DC United player salaries

I find the business of soccer to be quite interesting. 

Each year, the MLS Players Association releases player salary information as a means of keeping pressure on the league to treat players fairly and to increase compensation.  The recent collective bargaining agreement reached between the centrally-managed MLS and the players was quite interesting.  The league went from giving players practically no guaranteed money and starting salaries of as little as $14,000/year to something much more in line with their economic value.  Still, you will be surprised by how little the players make the growing disparity between the American-born workhorses of the league and the high-priced foreign players.  Are we headed back to the days of NASL?  Who knows.

Here is DC United's spread.  The last columns, from left to right, are annual salary and 2010 guaranteed compensation.


DC Allsopp Danny F $ 1 80,000.00 $ 217,500.00
DC Barklage Brandon M-F $ 4 0,000.00 $ 40,000.00
DC Boskovic Branko M $ 3 80,000.00 $ 516,200.00
DC Burch Marc D $ 7 9,000.00 $ 81,500.00
DC Cristman Adam F $ 4 0,000.00 $ 40,000.00
DC Graye Jordan D $ 4 0,000.00 $ 40,000.00
DC Hamid Bill GK $ 4 0,000.00 $ 46,666.66
DC Hernandez Pablo F $ 2 40,000.00 $ 249,090.91
DC Jakovic Dejan D $ 1 47,600.00 $ 167,102.50
DC James Julius D $ 5 2,085.00 $ 61,460.00
DC King Stephen M $ 4 0,000.00 $ 40,000.00
DC McTavish Devon D-M $ 7 0,000.00 $ 72,500.00
DC Moreno Jaime F $ 1 60,000.00 $ 185,000.00
DC Morsink Kurt M $ 4 0,000.00 $ 40,000.00
DC Najar Andy M-F $ 3 9,000.00 $ 58,995.83
DC Pena Juan D $ 4 0,000.00 $ 40,000.00
DC Perkins Troy GK $ 2 00,000.00 $ 205,000.00
DC Pontius Chris M-F $ 1 00,000.00 $ 100,000.00
DC Quaranta Santino M-F $ 1 05,000.00 $ 107,500.00
DC Quinn Andrew GK $ 4 0,008.00 $ 40,008.00
DC Rice Barry D $ 4 0,000.00 $ 40,000.00
DC Shanosky Conor D $ 3 1,250.04 $ 37,135.54
DC Simms Clyde M $ 1 65,000.00 $ 171,000.00
DC Talley Carey D $ 9 9,996.00 $ 99,996.00
DC Wallace Rodney M-D $ 7 5,000.00 $ 124,000.00
DC Zayner Jed D $ 5 7,000.00 $ 60,875.00


My commentary.  Overpaid: Alsopp, Burch, McTavish, Talley, Wallace.  Underpaid: Cristman, Pontius.  Jury is out: Pena, Hernandez, Boskovic, Perkins.

Check out Goff's blog for the full link to the salaries of players on all MLS teams.

Details of Tailgate

The league is hosting a DCU/ AC Milan tailgate. Here are the details:



This is the final email I am sending regarding the tailgate. Thanks to everyone for helping me put this event together. Details as follows:

Where we will be: close to the tunnel in lot 8. (probably about 50 yards from the tunnel)

What we will serve: Wednesday is taco night. Come construct your own chicken tacos. Served with sides of lettuce, black olives, cheese, salsa, freshly made guacamole, and peppers. Also we will have refried beans as a vegetarian option.

What else we will serve: Noodles, rice, fruit salad (mango, oranges, apples, blueberries and strawberries)

Dessert: Whatever looks tasty enough at Costco when I go tonight

Drink: We will have a keg of the good stuff, and when I mean good stuff, I mean reminscent of the old college days. There will also be soda and a decent supply of bottled water.

Recycling: Absolutely. No waste here. Please recycle in the bin I will bring to the game.

What you should bring: Really nothing, but if I have left something off, feel free to bring it along.

