FMVTours presents: League guide to the MLS

The MLS often put people off with it’s bizarre league structure and odd transfer rules, people quickly find themselves bored and angered by the confusing rules that are imposed upon you when you coach in the league made famous worldwide by Los Angeles Galaxy and their purchase of David Beckham.

MLS

You play every team in the two conferences twice and the 4 remaining games are made up of rivalries with other teams (usually teams based closest to you geographically).

At the end of the Regular Season the Top 4 teams from the East & West Conferences will head into the play-off Semi Finals. Teams play against other Semi-Finalists from their Conference to determine the East/West winner, these two sides play each other in the Play-off Final with the winner taking the title of MLS Champions.

League Structure

You have a 15 team league (16 from 2010, 18 from 2011) which is divided into two ‘conferences’ – East and West. There are 8 teams in each conference and they are:-

Chicago Fire S.C.

Star Men:
Brian McBride (ST) is an American legend and should be rolling back the years (all 37 of them) to bang in the goals for the Men In Red.
Chris Rolfe (AMRC/FC) is 26 and a good attacker for the MLS. Solid dependable player
Wilman Conde (DC/DM) is Columbian who is coming into his prime at 26. Some hard work in training could really pay off for this star in the making.
Jon Busch (GK) is a reliable American goalkeeper who is near the top of his game at 32 years old.

Needed: DC, ML – Not much needed to round out this team but the Fire may need a replacement for McBride soon up front too.

Columbus Crew

Star Men:
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (AMRLC,FC) is one of the best players in the MLS. I think the Argentinian could even do a job somewhere in the Premiership – even at age 36.
Chad Marshall (SW/DC) is just 24 years old and is already a good MLS defender. With time and work we could be seeing more of him on the International stage, and I would not rule out a move to Europe.

Needed: DC – a good partner for Marshall could see the Black And Gold as forerunners for the title.

D.C. United

Star Men:
Christian Gomez (AMC) is a midfielder who likes to get forward. At 34 years old his best days may be falling behind him a little, but the Argentinian loves to work a bit of magic with the ball at his feet.
Luciano Emilio (ST) is a 30 year old Brazilian striker who leads from the front and has the ability to score goals.

Needed: GK, DL, DC – not the strongest defensively, the Black And Red need some work here.

Kansas City Wizards

Star Men:
Claudio Lopez (AML,FC) is now 35 years old, but the Argentinian is still a handful. Perhaps he has lost some of his speed from his Valencia & Lazio days, but still he has enough for the MLS.
Jimmy Conrad is a slow but hard-working American defender. At 32 his experience at the back should pay dividends by the time play-offs come calling.

Needed: DC, ML, MR – Your wingers are best playing elsewhere so you will need to bring in other players to give you width. Also Conrad badly needs a partner at the back to keep those vital clean sheets.

New England Revolution

Star Men:
Taylor Twellman (ST) is an All-American striker who loves scoring goals. He is in the prime of his career at 29 years old and has won 29 caps for the USA.
Matt Reis (GK) is a very good American goalkeeper who is coming into the twilight of his career at age 34. Reis is an MLS mainstay and has won 2 caps for the US despite competition from Friedel and Howard.
Shalrie Joseph (DMC) is a very good central midfielder from Grenada. At 31 years old you should expect to see him running the middle of the pitch for you.

Needed: DL, DC, ML, MC – 3 quality right-backs but in dire need of a good left-back and left midfielder. The central positions of defence and midfield could also use another body.

New York Red Bulls

Star Men:
Juan Pablo Angel (ST) is a 33 year old Colombian target man best known to us Brits for his stint with Aston Villa. Should score loads at this level and is among the best strikers in the MLS.
Albert Celades (D/DMC) is a 33 year old Spanish midfielder who has played at the very top of world football for both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Excellent experience in the middle of the park!

Needed: DL, DC – The defence of the Red Bulls is a little weak but with a good signing or two you could easily guide this team to the play-offs and beyond!

Toronto FC

Star Men:
Julian De Guzman (DM/AMC) is quality Canadian defensive midfielder. Amongst the best players in the league at 28 years of age, Julian could become the face of the MLS if handled right.
Dwayne De Rosario (AMRLC, FC) is a 31 year old Canadian midfielder that loves playing in the hole behind a striker or two.

