MLS Review Week 13: Where Have All the DPs Gone?

By: Daryl | July 1st, 2007

Blanco on Fire So this being July 1st, David Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco officially became MLS players today. Beckham will be unveiled (maybe literally?) on July 13th, while Blanco will join up with his new Chicago Fire buddies as soon as Mexico’s Copa America is over. Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna are already strutting their stuff for New York. But where are all the other Designated Players? I was hoping MLS teams would be working round the clock to splash some cash and bring in some big names, but - despite a few mentions of an unenthusiastic Zinedine Zidane joining Beckham at Galaxy - it hasn’t quite happened.

Every MLS team but Galaxy, Red Bulls and Chivas (who somewhat foolishly traded their DP slot for Amado Guevara) still has the option of signing a designated player, and I half expected Galaxy to trade something with someone to go big and get a second spot for someone like Zidane to keep Becks company. Except they don’t really have that option. The problem seems to be not just a lack of will from top players to join MLS, or teams not being keen to spend fortunes on one player, but also that several teams already have high profile players earning over $400,000 plus that will need to be designated as DPs for next season. My understanding is that players like Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson and Carlos Ruiz were given a one year exemption but will fall into the DP category from 2008 onwards, which doesn’t really give their respective clubs much room to play with.

Meanwhile the MLS carries on, and after an exciting start we seem to have hit a relatively dull patch. We’re in the mattress between early season excitement and the push for the playoffs, with the only real excitement for the next month being the arrivals of Beckham and Blanco and the summer friendlies against glamorous opposition. Week 13 of this MLS season won’t live long in the memory, but here are the Offside Awards anyway…

Silliest Penalty: Greg Vanney
With Colorado Rapids leading DC United 1-0, Rapids full back Vanney had a moment of madness and decided to do a spot of goalkeeping. While lying on the ground he reached up to handle the ball and gift DC a penalty. They scored that to equalize, then three more goals to make it 4-1 and five straight defeats for the Rapids.

Still Unbeaten at Home (technically): Chivas USA
I say technically because they lost at the Home Depot Center to Galaxy, but were supposedly the away team that day. Chivas continued their proud home record (now 5-0-1 in MLS speak) beating the New England Revs 2-0 with goals from Marsch and Galindo.

Brian McBride Award for Facial Bravery: Brian Ching
Back from Gold Cup post-hitting duty, Brian Ching was playing for Houston against Dallas in the Texan derby, and getting a boot in the face for his trouble. A quick lie down and a squirt of water in his eye and everything was fine, although the game ended goalless.

End of a Streak: Juan Pablo Angel
Angel needed to score for NYRB against Columbus Crew to tie the record for scoring in consecutive games at 7 with Raul Diaz Arce (DC 1997) Wolde Harris (Revs 2000) and Carlos Ruiz (Dallas 2006.) But he didn’t, and the Crew won 1-0.

Best Way to Make Your MLS Goalkeeping Debut on Canada Day: Sam Reynolds
Sam Reynolds is not Toronto’s first choice keeper, and some doubted he had what it takes to play at this level. But making his MLS debut for Toronto FC on Canada Day he held Kansas City Wizards to 1-1 draw away from home. He was beaten in the 18th minute, but big Danny levelled things up, and then Reynolds made plenty saves in the second half as KC dominated and went looking for a win they didn’t get.

Best Result by a Managerless Team Chicago Fire 0-0 Colorado Rapids
Not a great result considering Fire were at home and Rapids were on a five game losing streak, but it’s still a point for interim head coach Denis Hamlett.