MLS Allocation Order: With D.C. United Next In Line, Who Might We Get?
by Martin Shatzer on Jan 22, 2025 9:26 PM EST
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PrintAnother one of the nice things about finishing last in the league is that you earn a high ranking on the MLS Allocation List. The MLS Allocation system allows for the lowest ranked teams to have the opportunity to sign U.S. National Team players who wish to return to MLS. For D.C. United, their unfortunate luck means that they started this season third in the Allocation rankings behind the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers.
But since both expansion clubs have now selected someone via the Allocation system, United is now at the top of the list., and must already be excited with thoughts of which Yanks Abroad might be returning home soon. Yes, its possible that the forward signing we've all been waiting for might not be a foreign player afterall.
The Allocation system hasn't gone so well for United the past few years. After missing out on Kasey Keller and Bobby Convey in 2009, United wound up with Danny Szetela, who started exactly one match with the team, and is currently out of the game. Last year, United traded up in the Allocation order to select Troy Perkins. You all know how that story goes. Neither of United's last two Allocation selections lasted with the club for a full calendar year.
Will the same hold true this year? United has already missed out on two players expected to be huge contributors for their respective clubs in Jay DeMerit (Vancouver) and Kenny Cooper (Portland). Can you imagine how great we'd be feeling right now if there was only one expansion team this year and we had Cooper already inked?
No time to think about What Ifs though. Here's a look at a few Americans playing overseas who may wish to return home this year, and could therefore be the next member of D.C. United.
DaMarcus Beasley - The 28-year old midfielder scored two goals in six starts for Rangers of the Scottish Premier League last season, but has made just four appearances off the bench for Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga this season. Beasley might not be ready to return to the States yet, and wouldn't be the preferred player for United since he plays one of the few positions where we're already stacked.
Charlie Davies - The promising 24-year old striker has yet to play a first team match with Sochaux of Ligue 1 yet this season. I might be grasping at straws here, but I could see a situation in which Davies, still struggling to fully recover from the injuries suffered in a car accident in October 2009, decides to come home to MLS. Just please Charlie, stay off the GW Parkway.
Benny Feilhaber - After failing to make any impact with Hamburger SV or Derby County earlier in his career, Feilhaber finally excelled in 21 starts with AGF Aarhus last season, also scoring a hat trick in the Danish Cup last September. Unfortunately for Feilhaber, Aarhus was relegated last season, and could look to move some of its more talented players.
Brad Friedel or Marcus Hahnemann- Here are two veteran goalkeepers who may decide to finish their careers in MLS. Friedel is 39 and remains the unquestioned starter at Aston Villa. Hahnemann is 38 and has been splitting time in goal this season at Wolverhampton with Wayne Hennessey.
Eddie Johnson - Of all the USMNT players who could potentially sign with MLS this season, Johnson might be the player United fans might most prefer. He's only 26 and has had his share of ups and downs in his career, but Johnson could dominate MLS and be the 10-goal scorer we've all been looking for. Johnson scored three goals in two starts when on loan to Aris Saloniki in Greece last season, but has only started one game for Fulham (10 total appearances) this season.
And for those interested, the current Allocation List for 2011, following the DeMerit and Cooper deals, is as follows:
1. D.C. United
2. Chivas USA
3. Philadelphia Union
4. New England Revolution
5. Houston Dynamo
6. Toronto FC
7. Chicago Fire
8. Sporting Kansas City
9. Seattle Sounders FC
10. Columbus Crew
11. New York Red Bulls
12. Real Salt Lake
13. San Jose Earthquakes
14. Los Angeles Galaxy
15. FC Dallas
16. Colorado Rapids
17. Vancouver Whitecaps
18. Portland Timbers
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My preferences
In order:
Charlie Davies (I think hes learned his lesson, women round here are crazy)
Benny Feilhaber
Eddie Johnson
by DonCaps819 on Jan 22, 2025 9:30 PM EST reply actions
Don’t toy with me by saying “Charlie Davies”
by spidergoose on Jan 22, 2025 9:34 PM EST reply actions
One more name to ponder
You didn’t even mention one likely name… Once Freddy gets cut by some third division Turkish team, will he come back the the US… remember he’s the same age as the other draft picks
Recognize he’s not Olsen’s Army material but would we pass on him? Either Shatz or Chest has written me in the past that we wouldn’t likely take him but imagine his creativity coming off the bench. Imagine him finally hitting his potential and growing up. Plus he would win the Benny award for most newsworthy if nothing else.
I’d take EJ but doubt he would come. Don’t see CD9 coming back yet. Feilhaber would seem to be the best bet, would be a good addition.
Could it happen that there wouldn’t be any more allocations? Has to be somebody right?
by Irrlicht on Jan 22, 2025 9:40 PM EST reply actions
Adu = High risk
There’s the chance that Freddy finally truly begins to work at the flaws in his game and gets better to the point that he can be started. With his skill on the ball, he would then be one of the best playmakers in MLS.
However, he’s had every opportunity to do that, and under some very good coaches to boot. His coach at Aris was Hector Cuper, who has been to the Champions League final twice. There is little reason to believe that he’s going to make that breakthrough any time soon, and coming back to MLS with his tail between his legs would only exacerbate the issues he’s had with focus, discipline. Of course, it might also finally be the thing that humbles him enough to get him focused on the business of learning how to make it as a pro.