Needed: GK, SC – With the star players working well together and a few other good central midfielders it may be wise to go with a 4-DM-CM-CM-AM-2 formation here. If not then add a couple of wingers to your list of shot-stopper and goal-scorer.

C.D. Chivas USA

Star Men:
Mariano Trujillo (AMR) is a 32 year old Mexican without many weaknesses at this level. He should provide much needed width to the Goats.
Eduardo Lillingston (ST) is a 31 year old Mexican striker who should be netting quite regularly. Another solid team member whose experience should help on the pitch.
Sacha Kljestan (AMC) is a promising 23 year old American midfielder who has a younger brother (Gordan) who could play backup at MLS level. Sacha still has a lot to learn but could end up being a star of the MLS and National team in the future.

Needed: GK, DC, MC, ST – not due to poor players but just as the Goats will soon lose starters in these postions simply due to age.

Colorado Rapids

Star Men:
Pablo Mastroeni (DC/DMC) will be entering his 8th season with the Rapids and is a rock at the base of midfield. Strong mental stats are coupled with decent physicals, showing why the 32 year old American is the club Captain.
Cory Gibbs (DLC) is 29 years old and a physical central defender. His mental stats are not the greatest, which can lead to problems, but with the right partner the American should prove tough to beat.
Connor Casey (ST) is a 27 year old American. He is good all-round attacker who should be able to lead the line in MLS with ease.

Needed: DC, MC, ST – partners for the above players could turn the Rapids into championship contenders.

FC Dallas

Star Men:
Dave van den Bergh (AML) is a 33 year old winger for the Netherlands who can be dangerous for out wide with his crossing ability.
Pablo Ricchetti (D/WBR,DM) is a tough tackling midfielder from Argentina. He can also cover the right-back position well and this versatility is very useful.

Needed: DL, DC, MR, SC – not a challenge for the faint-hearted the Super Hoops are a team in dire need of some quality on the field.

Houston Dynamo

Star Men:
Brian Chiny (ST) is La Naranje’s only potent threat up front. The 31 year old American needs either more support from midfield or a partner to help him up front.
Ricardo Clark (D/WBR,DM) is 26 and the starting Anchor Man for the club. This American can be the rock to build the team on.

Needed: MC, SC – not a bad bunch of players here but still need to offer more going forward.

Los Angeles Galaxy

Star Men:
David Beckham (MRC) is the best player in the league. Classy 34 year old right midfielder that is a former England Captain and should need no further introduction.
Landon Donovan (AMRLC,FC) is the G’s Captain and the American is best used up front, though he can cover the right wing and play in the hole too. The 27 year old is the second best player in the MLS and still has the time to improve.

Needed: DL, DC/DR, MC – Depending where you play Sean Franklin you will need a defender for the other position and also a left-back to tighten up the defence. A good midfielder would also see the Galaxy in great shape to clinch some silverware.

Real Salt Lake

Star Men:
Kyle Beckerman is a solid 27 year old American midfielder who can fill a variety of roles due to his decent all-around game.
Jamison Olave is a 28 year old Colombian defender who is solid in the air, but does lack a little pace.
Javier Morales (AMC) is a Argentinian midfielder with a penchant for attack. The 29 year old could be a key player to your team if you find a good target man to play him off.

Needed: DL, DR, SC – A couple of full-backs and a striker would see Real as a threat to the other teams.

San Jose Earthquakes

Star Men:
Joe Cannon (GK) is one of the more famous American goalkeepers and has only spend two years outside the MLS when he joined Lens. Good reflexes mean that he is still a force in this league despite being 34.
Andre Luiz (D/WBL,MLC) is a Brazilian wing-back (primarily) who, at 34, brings a lot of experience to the league.
Bobby Convey(D/WB/AML) is an American winger best known to us Brits for his time at Reading. Good dribbling and crossing skills make him a threat.

Needed: D/WBR, DC, MR, MC – A weak right side to the team makes them vulnerable and is your first task here. Strenthening the middle is also a necessity for any success.

