Why MLS Should Thank Marsch for Drafting Brian Ching


The selection by Montréal Impact of Houston’s Brian Ching has raised controversy across the league. Prior to the draft, Ching had publicly stated he didn’t want to play in Montréal and would retire if drafted. With that floating around the MLS airwaves, Dominic Kinnear elected to protect eleven other players.

If you protect eleven others, and then have one player issuing ultimatums and threats about retiring if drafted, what you are in fact trying to do is protect twelve players.

They protected eleven and put Ching in the position of stamping his feet like a sulky child, hoping Marsch would take the easy route. Marsch called their bluff. The entire league owes him a thank you.

Had Kinnear got away with it, it would have started a trend. That trend would have consisted of players’ agents releasing petulant and contemptuous statements about expansion clubs in the weeks leading up to the draft.

That would have undermined the Expansion Draft system entirely.

http://www.prostamerika.com/2011/11/25/impact-selection-of-ching-stops-dangerous-precedent-53078/

I think MLS will thank Joey the Rat for his $40,000,000 (US) fee and send him a receipt, but that's most likely about it...