BALANCING THE BOOKS
Whitecaps try to spread the wealth
A short week, with three games in nine days, is guaranteed to test the Vancouver Whitecaps’ depth.
It will be a test of their financial philosophy, as well.
The trend in Major League Soccer is to spend, spend, spend.
There has been a 386 per cent increase in total player salaries since the Caps’ inaugural season in 2011, but only a 38 per cent increase in players. There were nine milliondollar players in MLS that year; this season, there are 46.
The average salary in 2011 was around $162,000; in 2018, it’s $373,000.
While the wallets have been opening for big-name stars across the league, the Caps have remained staunch in their frugality, opting to spread out their money over a roster as a whole, choosing depth over star power.
“We have a number and we work within that number, which is not unlike most businesses,” said Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi.
“We’ve tried to make sure we have a lot of depth, and when you look at the bench sometimes, a lot of those players could be starting and there wouldn’t make much of a difference. The most important thing is you get value for money. If you want a deep roster, you spread the money out over it.
“So when you’re in the situation we’re in ... where you’re playing multiple games in a week, that’s the approach we’ve taken.”
Wayne Rooney is on the verge of signing with D.C. United in a $17-million transfer. Fernando Torres could come stateside as well, looking at a possible move to MLS. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s arrival in Los Angeles was more of a nuclear detonation than MLS debut.
Whitecaps supporters are clamouring for a big-name signing, cries that have gone up in volume and frequency with the recent stumbles the team has had, losing four of five games heading into tonight’s home game against the Houston Dynamo.
“If we’d maintained the start we had, people would probably be saying ‘is it money-related or is it the players you bring in, who are capable of working with one another and getting the results?” said Lenarduzzi. “For us, that’s the mandate. To put a team on the field that can, first of all, get us to the playoffs, and beyond that, anything can happen.”
There’s been a turnover of 17 players from last year’s squad, which ranked ninth in overall payroll in MLS. This season, the team is 16th with $8,233,011.71. Kei Kamara is the lone million-dollar player on the roster — he’s 46th in the league in compensation — though the team has six players who could be considered DPs, though their cap hits have been brought down with Targeted Allocation Money.
Topping the salary table is Toronto FC ($26,167,498.70), followed by the L.A. Galaxy ($17,502,008.30), NYCFC ($14,147,632.75), Chicago ($13,824,204.42) and LAFC ($13,432,052.70).
TFC, which expended much of its energy in Champions League play and has been hit hard by injuries, is second-last in the Eastern Conference, despite having the league’s two highest-paid players in Sebastian Giovinco and Michael Bradley.
“We don’t have a situation where it’s become two-tiered. Yes, there are teams spending more money, but on a given day, anybody can beat anybody else,” said Lenarduzzi. “You look for your difference makers, but look at some of the players that have come into the league.
“Look at (Steven) Gerrard, look at (Frank) Lampard, and you’ve got players who are being paid six million dollars and I wouldn’t call them difference makers. I think they’ve struggled.”
Whitecaps’ midfielder Jordon Mutch, who is having much of his salary paid by Premier League side Crystal Palace, doesn’t think Rooney will fall off in production should he finish his career in MLS. Nor does he think the league’s reputation as a retirement league is warranted.
“When I first played against him, he was more of a ruthless, dynamic finishing striker. As the years have gone past, he’s started playing deeper. His passing, his vision, is just unreal.” Jose Aja: $240,000
Myer Bevan: $54,500
(on loan at Husqvarna)
Marco Bustos: $54,500
(on loan at Zacatepec) Anthony Blondell $249,999.96: (salary cap hit bought down with TAM) Marcel de Jong: $160,000 Alphonso Davies: $72,500 Simon Colyn: $54,499
Sean Franklin: $150,000
Deybi Flores: $54,500 (was on loan at Motagua, current status unclear)
Justin Fiddes: $54,500 (on loan at Fresno)
Aly Ghazal: $575,000 (salary cap hit bought down with TAM) Bernie Ibini: $265,008
Erik Hurtado: $150,000
Doneil Henry: $140,004 (now on short-term loan at Ottawa Fury)
Kei Kamara: $1,000,000 (salary cap hit bought down with TAM) Efrain Juarez: $525,000 (salary cap hit bought down with TAM) Brett Levis: $68,250
Aaron Maund: $180,000
Felipe Martins: $425,000 Stefan Marinovic: $150,000 Nico Mezquida: $130,000
Sean Melvin: $54,500
David Norman: $54,500
Jake Nerwinski: $67,500 Jordon Mutch: $156,000 Spencer Richey: $68,254
(on loan at Cincinnati)
Yordy Reyna: $440,000 (salary cap hit bought down with TAM) Brian Rowe: $135,000
Brek Shea: $700,000 (designated player)
Russell Teibert: $140,000 Cristian Techera: $387,000 (salary cap hit bought down with TAM)
Kendall Waston: $574,999 (designated player)