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MLS Analysis

MLS Notebook: Sullivan brothers take spotlight, new spending rules, Wednesday game thoughts

ASN's Brian Sciaretta talks Sullivan Brothers, MLS budget rules, and Wednesday's games including an improved Charlotte team, Chicago sneaking up, and a dud between LAFC and RSL.
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
July 18, 2024
8:05 PM

ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MLS had a full slate of games – its first of the summer since the conclusion of the Euros and the Copa America and it was an eventful day as Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player in the history of the league to play in a game, the Sounders look back to themselves, and we also have some major roster rules that will give teams more flexibility.

Anyway, let’s get right into it with my thoughts.

 

MLS roster rules give flexibility

 

MLS moves forward, not at the speed fans of the game here would like, but it does move forward. But when you look back to 1996, it’s way different now. For example, the first Metrostars (pre Red Bulls) General Manager was Charlie Stillitano and he has said that at the time he wanted to start an academy but the league blocked him on the grounds it would give the Metrostars and unfair advantage.

Well, 28 years from then and things look a lot different and the changes are for the better with academies, homegrown deals, designated players, TAM, GAM, and the U-22 initiatives. Confusing? Sure. But it has helped raise the quality of play with allowing teams to bring in better players, prioritize youth, and develop from within.

Last winter, people were hoping for either the relaxing of rules or the addition of more rules that promote investment. That didn’t happen and many fans were disappointed. But today, there were new rules put into place.

 

Six Prime Slots between U-22 initiative and DPs

It’s a little confusing, so here is the graphic between the two paths clubs can choose how to use what they call the six prime roster slots (Designated Players and U-22 Initiative).

 

Opportunity for More Allocation Money from Transfers

Clubs can now to convert up to $3 million of total transfer revenues received into General Allocation Money without restriction on the amount from any individual player transfer. It previously was $1,215,506.

That’s a big step up.

Bottom Line: Team are still restricted, but the ties are loosened. There are now ways for teams build nice rosters. The U-22 initiative encourages teams to buy younger players, which is huge in that it prevents an NASL or Saudi League path towards older players near retirement. It also allows teams to reinvest more money from transfers. It’s not total freedom, but it’s more investment and it’s more motivation to develop and sell.

 

Wednesday’s Games

 

Cavan Sullivan debuts

 

Cavan Sullivan made his MLS debut with the Philadelphia Union at 14 years and 293 days. Is that good? He came on in the 85th minute of a 5-1 win over the New England Revolution in a matchup between the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference. The Union managed to climb out of last with the result. It was the most positive media attention the club has received after a woefully disappointing 2024.

It wasn’t just Cavan’s debut. The Union got a hat trick from Tai Baribo, and a wonder goal from Cavan’s older brother, Quinn Sullivan, just before Cavan came into the game.

 

 

It was the first time the Union looked like the Union we all knew was possible. Yes, the Revolution are dealing with a ton of injuries, but they were awful. The Union need a long run of playing well to get into playoff contention and then they need to reevaluate their core group that has been together for a long time.

As for the Cavan Sullivan debut, the cat is out of the bag. How will Jim Curtin manage this rest of the season? It’s going to be tricky.

The younger Sullivan had a nice moment when he took a pass and had some space. He moved into the final third and ripped a shot from outside the box that was saved.

Afterward, Cavan received a congratulatory note from Freddy Adu. Is that good?

 

Other notes

 

  • Miami continued to impress without Lionel Messi and posted a 3-1 win over a skidding Toronto team (Toronto has won just twice in 14 games). There were some questions about how Miami would respond after an uncharacteristically bad 6-1 loss to Cincinnati. But overall, they played well.
  • Cincinnati lost for the second straight time. This was a 1-0 loss at home to Chicago. Cincinnati is obviously without some key defenders, but in this game they were without Luchiano Acosta. It was a bridge too far. Brian Gutierrez found the winner for Chicago, this time coming off the bench. On top of that, Chris Brady was fantastic in goal for the Fire. It’s interesting how so many of the players who were cut from the Olympic continue to do well. It’s a running theme.

  • Charlotte went into Columbus and came out with a 1-1 draw. Patrick Agyemang scored a late equalizer for Charlotte and its time to take this club seriously. They’re reportedly adding a lot of players this summer.
  • Gabriel Pec has been terrific for the Galaxy this season, and after he set up Joseph Paintsil’s goal in a 3-2 win over Colorado, he has 10 assists to go along with nine goals. That’s a lot of goal contributions. He has either scored or assisted in over 40% of the Galaxy’s goals this season.
  • I’d keep buying Seattle Sounders stock if I were you. The 2-0 win over St. Louis now has the Sounders with five wins in a row and six wins and a draw in their last seven games. They now also have three clean sheets in a row. LAFC this weekend will reveal a lot, even if LAFC hasn’t been up to its high standard lately.
  • Minnesota is absolutely collapsed. Leading DC United 2-1 into stoppage time, they found a way to lose 3-2. After a strong start to the season, Minnesota has come unglued. It was a nice win for DC United, but they’re not great either.
  • Is San Jose the worst MLS team in recent memory? That depends on your memory, but maybe. They dropped a 1-0 decision at home to a good Houston team that continues to play with grit and find ways to be tough to play against. Daniel Steres with the late winner.
  • Maxi Morales is still dangerous in this league and after injuries. The NYCFC great came into the game to start the second half away against Atlanta. NYCFC was down 2-0 at the time and then forced a 2-2 draw. Atlanta is trying to figure out how to rebuild this team.

  • Austin dropped a 3-1 decision away to FC Dallas and Sebastian Driussi picked up a red card and will be suspended next game. Josh Wolff could be on the hot seat and it would be yet another pink slip to Gregg Berhalter’s coaching tree after Luchi Gonzalez and Nico Estevez were canned. Dallas has won three of four and could climb into the playoff picture if they continue to surge.
  • Orlando defeated Nashville 3-0 on the road and it was the fourth win in a row for Oscar Pareja’s team. Even without Duncan McGuire (who is with the Olympic team), Orlando is scoring goals. Meanwhile, Nashville is in the gutter with five losses in a row. They will continue to be without Walker Zimmerman (also on Olympic duty) and hope that BJ Callaghan will right the ship in his first ever permanent head coaching gig.
  • The Red Bulls squandered two separate leads and played Montreal to a disappointing 2-2 draw. It was the sixth draw in seven games for the Red Bulls. It sums up where they are as a team – good, but not good enough. The team is too weak in the midfield (after Frankie Amaya left and Peter Stroud remains out with an injured ankle), they don’t have a lethal forward, and Emil Forsberg is out. This team needs key pieces back and needs a huge boost from new acquisitions. They could be okay in the playoffs once that happens.
  • The big game of the night was supposed to be LAFC and Real Salt Lake, but it ended in a boring 1-1 draw where neither team really played well. But RSL got the point away from home and that has to be considered a win, especially after conceding the opener after a Zac MacMath error. LAFC earned just one point from its last two games, both at home.

 

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