MLS Guide - FMFormation.net - Football Manager

**abeatty2209** · 24-05-08, 10:54 PM

Part 1

First of all I just want to say that the MLS stats on January! So when or if you start a game remember to select the USA date.

The MLS on FM2008 is very different and can be quite confusing. This guide was created with the intention of explaining the transfer system.

Your MLS squad may contain no more than 28 players. Of this only 18 are allowed to be Senior Players, the rest have to be MLS Drafted youth players.

Every MLS team has a salary cap (wage). The salary cap is set at roughly 20k a week but this is excluding staff wages, designated players wages and players on developmental contracts.

There are 4 rounds of selection, within each round every MLS team is allowed to make one pick. The order in which teams are allowed to pick depends on where the team finished in the league the previous season.

Every year there is also a supplemental draft occurring after the MLS Super Draft. Any talent that remains undrafted MLS teams are entered into the MLS Supplemental Draft. This draft is just the same as the MLS Super Draft its just a way to get some of the remaining player.

Transfer Structure

Each squad is permitted to have 1 designated player, it can amount up to the sum of $120,000 per week (£60,000).

You are allowed to sign 6 Discovery Players a season.
Discovery Players are players who are signed from clubs outside the MLS, or who are signed as free agents not through the drafting system.

(Tip) South America is an area where there is plenty of talent willing to move to the MLS be sure to check these nations regularly for Discovery Players.

When a player is released by an MLS club they are declared as "waived" (basically just think waived = released). A player who is waived during the course of the MLS season is placed on the MLS waiver list for 2 days. After the 2 days clubs who have announced their interest are allowed to offer the player a contract. However, similar to the drafting system a club who finished bottom of the league would be able to offer a contract before a club who finished higher than them would be able to. Making it fairer.

Part 2
Teams

Eastern Conference

Chicago Fire

Stadium - Toyota Park (Bridgeview)

The Chicago Fire is a professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois, USA. It participates in Major League Soccer. The team was founded October 8, 1997 on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1998, their first season in the league, the Fire won the MLS Cup as well as the U.S. Open Cup (the "double"). They have also won the 2000, 2003, and 2006 U.S. Open Cup.
The Chicago Fire has had a cooperative agreement with CA Morelia, a Mexican First Division football club, since 2001. The partnership incorporates playing, coaching, and executive personnel, as well as sharing of business and development practices.
The club also has - through its reserves program, the Chicago Fire Premier amateur team playing in the Premier Development League, and the Chicago Fire Juniors youth teams - a substantial youth development system by American standards. It also has a charitable community entity, the Fireworks for Kids Foundation.
The official team colours are red and white; black, navy blue and sky blue have also been used by the Fire as accent/alternate colours over its history.

Columbus Crew

Stadium - Columbus Crew Stadium

The Columbus Crew is a professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death, upon which his son, Clark, took over his sports properties. The Crew currently play their home games at Columbus Crew Stadium, the first MLS soccer-specific stadium. From 1996–1999, the Crew played their home games at Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University. The name "The Crew" is the result of a local fan contest and refers to Columbus' blue collar community. The team colours are black and gold. The team mascot is Crew Cat.
The Crew has won one tournament to date, the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating the 2002 MLS Cup and Supporter's Shield winner Los Angeles Galaxy 1–0. The club has reached one other final, the 1998 Open Cup, which was postponed due to a hurricane and controversially relocated from Virginia Beach to Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Fire, who won the match in overtime 2–1. That is not the only championship the team has won, as they also won the 2004 Supporter's Shield for having the best record over the course of the regular season.
The team has 3 major support groups: "La Turbina", "Hudson Street Hooligans" and "Crew Supporters Union". The Three supporters groups sit together in a section in the north east corner of Crew stadium known as Nordecke. The Name Nordecke (Nor-deck-uh) is German for North Corner, and is a tribute to the German heritage of Columbus.

