Lee Nguyen To Join MLS Via Weighted Lottery
Notably the Seattle Sounders (you've heard of them?) tried to sign him as a free at one point. Seattle wouldn't have a strong chance, but another creative player capable of scoring is not a bad thing.
7 months ago
Dave Clark
26 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Why a weighted lottery?
and not the allocation system normally used for US National Team players?
"It's scintillating, it's sensational, it's Seattle Sounders FC soccer."
by LoiteringWithIntent on Nov 9, 2011 6:42 PM PST reply actions
Literally the only reasons I can think of
are that the rules are changing or the linked article is a little mixed up. The rules do seem pretty clear on what should happen in this situation.
soony saad
came in the same way.
http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/mls/story/soony-saad-sporting-kc-wins-weighted-lottery-for-mls-prospect-070511
Thizz or die.
Saad wasn't a former USMNT guy
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
We had some bum luck in last season's lotteries
Maybe we’ll get lucky in this one. I still wish we had landed Zarek Valentine.
The SAH Links Guy
?
Valentin went through the SuperDraft.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Nov 10, 2011 7:47 AM PST up reply actions
I think MLS arbitrarily uses one or the other depending on how many people are interested
of course we all know they bend the rules to benefit whoever they want….
This is why people have issues with MLS
It never sets precedent and follows that. It is all a case by case basis. If Ochoa, who has only youth national team participation has to go through allocation then Nguyen who has 3 caps should have to be allocated as well. Its just so inconsistent. They should just allow players to sign with whatever club they want. I cant see how the allocation helps keep a competitive balance in MLS 3.0. It seems more of a hindrance to returning players thus limiting our ability to raise the level of play. I just don’t see a team collecting USMNT players any different than collecting international players.
by Colin Johnson on Nov 9, 2011 10:38 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Free agency would eliminate single entity
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I guess I should have been clearer
I dont see how players entering the league from other leagues should be any different if they are former USMNT players or not. You can keep all the mechanisms that are in place now such as discovery lists while eliminating the allocation/lotteries and not having true free agency.
by Colin Johnson on Nov 9, 2011 11:19 PM PST up reply actions
The
reason why such mechanics exist is to make sure everyone has a crack at signing a USMNT player.
My best guess is
the idea there is that having a USMNT player on your roster will generate more interest in the team and put more fans in the seats?
Recessionproof since 2009.
That's the idea
and is probably true for guys with more than a dozen caps, but doesn’t seem to make any sense for players like Ochoa and Nguyen
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I can see that in MLS 1.0
but not in the current MLS. MLS brought in Adu and Feilhaber this year and both those teams saw little uptick if any in intrest/fans. I just dont see that from any current player other than maybe Dempsey and Howard (and only in Texas and NJ). I mean Chunderolo is a free at the end of the year, I don’t think he has the marketing potential to put 1000’s of butt’s in the seats. He has 76 caps and has been a great USMNT player. I just think it is time to remove this rule as its no longer necessary to keep a competitive balance/parity.
by Colin Johnson on Nov 10, 2011 9:01 AM PST up reply actions
Interest in Philly and Boston went up for both players
maybe not more than a handful of seats, but main stream sports media gave those team more attention than usual. In MLS a few dozen more people a game matters.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
ok so more media presence
I can see that. I guess the real question is if we remove the rule do we really see teams that start gathering returning USMNT players and will those teams be at a competitive advantage? My guess is no on both points. I see more returning players post peak (IMO will have the most marketing potential) wanting to return to “hometown teams” more than will want to be in NY/LA/Large Market (McBride to Chi, Keller to Sea, etc). MLS isn’t at a point where we are challenging for USMNT players in their peak. When we are at that point we will be keeping them here not trying to bring them back.
by Colin Johnson on Nov 10, 2011 9:35 AM PST up reply actions
I just don't see why USMNT
should be treated any different than any other player. I just don’t see how they are more valuable than other players. That may have been true in MLS 1.0 but its not now. I would think mexican national team players would have better marketing potential than USMNT players outside of Dempsey or Howard in the MLS. Even removing the allocation every team still gets a chance at signing them. Allocation is for lazy GM’s who don’t do the legwork to be in contact with players and get them on their teams discovery list. I just feel its outdated and its time to remove it.
by Colin Johnson on Nov 10, 2011 8:53 AM PST up reply actions
The typical process for acquiring players from outside the league is the discovery claims process
Can anyone really claim to have “discovered” a player who played for the national team? I suspect that’s a big reason why the league deals with USMNT players this way.
Call 'discovery claim process'
‘claim process’ then.
There's a middle ground between "free-agency"
and “using whichever method we feel like using at any given time to decide which player a team end up on” though, no?
by Aaron Campeau on Nov 10, 2011 10:54 AM PST up reply actions
A.D.D
MLS player allocation always feels like to me that they say “Well, we had a draft last time so I’m bored with that, lets have a lottery.”
There seems to be no reason for which they choose.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
I was directly responding to the following statement
They should just allow players to sign with whatever club they want
That isn’t asking for a tweak of the rules to allow more fairness for USMNT players, but a call for the elimination of the structure of the league.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
The lottery is meant to support Superdraft system
Well — to support the SuperDraft and the homegrown system. The idea is to restrict the ability of Americans to circumvent the existing MLS structures which are meant to boost weaker teams and give all teams some fair access to the best American players. By having the lottery, players aren’t able to sign outside of the country for a year or two and then come back to any team of their choosing. Is it a good idea? That’s not as clear for me, especially since it might make it more likely that top Americans stay overseas rather than come back to whatever team wins the lottery.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
