MLS is "driving toward a different look" in '17, "phasing out the aging, aching worldwide stars for younger foreign talent to not only contribute now, but become the names and numbers fans remember when discussing a certain team," according to Christopher Kamrani of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. Last year's MLS Cup participants, the Sounders and Toronto FC, "started changing the complexion of the league by signing transcendent talents." Sounders MF Nicolas Lodeiro (Uruguay) last year "pushing the Sounders to an MLS Cup crown" while star F Clint Dempsey was sidelined. Other clubs in MLS "took notice and are hoping to strike that same well of success." Real Salt Lake signed 22-year-old MF Albert Rusnák (Slovakia), who "now has the keys to the RSL attack." Atlanta United "signed three young Designated Players" from South America in MF Miguel Almirón (Paraguay) and Fs Josef Martinez (Venezuela) and Hector Villalba (Argentina). Meanwhile, big-market clubs such as the Galaxy and NYC FC have "veered away from their former M.O." Gone from the Galaxy are veteran former EPL stars Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard and in is 27-year-old MF Romain Alessandrini (France). NYC FC "waved goodbye" to English legend Frank Lampard and replaced him with 29-year-old Maxi Moralez (Argentina) (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/28).
OUT WITH THE OLD: REUTERS' Simon Evans wrote while "no headline-grabbing signings have come into the league to replace the departing talent, MLS clubs have certainly been investing in ‘designated players’ -- whose high salaries are mostly exempt from the salary cap." A total of 13 such players have been "freshly brought into the league" for '17, and "all but one are under the age of 30 and the majority hail from Latin America" (REUTERS, 3/1). ESPN FC's Doug McIntyre wrote '17 might well be "viewed as the year the league finally shed for good its image as a retirement destination." Atlanta United President Darren Eales: "If we were to have signed a player who is perhaps at the end of their career, we would've gotten some pushback from our fans" (ESPNFC.com, 3/1). Eales added of going with a young roster in the team's inaugural season, "The idea was let's take players who are younger, who come to us in the prime of their careers and try to prove to them you can come to MLS not just at the end of your career, but at the very start" ("The Herd," FS1, 3/1).
MONEY MATTERS: In L.A., Nick Green noted in an effort to "emphasize quality over quantity, MLS increased by $400,000 per club this year the so-called targeted allocation money" first introduced in '15 that is generally "aimed at players who are starters, but not designated players." Whether the "increased player budget is keeping pace with the league’s growth remains an open question, but it can’t but help the league’s development" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 3/2).
