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THE DESIGNATED PLAYER RULE WAS CREATED TO ALLOW DAVID BECKHAM TO MOVE TO MLS
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ABOVE: David Bekham during an LA Galaxy press conference
LEFT: David Bekham in action for LA Galaxy
BOTTOM: Lorenzo Insigne will join Toronto FC in July rich soccer history as Rochester NY FC. We are excited to develop the future international stars of soccer, right here in our local community. By joining this league, Rochester is on the cusp of the future and the evolving global game of soccer.” David and Wendy Dworkin co-own the team with Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, who also expressed his excitement of the move in a press release. “We look forward to showcasing Rochester as a premier professional club and are excited to kick o that process by helping to launch the inaugural season of MLS NEXT Pro in 2022,” said Vardy. “Joining this league, full of opportunity for communities, fans, players and sta – on the pitch and o – is a tremendous point of pride for our club.” The league has already announced that eight more MLS-a liated clubs will join in 2023, with the likes of Atlanta United, Austin FC, Charlotte FC, D.C. United, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and Nashville all sitting out for the debut campaign. MLS NEXT Pro also suggested there will be even more independent organizations added to the league as well in 2023 and beyond. MLS NEXT Pro appointed two executives who will lead the league in its first season. Charles Altchek has been named President, with former Toronto FC general manager Ali Curtis named as Senior Vice President of Competition and Operations of MLS NEXT Pro. “Charles and Ali have the experience, enthusiasm and values to lead the growth and development of MLS NEXT Pro,” Garber declared when the appointments were announced. “They will partner with MLS-
a liated and independent teams to bring professional soccer to more communities throughout North America.” Altchek being named President comes as no surprise, considering he was Senior Vice President of League Growth and Operations at MLS. He was largely responsible for leading the planning and development of MLS NEXT Pro since its inception and is the perfect man to oversee it during the first season. “MLS NEXT Pro completes Major League Soccer’s pro player pathway, connecting our youth academies through to our first teams,” Altchek stated in a press release. “As we continue to push the future of soccer forward in the United States and Canada, player development, community, innovation and diversity form the pillars of MLS NEXT Pro. The inaugural season in 2022 will be another historic moment for the sport.” While Curtis doesn’t have the direct experience developing MLS NEXT Pro like Altchek, he did work in MLS o ces for eight years before his roles with the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. “I’m excited for the opportunity to join Charles in building and launching MLS NEXT Pro,” said Curtis. “MLS NEXT Pro will enhance the quality of all players, coaches, referees, and executives along the development pathway and it is an important step to the growth of the sport in North America leading up to the World Cup in 2026.” It’ll be quite a while before the impact of the new league can be fully analysed on its success in developing young players and growing the game overall in North America, but it certainly is an exciting step in the right direction.
ABOVE: Ali Curtis is Senior Vice President of Competition and Operations of MLS NEXT Pro
RIGHT: Ali Curtis joined TFC as a general manager back in 2019, but soon parted ways
BELOW: Sebastian Giovinco was told that he was not in Toronto FC’s plans
‘SEBASTIAN GIOVINCO WAS DESPERATE FOR A RETURN TO TORONTO FC’ BETTER FOR MLS?
Marco D’Onofrio looks at five major changes we’ve seen in MLS over the years.
EXPANSION INTO CANADA MLS was founded because the United States agreed to create a Division 1 professional soccer league during their bid to host the 1994 World Cup. While the first decade of the league’s existence saw it limited to just American teams, Toronto FC became the first Canadian side to enter in 2007. The Reds made a huge impact on fan culture in the league, with the atmosphere their supporters created at BMO Field. The league now has a total of three clubs that play north of the border.
MORE SOCCER-SPECIFIC STADIUMS When MLS first kicked o in 1996, most teams were playing in massive NFL stadiums that were far too large and often still had American football lines on the pitch. Optically, it was terrible to watch on television, as the pitch barely resembled anything related to soccer and the stadiums were largely empty. That all changed with teams building arenas designed for soccer. MLS currently boasts 20 soccer-specific stadiums, with more on the way.
DESIGNATED PLAYERS The Designated Player Rule is nicknamed the 'Beckham Rule’, as it was a mechanism to help bring superstar David Beckham to MLS. Since the inception of the rule, it has helped attract some of the biggest stars in the world, including Thierry Henry, Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Sebastian Giovinco and Wayne Rooney.
TARGETED ALLOCATION MONEY Much like the Designated Player Rule, Targeted Allocation Money was introduced to help bring in bigger stars and improve the quality of the league. The rule provides teams with the flexibility to buy down a player's salary so they aren't considered a Designated Player using their TAM. When initially introduced, in 2015, it allowed the Los Angeles Galaxy to cover the majority of Omar Gonzalez's salary so he was no longer considered a DP and they could sign an additional DP – Giovani dos Santos.
AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION When the league was forced to contract the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion in 2002 due to huge economic losses, MLS went from 12 teams to 10. However, it wasn’t long after that the league would undergo an aggressive expansion strategy that saw MLS go from 10 teams in 2003 to 20 teams by 2015. The league didn’t stop there, as MLS has continued to add franchises with a total of 10 teams scheduled to enter between 2017 and 2023.
