The abolition of the Major League Soccer reserve division and the supplemental draft are going to make it even harder for rookies to make a name for themselves in MLS, writes Kyle McCarthy.
True, teams will save money and resources from the reduced rosters, he says. And it may also be good for many of the players, who can head off to a Scandinavian second division side, the second-tier United Soccer Leagues, or follow a different career path without wasting a few years at an MLS team on a tiny wage. “MLS isn’t for everyone,” New England Revolution’s vice president of player personnel Mike Burns told McCarthy at a Revs’ invitation-only tryout. “There is the USL for these guys who want to continue playing. There are other avenues.”
But Revs coach Steve Nicol thinks there will now be more decent players who slip through the cracks. “It’s going to be more unfortunate for the players than for us,” Nicol said. “There’s always that player [who slips through]. [Revs striker Kheli] Dube‘s a great example. If these changes had happened last year, Dube more than likely wouldn’t be in MLS. It’s going to hurt the players more than it’s going to hurt us. That’s the way it is.”