It would be a huge gamble. I’m not sure how I’d feel about it, honestly, since Adu has played so little over the past few years. The odds would be against him becoming a great success, but not so strongly that you’d just dismiss him without considering it.
by ChestRockwell on Jan 22, 2025 9:54 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Strikers and defenders are what we need
Feilhaber seems likely to end up in Mexico, which will be a good fit for him.
Davies probably isn’t headed back to the US any time soon, but a player of his quality would make us a threat to do something right now, defensive issues and all. Can you imagine MLS defenses trying to deal with him and Najar at the same time?
I have my doubts about EJ’s desire to come home, because he seems perfectly content with how his career is going. When his contract at Fulham expires, I fully expect him to look for employment in the Championship, or Scotland, or at one of Europe’s mid-major leagues (Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Portugal, Turkey), or in Scandinavia. I think MLS is not even in his top 10 most likely leagues to be in.
That said, if he did for whatever reason decide to return, it could go very well for us. The trick with Johnson is which version of him you get. Even in his last season in MLS, he scored 12 of his 15 goals for KC over the first 11 games of the 2007 season. No one is more streaky than Johnson, even though with his gifts as a player, he should be able to find a starting job at a good level of play while fighting for a starting position with the national team. He’s just not very focused, and I’d have worries about whether he’d be consistent for us. Still, with how good he can be, I would say we would have to sign him up if he became available.
With the other potential MLS returnees, I’d really consider trading our allocation spot with whichever team is most interested. Friedel and Hahnemann are guys you sign if you’re in “win now” mode, and we aren’t. Beasley plays a position we don’t need to fill. In both cases, we could get a lot out of the team that wants to claim one of those players, and we might not even have to move that far back in the allocation process.
We could also just elect to pass and wait for the right US player to return, instead of following our recent pattern of just grabbing for whoever happens to be available. If good trades aren’t available for us, this would at least keep us at the top of the list.
by ChestRockwell on Jan 22, 2025 9:46 PM EST reply actions
I would absolutely lose my shit if we got Charlie Davies
But for his sake, he needs to stay in Europe.
by Brendanukkah on Jan 23, 2025 12:18 AM EST reply actions
If anyone it sounds like...
Eddie Johnson. No need for goalkeepers. Adu is lost. Feilhaber would be ideal but it doesn’t look like a MLS deal is coming with his talks with Brazilian clubs. We’ve got plenty of good wingers so Beasley is eliminated.
EJ fits the gap in DCU’s roster. If we got EJ, I think we would be a playoff ready team.
by Zach J on Jan 23, 2025 12:25 AM EST reply actions
Oh and Davies returning to MLS is pretty unlikely in my eyes.
by Zach J on Jan 23, 2025 12:28 AM EST up reply actions
The Davies Aura
The Charlie Davies aura still exists, but this ain’t your mid-2009 version of Charlie Davies. That car accident really set him back, understandably, and I’m half convinced he’ll never be the same player. I do hope I’m wrong, but given the severity of the accident we should just be happy he is on the field again. Maybe DCU would be a nice place for him to get back his form, but 1) I doubt he wants to play in MLS, and 2) his contract demands would be too high for what we could reasonably expect from him. I’m pulling for Davies, but he’s got a long haul to get his career back on track. Last I heard he was just starting to get time with the Sochaux reserve team.
Of all the options Eddie Johnson would be best. Although, I have reservations about his focus (or lack thereof). I think we take the chance if hes available, but I agree that I don’t think he wants to come back. A second-tier league in Europe seems a more likely destination for him.
by madavis on Jan 23, 2025 4:27 PM EST reply actions
Follow Up
Actually, I see that in December Davies was actually placed on the game day roster for the Sochaux first team. (I can never follow Ligue 1 very well). Good. Maybe he’s on his way to proving me wrong. That would be most excellent.
by madavis on Jan 23, 2025 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
I've daydreamed about getting a Davied #9 DCU jersey...
But it ain’t gonna happen. And it shouldn’t - if he can get anything like his old form back, he should be in Europe. I really hope he does.
That start last month is more about his attitude and effort than actual results of his recovery. The coach said he was looking to reward Charlie for working so hard (which is a great thing to hear, at least), but he never really considered putting him on the field at any point of the game.
by The AMT on Jan 23, 2025 6:47 PM EST up reply actions
That was bull, doesn’t Sochaux’s manager know we Americans go apeshit when Davies was included in the squad then for him to say “just kiddin! wasnt gonna use him anyway!” was a load.
Of course i’m being tongue in cheek with that.
by DonCaps819 on Jan 23, 2025 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
Davies vs Adu
I find it kind of funny that we’re discussing Charlies Davies and Freddy Adu in the same topic. The differences in attitude couldn’t be greater. If Adu had Davies’ work ethic, he might be playing for one of the top clubs in the world right now.
Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.
by Martin Shatzer on Jan 24, 2025 10:55 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
No Comparison
Well, I don’t think anyone is comparing Davies to Adu. That’d be crazy talk. I like to forget the whole Adu thing if possible.
by madavis on Jan 24, 2025 11:29 AM EST up reply actions
Onyewu!
We need defenders. So why not bring a local guy home to anchor our back line for years to come. Onyewu’s career in Europe is going in reverse. Let’s go get him!
by Didier Thys on Jan 24, 2025 11:05 AM EST reply actions
Nice on paper but he just signed a loan deal with Twente
"Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw." -Ron Atkinson
I finally gave in and got a Twitter. Follow me @sami426
by sami426 on Jan 24, 2025 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
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