Top Five Most Underpaid Players in MLS

  by Sean Heffernan

Although in recent years Major League Soccer has signed a few international stars to multi-million dollar deals, many players in the league are paid less than a lot of college graduates make their first year out of school. To make matters worse some of MLS’s best players are also some of the lowest paid. In America, where we’re so accustom to overpaid professional athletes, it’s both endearing and disturbing to recognize these five soccer players who don’t play for expensive shoe contracts or million dollar signing bonuses, but excel on the field nonetheless. So the Top Five are...

5. Jeff Larentowicz (New England Revolution)

            2009 Salary: $34,650

Jeff Larentowicz has been with the Revs since 2005 and has developed into solid professional alongside Sharlie Joseph in the midfield. The red headed footballer showed his merit in 2006 when he stepped in when a number of players were out hurt, and in 2007 he became a regular starter for manager Stevie Nichol. Larentowicz has been one of the Revolution’s most consistent players the past three seasons and management should reward the 26-year-old with a respectable contract. There’s no reason Larentowicz should be paid less than most rookies in the league when he is one MLS’s best midfielders.

4. Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo)

2009 Salary: $34,650

The second year man out of Rhode Island has been a reliable force in both the midfield as well as the back line for the Houston Dynamo. Houston has the best record in MLS with Cameron playing more minutes this season than anyone on the team. The versatile Cameron was a finalist for the rookie of the year award in 2008 after garnering consistent playing time half way through his first season in Houston. Cameron was an All Star in 2009 and has 1 goal and 3 assists so far on the campaign. The 24-year-old isn’t a big star in MLS, but with his solid, hardnosed play for the league’s elite team he deserves a raise.

3. Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)

2009 Salary: $55,000

The 34-year-old keeper has been a big key to Chivas USA’s success in MLS this year. Thornton was a stalwart in goal for the Chicago Fire for 8 seasons before he spent some time in Portugal. When Thornton returned to the Fire he lost his job and bounced around the MLS for a few years before finding a starting job in Los Angeles. Thornton’s cagey play in net earned him a spot as Kasey Keller’s back up in the All Star Game.

The hulking 6 ft 3, 230 pound Thornton is playing as well as any keeper in MLS this year, but is paid much less than a number of goalies who are struggling this season such as John Conway (New York Red Bulls, $123, 625) and Dario Sala (FC Dallas, $158,125). After a great start to the season (much due to Thornton’s play), Chivas USA is now battling for one of the final playoff spots. Having a quality keeper in Thornton might just be enough to push Chivas USA into the playoffs when the season ends.

 2. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle Sounders)

2009 Salary: $ 37, 000

Sigi Schmid and the Seattle Sounders did a masterful job swooping up Columbians Freddy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. While Montero (the leading scorer in Columbia in ’08) signed with Seattle for $155,000, Hurtado was signed for very little even by MLS standards. The 25-year-old defender had been looked at by the likes of Arsenal and AC Milan so when the Sounders had the opportunity to sign Hurtado they jumped at the chance.

Anchoring the expansion team’s defensive backline this year, Hurtado earned himself a place among the league’s best paid players in the 2009 MLS All Star Game. His wife Daysury gave birth this year to their first child so I would hope that this time next year he is getting paid quite a bit more.

1.      Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo)

2009 Salary: $34,728

Prior to the 2009 MLS season many were skeptical about Holden being able to fill the hole in the Houston Dynamo's midfield left by the departure of Dwayne DeRosario, but the 24-year-old has silenced those critics by having a breakout season for both club and country. Holden was likely the U.S.'s best player during the Gold Cup and was even a substitute in Azteca in the World Cup Qualifier against Mexico earlier this month. Despite all this, the former Sunderland prospect is severely underpaid by the Dynamo. I imagine that Holden makes some money from appearances and commercials, but it can't be a lot.

It’s a shame for the league and US Soccer that Holden, probably MLS’s brightest young star, is paid so poorly. If the league wants to be respected on the world stage the first thing that needs to change is the underpaying of some of the league’s better players as is apparent with Holden.

Good news is that Holden's contract is up at the end of the season. One would think Holden could make a lot more money playing overseas, but may not want to leave his hometown of Houston. With the World Cup kicking off next summer Holden is in contention to make the US roster. It’s important that Holden is playing regularly and not riding the pine somewhere in Europe if he wants to go to South Africa. However, if Holden can find a club overseas where he can break into the starting eleven quickly then he can even increase his chances of being selected by Bob Bradley for the World Cup roster.