Clarification on Internationals

First, thanks to Steve for your persistence, and I think you're on to something with your last comment.

Second, sorry it's taking me so long to respond the comments regarding International player slots. I was away from the computer most of yesterday.

Anyway, Friday morning I ran into Earl Cochrane at TFC practice. He's the manager of team operations and somebody I thought could help us answer the question of just how many international players TFC has.

I told him that both the league and the team pegged that number at twelve, and he understood. But he also understood that counting heads plus unfilled slots brings you to about 17.

But the number 12 wouldn't go away, and league officials wouldn't keep throwing it out there if it was wrong. And if TFC really had five more internationals than they should they would have been penalized.

Finally, we decided that the number 12 must refer to the number of roster spots available for international players who aren't from the U.S.

Hours later he confirmed our theory (and Steve's) when he sent this email.

Morgan…here you go…it really is simple when illustrated like this.

2007 - 4 Sr.Intl + 3 US + 5 Youth Intl + 1 Youth Intl (via trade with COL) – 13 Internationals/3 of which must be USA

The League then added 1 International per Team + 2 additional US Internationals for Toronto (to be reviewed at end of 09), therefore…

2008 – 16 Internationals/5 of which must be US

Now…with the trade with NE for their Intl Slot thru 2010…

2008 – 17 Internationals/5 of which must be US

2009 – 15 Internationals/5 of which must be US (lose 2 former Youth slots as per expansion agreement)

2010 – 15 Internationals/5 of which must be US (could be less depending on outcome of review regarding 2 additional US Slots)

2011 – 13 Internationals/5 of which must be US (pending review in 2010 + loss of youth international acquired in trade with COL & NE Intl Slot)

So there it is.

Mystery unraveled at last.

I hope.

-- Morgan Campbell

A big league response and a mystery solved

Last week I criticized Major League Soccer for its tepid response immediately following some downright thuggish behaviour from Columbus Crew supporters during the team's loss at home to New England on May 24.

For those of you who don't remember, fans in the Crew supporters section spent that game tossing lit flares, bottles and, eventually, an N-Bomb at New England players.

I would have re-posted the video but MLS acquired the rights to it and deleted it from YouTube.

Last night reporters across North America received an email from MLS commissioner Don Garber via the league's communications office, indicating the league is ready to take action.

In his statement Garber explained that the league has been working with the team, supporters and security staff to figure out just what happened. He also said that because MLS values ethnic diversity it won't tolerate racially offensive language anywhere.

Admirable, but a standard response to incidents like this, and when you see it you're never sure if it's just talk.

But this paragraph in the middle of the statement showed me the league is ready to back up what it says:

MLS and the Columbus Crew are working diligently with all relevant authorities, including Club Supporters Groups, to identify the spectator involved.  In the event the perpetrator is identified, he will be banned for life from Crew stadium and all other MLS stadiums and events.

Now, the league hasn't actually identified this guy yet. And enforcing that ban could be difficult. He could always show up at the stadium with his face painted in Crew colours, or buy tickets with a fake ID, claiming his name was "Brian McGee" or "McLovin'."

But the fact that MLS is willing to ban this guy for life and send a message to potential copycats is an important step toward establishing the league's credibility.

A big-league response to bush league behaviour.

PUTTING TOGETHER THE ROSTER PUZZLE

Time to answer a question. This one comes from "Thane," and is actually a comment from the previous entry:

How exactly does trading a player for an international slot work? Do we now have the slot in perpetuity, or is it a one-year deal? What happens if MLS re-jigs the foreign player rules?

Great question, Thane, and I called the league this morning for the answer.

Basically, every MLS team started the 2008 season with eight international roster slots on their roster. Over the winter the league awarded TFC two more, provided the team used those roster spots on American players. That deal brought TFC's international total to 10, but after the 2009 season the league will review TFC's situation and decide whether they still need those two extra Americans.

