Major League Soccer Salaries 2009, The Top 50
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David Beckham's arrival in the United States two years ago ushered in a new era of credibility for Major League Soccer. Although salaries are relatively low compared to the major sports leagues in the United States and European Football (soccer), the growth of the league is beginning to attract better players and the hope for an expanded salary cap. Here is a list of the top 50 salaries as of March 2, 2009. As players get signed during the year the list will be updated to reflect any salary that is equal to or greater than the 50th player on the list. All facts and figures reflect total compensation as reported by the MLS Players Union.
The Top Ten - Beckham Tops The List
1. David Beckham (England), LA Galaxy, $6,500,000.00
David Beckham's tenure in MLS may be over after the end of this year. A transfer deal with Milan has opened the door for Beckham to miss half of the upcoming season. His value to the league has greatly diminished and due to a limited future on the field this season (scheduled to play only half the games), it is doubtful in soccer playing terms, that he is remotely worth the money his salary dictates.
2. Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Mexico), Chicago Fire, $2,943,702.00
Blanco brings a large following to the league and more specifically to the Chicago Fire. Although capable of disappearing for large portions of a match, he still has the ability to turn a game with a moment of brilliance. At those moments he is worth every bit of his contract, but it remains to be seen whether those moments will happen as the season winds down and moves into post season.
3. Juan Pablo Angel (Colombia), New York Red Bulls, $1,798,000.00
Angel has been the most productive Designated Player Signing in the league's history. In soccer, where goal scorers are worth their weight in gold, Angel has been the standard in the MLS. The only drawback to Angel is the potential for injury. Till the Red Bulls move into their new stadium, the turf of Giant stadium will pose a threat to their most valued asset.
4. Fredrick Ljungberg (Sweden), Seattle Sounders FC, $1,314,000.00
Ljungberg has not played one game in the MLS and is already injured. An injury to his hip will cost the Seattle's marquee signing the first month of the season. An player in his thirties with hip problems could prove to be a unfortunate combination for the newly minted Sounders. My prediction, Ljunberg will be a bust. (Update: Other than the occasional migraine headache, Ljungberg has been much more durable than I thought before the season began. He has clearly been a star for the Sounders and well worth the investment they made in him)
5. Landon Donovan (United States), LA Galaxy, $900,000.00
Landon Donvan, better known as Landy Cakes to the American soccer aficionados, is the most talented American player playing in the MLS. The question for Galaxy and MLS fans is, how long will he stick around? After a failed attempt to land a spot at Bayern Munich, it's conceivable that Landy Cakes will be off to England mid season or during the January transfer window in 2010.
6. Guillermo Barros Schelleto, (Argentina) Columbus Crew, $775,000.00
Schelleto, one of the most loved players at Boca Juniors, left Argentina and immediately made an impact in Columbus. His play making ability and deft touches set him apart in a league that is more known for athletic ability than skill. When it's all said and done and the history books are being written, the impact of Schelleto, not Beckham, will be remembered as the signing that began the transformation of the MLS into a respectable league.
7. Luciano Emilio (Brazil), DC United, $758,857.14
Emilio, like Angel, is a productive goal scorer. At times, his body breaks down, but very few can finish in tight spaces like Emilio.
8. Shalarie Joseph (Grenada), New England Revolution, $450,000.00
Joseph is the best defensive midfielder in the league. He covers space, tackles and makes everyone around him better. He is an elite player who would look the part in any league in the world. He is worth every last bit of his salary and quite frankly is underpaid.
9. Christian Gomez (Argentina), DC United, $430,000.00
Christian Gomez, a temperamental midfielder, is a classic example of player who plays when he wants to play. At his best, he can dominate the midfield and provide the creative flair necessary for any team desiring an attacking sensibility. Unfortunately, if he is unhappy or unmotivated, he can be a complete cancer.
10. Taylor Twellman (United States), New England Revolution, $420,000.00
Taylor is a workman like forward who consistently scores goals. At the international level he has never been productive, but in the MLS he has been tremendous success. He is one of the few Americans who regularly finds the net.
