US and Canadian Soccer

Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Lamar Neagle traded to D.C. United - Sounder At Heart (http://www.sounderatheart... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 2 ] -

"Lamar Neagle is on the move, again. The Federal Way product has been officially traded to D.C. United, it was announced on Monday. This is the third time the Seattle Sounders have parted ways with Neagle, who was cut after the 2009 season and traded before the start of the 2012 campaign. The trade had been rumored for a couple weeks, after a chance encounter between Sounder at Heart reader Mike Standish and someone claiming to be Neagle's father-in-law. Other media confirmed the report in the coming days and weeks. But with today's unfreezing of MLS rosters, the trade was finally made official. In return for a player who has scored 29 goals across all-competitions over the past three seasons, the Sounders will receive a combination of regular and Targeted Allocation Money." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

I'm sorry to see him go as a hometown kid, but he had /the/ worst timing for a total training/style funk at the end of the season. It was a perfect opportunity for him to make his case.. and he bailed. I really hope that DC is a much better fit. - Jennifer D. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Major League Soccer looks to 28-team future, announce schedule changes - Sounder At Heart (http://www.sounderatheart... ) [http://static.mlsdigital.... ]

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - -

"At the annual MLS Board of Governors meeting, league owners announced their support of continued massive expansion to bring Major League Soccer's field to at least 28 teams. This comes after a previous pledge to expand to 24 teams by the year 2020, which looks to be ahead of schedule with the imminent arrival of Atlanta United, Los Angeles FC, Minnesota and Miami. League expansion has long been a hot topic, as nine of the top eleven teams in 2015 average attendance joined MLS after the inaugural 1996 season. The ten original clubs (those which still exist, at least) have at times struggled to stay relevant in the face of overwhelming success in Canada, Cascadia, and other places across the continent. Markets like Sacramento, San Antonio, St. Louis and Detroit will be front-runners for these expansion slots as all have met with MLS officials within the past year. The announcement likely won't sit well with FIFA. Soccer's embattled governing body has long recommended a 18-team top tier and/or a 38-game limit." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

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I think the closest such rivalry would be Red Bull vs NYCFC, and even there it would take a pretty strong arm. - John B. - [ 2 ] -

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MLS Commissioner Don Garber: LAFC paid $110 million expansion fee, in full, up front - The Goat Parade (http://www.thegoatparade.... ) [https://scontent.cdninsta... ]

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"Grant Wahl had an opportunity to do a one-on-one interview with MLS Commissioner Don Garber this week on SI.com, and there is a ton of interesting information and answers from Garber in it, on a wide range of issues. Since we cover LAFC here, Wahl asked about the MLS expansion team, and got a pretty interesting response from Garber regarding the $110 million expansion fee paid by the 24-member ownership group." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

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LOL. There is always that ;) - Jennifer D. - -

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John B. to John B.'s feed, US and Canadian Soccer
Rutgers women's soccer advances to Final Four with PKs win (http://www.mycentraljerse... ) http://www.gannett-cdn.co...

9 years ago - Comment - Hide - - [ 3 ] -

"Continuing the winningest season in program history, Rutgers advanced to the Final Four for the first time Friday by upsetting No. 1-ranked powerhouse Virginia, 7-6, on penalty kicks, after a scoreless regulation and two overtimes. In a battle of arguably the best offense in the nation (Virginia) against arguably the best defense in the nation (Rutgers), the style of play favored Rutgers for 110 minutes of action. "The effort that the 11 players put in on the defensive side of the ball and how hard they worked," Rutgers coach Mike O'Neill said, "it was inspiring to watch." Fittingly, Rutgers goalkeeper was the star of penalty kicks. Bridgewater native Casey Murphy made the victory-sealing save and also started an improbable Rutgers comeback with the first of seven straight conversions on the shooting side." - John B. - -

3 other comments...

This is definitely much cooler news :D - Jennifer D. - [ 1 ] -

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10 venues, including three MLS stadiums, announced for 2016 Copa América Centenario | MLSsoccer.com (http://www.mlssoccer.com/... ) http://siempre889.com/wp-...

