The league needs the allure of big-ticket players such as Luis Hernandez and Lothar Matthaeus, but it cannot survive without finding bargains – Mamadou Diallo, Junior Agogo – in the foreign market.
Only time will tell if the coup of 2000 turns into a calamity. So it goes in the market of foreign players.
The coup was the signing of Mexican international striker Luis Hernandez at a price believed to be a league-record $4 million. The calamity may arise if complications develop with his expected loan move to Club America of the Mexican League.
Acquiring Hernandez for Los Angeles was the sexiest move by MLS this season, although Mamadou Diallo’s robust scoring might have MLS coaches adding Senegal to their list of markets, and Chicago may yet hit the jackpot with Hristo Stoitchkov.
Lothar Matthaeus has been a public-relations nightmare. But league officials insist players like him increase the stature of the league overseas, and Commissioner Don Garber went so far as to say the publicity, whatever its tone, is beneficial to MLS.
Not so well publicized is the league’s new classification of junior and transitional internationals and the earmarking of some acquisition capital for younger players. William Sunsing (23), Junior Agogo (21) and Travis Mulraine (23) have received considerable playing time in their first MLS seasons.
“We still want to sign the international stars,” said Todd Durban, MLS’s vice president of player personnel. “But our emphasis is to get younger players and get away from the aging, mid-level international player.”
The best bang for the buck in 2000 has unquestionably been Tampa Bay’s Diallo, bought from Norwegian club Lillestrom for a reported $250,000. At the other end of the scale is Matthaeus, earning a reported $1 million per year, and Khodadad Azizi of San Jose, who a source said is earning $25,000 per month.
Colombian Alex Comas, purchased for a reported $300,000, contributed little until July, when he scored three goals in two games for the MetroStars while Clint Mathis was with the U.S. national team.
For high-priced talent such as Hernandez, MLS needs the financial relief of loan deals. If Hernandez goes on loan, the loan club will keep him until its season in over – the Mexican League spring season will end in May or June – and pay his salary.
His MLS salary has not been disclosed. He has reportedly earned more than $1 million – net – annually in Mexico the past few seasons.
The league’s past history in these matters isn’t encouraging. Similar deals were struck with Jorge Campos and Carlos Hermosillo, and neither arrangement worked smoothly.
Campos had a great first season with Los Angeles in 1996, then was traded to Chicago for the 1998 season and insisted on leaving the Fire when he lost a starting spot.
Hermosillo struggled through a long scoring drought when he first joined the Galaxy during the 1998 season. His ponderous style clashed with the speed-laden Galaxy attackers, and he didn’t return after scoring 14 goals in 34 games over two seasons.
“The arrangement has always been it will be the same arrangement as Campos and Hermosillo,” said MLS executive vice president Ivan Gazidis.
“When we took him on the transfer, the arrangement was always going to be that he was going to be loaned back to Europe or Mexico.”
Hernandez had conducted talks with European clubs, including Rayo Vallecano of Spain and Hertha Berlin of Germany, before reaching a provisional agreement with Club America.
“We haven’t signed anything yet, and we are obligated to sign a loan document,” said Gazidis. “It does seem like that’s the way things are headed.”
Three days before the MLS All-Star Game, Hernandez attended a press conference in Mexico City announcing his loan move to Club America. He is reportedly under contract to MLS until 2002.
The Mexican League season has already started, and if the Galaxy reaches MLS Cup 2000, he would miss about one-half of the Torneo Invierno. The spring season, the Torneo Verano, could keep him in Mexico until June.
“Having Luis Hernandez is good for the league,” said Gazidis. “Would we rather have him at the beginning of the season? Yes. But that was not the deal that we struck.
“Obviously, it’s not our first preference, but if it makes sense, we’ll look at it.”
by Soccer America senior editor Ridge Mahoney