Over Paid MLS Players
#1 David Beckham - He may be worth his salary in respect to merchandising, but the Beckham effect is over when it comes to ticket sales. His theatrics and negative comments towards the league did not sell well with LA Galaxy fans or MLS fans.
#4 Fredrick Ljungberg - It may be unfair to label a player who has not played a minute in the MLS as over paid, but in this case Seattle got hoodwinked. I do not believe Ljungberg will ever return to optimum health and perform at level that justifies his status as Designated Player. (Update: Other than the occasional migraine headache, Ljungberg has been much more durable than I thought before the season began. He has clearly been a star for the Sounders and well worth the investment they made in him)
#9 Christian Gomez - If he plays like the MVP he once was, then he is worth his salary. It won't happen. His best days are behind him.
#20 Jeff Cunningham - Ask Toronto FC fans whether this guy is worth more than a bag of soccer balls. Hasn't scored a big goal in eons......(Update: Cunningham has proven me to be a complete idiot. To his credit he has resurrected his career and has opened a door for a possible return to the National team)
#22 Justin Mapp - The once heralded future stalwart for the US Men's National team is rarely consistent for his team, the Chicago Fire. He disappears for long stretches of games and for that matter the season. He's a decent MLS player as far as talent goes, but doesn't deserve his status at #22 on the pay scale.
#31 Nate Jaqua - The only thing Jaqua is consistent at is missing the net. Over hyped and not worth the salary. (Update: Having a strong season with Sounders, but still misses to many open chances)
#32 Juan Pietravallo - A great player when it comes to taking stupid fouls.
#34 Chad Barret - A decent striker, but there are many players making less who are better.
Under Paid MLS Players
#5 Landon Donovan (aka Landy Cakes) - People may disagree, but there is no player in the MLS who can turn a game like Donovan. He is every bit as valuable as Beckham, Blanco and Angel. He deserves a pay raise.
#6 Guillermo Barros Schelleto - Received a pay raise from last year, but this guy is the reason Columbus won last year. If you have ever watched a Columbus game it is fairly obvious that almost every dangerous attacking play and set piece comes off his foot. He is a master technician and a true creative force in the league, the type of player true soccer fans pay to see.
#12 Darren Huckerby - How is this guy not a Designated Player? The minute he set his feet down in San Jose the Earthquakes suddenly looked dangerous. This guy, though high on the pay scale should be in the top 10 if not the top 5 (Update: Sadly, Huckerby was forced into retirement due to injury. Therefore, I can not, in good conscious rate him as undervalued.)
#33 Sacha Kljestan - NUMBER #33.... are you kidding me. Kljestan is one of the best players in the league, a viable MVP choice for his team. He is young, entertaining and creative. He is by far the most underpaid player on the top 50 list. (Update: Kljestan is starting to rebound from a terrible start to the season, but in truth, he has not played like the MVP caliber player he was last year.)
#37 Javier Morales - I made a mistake. Kljestan isn't the most underpaid player on the list, Morales is. Watching the stretch run of RSL's improbable late season charge, how could one not believe that this player was one of the best players in the league. He should be in the top 10. (Update: Decent but not dominant this year. According to recent form, I can not rate him as undervalued.)