What I look like: I want to use the word handsome, but a little stronger than that :)

http://www.allaroundeducator.com/Barcelona%20Picture%20Page.html

Last thing to know: All together, our efforts have sold just under 150 tickets. I asked for offical RSVPs and I only got about 50 responses so far. Presumably, more will attend the tailgate. I will try my best to plan accordingly, but if we should run out of food or drink, my sincerest apologies. I recommend bringing some money in case you need to purchase something from the stadium.

Team outing to the DCU game

We got a bunch of tickets to the DC United game on Saturday, April 17th. The 7:30 game is versus the Chicago Fire.

Unfortunately, all of our free tickets are taken. But feel free to contact Zach Walker at DCU for your own tickets. There will likely be plenty of room to watch the game in the same place.

An early look at DCU's roster

From Behind the Badge, the DCU blog:

Roster updates
01/20/2010 9:23 AM by Kyle Sheldon
As pre-season approaches, United fans are certainly beginning to wonder which players will make up the 2010 squad. We sat down with General Manager Dave Kasper to get some updates.
Goalkeepers:
Troy Perkins: Recently re-acquired from Norway and under contract.
Bill Hamid: Signed from the D.C. United Academy last year and under contract.
Milos Kocic: Under contract.
Josh Wicks: Recovering from shoulder and knee surgery and under contract.

Defenders:
Avery John: Not under contract in 2010 and not in the team's plans for 2010.
Julius James: Acquired midway through 2009 and under contract.
David Habarugira: Not under contract and not in the team's plans for 2010.
Lawson Vaughn: Not under contract, but will be invited to pre-season.
Marc Burch: Under contract.
Jordan Graye: Recently drafted UNC/DCU Academy product is not under contract, but will hope to earn a roster spot.
Dejan Jakovic: Under contract.
Devon McTavish: Under contract.
Bryan Namoff: Still recovering from post-concussion issues, but under contract.
Rodney Wallace: Under contract.

Midfielders:
John DiRaimondo: Under contract.
Tiyi Shipalane: Under contract.
Christian Castillo: Salvadoran midfielder acquired on loan is under contract.
Danny Szetela: Acquired via allocation midway through 2009 and under contract.
Brandon Barklage: Year was cut short by ACL injury, but under contract in 2010.
Christian Gomez: Not under contract, but still under consideration.
Santino Quaranta: Under contract.
Clyde Simms: The team's MVP is under contract.

Forwards:
Boyzzz Khumalo: Under contract.
Jaime Moreno: Out of contract, but in discussions to re-sign.
Ange N'Silu: Out of contract and not in the team's plans for 2010.
Chris Pontius: A Rookie of the Year finalist currently with the U.S. Men is under contract.
Danny Allsopp: Recently acquired Aussie is under contract for two years.

By my count, that's 20 players under contract for 2010 and a few others still under consideration. With additional acquisitions likely in the coming weeks, what do you make of how the team is shaping up? Where does the team need to add some depth?

Heat advisory

A group of us went to the DCU vs Real Madrid game today. Whew, it was a hot one, and not just because Cristiano Ronaldo was there. One player - who will remain anonymous - asked me to snap his photo because she has a little thing for him.

Real Madrid handily beat DC United, but it was a pretty good match. It was hard for the players to run full steam in the heat, with nothing at stake. DCU held them off in the first half but gave away 3 goals on some quick and painful strikes by Higuain and Robben. Those guys are pretty good.

Jer, Chip, and I had the best seats in the house: lower bowl, 18 yard line, in the shade, right by the exit. Chris wasn't too far away, but if you're from Baltimore, you have to sit in the upper decks. Our friend Kara was also in attendance.

Meanwhile, I am told that Red Tsunami lost its match today.

Here's a photo of Chip and Jer. Check out the rest of the photos here.

Discount tickets available to DCU vs Real Madrid

VS

DC United vs. Real Madrid • August 9, 2009 • FedEx Field

DC United management is now offering a discount on remaining tickets for the DC United vs. Real Madrid friendly on August 9, 2009.

To purchase tickets for $50 each (regularly $70), follow this link and use the promo code "united". For more information, contact Zach Walker at 202-587-5469 or email zwalker@dcunited.com.

DCU vs Real Madrid tickets on sale now

Single-game tickets are now on sale for DCU vs Real Madrid. Tickets are currently $60-90 and represent a modest discount over the public prices to be announced in a few days.

