The lasting regret of poor MLS personnel decisions

In Major League Soccer, pricey Designated Players may giveth – but they can damn sure taketh away.

Just ask D.C. United, who remind us today how these big decisions to pay major money and devote a reasonable portion of the tight salary cap need to be right. Otherwise, the price isn’t just in one year’s worth of flagging production.

The beatings go one from there.

The Washington Post’s Soccer Insider (some know him as Steven Goff) says D.C. United, a club now undergoing major front office renovation, no longer has DP striker Hamdi Salihi in its plans. That is hardly a shocker considering D.C. United got a not-so-whopping six goals and no assists for its big investment in the Albanian striker.

In the playoffs, with the season on the line in D.C. United’s return leg against Houston, with “goals” listed as a priority, the team’s DP striker didn’t start.

Problem is, with a year still guaranteed on Salihi’s deal, cutting ties at this point leaves United in a big ol’ hole one way or another. Goff explains the collection of lesser attractive options in the link.

Portland has the same issue with Kris Boyd, the unproductive Scottish striker who has a guaranteed year remaining on his contract at Portland.