club to an MLS Next Pro title last year. He has started all 11 of the club’s league games to start 2023 at right-back. In addition to Farsi’s three assists, he is fourth among MLS defenders in xA (1.74) and tied for second in chances created (26).
Defensive Midfielder: José Martínez, Philadelphia Union – $301,250
Yes, we’ve made an exception to our budget cap here, but we think it’s fully justified given that Martínez is rated as one of the best in his position and no player who makes less adds the same value to the same position. Ultimately, this is about finding players who are fully maximizing their budget fee and being a true full-budget team, and I don’t think anyone would argue that Martínez is a massive bargain at this number.
Midfielder: Brian Gutierrez, Chicago Fire – $240,004
The midfielder they call “Guti” in Chicago is a great example of how you hope to see a local development. He signed as a 16-year-old in 2020 and saw very limited first-team minutes in that COVID-19-affected season, but he jumped to 595 minutes in 2021 and then tripled those minutes last season, developed into a productive starter. . This year, Gutierrez has been challenged to be more productive in the final third and he has four assists so far, up from seven in half last year. If he can continue on this trajectory, Guti could be the next player traded by Chicago following the trades of Slonina and Jhon Duran this past offseason.
Midfielder: Jack McGlynn, Philadelphia Union – $186,533
Another in a long line of Union seniors to break into the first team, McGlynn has earned a starting spot in Union’s competitive midfield. The 19-year-old has a left foot so special it could take him to the highest levels and is already among the best distributors at the club. He is in Argentina with the United States at the U-20 World Cup, where he is expected to be a key starter in the group.
Forward: Jacob Schaffelburg, Nashville SC – $195,000
Shaffelburg has fit seamlessly into the Nashville lineup, electric in transition and a willing runner around superstar Hany Mukhtar. The former Toronto FC player was loaned to Nashville last summer and was signed permanently in the off-season. His three goals already this year are tied for his previous single-season career best.
Forward: Duncan McGuire, Orlando City – $77,360
After winning the MAC Hermann Trophy as the best men’s college soccer player and the NCAA Golden Boot, Duncan McGuire is doing what he does in MLS: scoring goals. Orlando City selected McGuire with the No. 6 overall pick of the SuperDraft, and the former Creighton star already has a team-best four goals in just 284 minutes. Orlando has had success in the SuperDraft, previously drafting Daryl Dike before the striker developed into a US international forward and moved to West Brom, and Cyle Larin, the Canadian national team star now scoring goals in Spain, before that. McGuire looks like another draft success.
Forward: Kwadwo Opoku, LAFC – $257,288
Even though LAFC added superstar Gareth Bale and PD Denis Bouanga to their attack, which already featured Carlos Vela and Chicho Arango, Kwadwo Opoku still found his way onto the pitch every regular season game last season as the team won the MLS Cup . The straight winger, now 21, started 20 of those 34 games, adding seven goals and two assists. It’s more of the same this year as LAFC reloaded again, with Opoku appearing in all 10 of the club’s games, making eight starts.
Honorable Mentions:
Goalkeepers: Luis Barraza, NYCFC – $152,688; Roman Celentano, CIN – $112,500; George Marks, CLT – $68,775; John McCarthy, LAFC – $121,667; Patrick Schulte, CLB – $103,178
Defenders: Kyle Hiebert, STL – $85,444; Zac McGraw, BUT – $151,875; Jalen Neal, LAG – $138,625; Will Sands, CLB – $91,000; Nkosi Tafari, FCD — $240,750; DJ Taylor, MIN – $98,261
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed, VAN – $94,819; Ben Bender, CLT – $105,444; Noel Buck, NE – $67,360; Bryce Duke, MTL – $150,000; Jasper Loffelsend, RSL – $96,600; Dani Perreira, ATX – $118,414; Owen Wolff, ATX – $113,053
Attacker: Simon Becher, VAN – $70,485; Kei Kamara, CHI – $231,000; Jared Stroud, STL – $103,200
(Featured photos: Eakin Howard/Getty Images; Graham Stokes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Design: Eamonn Dalton)
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