The Best of the Rest - McBride, Vitti and Lopez
11. Brian McBride (United States), Chicago Fire, $385,333.33
12. Darren Huckerby (England), San Jose EarthQuakes, $385,000.00
13. Dwayne DeRosario (Canada), Toronto FC, $357,000.00
14. Amado Guevara (Honduras), Toronto FC, $323,750.00
15. Chad Marshall (United States), Columbus Crew, $320,000.00
16. Carl Robinson (Wales), Toronto FC, $315,000.00
17. Pablo Vitti (Argentina), Toronto FC, $303,000.00
18. Pablo Mastroeni (United States), Colorado Rapids, $300,500.00
19. Kasey Keller (United States), Seattle Sounders FC, $300,000.00
20. Jeffrey Cunnigham (United States), FC Dallas, $267,500.00
21. Fred Carreiro (Brazil), DC United, $257,000.00
22. Justin Mapp (United States), Chicago Fire, $255,000.00
23. Jamie Moreno (Bolivia), DC United, $250,000.00
24. Ricardo Clark (United States), Houston Dynamo, $248,050.00
25. Bobby Convey (United States), San Jose EarthQuakes, $244,500.00
26. Brian Ching (United States), Houston Dynamo, $242,500.00
27. Davy Arnaud (United States), Kansas City Wizards, $228,750.00
28. Dave Van Den Berg (Holland), FC Dallas , $227,000.00
29. Jimmy Conrad (United States), Kansas City Wizards, $225,000.00
29. Ben Olsen (United States), DC United, $225,000.00
31. Nate Jaqua (United States), Seattle Sounders FC, $208,121.00
32. Juan Pietravallo (Argentina), NY Red Bulls, $205,000.00
33. Sacha Kljestan (United States) Chivas USA, $203,000.00
34. Chad Barret (United States), Toronto FC, $202,500.00
35. Ramiro Corrales (United States), San Jose EarthQuakes, $202,500.00
36. Josh Wolff (United States), Kansas City Wizards, $200,004.00
37. Connor Casey (United States), Colorado Rapids, $200,000.00
37. Javier Morales (Argentina), Real Salt Lake, $200,000.00
39. Nick Garcia (United States), San Jose EarthQuakes, $198,750.00
40. Jim Brennan (Canada), Toronto FC, $193,250.00
41. Terry Cooke (England), Colorado Rapids, $192,500.00
42. Joe Cannon (United States), San Jose EarthQuakes, $190,756.25.00
43. Willman Conde (Colombia), Chicago Fire, $188,000.00
44. Arturo Alvarez (United States), San Jose Earth Quakes, $184,087.50.00
45. Pat Onstead (Canada), Houston Dynamo, $181,650.00
46. Brian Mullan (United States), Houston Dynamo, $180,312.50
47. Claudio Lopez (Argentina), Kansas City Wizards, $180,000.00
48. Edson Buddle (United States), LA Galaxy, $179,950.00
49. Chris Albright (United States), New England Revolution, $176,000.00
50. Pat Noonan (United States), Columbus Crew, $175,008.00
Number of Players on Top 50 List, Team by Team Breakdown
For the sake of interest, let's look at how many Top 50 players are on each team. Is there any correlation between salary and team performance? You be the judge.
San Jose EarthQuakes - 6
Toronto FC - 6
DC United - 5
Chicago Fire - 4
Houston Dynamo - 4
Kansas City Wizards - 4
Colorado Rapids -3
Columbus Crew - 3
New England Revolution - 3
Seattle Sounders FC - 3
LA Galaxy - 3
FC Dallas - 2
NY Red Bulls - 2
Chivas USA - 1
Real Salt Lake - 1
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Comments
Hey, thanks for this list. It's similar to the MLS Rich List we did last year but you go all the way up to 50 and will do again this year. We will link ours to yours.
One thing though. Emilio was injured less than Angel was last year. Also he had only one less goal than Angel and all of Emilios came from the run of play. He does not take penalties. Angel took 6 penalties.
MLS rumors,
I agree that Emilio was injured less than Angel and that Angel took more penalties, but I still think that Angel has been the best DP signing. That is not to slight Emilio, because I do think he is a fantastic player. One complaint I have with Emilio is that he seemed quite disinterested last year till his contract was rearranged and he was given DP status. Angel is more consistent game in a game out as far as work rate. I also believe that Emilio was surrounded by more talent in his first year than Angel. Overall, though, they are both class players that have been good for the MLS.
Thanks for the feedback and the link.
Sschilke
Does it seem strange that RSL's Javi Morales resigned a contract and took a pay cut? The last numbers from the Union at the end of last year showed Javi making 240,000 and this year making only 200,000. I wonder if his deal is loaded with incentives or that RSL wisely loaded the backend of the deal with more pay later knowing they could use their DP slot?
f4denz,
In principle you are probably right. I doubt Morales is making less money than the year before. It may be hidden in the back years of the contract or it may be coming from other sources. According to the Union the total yearly compensation is determined by the contract with the MLS. Other forms of compensation do not seem to be included.