Seattle Sounders FC

Star Men:
Fredy Montero is just 22 years old, but the Colombian front man is a very potent threat at this level. He has the ability to play in the Premiership, and the potential to become one of it’s stars.
Freddie Ljunberg is best known for his days with Arsenal as he terrified left-backs up and down England. Now 32, the Swedish international still has the skill to terrorise the MLS defences.
Kasey Keller is now 39, but that doesn’t stop the former Millwall, Leicester, Spurs and Fulham keeper from being very good for the MLS. Also capped 102 times by the USA – a true American legend.

Needed: DR, ML, MC, SC – There is a good base of players to work with at the Sounders but a new right-back, left winger, central midfielder, and striker are musts to rise up the table.

2010 – The Philadelphia Union join the Eastern Conference in 2010 to level up the sides. They are known as the Zolos and will be playing their home games at the 18,500 capacity PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

2011 – Both the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps will be joining the MLS for this season. The Timbers will play at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon – a 19,566 seater stadium. The Whitecaps will have two homes in Vancouver, British Columbia – a summer home is about to start construction for a 27,500 seater open stadium named Empire Fields, whilst their winter home will be the 60,000 seater BC Place Stadium which they have used for many years – it is the largest air-supported stadium (structurally kept up by the air pressure inside it) in the world.

US Cup

The American version of the FA Cup, this competition is contested between MLS and non-MLS sides alike in a straightforward Knock-out Competition.

Superliga

The SuperLiga is a competition contested between Mexican and MLS teams. The top 4 teams from the MLS and the top 4 teams from Mexico are split into two groups evenly and play each other once before heading into a knock-out round to determine the SuperLiga Champion.

MLS All-Star Game

The best players from the Eastern Conference meet the best of the Western Conference in a battle for glory. Well really this game is just for the fans and a nice day out. More of an exhibition game in real life, FM tends to make it more competitive than that so it’s a nervous watch to see if your player(s) pick up any knocks.

This is where it can get a little confusing, so bear with me! I’ll give you a run down on the definitions of different player contracts and the rest of the guide should make more sense….

Senior Players
These are guys who are not on Developmental contracts or Generation Adidas contracts. These are your usual bog-standard contracts that you see in European football

Developmental Contracts
These players are younger players who usually arrive in the team via the Draft process. Their wages are paid for by the league and they do not count towards Senior Player allocation.

Generation Adidas
These lads are usually the best young players coming into the MLS. Their wages do not count towards your salary total and these are the players you want to look out for when the Draft comes around. You are notified of who the Generation Adidas players are prior to the draft day, it’s advisable to add these players to your shortlist so on Draft Day they’ll stand out to you as their names will be in red.

Internationals
International Players are those who do not hold American citizenship, the amount you can have in your squad varies depending on which team you asre (LA Galaxy are allowed 8 Internationals whereas Toronto are allowed 18). International allocations can be traded for players (more about that later)

Designated Players
This players wages are paid for in part by the Club but his wages do not count towards the Salary Cap. Most teams are permitted to have one Designated Player (in the case of LA Galaxy this is David Beckham) though Chivas USA are not allowed a Designated Player and New York are allowed TWO Designated Players due to trades between the teams in the past.

Discovery Players

During the course of a season you are allowed to sign 6 of these guys. Discovery Players are players signed from outside the MLS or who are without a contract but not included in the MLS Draft process.

Squad Selection Process

With those definitions out of the way, the squad selection rules should be a little easier to comprehend.

You are allowed a maximum of 28 players in your named MLS Squad – to include players in your squad you must assign them a squad number, failure to give a player a squad number results in them being Waived (in other words free transferred). WHEN YOU SIGN SOMEONE GIVE HIM A NUMBER IMMEDIATELY!!

A maximum of 18 players can be on Senior contracts, the remainder must be players on Developmental or Generation Adidas contracts. As I mention above you are allowed a variable amount of Internationals, depending on which team you play as, and you are allowed between Zero and 2 Designated Players, again depending on which club you are.

Waiving Players

Any player that is waived disappears from your squad and goes onto the Waiver list. This gives other MLS clubs two days to offer him a contract. If this is done after the Salary Deadline then you will pay this players wages for the remainder of the season, even if he plays for another club. If no club comes in for the player he is released from your club and enters the Supplemental Draft of the next season. If a player has a long term injury (as in the length of the season long) then he is exempt from the selection process and you do not have to give him a number.