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 2 ] -

"CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and the Copa América Centenario Local Organizing Committee announced on Thursday the 10 US venues that will host Copa América Centenario games, to be played from June 3-26, 2016, including three MLS stadiums. The host metropolitan areas and respective stadiums are: Boston (Gillette Stadium), Chicago (Soldier Field), Houston (NRG Stadium), Los Angeles (Rose Bowl), New York (MetLife Stadium), Orlando (Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), Phoenix (University of Phoenix Stadium), San Francisco (Levi’s Stadium) and Seattle (CenturyLink Field). Current MLS season ticket holders will be eligible to purchase tickets for the Copa América Centenario during an exclusive private sale. More information on the ticket allocation process will be communicated in the coming weeks. Similar to the FIFA World Cup, each venue will host matches on multiple days through the tournament. Most venues will host at least three games." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

4 other comments...

That would be pretty cool to see. - John B. - [ 1 ] -

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MLS Expansion Draft could be eliminated before 2017 season -- report - Dirty South Soccer (http://www.dirtysouthsocc... ) [https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/... ]

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 2 ] -

"The Expansion Draft has been an Major League Soccer staple since 1998. It allows brand new franchises a chance to fill their roster with talent from the other clubs. Last year it allowed Orlando City and New York City FC to pick 10 players each to begin their MLS odyssey. According to Yahoo!, MLS are discussing the possibility of eliminating the Expansion Draft entirely before Atlanta United FC enters the league in 2017. If the Expansion Draft is done away with AUFC would be required to find other means of acquiring talent to fill their roster for their inaugural season. According to the report, the league would increase allocation money and foreign slots for incoming Expansion clubs." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

3 other comments...

I do like all of the "everyone hates Atlanta" conspiracy theories in the comments on the article though.. while using a picture showing the player I'm still angry about losing to the expansion draft >_> - Jennifer D. - [ 1 ] -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Seattle Sounders Alliance sets out new rules for GM retention votes - Sounder At Heart (http://www.sounderatheart... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"In February the team and the council met and agreed that the GM vote process needed to be given teeth and clarified to cover all future scenarios. The new rules establish that a vote will take place every four seasons after a new GM is hired (so the Sounders bringing in Lagerwey essentially reset the clock). At least 40 percent of Alliance Members must cast a vote in order to make the result valid, and only a supermajority of 67 percent can effectively "fire" the GM. This is a change from the 2012 vote, which had a 10,000-vote threshold for validity, and required only a simple majority for a binding decision. Alliance members' votes will continue to be weighted based on the number of season ticket seats on their account, one vote per seat, just as before. The rules also define "General Manager" to mean the individual "identified and recognized by Major League Soccer, LLC as the senior most soccer decision maker, whom is designated to represent the Club at all league wide competition related committees and meetings." This prevents the club from messing with the titles or roles of employees such that the GM is not really the one in charge." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

1 other comments...

I wondered how they were going to handle this. It seemed a bit unfair that the current system would stand, if the clock just simply reset every time a new GM was hired. You hope that the GM is in for the long-term, but if you had a quick succession of people, that might be just as bad as one person under-performing, and the fans wouldn't get a say. This way, there's a bit more of an outlet for that, and the 2-year mark feels fair. - Jennifer D. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
I guess the one huge benefit of having Bruce Arena do halftime analysis is that nobody is going to interrupt him. (And, really, that was a fairly decent coach's perspective on the half.) Wynalda looked like he was trying to eat a lemon backwards not saying anything.

9 years ago - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Steven Gerrard returns to Liverpool: LA Galaxy life not been bed of roses for former Anfield captain | Premier League | Sport | The Independent (http://www.independent.co... ) [http://static.independent... ]

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"Gerrard later admitted in a revealing interview with Galaxy’s official website that he had underestimated the challenges posed by MLS. “It could be my last season as a footballer. I certainly don’t want to feel like I’m feeling right now come next year,” he said. “Going on the road, playing on [artificial] turf, playing at altitude, playing in humidity, those are the hurdles that I’ve had to face over the last three months that I wasn’t aware of,” he continued. “Every away game has a different challenge.”" - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

Half a season and likely done. The thing is, with LA's performance in the latter half, I feel like they're the ones who got the bad end of that bargain. - Jennifer D. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Jason Kreis leaves post as New York City FC Head Coach | New York City FC (http://www.nycfc.com/post... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"New York City Football Club can confirm that they have parted company with Head Coach Jason Kreis. The announcement comes following a review conducted at the end of a disappointing campaign. The decision has also been made for Miles Joseph and CJ Brown to leave the Club. Prior to the start of the season, it was agreed with the coaching team that the securing of a playoff place was an appropriate target for this year. A win rate of less than one in three games and a points tally which was the second lowest in the league is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed. While the challenges of building and integrating a new team are recognized, it was felt by the Board, following a comprehensive review, that there was not enough evidence of the dynamics required to improve the performance of the team for the next season and beyond." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

2 other comments...