See the commisioner's email below.

FYI pre-sale tickets for the DCU/Real Madrid friendly....
----- Forwarded
Message ----From: "Walker, Zach" <ZWalker@dcunited.com>To: Sanjay Nayar <snayar@yahoo.com>Cc: matt@allaroundeducator.comSent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 3:40:24
PMSubject: Real Madrid Tickets Advance Sales
Hi Sanjay,

Just
wanted to see if you could pass this around the CCSL circles: https://secure.dcunited.com/real-madrid-ya?r=ZW

Its
an offer for all CCSL members to be able to purchase tickets to the D.C. United
vs. Real Madrid game before the public sale date on Friday. Please feel
free to pass it around and let me know if you have any questions,
thanks!

Zach

Now on sale...DCU vs Real Madrid

Today, DC United began selling a 4-pack of tickets that includes the DC United/ Real Madrid game on August 9th.

Take a look: https://secure.dcunited.com/international-4pack?r=ZW

Prices start at $113.

Contact Zach for tix and let him know the Goleros/PI sent you.

Zach Walker
Account Executive, D.C. United
RFK Stadium2400 East Capitol Street, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Direct: 202-587-5469
Email: zwalker@dcunited.com

DC United is struggling to find a home

The Vice President of the league asked us to pass this on to our players.  DC United is engaged in a long-running battle to build a stadium.  The latest plan: build it in PG county.  I actually posed a question to team president, Kevin Payne, in a recent online chat session.  I asked him why, specifically, RFK Stadium was so unprofitable.  He answered that there were no luxury suits, places to entertain guests and hold functions, terrible concessions (with, presumably, very low margins), marketing problems, etc.   I think he meant to say there is no hope of generating revenue at an aging facility owned and operated by the District.

From: mdcvsasoccer@yahoogroups.com [mailto:mdcvsasoccer@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of James D. Sadowski
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 10:14 AM
To: mdcvsasoccer@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [mdcvsasoccer] FW: D.C. United needs your support. Act now!

All:

 

I am on travel on just caught up with some emails.

 

For those living in the DC area and others living elsewhere that are DC United or MLS fans, getting a soccer specific stadium for the team is of the utmost importance -- both for the team and for the future growth of the sport -- so please forward this message to your players and to all of your soccer friends. 

 

Remember that we are all in this together.

 

Thanks.

 

Jim Sadowski

MDCVSA President

 

 

---

From: kevin.payne@dcunited.com [mailto:kevin.payne@dcunited.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 1:01 PM
To: James D. Sadowski
Subject: D.C. United needs your support. Act now!

,

We need your help! Several groups who oppose our stadium are bombarding Maryland state and county legislators with e-mails and letters asking them to block our proposed new stadium.

Perhaps the up-beat news conference several weeks ago caused our supporters to think this was a done deal -- but nothing could be further from the truth.

It's time for you to weigh in strongly and let them know of your support for our stadium plans!

It doesn't matter where you live -- if you support us and want to see us in the type of stadium our club and our fans deserve, you need to take action now! If you live in Maryland, let them know, but, regardless, your support will make all the difference.

The most important to contact at this time are the members of the House of Delegates Committee on Budget and Appropriations, which will hold a hearing on our bill next Tuesday, and the Senate Tax and Finance Committee, which will also hold a hearing next week on the bill.

I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this. We have to let the lawmakers know that we want the stadium, and we'll fill it up once it's built. A failure in this effort could have far-reaching effects -- the bottom line is we cannot remain long-term in RFK, and this is the only stadium option, which is available to us now.

Don't take anything for granted. Call or e-mail today, if you care about your team!

Kevin Payne
President, D.C. United

E-mail Maryland lawmakers now!

D.C. United
RFK Stadium
2400 East Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
dcucustomerservice@dcunited.com

This message is for: jds@gdllaw.com

Unsubscribe from D.C. United messages.

Letter to fans

The following open letter was released to fans of the DC United today. Our fans won't be getting such a long letter. Of course, we did a lot better than DC United did in our respective league!

Dear D.C. United Fan,

As the season has come to a close, we want to
share a few decisions and update you, our fans - the very best fans and
supporters in major league sports.