TFC acquired its 11th international spot in a trade with Colorado. If they don't use it by the end of the 2010 season, they lose it.

International spot number 12 opened up yesterday with the Phelan trade, and TFC has until 2011 to use it.

Hope that helps.

ONE MORE QUESTION

This one comes from John Dinner, who wants to know who gets the money when a player is transferred..

Everyone does.

Typically the league takes a third of the transfer fee, with the rest of the money going to the team.

Of the team's cut, $500,000 goes to their allocation budget, so they can use it to sign players , add to their salary cap or pay down other existing salaries.

Whatever money remains goes to the team for them to use as the league directs them. So if the league wants them to start saving up for a DP, then that's what they do. If the league wants all that money invested into the youth academy, then that's what happens.

Of course, there are exceptions. Real Salt Lake received a grand sum of zero dollars last summer when Benfica bought Freddy Adu's rights. Apparently the league took the entire $2 million transfer fee to offset the money it invested in 2004 when it made Adu the world's richest 14-year-old, then granted RSL some extra allocation cash.

Another MLS mystery solved.

Thanks for your question, John.

-- Morgan Campbell

Au Revoir Altidore...McBride? Maybe, maybe not

Looks like the last time we saw Jozy Altidore in Toronto will be the last time we see Jozy Altidore in Toronto.

Unless MLSE can manage to lure Villarreal here for a friendly.

Our friend Ives Galarcep is reporting that the Spanish club has bought the New York Red Bulls' teen phenom for an MLS record $10 million.

To put this potential transaction into perspective, think about this:

When Freddy Adu, the previous "next big thing" in American soccer, and a player way more famous than Altidore among mainstream sports fans, transferred to Benfica last summer, he commanded "only" $2 million.

If this move pans out the timing is ironic. On Monday our friend Ives penned a story for ESPN.com exploring whether the hype that has surrounded Altidore since he entered the league had finally gone to the 18-year-old's head. The story detailed a slackening of Altidore's practice habits and a decline in his playing time.

The folks at Villarreal either didn't read the story, or read it and didn't care about what the unnamed sources had to say about Altidore. Red Bulls boss Juan Carlos Osorio defended his young star, saying he's got a bright future in the sport.

Looks like that future will arrive this summer.

MORE ON MCBRIDE

Elsewhere on his blog Ives speculates that Wednesday morning's trade -- Pat Phelan to New England for an international slot -- was a prelude to a deal between TFC and Chicago for former Fulham striker Brian McBride.

I wondered the same thing when I received the news at practice, but I'll be damned if I could get Mo Johnston to clarify it for me afterward. He was at his oblique, evasive best when I asked him whether the Phelan trade set the stage for future deals. After tree or four minutes of talking a lot but saying very little, Johnston chuckled.

"You're not much further forward, are you?" he said.

Nope.

But it's the dance we do. My job is to ask questions, and his job is avoid answering them directly if that's what serves his purpose. Sometimes speaking honestly to the press might jump start a dormant deal, and those days you might get something truly useful. But as far as McBride is concerned, all parties involved are keeping the important info real close.

Still, Johnston did manage to illuminate the situation a little, though I'm still not sure he did it intentionally.

To recap, McBride is a Chicago-area native looking to return to MLS after four seasons with Fulham. He wants to play for the Fire, but TFC own his MLS rights.

Johnston is sympathetic to McBride's wishes but says TFC has needs too.

"It's nice to have a dream and to finish your career in front of your hometown fans," he said. "But to make that possible Chicago needs to come deal with me."

Add yesterday's comments with Johnston's assertion last week that TFC was "looking for something big" in return for McBride's rights, and the picture becomes a little less murky.

TFC wants to make a deal but wants Chicago to offer more.

Either way, McBride can't play anywhere until the transfer period begins in mid-July, so there's time for the two teams to reach a deal.

But which side will get what they want?

And what happens to McBride if they can't agree?

Stay tuned

-- Morgan Campbell