Exactly. Chicago and Seattle are the only two that I can think of, and most expansion teams have a really funky first season (even when their best talent is there at the beginning of the year.) And really, Seattle scraped in that first year. - Jennifer D. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
So, this has been a hell of a week, right?

9 years ago from iPhone - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] - [ 1 ]

I'm still all wired up after tonight's playoff match, but the other matches were equally exciting and crazy. - Jennifer D. - -

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John B. to John B.'s feed, US and Canadian Soccer
Union Get it Right With Hiring of Sporting Director Earnie Stewart « CBS Philly (http://philadelphia.cbslo... ) https://cbsphilly.files.w...

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"Earnie Stewart is the Philadelphia Union’s very first “Sporting Director”. It took the team 11 months to make the hire, but they got it right in the end. This is a former United States international midfielder who played in World Cups, won cups, and guided a European club to sustained success over the course of a half-decade. Stewart will be tasked with overseeing all soccer operations, from first team player decisions to academy direction, youth development, and everything in between. The Union have never had a dedicated, “general manager” type of executive but identified the need for the addition last November at a press conference called by chairman and majority owner Jay Sugarman." - John B. from Bookmarklet - -

2 other comments...

Yeah, especially since it sounds like AZ Alkmaar had a similar financial situation to the Union. - John B. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
I love that the FOX sports folks are complaining about the football lines on the turf in the Sounders match. The one that was rescheduled by FOX to be one, rather than two, days before an NFL game. Yeah, it's insulting, but they're literally part of the problem, and until their own network (and others) start taking that stuff into consideration, it'll keep happening. There are fewer places where it's likely now, but some of those are not going to change any time in the near future.

9 years ago - Comment - Hide - - [ 2 ] -

If anything, we're gaining some, with places like Atlanta. They're going to have the exact same problem, and same pressure to just roll with whatever the TV contract demands. - Jennifer D. - [ 1 ] -

1 other comments...

At least for CLink, it is a combination - the field takes at least 12 hours to complete the drying process (when it isn't pouring) so it needed to be finished painting by Sunday afternoon to be done for Monday night's activities. If the paint is wet, it is a problem for traction. Now, the Seahawks could go with the slimline sidelines which aren't as jarring, take less time to dry, and would look a lot better during the soccer match, but they give no fucks about that. - Jennifer D. - -

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John B. to John B.'s feed, US and Canadian Soccer
Union part ways with front office executive Nick Sakiewicz (http://www.philly.com/phi... ) http://media.philly.com/i...

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

Nick Sakiewicz was the public face of the Union since well before the team's first Major League Soccer season in 2010. Eventually, he and chairman/owner Jay Sugarman had different visions on the direction of the team. That cost Sakiewicz his job as chief executive officer and operating partner on Thursday. Sugarman, who works in New York and had limited contact over the years with the media was expansive during a Friday conference call in explaining Sakiewicz's ouster. Sakiewicz, a former professional goalkeeper, was often criticized for meddling too much in player acquisition. And as the Union has just three games left in a disappointing 9-15-7 season, Sugarman felt a change was desperately needed. "It was clear we necessarily weren't on the same page," Sugarman said on Friday in a conference call. - John B. from Bookmarklet - -

4 other comments...

And hopefully someone with a better overall vision for improving the team. - John B. - [ 1 ] -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
I can honestly say I haven't seen a game quite as crazy as the Sounders/CD Olimpia match tonight. Certainly not one with as many people diving so they could be stretchered off, or people literally kicking a player after a successful penalty conversion. Special shout out to the player for Olimpia who faked an injury to be stretchered off as a sub at the end of the match to waste time, and while he was mocking the crowd, had the Sounders score the tying goal.

