Loans, Semantics and the NASL

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 | View Comments

Image Courtesy NASL.com


by Adam Soucie - Captain Positive


It is a commonly forgotten reality that sports teams are businesses. The theses in Soccernomics aside, the goal of any professional sports team is to make money. Traditionally, owners make money by building the value of a franchise over time and then selling it. During that time period, the team usually loses money (or makes very little). It is the basic concept of investing. You have to spend money to make money. Soccer is no different. Until now.


It seems that some NASL teams have found a new business model. Leading the charge is Traffic Sports Football Management, owners of NASL club Miami FC and co-architects of the new NASL itself. Traffic is a fitting name for this movement’s leaders for a simple, albeit cryptic, reason. With the way they are handling recent player loans, Miami FC, Crystal Palace Baltimore, and Whitecaps FC of Vancouver are participating in human trafficking.


Before you label me Sepp 2.0, understand that I’m not implying ANY mistreatment of these players or claiming they are being forced against their will here. I have no doubt the players in question are well aware of the clubs’ intentions and are the reason they entered the deals to begin with. In every case except one (Bryan Arguez), the players in question are under the age of 18 or have just turned 18. Because FIFA does not allow players under the age of 18 to sign multi-year contracts with a club outside of their own country (or their country of residence, to be more specific). FIFA rules practically necessitate a middle man. At the very least, they create the market for this kind of business.


For Part I of this story I’m going to focus on the player that inspired me to write this piece in the first place: former US U-17 midfielder Korey Veeder. It was announced yesterday by the NASL, and was the lead story on the league’s site no less, that Veeder was signed by Crystal Palace Baltimore. At first glance, the headline sounds like a great thing for the NASL. Once you begin reading the press release, the veil is lifted.


As I understand it, Veeder will never suit up for Crystal Palace Baltimore. He will train with the team, or at least will train in the same city, but he is due to be sent over in several weeks. Specifically, he will be joining the team’s parent team in the England’s Coca-Cola Championship League, Crystal Palace. After training with Palace, he is due to be loaned out. A borrower has yet to be found.


None of these seems sinister, and in no way am I saying it is. What bothers me is that the NASL is trumpeting Veeder’s signing. He has nothing to do with the NASL at all. Palace has been after Veeder for two years. They admit as much in the press release. FIFA regulations and EU/Great Britain laws are the only reason Veeder isn’t playing for Palace right now. The question remains, what does this have to do with the NASL?


Veeder’s situation is ultimately vanilla. His story only scratches the surface of this problem. Next I’ll take a look at the journey of Bryan Arguez and examine how he went from the 11th overall pick of the 2007 MLS Superdraft to loan fodder for Traffic Sports.


Cross-posted to Captain Positive
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