D.C United

Stadium - Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium

D.C. United is a professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. Considered the most successful club in American soccer, the club has won the U.S. Open Cup[1] and holds the record for most MLS Cups and MLS Supporters' Shields with four apiece. Furthermore, D.C. United is the only club to be awarded the MLS Supporters' Shield back-to-back (2006 and 2007) and the first club to win back-to-back MLS Cups (1996 and 1997).[2] In 1998 D.C. United became the first American club to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the Copa Interamericana, defeating Club Toluca of Mexico 1-0[3] and Vasco da Gama of Brazil on 2-1 aggregate[4].
The team's home field is the 56,692-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on East Capitol Street. However, the team has proposed to build a 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium near Poplar Point on the east side of the Anacostia River, directly across from Nationals Park.[5] The future of this proposal is unlikely and the team is currently looking at other sites in the area.[6]
D.C. United has one of the strongest fan bases in the league and country,[7] with three supporters' clubs (La Barra Brava, the Screaming Eagles, and La Norte) and one of the highest attendance averages in Major League Soccer. The club's official nickname is the "Black-and-Red" and home uniforms are black and white with accents of red. The team's name derives from Washington, D.C. being the capital of the United States, and is also an allusion to "United" commonly being part of the names of soccer teams in the United Kingdom and elsewhere[8], for example Manchester United or Leeds United.
Internationally, D.C. United is already scheduled this year to play in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League, and SuperLiga.

Kansas City Wizards

Stadium

The Kansas City Wizards are a professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that participates in Major League Soccer. The Wizards won the MLS Cup in 2000 and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2004. The name "Wizards" is an allusion to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as the main character is from Kansas, although the club was actually located in Missouri at the time of its founding. The team colours are blue and white.
The team's official supporters' group is referred to by the name of their seating area, "The Cauldron". They are accompanied in this section by another supporters' group, "La Doce", who come from supporters of the Argentinean Club Atlético Boca Juniors. The two groups are nearly synonymous within the Cauldron and have a good relationship.

New York Red Bulls

Stadium - Giants Stadium

Red Bull New York is an American professional soccer organization based in New Jersey, who currently fields a team in Major League Soccer. While the organization is Red Bull New York, the actual team and playing squad is officially and commonly known as the New York Red Bulls. The team plays their home matches at Giants Stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey but is currently constructing a new stadium named Red Bull Park. The team's headquarters are located in Secaucus, New Jersey. The team colours are red, white, and blue.
Although the team has been in the league since its inaugural season (1996), it has gone through several name changes. The team was originally known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars through 1997. From the 1998 season until right before the 2006 season, the team was known as simply the MetroStars. On March 9, 2006, it was sold to Red Bull GmbH, and the name changed to Red Bull New York. The sale of the team has been controversial among some fans of the MetroStars, similar to the situation in Austria, where Red Bull bought SV Austria Salzburg and renamed it FC Red Bull Salzburg.

New England Revolution

Stadium - Gillette stadium

The New England Revolution, nicknamed the Revs, is a professional soccer club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that participates in Major League Soccer. Even though the club is based in Foxborough, the club represents all of New England. The club is owned by Robert Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots of the NFL. The name "Revolution" refers to the New England region's involvement in the American Revolution. The team colours are navy blue and red.
The Revs currently play their home matches at Gillette Stadium. The club played their home games at the adjacent and now-demolished Foxboro Stadium, during the 1996 through 2001 seasons. The Revs hold the distinction of being the only MLS team to have every league game in its history televised [1]. Currently, the games are called by Revolution broadcasting executive Brad Feldman and analyst Greg Lalas (former Tampa Bay Mutiny defender and younger brother of Los Angeles Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas).

Toronto FC

Stadium - BMO Field

Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club located in Toronto, and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer (MLS). The club's first regular season match was April 7, 2007 at Home Depot Centre in Los Angeles, a 0-2 loss to Chivas USA. Although they did not make the playoffs, Toronto FC was a financial success in its inaugural season, selling out every home game in the 20,522-seat BMO Field and capturing unprecedented media attention.