"Win Championships and Serve the
Community" is D.C. United's mission statement. We strive everyday to achieve it.
It does not mean that we will win championships every year, but we will be
disappointed if we don't - and will work that much harder to make sure it
happens the following year. It also means that we will put on the field not only
quality soccer players, but quality human beings, who represent you and us in
the way we want to be represented.

The 2008 season was a disappointment. We
had high hopes entering the season, but success was not achieved to our level of
expectations. We did win the U.S. Open Cup, our 12th trophy, and the night of
the championship game at our home stadium was exciting and a wonderful
environment for the team and our fans.

Except for the U.S. Open Cup, we had
a down year on the field and there are a variety of reasons why we did not
succeed. For some time now, we have looked at those reasons and spoken in depth
with the individuals involved. As a result of that investigation, our historical
success, their past performance and our belief in these individuals, we have
made no changes to our team executives. Kevin Payne, Dave Kasper and Tommy Soehn
will return. There are also no changes anticipated on the business side of the
company.
However, we don't want you to assume that those reasons will be
excuses for our lack of success. Another repeat of last year's performance on
the pitch is not an acceptable outcome. And we don't expect it
again.

Accordingly, we are becoming more active in the overall management of
D.C. United, and have added the title of Co-Executive Chairman for each of us.
While day-to-day management will continue to reside in our executives, all "CEO"
level executive decisions will be made by us. As part of our new role the
business operations and team operations will report directly to us.
The
business reorganization will ensure responsibility, accountability and focus. We
are instituting enhanced management practices and have agreed upon clear
performance metrics and expectations for all of the above named
executives.

Kevin Payne remains president and is directly responsible for the
business operations of D.C. United and as stated above will report directly to
us. Kevin will also assist in the oversight of the team operations, provide his
advice and be part of the decision-making process on player selection and other
aspects of that area of our business. However, the primary responsibility and
accountability will be with General Manager Dave Kasper, who will also report
directly to us. Tommy remains the coach of the team.

We have excellent
executives and, equally important, they are quality people. However, we are in a
very competitive business, and we have high standards for ourselves. Our job is
to ensure we achieve those standards by setting clear expectations and ensuring
that we hold everyone accountable for these agreed upon goals and objectives. If
these are not met to our satisfaction, we will take what ever action is
necessary to achieve those goals.

We want to thank you for your commitment
to the club. Your passion is unmatched.
Going into the future, we intend to
update you regularly to share with you our thoughts on D.C. United and the
decisions that we have made.

Sincerely,Victor MacFarlane and Will
Chang

Goleros men not getting the job done

Check out this photo of Your Captain. He's enjoying himself at the DCU game, surrounded by many of the female members of the team. And this isn't the first time. Last year, there was a similar episode where Carlos and I were the lone wolves.

I hereby call upon the Goleros men to step up and join us more often at social events. The women on the team are carrying all the water. It's enough that they have to do it on the field - but off the field as well?

Of course, I have to mention that Jer and Jon came to the game too. And at the happy hour, we had a few more guys - Liam, Jer, Jon, and Mike.

So there's hope.

The DCU game was excellent. With the 2-1 win over New England, they are now making a late playoff run. If they win next Sunday versus Columbus, and New York loses versus Chicago, I think they can make the playoffs after all. I give it about a 30% chance, which is better than they deserve after this season.

[Photos by Author]

Thanks for your donations!

Thanks everyone, for your donations to our charity program. Today, I released $450 in funds to United for DC (see letter below). The funds were collected during both the spring and fall seasons in 2008.

We had a great participation rate in the fall - more than 65%, which exceeded our goal! Granted, United for DC could probably raise more money with one phone call to a larger donor, but $450 ain't nothing. Since 2007, we've now made $880 in contributions. Next time, we'll break the $1,000 mark, which will be a real accomplishment. What makes the program work is that I already have to collect money from the team - a few extra bucks here and there add up.

Thanks again!

Goleros Soccer Club

http://www.golerosteam.blogspot.com
golerosteam AT gmail.com


September 29, 2008

Ms. Sara Peterson
Program Manager
United for D.C.
c/o RFK Stadium
2400 East Capitol Street S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003

Dear Sara,

On behalf of 25 recreational soccer players and supporters of the DC United organization, we would like to present another modest contribution to United for DC – this one, in the amount of $450.00.