"The average annual guaranteed compensation number also includes any annual marketing bonus to be received in the current year and any agent's fees annualized over the term of the contract. The average annual guaranteed compensation figure does not include performance bonuses because there is no guarantee that the player will hit those bonuses.
These figures include compensation from each player's contract with MLS. They do not include any compensation from any contracts with individual teams or their affiliates." From http://www.mlsplayers.org/salary_info.html
If I was to guess, I would think that Morales and Lopez from the Wizards are receiving some sort of compensation from other sources. I believe that Schelleto had the same sort of deal with Columbus for the last two years when he wasn't a DP.
It would be very interesting to see what Morales is actually paid because, at his current salary I believe he is underpaid. I believe that he is a serious pre season candidate to win the MVP in 2009.
Thanks for your comment,
sschilke
I had no idea the top guys earned that much...
Sschilke, some perverted rapscallion has posted a questionable image of you! Kids these days, hu?
These guys work all there lives to make it to the pros.Then they get smacked in the face with these really lowball salaries.I believe the average pay in triple A minor league baseball is nearly $900,000.
I agree that Darren Huckerby is a very class player having seen him in action in England. As you quite rightly mention these wages aren't high by English standards, there are many players outside the Premiership who would make it into the top 50.
Bristol Boy,
Huckerby had a superb year last year, but this year has been sidelined due to injury. Without him, San Jose has crumbled and are already out of contention. Salaries in the MLS are way behind Europe, but at this point, for the sake of the health of the league, it needs to be that way. Hopefully, in about 5-10 years the MLS will be competitive (salary wise) with the Championship and maybe the lower third of the Prem.
Thanks for dropping by,
sschilke
For the record, Kljestan shouldn't be in the top 50. He also shouldn't be getting national team appearances. Sacha is terrible. Put Convey back on the roster.
NJDevils1087,
For the record, Kljestan is still one of the top 50 players in the MLS. He is having a subpar year (copared to his brilliant year last season),but for you to say he is not one of the top players in the MLS is inaccurate. I do agree, he should no longer be on the national team, for now, but to say Convey should be back on the roster (I assume you are talking about the National team) is crazy. Convey is nowhere near what he was in his second year with Reading. Since his injury and and knee surgery (micro fracture) he is not the same player. I too am not happy with Kleijstan this year (national team), but he is still one of the top players in the MLS.
Thanks for your reply,
sschilke
It would seem that Convey is being run out at left back for San Jose. If this is the case, all the more reason to put him in the national side. Anyone we have played at left back (Beasley/Bocanegra) is no better. I would like to see what he can do there during the Gold Cup.
NJ Devils 1087,
I have watched quite a few of San Jose's games this year and do not believe that Convey has been any better than average, regardless of position. I am not anti Convey. In fact I was one of his biggest supporters when he was at Reading, but I believe his injury suffered in 2006 has really effected him dramatically. Microfracture is a very difficult surgery to come back from. I would love to see him back with the National team, but I believe that you need to be a dominant MLS player to warrant a call up. At this time, though not a disaster with San Jose, he has not made a big enough impact to consider a Gold Cup call up. I agree that Beasley needs a break from the National team, but I couldn't disagree more about Bocanegra. He performance, though not world class was miles ahead of where Convey is at the moment. Bocanegra is quality player playing regularly in a very good league. The real question at the moment is whether Chernundalo (who is comming off injury) will regain his Bundesliga form that made him a pernenial starter for his club. If he can, I believe he will be the right back and Sector will move over to the left. It all remains to be seen, but I do not believe Convey's form at the moment warrants a national team run.
Thanks for the reply,
sschilke
As a Norwich City fan, Darren Huckerby is my all time football (soccer) hero. Although I suspect that his salary has something to do with the injury problems he had even before signing for San Jose. Its sad to see him out injured again, but Im sure Frank Yallop and San Jose were mindful of this when offering him his contract. A truly great player with a legion of fans over here in Norwich!
ryankett,
Huckerby is a class player and I agree that Brennan and Robinson (although I rate Robinson as better than Brennan) are not even close. It's a shame that Huckerby has been injured for most of the year. If he had been healthy I believe that San Jose would not be at the bottom of the table. Overall he is a great addition to the league and helps raise the general level of play.