You are notified when other teams Waiver their players, be sure to check out these players every time one comes up, you never know, you might just pick up a gem for nothing! Even better, if it’s after Salary Deadline you pay nothing towards his wages!

MLS Waiver Draft

The Waiver Draft is the first really unusual thing you should come across in the MLS. Basically it’s a list of players that nobody wanted to keep from their squads and so they are free for anyone to grab in a 2 round draft. If you fail to give a player a squad number before this draft occurs then he will be entered, if you fail to give a play a number after this occurs then he will be placed on waivers (see below) – either way this is a bad thing unless you want rid of the player.

You can protect your players from entering this draft by giving them a squad number, I recommend keeping at least 18 players numbered at all times. The draft is a great way of signing cover, or even filling gaps in your first team so I would definitely take a look at the talent on offer here. Remember that players who are injured for the season do not need a squad number, do not count towards your wage budget, and often appear on the waiver list – snap them up for the following season if you think they will have a chance at being a starter!

MLS Super Draft

The MLS Super Draft takes place at the beginning of every season. The picking order is determined by where teams finished in the MLS the previous season. If you are unfortunate enough to finish bottom of the MLS the blow is softened by the fact you are given first pick of new players in the next seasons Super Draft. There are 4 rounds of selection and every team is given the chance to pick 4 new players for their squad. If you pass on any given round then you are omitted from the rest of the draft.

MLS Supplemental Draft

The MLS Supplemental Draft is basically a ‘best of the rest’ draft. The selection order is the same as in the Super Draft, with reigning Champions picking last and last seasons worst team picking first. The Supplemental Draft includes players who were not picked in the Super Draft or players who were waived the season before but not picked up by another club.

Salary Cap

The Salary Cap is put in place by the MLS to try to level the playing field. All MLS teams have to keep their wages within this cap and failure to do so often results in players being released from your squad without your knowledge! The salary cap is around 20-25k per week and excludes the wages for the staff team, the youngsters on Developmental Contracts and of course the Designated Players wages (Beckham earns over 60k per week)

MLS Transfers

Signing a player in America can be confusing and costly if you don’t know what you are doing. In simple terms, players are not traded for money – they are traded for players or allocations.

Trading for Players

If a team makes an enquiry about one of your players that you are happy to let go, you can have a look through the enquiring teams players and try to negotiate a ‘swap’ for him. This is straightforward and is common practice in European leagues we are all familiar with.

Trading for Draft Allocations

As I mentioned before, you are given 4 draft picks in the MLS Draft at the beginning of every season. If you so desire, you can offload your players in return for other teams draft picks in future years. When you click on the different options in a transfer negotiation screen you will see that you can request a teams 1st-4th picks in both the Super Draft and Supplemental Draft.

The most valuable Draft Allocation is the clubs Super Draft 1st Pick and the least valuable is the clubs Supplemental Draft 4th Pick. If you can manage to get a club to give you their Designated Player slot or one of their International slots then you should bite their hand off, this gives you the chance to bring in top foreign talent and in the case of the Designated Player slot, a footballing superstar.

This gives you an interesting opportunity to try new strategies, do you offload your best players and take everyone elses Super Draft picks in the hope that next season there will be top talent to snap up before anyone gets a look in? Or do you offload your Draft Picks in an attempt to build a strong squad immediately?

Trading Players for Money

Like all clubs you have a bank balance, your chairman sets you a budget and you can buy players with it like you can at any other club. You are allocated a certain amount of money which you can spend on players. This can be increased or decreased by trading your Transfer Allocation with other clubs. This ‘Transfer Budget’ is used for purchasing players from abroad.

The MLS can be confusing and difficult to manage in but once you have a basic grasp of the rules it’s a fun and challenging environment to practice your managerial skills within. The league is fast and fun and you can quickly find yourself playing in all manner of continental competitions including the North American Champions Cup, the Pan-Pacific Championship. The opportunity for players to move to Europe is there too, as we have seen in real life with the transfers and loans of Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson, Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, Freddy Adu, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard & Brad Guzan. A tidy profit can be made on Donovan (contracted to LA Galaxy) if you manage to secure him on a new contract in the first season.