Mattocks to join MLS

[Assasin]

Mattocks to join the MLS


Darren Mattocks.
Darren Mattocks, a former Jamaica under-20 player, is set to start his professional career in the United States Major League Soccer (MLS) next season.

Mattocks, 21, who had offers from clubs in Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and Brazil has chosen the US MLS.

The former Bridgeport High School and Waterhouse FC striker, who had two years remaining at the University of Akron, has signed a contract with Generation Adidas and will enter the 2012 MLS super draft set for January 12 in Kansas City.

Mattocks, who scored 39 goals in 47 matches over two years for Akron, says the five year deal, could see him playing for expansion franchise Montreal Impact.

Mattocks, who also helped Akron win the NCAA Division One title in 2010, believes his game has improved dramatically under his college coach Caleb Porter.

The Jamaican is scheduled to leave Jamaica on January 5, for the 2012 MLS player combine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from the 6th to the 10th.

[Sickko]

That move makes no sense and I really wonder now if there were really any offers coming for Europe or just hype by him and his handlers

[Assasin]

you have any idea about the money and the contracts? If you also know that his agent has placed players mostly in the MLS.

I have seen sportwriters at ESPN and other place listed 1 team in Norway, 1 Sweden and 1 in Denmark where they said he had offers from.

[Me]

Why does it make no sense?

[Assasin]

this is why it makes sense

December 20, 2011
Mattocks Signs Generation adidas Contract, Will Enter 2012 MLS Draft

AKRON, Ohio – University of Akron striker Darren Mattocks has signed a contract with Generation adidas and will enter the 2012 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, the MLS announced Tuesday.

Mattocks, who scored 39 goals in 47 career matches as a Zip, will forgo his final two years of eligibility at UA to turn professional. According to Soccer by Ives, the Jamaican native could be taken with one of the top two picks of the draft.

"We are extremely happy for Darren," said UA head coach Caleb Porter. "He has proven over the last two years that he can produce goals at the highest levels of college soccer. Now he will have the opportunity to showcase his talents in MLS as a Generation adidas player."

When Mattocks is drafted into MLS, he will join a long list of former UA players currently competing in the league. As it stands now, Akron has 13 players on a MLS roster after setting a league record with seven draftees a year ago. All 13 standouts played for and were developed by Porter, who is currently serving in a dual role as the head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team.

"The Generation adidas contract always gives young professionals the best platform to make a jump," Porter added. "Not only will he have stability in the form of guaranteed years and compensation, but also the academic security to be able to finish his degree when the time is right. Darren is clearly ready for the next step in his career and I know he will do very well. We wish him all the best and will look forward to watching him blossom for many years to come."

It is the fourth consecutive season an Akron player has signed one of the coveted Generation adidas contracts. Steve Zakuani was the first to do it in 2008, teammates Teal Bunbury and Blair Gavin followed in 2009, and five underclassmen from the Zips' National Championship team – including Perry Kitchen, Darlington Nagbe, Michael Nanchoff, Kofi Sarkodie and Zarek Valentin – did the same in 2010.

The 2012 MLS SuperDraft, which will be broadcast live on ESPN2, will be held on Jan. 12 at Noon (ET) in Kansas City, Mo. The 19 MLS clubs will select a total of 38 players.

The expansion franchise Montreal Impact, who already owns the rights to a trio of Zips' standouts, including Evan Bush, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Valentin, has the No. 1 in the draft. The Vancouver Whitecaps, who drafted Nanchoff No. 8 overall as an expansion franchise in 2011, own the No. 2 pick this year.

As a Generation adidas signee, Mattocks will be invited to participate in the 2012 MLS Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., from Jan. 6-10 in anticipation of the draft. There, he will be joined by Akron senior Luke Holmes, who received an invitation to the showcase earlier this month.

Mattocks was a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy and was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year this fall after netting 21 goals, which was the third-highest single-season total in school history, in 22 matches. The striker, who was the second-highest scoring freshman in the country in 2010, leaves the University after scoring 39 goals in 47 matches during his two-year career.

Mattocks is the fourth UA sophomore to enter the draft in as many seasons, following Zakuani, Bunbury and Valentin. Kitchen, who played one season at Akron, was the youngest to enter the draft in 2010.

Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry (without college graduation) of American players into MLS. Entering into the program automatically classifies a player as professional and thus, disqualifies them from playing college soccer. As a result, Generation adidas players are also guaranteed scholarships to continue their college education should their professional career not pan out.

UA Players Currently in MLS
Anthony Ampaipitakwong, San Jose Quakes
Teal Bunbury, Sporting KC
Evan Bush, Montreal Impact
Blair Gavin, Chivas USA
Perry Kitchen, DC United
Chris Korb, DC United
Darlington Nagbe, Portland Timbers
Michael Nanchoff, Vancouver Whitecaps
Kofi Sarkodie, Houston Dynamo
Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Montreal Impact
Zarek Valentin, Montreal Impact
Steve Zakuani, Seattle Sounders
Ben Zemanski, Chivas USA

[Sickko]

Makes no sense to me in that based on what he was saying all along, MLS would have been the lesser of the choices and he would have preferred to go overseas than to play in the MLS.

I am ignoring Assassin's idiotic response by the way, money will be there for him where ever he goes but if it means that the MLS money was the best maybe his handlers overrated his stocks so soon coming out of college

[Assasin]

you can continue to chat fart. The fact is you don't know what contract he had. Mattocks said he had 5 contracts and he was considering them all. At no stage did he say he was going overseas.

It make no sense to you because you fail to understand the basics of negociation and what people look forward to. Yes the returning to college is a sweetener, asked Wolde Harris and Damani Ralph who's careers were cut short.

[Me]

If MLS stepped up there offer then it might make sense that he signs with them and it might be more beneficial than the other offers. Shelton and Khari were making around $250,000 at 50% income tax. Darlington Ngabe, who signed a similar contract (Generation Adidas) to Mattocks last year, is guaranteed $200,000 at a much lower tax rate and he has the funds set aside for finishing College. Will have to see what kind of offer the made to Mattocks. I am sure the interest from Brazil is from a low level team, which pays less than that.

[Assasin]

You realise Ngabe and most if not all the players from Akron have the same agent??? Something to consider.

[Karl]

If MLS stepped up there offer then it might make sense that he signs with them and it might be more beneficial than the other offers. Shelton and Khari were making around $250,000 at 50% income tax. Darlington Ngabe, who signed a similar contract (Generation Adidas) to Mattocks last year, is guaranteed $200,000 at a much lower tax rate and he has the funds set aside for finishing College. Will have to see what kind of offer the made to Mattocks. I am sure the interest from Brazil is from a low level team, which pays less than that.

50% tax rate?
...does not seem correct?

Proposed 2012 Tax Rates & Tax Brackets


Read more: http://www.mydollarplan.com/tax-brackets/#ixzz1hT2PIqgn


---- Irs ===
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxatio..._United_States


---- IRS ===

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/index.html

[Sickko]

So we are agreeing then, MLS offered more take home money at a decent level of football as none of the European or South American clubs would offer that.

MLS need to choose good young players from their own college systems and to feed an 'ethnic' market as Americans don't really follow soccer like they do the other four major league sports of NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL

[Me]

Karl. I am referring to the Norwegian tax rate (Shelton and Khari use to play there), not the US.

[Zeppo]

Five underclassmen land GA contracts

MLS confirmed the signing of five college underclassmen to the 2012 Generation adidas class.

Jamaican Darren Mattocks of Akron, Duke's Andrew Wenger, UC Santa Barbara's Sam Garza and the UCLA duo of Kelyn Rowe and Chandler Hoffman are all expected to be taken early in the SuperDraft, which will be held Jan. 12 in Kansas City (TV: ESPN2, TSN2, RDS2, live, 12 p.m.).

MLS also inked four seniors -- Tony Cascio (Connecticut), Nick DeLeon (Louisville), Luis Silva (UC Santa Barbara) and Casey Townsend (Maryland) -- making all nine signings attacking players.

(continue)

[Zeppo]

Mattocks at the MLS Combine:

http://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/...win-over-prime

[Karl]

Sass: Your boy seems 'grounded'

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports6.html