Western Conference

Club Deportivo Chivas USA

Stadium - The Home Depot Centre

Club Deportivo Chivas USA (short form: CD Chivas USA or Chivas USA) is a professional soccer club based in Carson, California, United States and participates in Major League Soccer. The club, founded in 2004, plays its home games at the Home Depot Centre, sharing it with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The official colours of Chivas USA are red, white, and blue, the same as Club Deportivo Guadalajara, one of the most widely-supported teams in Mexico.

Colorado Rapids

Stadium - Dick's Sporting Goods Park

The Colorado Rapids are a soccer club based in Commerce City, Colorado that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was founded in 1995. The team colours are burgundy and sky blue with the home jerseys being burgundy. The away jerseys are sky blue with burgundy trim. They played their home matches at Mile High Stadium from 1996–2001 and moved into INVESCO Field at Mile High in 2002. They moved to Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the Denver suburb of Commerce City for the 2007 season. The Rapids have made two cup finals in their history, the 1997 MLS Cup and the 1999 US Open Cup, losing both times.

FC Dallas

Stadium - Pizza Hut Park

FC Dallas is a North American professional soccer team based in Frisco, Texas, United States. Founded in 1996 as the Dallas Burn, the team plays in Major League Soccer (MLS).
FC Dallas' home is the 20,500 capacity soccer-specific Pizza Hut Park, located on the suburbs of Dallas in Frisco, Texas, where they have played since changing their name in 2005. The team is owned by MLS investor Clark Hunt, who is also the owner of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs.

Houston Dynamo

Stadium - Robertson Stadium

Houston Dynamo is a North American professional soccer team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer (MLS) and is the back-to-back MLS Cup champion.
Houston Dynamo's home is the 32,000 capacity Robertson Stadium, located on the University of Houston campus in southeast Houston, where they have played since their foundation. A three-year lease was signed to play at the stadium while plans for a soccer-specific stadium are finalized. The team is owned by majority owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in partnership with Brener International Group (headed by Gabriel Brener), and multiple world and Olympic boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya.

Los Angeles Galaxy

Stadium - The Home Depot Center

Los Angeles Galaxy (or L.A. Galaxy) is a professional soccer club based in Los Angeles, California that is a member of the American first division, Major League Soccer (MLS). In 1995 the club became one of the original ten founding franchises of MLS. The name "Galaxy" refers to L.A. being the home of Hollywood "movie stars".
The club has won the MLS Cup twice (2002, 2005), and the U.S. Open Cup twice (2001, 2005). L.A. plays their home matches at The Home Depot Center in suburban Carson, California, along with arch-rival, Chivas USA.

Real Salt Lake

Stadium -

Real Salt Lake is a professional soccer team based in Salt Lake City, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005. The team currently plays its home games at the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The word real in the team's name is derived from the Spanish language. It is traditionally used in the names of certain Spanish soccer clubs such as Real Madrid that play in La Liga. It is roughly pronounced ray-al, with the accent on the al. It is translated into English as "royal".
Dave Checketts and SCP Worldwide partners Dean Howes, Kenneth Munoz, Michael McCarthy and Chris Bevilacqua, chose Real Salt Lake for the team's name because they desired to associate the team with a successful soccer club, Real Madrid, as well as to develop a brand that was clearly associated with Football.
The team's name was initially met with derision in the fan community. Many fans thought the name should more accurately reflect the Salt Lake area. In the passing years, the criticism from local fans and the media has waned, and the club has instituted a formal relationship with Real Madrid. The team colours are claret red, cobalt blue, and Real gold.