The Goleros are an adult, co-ed, recreational soccer team based in Washington, D.C. (http://www.golerosteam.blogspot.com). Founded in 2000, we play on Sundays in the Capital Coed Soccer League (CCSL – http://theccsl.com). Our team nominated United for DC as a designated charity for which we reserve a portion of our bi-annual dues. We hope to continue making periodic donations to support your organization’s mission of promoting literacy and healthy living for local children.

It continues to be a pleasure to work with you. Thank you for including us on various mail and email correspondence regarding upcoming events. We’re hoping to send a few representatives to the annual awards reception at the end of October; we will let you know.

Best regards,



Pete & Jackie
Captains

cc: Zach Walker, Caithlin Gorman

DCU ticket information

Here are some ongoing offers for tickets....


Dear D.C. United Plan holder:

With the 2008 season winding down, I would like to personally thank each and everyone of you for your support over this year. We truly do have the best fans in MLS and I am very grateful for the pleasure of being able to work with each and everyone of you. With that said, the season isn't quite over yet with a couple big games still yet to come:

CONCACAF Champions League Please don't forget about our remaining two group games in the first ever CONCACAF Champions League (http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/champsleague/index.aspx) that are coming to Washington D.C. this October. D.C. United qualified for this event by winning the 2007 MLS Supporters Shield for having the most regular season points out of any team. We have also qualified for the 2009 Champions League as a result of winning this years Open Cup!

D.C. United has two more home group play games in October: D.C. United vs. Cruz Azul (Mexico) - Wed., Oct. 1 - 8:00pm D.C. United vs. Marathon (Honduras) - Wed., Oct. 29 - 8:00pm Tickets are on sale right now for these games through a 2-Game Group Play Package where you can save up to $5 per game. Make sure to get your tickets now so that you can get the best location possible. Pricing includes both games and is as follows for plan holders:Mezzanine - $110 VIP - $80 Premium - $60 Spectator - $40 We hope you can come and support the Black-and-Red in this important tournament because the winner of this important tournament qualifies for the FIFA World Club Championship where we could face top clubs around the world including the winners of the UEFA Champions league and CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores.To order tickets, please contact Zach Walker (D.C. United - Account Executive) at 202.587.5469 or zwalker@dcunited.com

USA vs. Cuba - 2010 World Cup Qualifier Also don't forget about the all important USA vs. Cuba Men's World Cup Qualifier Match (www.ussoccer.com) that will be held at RFK Stadium on Saturday, October 11th at 7:30pm. This marks the first time that the Men's National team has played in Washington D.C. since 2004. Make sure to come out and support the Red, White and Blue as they try to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa!Tickets for this game are now on sale and as a plan holder you can purchase discounted tickets to this game. Pricing is as follows:Club - $95 Mezzanine - $75 VIP - $50 Premium - $38 Spectator - $28 To order tickets, please contact Zach Walker (D.C. United - Account Executive) at 202.587.5469 or zwalker@dcunited.com

2009 D.C. United Season Ticket Renewal As the 2008 season is coming to a close, we start to turn some of our focus towards next season. D.C. United plan holders are able to renew their seats right now by placing a small deposit which can guarantee their same seat location as well as lock in their 2008 pricing. The following renewal timeline has been set:October 24 - "Early Bird Discount Deadline" to place deposit to guarantee 2008 pricing for the 2009 SeasonNovember 21 - "Seat Drop Deadline" to place deposit to guarantee same seat location from 2008 for the 2009 Season.December 1 - "Seat Relocation/Allocation" process begins for change seat requests as well as new seat requests for 2009 Season.January 31 - "Late Renewal Period Deadline" to renew your seats and guarantee that you receive the 2009 Plan holder gift item.March 1, 2009 - Season Ticket Booklets start to be shipped out to plan holders.