9 years ago - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

CONCACAF matches are nutballs, but this was even beyond. I've seen sketchy play, but not on that level. - Jennifer D. - -

I will admit, though, barring massive rivalry matches, that was one of the most satisfying wins to see. The people who left with five minutes to go? Fools. - Jennifer D. - [ 2 ] -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Union to launch their own USL team in Bethlehem (http://www.philly.com/phi... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 2 ] -

"The Union are set to take a major step in growing their player development structure by launching their own team in the lower-division United Soccer League. Next Wednesday, Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz will join Lehigh University president John Simon and USL CEO Alec Papadakis to make the official announcement at Lehigh’s Goodman Stadium, which is where the team is expected to play. Sakiewicz and his Union colleagues have wanted for a while to launch a USL team that the MLS club owns and operates. In recent years, they have partnered with the Harrisburg City Islanders. That relationship has been fruitful, but limited compared to what MLS clubs have done with USL teams that they own and operate." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

5 other comments...

It sounds like they have rights to the Bethlehem Steel name if they want to use it: https://twitter.com/thego... - John B. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
I loved seeing all of the traveling fans for Orlando at the game today. It is such a long trip for most of them, and I know that even with the result, it was still probably worth it -- because I know that if most of the fans I know traveled to see their teams, it would be worth it for them. Our various cities are SO far apart in the MLS, but people still manage to bring their love and enthusiasm across all of the miles.

9 years ago - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Man, watching the silly season (transfer window) rumors is just hilarious sometimes. I mean "there's an obscure Wikipedia entry so it MUST BE THE TRUTH THAT IS OUT THERE" has to be the best rumor mill generator so far this year.

9 years ago - Comment - Hide - - [ 2 ] -

....and even better? The bizarre wikipedia-was-edited-so-it-must-be-true rumor was actually true and we just signed the guy. - Jennifer D. - [ 1 ] -

John B. to John B.'s feed, US and Canadian Soccer
MLS: Tranquillo Barnetta set to join Philadelphia Union - Planet Futbol - SI.com (http://www.si.com/planet-... ) http://cdn-jpg.si.com/sit...

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"Swiss international Tranquillo Barnetta has decided to join the Philadelphia Union on a free transfer, a source with knowledge of the situation tells SI.com. Barnetta, a 30-year old midfielder with speed and creativity who can play wide or centrally, played in 22 German Bundesliga games last season for Schalke. He visited Philadelphia last week and trained with the Union to get a sense of the team and the city before making his decision. Barnetta is the latest MLS signing using the new targeted allocation money mechanism, which allows teams more freedom in paying down a player’s salary so that he doesn’t count as a Designated Player on the salary budget." - John B. from Bookmarklet - -

1 other comments...

He seems like a much better prospect, just looking at his last season's performance. - Jennifer D. - [ 1 ] -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Major Link Soccer - Sounder At Heart (http://www.sounderatheart... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"It's not always easy to be a Philadelphia Union fan. Some would even say that the Union front office doesn't deserve to have a team with such diehard supporters. Either way, Philly are not standing pat, having just traded Sheanon Williams to the Houston Dynamo for allocation money, freeing up cap and roster space for a potential move? I'm sure it will be something very wise and effective." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

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It's also why they talk about building through youth while they're shipping their young players off to other teams. :-P At least the players seem to respond well to Curtin so maybe if they give him (and the current front office) a bit more time, the team will improve a bit. - John B. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Reign expand seating for Thorns match, expecting record crowd - Sounder At Heart https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/... (webp)/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46815976/20150606_SR_SKYBLUE-46.0.0.jpg (http://www.sounderatheart... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

The Women's World Cup bump has hit Seattle in a significant way. The Seattle Reign will be selling tickets in Memorial Stadium's south stand for Sunday's game against the Portland Thorns, the club announced on Thursday. The match was already anticipated to set a club record and the expanded seating will push capacity to about 6,500. - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

2 other comments...

