MLS has altered the definition of an American player to exclude a resident alien (green-card holder) or player under asylum protection who is ineligible to play for the United States.
Players who are U.S. citizens or all other players resident who are aliens or here under asylum protection count as Americans.
By law, MLS or other soccer leagues can’t prevent resident aliens from working and therefore can’t use them in quotas.
Three green-card holders ineligible to play for the United States have been “grandfathered” in: Iain Fraser, Khalil Azmi and Evans Wise.
Each team is allowed five non-Americans in 1997.