We are also happy to announce our new D.C. United Referral Program. Do you have any friends/family/colleagues who enjoy coming out to D.C. United games? Well here is your chance to capitalize on their interest. For any new 2009 season ticket package that is purchased (Full, Half or Flex Plans) as a result of a referral from an existing plan holder, both that existing plan holder and the new plan holder will receive a FREE D.C. United Tailgate Chair.

A little history

This fifa.com article lays out DCU's history in brief. Enjoy.

Stadium debate continues

In a recent post, I discussed the fact that DC United does not operate at a profit, allegedly because they don't have their own stadium. The stadium debate is a big deal for DCU. DCU wants to stay in the District, but city officials are lukewarm on the idea of putting up cash for a stadium. Prince Georges County is making a bid to build the stadium, but DCU's fan base is lukewarm on that idea. What will happen? Who knows. Here's a good blog entry on the issue - for those who like details:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2008/09/will_fenty_let_prince_georges.html

Tickets going fast...sort of

Thanks to a surplus of season tickets in my account, and Leslie's, we have 20 tickets to the Oct. 16th DC United game versus the New England Revolution (7:30 p.m.).  

Yes, they're free to you.  About 10 of them have been claimed.  Still have some available.  Let me know by email!

We're going to have a happy hour before hand - Cap Lounge probably.

Save the date

Please save the date for a possible social outing to the DC United game on Thursday, Oct. 16th versus the New England Revolution. I hope to be able to obtain a bunch of free tickets...

DCU operates at a loss

Interested in the business side of Major League Soccer? It's a very complicated business organization with centralized ownership, management, and control. Perhaps I'll do a legal and business analysis of it later on this blog on the off chance that you care - in my field of competition law, it's an interesting case study.

Oh, you're still awake. Let me get to the point. While the league used to go to great pains to maintain parity in salaries and financial performance among players and teams, the business is now maturing and some disparities are occuring that have been the undoing of previous leagues. Some clubs face immediate challenges. Like most professional sports, teams can more easily turn a profit if they control revenues from their venues.

DCU does not control its venue, and consequently continues to post an operating loss of approximately -$3M annually, according to Forbes. The value of the club still rests at $35M, which I'm guessing is approximately 3x the initial investment in 1996. Outlook: good, but with risk.

Read about MLS franchise values here: http://www.forbes.com/sportsbusiness/2008/09/09/mls-soccer-beckham-biz-sports-cz_kb_0909mlsvalues.html

Local soccer team beats opponent 4-1

In a much anticipated game played in Washington DC, a local soccer team defeated their rivals by a score of 4-1.  The losing team is disappointed but still a champion.

No, I'm not talking about the DC United, who beat the LA Galaxy 4-1 at RFK on Sunday.  I'm talking about the Goleros, who were beaten 4-1 by Flirting with Sobriety at Wakefield HS.  

Buzz kill.  Our streak of 14 games without a loss is now over!  We're also 0-2 in championship matches.  But all is not lost.  We remain the winners of the regular season, a grueling campaign of 8 matches.  We are first to be considered for promotion.  We can start the fall season with a chip on our shoulder.

Given the heat and our modest numbers, we played well.  At the half, we were down 1-0 due to a well-placed shot by one of the Flirty women.  In the second half, there was a good chunk of time when we controlled the match, even though we never utilized the wings.  In the end, however, we lost our defensive form and yielded breakaway after breakaway.  The Flirts were able to sink 3 more goals by cruising through the midfield and defense, and beating the last man.  We had committed numbers up the field to try to win.  In the 88', we did finally sink a goal when Anna's free kick from the corner rebounded several times before Ermy buried it.  But it was too late.

Thanks to Anna, Ashley, and Ermy who joined us as alternates.  You were all critical to the match.

Good game, everyone.

Notes: 4-1 loss to Flirting with Sobriety in CCSL finals, 6/29/08, Wakefield HS.  Goal: Ermy (unassisted). GK: Liam.  Discipline: Ashley (yellow).

Mark it on your calendar: soccer Sunday!

Get ready.  Soccer is going to rule your life this Sunday.  It's a rare triple-header:

* 12:00 p.m. DC United vs. LA Galaxy at RFK Stadium

* 2:45 p.m. Euro 2008 final

* The CCSL finals (no word on our game time yet - let's hope it's early evening so we can see all the games).