You might notice a distinctly international flavor to Major League Soccer when teams take the field for the start of the league's 13th season this weekend. In an attempt to help prevent the diluting of the talent pool caused by expansion, MLS has changed some of its rules and paved the way for more veteran foreign players. Some see it as a disturbing trend, but the reality is it is a necessary step for a league that is growing quickly.MLS officials spent the offseason telling us that its roster rule changes didn't actually increase the overall number of foreign players in MLS when it did away with the four-player limit on foreigners older than 24 and combined that with the slots once established for younger foreign prospects (now the number of foreign players allowed is eight per team). While the league is correct that the raw number of international players has not increased that much per team, the number of impact veteran foreigners certainly has.
With the restriction of four senior internationals now gone, several teams have shifted salary-cap space toward finding quality talent abroad. This trend could be seen as troubling, particularly when it means fewer dollars being spent on American players, but the fact remains that the pool of American talent isn't ready to handle the league's growth to 14 teams, and certainly not its increase to 16 teams by 2010.
What will this mean for MLS fans? It will mean an influx of veterans with experience in foreign leagues who will be better equipped to help their MLS teams. And while teams will still swing and miss on some foreign signings, the increase in slots for experienced foreigners means teams will have no choice but to bolster their efforts and increase the resources allocated to finding foreign talent.
D.C. United has always been on the forefront when it comes to finding international talent, which explains why the club was in position to take full advantage once the league announced its changed. The result was a loaded group of foreign newcomers including Marcello Gallardo, Gonzalo Martinez, Gonzalo Peralta and Franco Niell that is expected to make D.C. not only an MLS Cup contender, but also a CONCACAF Champions Cup contender.
D.C. may be the leader but other clubs have also jumped on the new opportunities. Real Salt Lake was able to sign Scottish striker Kenny Deuchar and is on the verge of landing Colombian defender Jamilson Olave. Both moves came without the club having to part ways with the Argentine trio of Javier Morales, Matias Mantilla and Fabian Espindola, which helped RSL enjoy a modest improvement by the end of the 2007 season.
New England hasn't wasted its opportunity either, landing Honduran midfielder Mauricio Castro and Costa Rican forward Argenis Fernandez to help offset the losses of Andy Dorman and Pat Noonan to the transfer market.
One of the reasons you haven't heard more about the influx of veteran foreign players to MLS has been the attention paid to several departures from MLS this winter. While several quality players have left the league during the offseason, far more players have joined the league. Consider these two groups:
Player departures:
Eddie Johnson, Pat Noonan, Andy Dorman, Matt Pickens, Troy Perkins, Nate Jaqua, Joseph Ngwenya, Marcos Gonzalez, Clint Mathis, Clarence Goodson.
Player arrivals:
Claudio Lopez, Marcello Gallardo, Gonzalo Martinez, Rafael Wicky, Duilio Davino, Gonzalo Peralta, Ivan Trujillo, Jose Carvallo, Mauricio Castro and Tomasz Frankowski.
The departures group makes up the majority of key MLS players that left the league this winter while the arrivals group, which is just as talented if not more talented than the departures group, consists of just half of the veteran foreign players to join the league this offseason.
This comparison also doesn't take into account the American players returning to MLS, such as Ramiro Corrales and Nat Borchers, or the foreign players who will still arrive in the remaining three weeks before the close of the MLS transfer window.
In short, the league's foreign player rules changes have not only filled the void left by a larger than usual exodus of players on the transfer market, it has actually brought in a surplus of players who should help boost the league's quality.
Skeptics may argue that this is coming at the expense of the American player. If you think the league's rules changes are spelling doom for American talent then you haven't really been paying attention. Along with the foreign player rules changes, the league has also bolstered its player development program to give teams incentives for developing their own home-grown talent.
The league's player development program is set to begin bearing fruit this season as teams from Chivas USA to the New York Red Bulls are on the verge of signing players they helped develop as youth prospects. It is that program which will provide the long-term solution to ensuring that the league will have the talent it needs to keep growing into the next decade, as well as the talent it needs in order to eventually reduce its reliance on foreign players.
Until that time, MLS has found a way to keep the talent pool stocked, which is a winning proposition for all involved, even if it required adding more foreign flavor to do so.
Game Previews
What's the best thing you can say about trying to predict games in the first week of the MLS season? You are usually better off using a dart board, roll of the dice or domesticated pet to make your picks.
With so many teams integrating scores of new players, it could take weeks before we get a real sense of which teams have made major improvements in the off-season and which teams are still spinning their wheels. With that in mind, here are the first week's match previews and predictions:
Toronto FC at Columbus Crew
More than 2,000 Toronto FC fans are expected to converge on Columbus this weekend and it will certainly be interesting to see how the largest visiting supporter's group in league history impacts a game between two of the league's worst teams last year.
Columbus will have the advantage against a Toronto team that still doesn't have a playmaker and will be missing rookie standout defender Julius James. Guillermo Barros Schelotto makes a triumphant return to Crew Stadium. Crew 2, Toronto FC 1
Chicago Fire at Real Salt Lake
One team reached the playoffs and brings back most of its key players while the other missed the playoffs and acquired almost half a roster of new players. Chicago should be favored heavily here but RSL will have the home-field advantage.
It will take Real a while to integrate so many new players while Chicago enters the match with the talent and familiarity to start the season strongly. Andy Herron starts his Fire return in style with a goal. Fire 1, Real Salt Lake 0.
Houston Dynamo at New England Revolution
This MLS Cup rematch should be a tight one but Houston enters the match having already played many more competitive matches than the Revs. New England has some new players making team debuts, which should lead to some first-game struggles. Don't expect a wide-open encounter, though both teams have the weapons to open things up. Dynamo 1, Revs 1.
D.C. United at Kansas City Wizards
Two teams that made dramatic changes to their rosters square off in a battle featuring Argentine stars Marcello Gallardo and Claudio Lopez. The battle between Kansas City's revamped attack and D.C. United's rebuilt defense will be one of the best of the weekend, but it will be Kansas City pulling the upset as Lopez makes a memorable Wizards debut. Wizards 2, D.C. United 1.
Los Angeles Galaxy at Colorado Rapids
What do you get when a team with terrible forwards faces a team with a terrible defense? You get a match that should be pretty wide open, though missed chances will likely be the main course. If David Beckham and Landon Donovan are recovered from international duty, and Carlos Ruiz is healthy, the Galaxy can take the road win. If not, Colorado's defense will do enough as Christian Gomez enjoys a good debut. Rapids 1, Galaxy 0.
Sunday
Chivas USA at FC Dallas
The Goats travel to Pizza Hut Park where they take on an FC Dallas team that spent all offseason trying to find a replacement for Carlos Ruiz, who FCD traded to Los Angeles. Without that go-to forward in place, Kenny Cooper must shoulder the burden and doing so against a strong Chivas USA defense won't be easy. Ante Razov provides the goals for the Goats, who take the road points. Chivas USA 3, FC Dallas 1.