San Jose Earthquakes

Stadium - Buck Shaw Stadium

The San Jose Earthquakes is a professional soccer team located in San Jose, California that participates in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States. The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2007. It is one of the original ten teams in the league, known as the San Jose Clash from 1995 to 1999. The Earthquakes defeated D.C. United 1-0 in the first game in MLS history. It is one of three teams from California to play in the league.
The team won the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003, as well as the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2005. Following the 2005 MLS season in December of that year, the franchise was put on hiatus. The players and head coach Dominic Kinnear moved to Houston, Texas where they play as the Houston Dynamo. On July 18, 2007 it was announced that the San Jose Earthquakes would resume play starting in the 2008 season. The Earthquakes play most home games at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Part 3

Player to look out for in this league

Jozy Altidore

MLS Experience
Made his first MLS appearance on Sept. 9 at New England as a sub in the 81st minute. He scored his first career goal in brilliant fashion- a 30-yard, game-winning strike against Columbus on Sept. 16 in the 83rd minute. Started the last three games of the regular season, scoring three goals in a six-game span. Scored the Red Bulls' only goal of their 2-1 aggregate loss to D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals series when he headed in a cross in the second leg.
Continued to develop into one of the top young players in MLS in 2007 with a nine goal season, finishing second on the Red Bulls in that category to Juan Pablo Angel. Against Toronto FC on Aug. 12, Altidore scored the final two Red Bulls goals in a 3-0 win. In the next match on Aug. 18 against Los Angeles, he scored two goals in front of a record-setting crown in a 5-4 win. Altidore also added four assists while making 22 appearances. Missed time during the year due to U.S. U-20 National Team commitments.

Juan Pablo Angel

MLS Experience
After joining the Red Bulls as the team's second Designated Player on April 17, he made an immediate impact. Was a MLS Best XI selection after scoring 19 goals (second in the league) and five assists in just 24 games. Was MLS MVP and Newcomer of the Year finalist, two-time MLS Player of the Month (May & June), two-time MLS Player of the Week (7 & 19) and leading vote getter in the MLS All-Star Game, in which he scored a goal in a 2-0 win over Celtic FC and was named the game's MVP. Broke the club's record for goals in a single season set by Adolfo Valencia (2000) after scoring his 17th on Sept. 29 vs. Real Salt Lake. He also holds the team record for goals in consecutive games with six (May 19-June 16). Scored his first goal in his first appearance as a Red Bull in 3-1 loss to Los Angeles in the U.S. Open Cup on May 8 and scored first regular season goal against Columbus on May 19. Made MLS debut on May 13 vs. Colorado. Had five multi-goal games, also a club record.

David Beckham

MLS Experience

Arrived in Los Angeles in mid-July after completing his season with Real Madrid. Ankle and knee injuries limited Beckham to just five league appearances and two starts over the second half of the season. After making his Galaxy debut in the friendly against Chelsea on 7/21, he made his MLS debut as a second half substitute on 8/9 at D.C. United. He made his first start for the club six days later in the SuperLiga semi-final against D.C. United, scoring a goal, his first-ever for the club, and adding an assist in the 2-0 Galaxy win. A few days later, he played the full 90 minutes and collected two assists in the 5-4 loss at New York. A knee injury in the SuperLiga Final against Pachuca forced Beckham out after 33 minutes and ruled him out for six weeks before he returned for the final two games of the year.

Taylor Twellman

MLS Experience
One of MLS’ most lethal scorers … Twellman remains the league's premier penalty-area predator, combining a diverse arsenal of scoring abilities with fierce determination in front of the goal … has been on a scoring tear since the tail end of the 2006 season with a total of 22 goals since the start of the 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs (34 games) ... has now reached the 10-goal plateau in five of his six professional seasons and the 15-goal mark four times … became the youngest player in MLS history to score 75 goals (26 yrs., 221 days) with his game-winning goal at D.C. on Oct. 7, 2006, surpassing Jason Kreis (29 yrs., 168 days) for the record … is on pace to become the league’s youngest 100-goal scorer in 2008 … in the MLS career records, Twellman is now fifth in career goals (91), fourth in career game-winning goals (26) and tied for third in multiple-goal games (15) … is tied for sixth on the MLS career postseason scoring chart with 10 goals, six of which have come in the Revs’ last seven playoff games dating back to 2006 … finished third in MLS goal scoring in 2007 despite missing extended time while with the U.S. National Team … named a 2007 MLS All-Star, marking his fifth career all-star selection.

