Analysis: 2007 MLS Player Salaries

Salaries for all 13 MLS teams were released, offering the public its first view of exactly how much DPs like Beckham, Juan Pablo Angel, and Claudio Reyna would be earning in their first years. Here are the teams, ranked by highest base payrolls:

01 Los Angeles Galaxy	$8,056,189	$9,179,949
02 Red Bull New York	$4,334,616	$4,896,657
03 Chicago Fire	$4,185,826	$4,464,613
04 Kansas City Wizards	$2,429,925	$2,625,550
05 Colorado Rapids	$2,322,114	$2,431,764
06 Houston Dynamo	$2,215,849	$2,292,049
07 Real Salt Lake	$2,173,437	$2,607,531
08 Toronto FC	$2,130,520	$2,453,708
09 D.C. United	$2,003,278	$2,163,103
10 New England Revolution	$1,992,948	$2,087,948
11 FC Dallas	$1,992,804	$2,285,629
12 Columbus Crew	$1,807,199	$2,044,249
13 Chivas USA	$1,750,375	$1,885,875

And based on MLS Standings as of 05/05/07, here’s how well (or how poor) teams are doing in relation to their team salaries:

1. Kansas City Wizards (+3 Spots)
2. Red Bull New York (Equal)
3. Chicago Fire (Equal)
4. New England Revolution (+6)
5. Colorado Rapids (Equal)
6. FC Dallas (+5)
7. Chivas USA (+6)
8. Columbus Crew (+4)
9. Los Angeles Galaxy (-8)
10. Houston Dynamo (-4)
11. Real Salt Lake (-4)
12. D.C. United (-3)
13. Toronto FC (-5)

It’s a bit unfair for the Galaxy as the majority of their salary is attached to a player who has yet to make an appearance on the field for them yet, but for the most part, it seems MLS teams are getting exactly what they put in. New York, Chicago, and Colorado are all performing as expected given their salaries and a number of teams are showing the positive aspects of frugality. In my opinion, the two teams most mismanaged have to be Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC. Some of their players are grossly overpaid and (Specifically in Toronto’s case), lack a solid core of star players to achieve any success this season. Naturally, I have to include my list of Overpaid players:

Top 5 Overpaid Players in MLS:

5. Nate Jaqua (Los Angeles Galaxy - $112,500)
Has yet to score a goal this season and has easily been one of the worst players for the Galaxy. Lacks any semblance of confidence in his game and although he has a strong body frame to work with, simply fails to win headers and dominate play in the box.

4. Facundo Erpen (D.C. United - $115,000)
Makes mind-boggling mistakes on defense and single-handedly costs United crucial goals. Although the entire backline has been particularly porous this year, Erpen has led the charge throughout his MLS career as a perennial liability. It’s terrible to see productive players like his teammate Bobby Boswell make nearly four times less in salary than Erpen.

3. Andy Welsh (Toronto FC -$195,000)
Brought in from England to help solidify Toronto’s midfield, he’s been completely lackluster and it’s been difficult to even spot him on the field during most games. Fortunately enough, most of his teammates are overpaid AND playing just as poorly, so his own difficulties aren’t as magnified.

2. Shaka Hislop (FC Dallas - $220,800)
So what if he played in the World Cup and has over 50 shutouts in the English Premier League. At 38 years of age, the man simply can’t get it done anymore and his poor play at net have cost Dallas some critical points to start off the year. And he’s not even their starter! To pay a backup goalie in MLS over $200,000, you seriously need to be smoking something fierce. Unfortunately, Dallas’ play has been anything but fierce.

1. Carl Robinson (Toronto FC - $315,000)
I feel like Toronto is constantly bashed in this blog, and I don’t purposely mean to, but it’s difficult not to criticize just how bad this team has become. I know they’re only an expansion squad, but they have seriously overrated the majority of their players. But it should really come as no surprise that Robinson is playing poorly. He struggled just to crack the starting lineup at the bottom of the English Championship level, so of course he’s going to struggle in MLS. And at $315,000, his performance is simply criminal.