Comments on: MLS: A League in Need of Better Strikers?

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:29:07 +0000

Don’t forget that the players listed are a league wide starting XI, in fairness to any strikers here or heading here, the salary cap, NCAA draft system, etc, also have an impact on who’s serving the ball, or moving it around into danger, and there’s nothing close to league wide consistency there either. As it is, its too easy to isolate one player — part of poor Angel’s problem — if the rest of the team isn’t as much of a threat.

Ronaldo (the real one) might be the only retiree who might not be bothered by those problems. Sometimes I just can’t figure out where he conjures the ball from — or where defenders thought he was lurking before he strikes it.

By: morpheus11

morpheus11 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:42:05 +0000

I will agree like everyone else that it will require larger salaries to keep/get bonafide strikers in the MLS. But, I would also like to argue that goal scorers sell tickets not strikers. Donovan doesn’t play in the midfield much he is usually 1 of 2 players up top. Same goes for Blanco. So even if the MLS isn’t able to keep the bonafide strikers, e.g. Altidore, they can still sell tickets by keeping midfielders that score lots of goals, e.g. Donovan. Just think of how many goals Donovan would have scored if he hadn’t missed all that time playing for the USMNT.

There is another reason for the MLS to not play games during international games.

By: Dave Martinez

Dave Martinez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:54:05 +0000

Elliot really does hit the nail on the head though. If they are young and good, they are going somewhere that will a) monetarily compensate them and b) develop them so that they can become c) expensive commodities which will make them d) millionaires. If there is no structure to award AND nurture the youngsters moving up the ranks, then MLS will never be able to secure a long term relationship with a proven at home striker (they even budged on the DP for Donovan for this reason).

Aged European based strikers with a bit left in the tank and no World Cup aspirations will be finding their way here until that changes. And that is also not a bad thing either.

Once MLS is financially capable of giving an entire roster opportunities, then you will see the league turn into a monster. But in its 14th year, it is still baby stepping.

By: laurie

laurie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:48:51 +0000

And a good straight-up striker as a DP might do the trick. (Henry! Now! Please!) What that might do — having one players score something like 45 goals — is open up the league’s eyes to how they really need to up the salary cap so the other teams can pay the talent what it’s worth.

By: Tommy Wong

Tommy Wong — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:21:19 +0000

Good strikers go to play in Europe. It doesn’t matter where they’re from or how old they are, strikers are exports. The best MLS can do is to try and get older aging strikers to come to play in the USA (i.e. Juan Pablo Angel). They tried to lure Ronaldo, and Bobo Vieri, etc etc. The MLS isn’t the only league that suffers from this problem either. Most good strikers move on, plain and simple. Until the USA’s youth programs and academies start to cultivate youngsters into strikers, instead of run-of-the-mill, by-the-book midfielders it will continue to be like this.

By: laurie

laurie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:33:00 +0000

The Montero thing was widely reported around the time of the USOC final, but according to the Sigi Schmid and the Sounders FO it is not true. Montero is still (apparently) at least partially owned by Deportivo Cali and his contract status for next year is up in the air.

By: Kartik

Kartik — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:55:38 +0000

Elliot is correct. Daryl was not.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:30:42 +0000

I was under the impression that the MLS bought out Fredy’s contract and stake from Deportivo Cali

By: Elliott

Elliott — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:09:12 +0000

Until MLS opens up the purse strings, any forward who gets a 10 plus goal tally is going to Europe for a salary increase – just look at Chris Rolfe, Kenny Cooper, and Joseph Ngwenya. I’m not saying it will work out for them – but the bump in salary is massive, even in Scandinavia