Nik Besagno

MLS Experience
Of the eight players listed as defenders from Real Salt Lake's 2007 opening day roster, Nik Besagno is one of only two holdovers that still remain, so it should go without saying that the squad has done anything but give up on the player it made the top overall selection in the 2005 MLS Super Draft. It is also easy to forget that, while he is one of only three remaining players from RSL's inaugural campaign in 2005, Besagno will be just 19 years of age this season, although the entrance of Alex Nimo (17) means he is no longer the youngest member of the squad. The Washington State native and Generation adidas product is in the rare position of being the youngest and most tenured member of the team's defensive unit, and will be looked at to help bring continuity and depth to a rebuilt backline. Although he underwent surgery in January to repair a partially torn meniscus in each of his knees, the aggressive Besagno will be fully recovered in time to kick off the '08 campaign when late March rolls around.

Landon Donovan

MLS Experience
One of the best players in all of MLS, Landon Donovan is back for his fourth season with the Galaxy and his eighth in the league. The youngest player in league history to record both 50 goals and 50 assists and one of just eight with 60 goals and 60 assists, the 25-year old has also shown his dominance in the postseason, scoring 14 goals in 18 career matches. Donovan has matched his league success with the U.S. National Team where he is the all-time leading scorer with 35 goals in 98 games, leaving him just two appearances away from becoming the 11th player-ever to earn 100 caps for the Red, White and Blue.

targetthyself · 25-05-08, 07:50 AM

a great breakdown the MLS teams histories, just a couple of issues.

first off wrong picture for Josy, secondly RSL doesn't play in that stadium in the picture, they are set to move into it for the final 2 home games of this season.

Also a little thin on the player front, and Nik Besagno? seriously.

Off the top of my head ill give you the best player on every team.

Revs - Taylor Twellman - poaching ST

Wizards - Jimmy Conrad - athletic DM/DC

Galaxy - David Beckham - technical right winger/midfielder

Red Bulls - Juan Pablo Angel - complete ST

DC United - Luciano Emilio - aloof ST

Fire - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - fiery(no pun intended) Forward

Toronto - Maurice Edu - pace setting DM

Columbus - Guillermo Barros Schelotto - Willy, skillful AM

Houston - Dwayne De Rosario - talismanic Forward

Colorado - Christian Gomez - playmaking AM

Dallas - Juan Carlos Toja - aggressive Mid

Chivas USA - Sacha Kljestan - flashy forward.

Earthquake - Joe Cannon - shot stopping goaltender

leagues best goalkeepers IRL

1. Joe Cannon
2. Brad Guzan
3. Matt Ries
4. Nick Rimando
5. Will Hesmer

**Jonners71** · 25-05-08, 08:05 AM

Great looking guide...a lot of hard work gone into this....keep it up!

**Hartynips** · 26-05-08, 06:47 AM

Superb work mate you may (although Im not promising) have inspired me to attempt the MLS again!

s_t_i_f_f_l_e_r_69 · 02-06-08, 04:10 PM

What a quality guide! Top class. A lot of effort has gone into this and plenty of time spent. The MLS can be a very confusing league-with the salary capping and the player embargo's,but ou've made it sound 100% tempting for m next fm2008 adventure. Man thanks.

apthered · 05-06-08, 02:07 AM

Amazing guide, especially for someone who doesnt actually live in an MLS area
I do, and I probably wouldnt be able to do any better (or come close to yours)
Theres soem players who arent on the db update like Amado Guevara (previous MVP), now on TFC, and Laurent Robert (you know), also on TFC

And you go the wrong stadium for BMO Field. Ours isnt that ugly.

THIS IS OUR HOUSE

this is the most detailed google pic i could find. mine are all too big

but yeah, kutgw

**abeatty2209** · 05-06-08, 10:33 PM

Quote:

And you go the wrong stadium for BMO Field. Ours isnt that ugly.

Sorry mate, i googled it a took it for granted that this was the correct stadium

**Bowser** · 06-06-08, 04:09 PM

Superb guide mate, it's really good. To make it even better, put in the best players in each team.

eg:
LA Galaxy
Best Players: Beckham etc etc