Thanks for you reply,
sschilke
We would have Huckerby back in a shot at Norwich, we had an awful manager for a bit that got rid of him, he is hero worshipped by the fans. As an Englishman, I can also categorically state that Beckhams move to the MLS is an embarressment. He has under performed, is probably just too old now, and went for the money. I dont know if you saw Landon Donovan's quotes recently about Beckham, but I agree with him completely. It doesn't matter how many shirts your name can sell (and admittedly he probably pays for himself), soccer is a team sport and by playing for Milan he is not showing committment to his team.
I have done a soccer hub that you may or may not enjoy, http://hubpages.com/hub/Funniest-Soccer-Quotes
Might give you a laugh!
ryankett,
Beckham was good for the league in the sense that he, at the very least, brought some media exposure. Unfortunately his commitment to his side has been lamentable. The whole AC Milan saga was an emabarassment to everyone involved. His contributions on the field have been mixed at best. The book on Beckham and the MLS illuminates a lot about Beckham's unabashed commitment to himself. It will be interesting to see what happens when he plays out the last half of this season in a league that he has bashed continually in the press. I for one won't shed a tear when he packs his bag and flies across the pond. You guys can have him.
I will read your hub.
sschilke
I have always wondered how much MLS players earned.
I knew Beckham made millions, but I didn't know there were other players making millions.
Great hub man!
I've just realised another player on your list who is surely underpaid?
Claudio Lopez! Dont know how he is getting on over there, but he was a top drawer player in his day, and played for a couple of massive teams in Spain. He must really have wanted a move to the MLS, because im sure he could have got five or ten times that somewhere else if he wanted the cash.
How is he getting on? (p.s Im slightly addicted to this hub at the mo!). I have also done another footy related hub, would be good if you could give it a read when you get a minute: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-best-5-footballers-of-
You have any more plans to do soccer hubs mate?
Dan_O,
Yes, there are some millionaires in the MLS, but not many. The league has a long way to go before it is able to compensate players at the same rate as some of the top tier leagues in the world.
Ryankett,
Claudio Lopez is a good player in the league and still has a lot of class on the ball, but he has clearly lost a step or two since his prime. All in all he is great for the league because he plays with passion and it is obvious he likes being in the states. It's players like Claudio who are instrumental in raising the level of play in the league. His is a first rate pro who is able to pass along his guile and experience to younger American players. He is not as flashy as Blanco, but he has a much higher work rate and is very effective for his team (Kansas City Wizards). Although Kansas City is not my favorite sides to watch, I still enjoy watching Claudio and his quality.
As far as future hubs... yes I am working on a monster of hub that I hope to have completed within the next two weeks. I have compiled a list (plus info and analysis) of the top 100 American players currently playing. I hope it is informative to those outside America who are unfamiliar with American players.
That hub sounds excellent sschilke, make sure you let me know when its finished! I will stop hijacking your hub now to let you get on with some writing. I've decided to have a go at doing the best ever players like you suggested, but I'm going to make it Top 50 or Top 100. I will let you know if it goes to plan!
Take care,
Ryan.
Great article!! Informative and concise!! The only way the MLS is going to gain on the rest of the world, especially Europe is to scrap the salary cap.... It is handicaping the league on the world stage and hindering the development of the game in the US......
$6.5m seems huge for Beckham but the exposure and publicity he's given the league and LA Galaxy is immense and he's probably worth every $ of it!
I don't think Beckham has done anything for the league. If he has done anything, it was back stabbing La Galaxy for a possible chance to move to AC Milan - the official retirement club.
FC Barcelona News,
I don't particularly like that Beckham plays for AC Milan or has trashed the league in previous comments, but whether you like it or not, he has given visibility to the league that it would have never recieved on its own merrits. In the end, I believe the league is in a better position with Beckham than without.
Thanks for your comment.
Triplet Mom says:
9 months ago
Hey I would take number 50's salary anyday!! Those are some high salaries!! Thanks for sharing.