I wish! I wasn't sure if my mom and dad would be back on time, so I forgot to look at tickets. - Jennifer D. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
Thorns FC announce first sellout in team history for Wednesday's match against Seattle Reign FC | Portland Timbers (http://www.timbers.com/po... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

Portland Thorns FC announced today that the team’s home match against Seattle Reign FC on Wednesday, July 22, at Providence Park is sold out. With a crowd of 21,144, the club will break its own National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) attendance record of 19,123 fans set on Aug. 3, 2014, against the Houston Dash. Thorns FC have led the league in attendance in each of their first three NWSL seasons, drawing crowds of better than 16,000 four times since 2013. In addition, a sold-out crowd Wednesday will rank as the second-largest, stand-alone crowd in the history of women’s professional soccer in the United States. It ranks second only behind the inaugural match of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) between the Bay Area CyberRays and Washington Freedom on April 14, 2001, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
MLS fines and suspends Whitecaps' Techera http://www.vancouversun.c... (http://www.vancouversun.c... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - -

The MLS disciplinary committee handed down fines and a suspension to members of the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday. The disciplinary committee suspended Whitecaps midfielder Cristian Techera and fined him an undisclosed amount for violent conduct that endangered the safety of an opponent in the 93rd minute of Vancouver's match against the Portland Timbers on July 18. Techera's hard tackle on Portland's Diego Chara led to a post-game scuffle between the two teams. - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

They also fined a Montreal coach for abusive language, and Thomas for simulation... but nothing for either one of the egregious fouls committed by Colorado. (I'd wonder if someone needs to get seriously injured before PRO stops being angry, but we've already had that happen.) - Jennifer D. - -

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Jennifer D. to US and Canadian Soccer, Jennifer D.'s feed
FIFA 16 box to feature stars of American, Canadian Women’s National Teams | Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/ga... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

Of all the features coming to this September's FIFA 16 soccer game, the most visually apparent one is a giant roster update that includes female players—in the form of ten major national women's soccer teams with accurately rendered players. This development, and the United States' stellar performance in this summer's FIFA Women's World Cup, led to a vocal movement. Suddenly, a thousands-strong petition called for something that's never before appeared on the cover of an annual EA Sports franchise: a woman as the cover star. On Monday, EA Sports responded to Ars' questions about the cover with confirmation of multiple women as FIFA 16 cover stars. In particular, the company identified the women who will co-star with FC Barcelona star player Lionel Messi on North American versions of the game. The American box for FIFA 16 will include US Women's National Team forward Alex Morgan, while the Canadian box will feature their team captain Christine Sinclair. - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

As they mention, if they hadn't been vetting possibilities well in advance of the World Cup final, there's a good chance that'd be Carli Lloyd instead. - Jennifer D. - -

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MLS announces additional investment in club rosters with introduction of Targeted Allocation Money | MLSsoccer.com http://www.mlssoccer.com/... (http://www.mlssoccer.com/... )

9 years ago from Bookmarklet - Comment - Hide - - [ 1 ] -

"Major League Soccer on Wedensday announced an additional investment of funds that will offer every team the opportunity to retain and add talent that will make an immediate impact on the field. The initiative, as outlined within the Collective Bargaining Agreement that was concluded prior to the start of the 2015 season, will provide each MLS club with $100,000 per year of what is referred to as Targeted Allocation Money for the next five years, for a total of $500,000 per team. Similar to general Allocation Money, these funds may be be used to sign new or re-sign existing players. Unlike general Allocation Money, however, Targeted Allocation Money can only be used for players earning more than the maximum salary budget charge, which in 2015 is $436,250. Teams may also use Targeted Allocation Money to convert a Designated Player to a non-Designated Player by buying down his salary budget charge to below the maximum salary budget charge. When using Targeted Allocation Money to free up a Designated Player slot, a club must simultaneously sign a new Designated Player at an investment equal to or greater than the player he is replacing." - Jennifer D. from Bookmarklet - -

3 other comments...

Yeah, the breakdown I've seen on other sites tends towards being pretty involved. From what I can see, it's meant for some very specific players - ones who are close to the top salary limit, but who aren't quite at full DP level. Not every team has those players, but the ones who do often struggle to keep them here when they can earn more overseas. The ever-mysterious (regular) Allocation money can't be used in conjunction with this, but everyone gets the same amount, and the teams aren't responsible for paying it - it comes straight from the league itself. - Jennifer D. - -

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