Possible Targets from the MLS?

[Guest TinCanFan]

There might be a few decent players for ICT from the MLS who may be willing to come here.  For me I'd like to see ICT make a move for people like Eddie Gaven, Dwayne de Rosario, Zach Thornton and Matt Reis.  Dont; know if they'd be willing to come here but I don't see the harm in ICT trying to bring in some folk from the MLS.  Does anyone else know of any players in North America that would both be affordable and may be willing to come to ICT. 

[Scotty]

A lot would be affordable as the wages for "developmental" and "normal" players can be quite low ... not everyone gets Beckham style wages ..... the bigger question is whether players would be willing

Out of TFC's squad, I would love to see Greg Sutton (GK), Marvell Wynne (RB), Maurice Edu (CM) or one or two others at ICT .... but cant see it happening. Sutton is settled and both Wynne and Edu WILL play in the English premiership before too long.

On another note ... I see Derek Soutar may go the other way ... to Houston Dynamo !!!!

[Scotty]

MLS actually publish player salaries !!!

http://www.mlsplayers.org/salary_info.html

[Yngwie]

Incredible! In comparison, our players have no reason to complain about the pay disparity with Niculae.

[Tug]

seem to remember the last american we had didnt have to great a time here though for the life of me i cant be certain of his name, i wanna say tom parrat

[Scotty]

Dont think Tom Parratt played in MLS though !!!

MLS is a decent league regardless of what people with little knowledge of it might think. Its not to the same level as the English Premiership, Serie A or even individual "superstar" teams in other leagues but I think most MLS teams would hold their own in the SPL (on a good day).

Creating a squad in the MLS is a complicated affair with so many different designations of players as well as a salary cap but it does tend to level the playing field a little as no team can fill its squad full of highly paid superstars .... (http://web.mlsnet.com/about/league.jsp?section=regulations&content=overview)

If you look at Toronto FC you will see that the wages range from US$12,900 for Attakora-Gyan who is basically a youth player to 330K+ for Laurent Robert and Carl Robinson who are the midfield mainstays. What surprises me is that Marvell Wynne (a recent call-up to the US national team) is only on 47K per year (although he does seem to be guaranteed a lot in bonuses etc)...... he is an excellent player ... a speedy right back who tackles hard and gets forward on surging runs and IMHO worth more than quite a few who get higher wages than he does !!!

[BornCaley]

Hey

the MLS Salaries made interesting reading. There is no way a MLS player will play at ITC....just look at the website for Salt Lake...Clearly the US game is eons ahead of what ICT can achieve at the moment.

Their stadium alone holds 70-80,000. and thats in a city of 177,000 people. ICT board....you have a long way to go

http://web.mlsnet.com/t121/news/

[CaleyD]

Don't forget though that most of these places are used for several different sports/events and whilst it is probably located in a town/city of 170,000 it probably serves an area covering many millions of people.

[Scotty]

The more popular MLS teams (like Toronto) get 20,000+ at every game but if you look at the websites of some of the others for attendances they can be pretty low.

[tm4tj]

For the life of me, I can't see any rumours in this thread, only clutching at straws opinions.

[Alex MacLeod]

seem to remember the last american we had didnt have to great a time here though for the life of me i cant be certain of his name, i wanna say tom parrat

Tom Parratt was not American. He was born in Inverness. His father moved to Iowa when Tom was three to take a coaching job at Iowa City Alliance, where he is now director of coaching. Tom was sent to Birmingham Youths at 15. After 4 years there, and winning a Scotland U19 cap, he decided to come to his birthplace and try and win a contract.

[CaleyD]

There you go TM4TJ.....It was only a rumour that Parrat was A Merkin American.  :blah01:

[tm4tj]

Not even a rumour, just a lie. :018: