MLS Front-Office Efficiency in the Designated Player era
Categories: Front-Office Efficiency
Four years ago I wrote a post on inflation-adjusted front-office efficiencies in Major League Soccer. Looking back at the post, I was moving in the right direction with the analysis, but I believe that it’s better to compare seasonal performances instead of averages. In this post I present data for standardized front-office efficiency in the Designated Player era — 2007 to present.
In this analysis, standardized front-office efficiency is another word for standardized win cost, which was introduced by Prof Bill Gerrard in a 2010 paper that he wrote on financial benchmarking of English Premier League teams. (I will review Bill’s paper in a future Paper Discussion post.) I wrote about standardized win cost in my post that explained the latest version of the Front-Office Efficiency metric; basically, it expresses inflation-adjusted cost relative to the average cost in a baseline year. If the average baseline cost is set to 100, we can state standardized win cost in terms of percent differences of efficiency.
For the Major League Soccer analysis the base year is set to 2007, which also happens to be the start of the Designated Player era. It’s probably just as well because public salary data is extremely difficult to find in the years before 2007. The results of the analysis are presented in the table below. Payroll and costs are expressed in nominal US dollars (e.g. payroll for 2008 San Jose Earthquakes are in 2008 dollars), points and points per game are self-explanatory, player utilization is expressed in percent, and standard win cost is non-dimensional.
There are successful and unsuccessful teams throughout the list, but teams that end up at the low-cost end of the list are sides that make the MLS Cup Playoffs (the team with the lowest standard efficiency that did not make the playoffs was Chicago Fire in 2011). There are a couple of Supporters’ Shield winners and MLS Cup finalists among that group; there are Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup finalists at the other end of the standard efficiency list, but a lot more non-playoff sides as well.
There is a ton more content that can be generated from these data, but for now, here are the data for your slicing and dicing pleasure.
| Year | Team | Available Payroll | Points | PPG | Utilization | Payroll Cost/PPG | Payroll Cost/Point | Std Win Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | San Jose Earthquakes | $2,913,930.75 | 66 | 1.941 | 47.9% | $718,884.38 | $21,143.66 | 38.187 |
| 2013 | New England Revolution | $2,897,745.13 | 51 | 1.500 | 39.0% | $753,993.28 | $22,176.27 | 41.217 |
| 2012 | Sporting Kansas City | $2,910,178.43 | 63 | 1.853 | 51.9% | $815,755.35 | $23,992.80 | 43.333 |
| 2008 | Columbus Crew | $2,030,832.31 | 57 | 1.900 | 54.6% | $583,062.64 | $19,435.42 | 43.716 |
| 2010 | Real Salt Lake | $2,259,109.62 | 56 | 1.867 | 58.3% | $705,326.30 | $23,510.88 | 44.939 |
| 2014 | FC Dallas | $4,001,567.76 | 54 | 1.588 | 42.6% | $1,072,049.64 | $31,530.87 | 45.481 |
| 2010 | FC Dallas | $2,454,590.00 | 50 | 1.667 | 48.8% | $718,262.13 | $23,942.07 | 45.763 |
| 2014 | D.C. United | $3,492,330.82 | 59 | 1.735 | 53.7% | $1,080,728.41 | $31,786.13 | 45.849 |
| 2011 | FC Dallas | $2,879,952.24 | 52 | 1.529 | 42.4% | $798,223.07 | $23,477.15 | 46.300 |
| 2012 | Columbus Crew | $2,949,068.29 | 52 | 1.529 | 45.5% | $877,540.64 | $25,810.02 | 46.615 |
| 2009 | Chivas USA | $2,277,468.18 | 45 | 1.500 | 40.4% | $613,094.43 | $20,436.48 | 47.083 |
| 2008 | Chivas USA | $2,109,970.52 | 43 | 1.433 | 43.0% | $633,285.57 | $21,109.52 | 47.482 |
| 2010 | Columbus Crew | $2,325,961.50 | 50 | 1.667 | 54.0% | $753,053.30 | $25,101.78 | 47.980 |
| 2013 | Colorado Rapids | $3,045,777.23 | 51 | 1.500 | 43.7% | $887,742.54 | $26,110.07 | 48.528 |
| 2014 | Columbus Crew | $2,986,916.26 | 52 | 1.529 | 59.0% | $1,152,065.09 | $33,884.27 | 48.876 |
| 2012 | Houston Dynamo | $2,748,237.44 | 53 | 1.559 | 52.3% | $921,530.68 | $27,103.84 | 48.952 |
| 2010 | San Jose Earthquakes | $2,381,681.75 | 46 | 1.533 | 49.9% | $775,082.08 | $25,836.07 | 49.384 |
| 2012 | Chicago Fire | $3,187,153.26 | 57 | 1.676 | 49.0% | $931,923.61 | $27,409.52 | 49.504 |
| 2014 | Sporting Kansas City | $3,312,332.85 | 49 | 1.441 | 51.3% | $1,179,514.97 | $34,691.62 | 50.040 |
| 2007 | Chivas USA | $1,827,041.30 | 53 | 1.767 | 56.5% | $584,205.07 | $19,473.50 | 50.070 |
| 2014 | Real Salt Lake | $3,597,680.76 | 56 | 1.647 | 55.3% | $1,207,484.45 | $35,514.25 | 51.227 |
| 2012 | D.C. United | $3,331,675.54 | 58 | 1.706 | 50.0% | $976,525.59 | $28,721.34 | 51.873 |
| 2011 | Seattle Sounders FC | $2,977,266.27 | 63 | 1.853 | 56.1% | $900,760.10 | $26,492.94 | 52.247 |
| 2009 | New England Revolution | $2,506,109.81 | 42 | 1.400 | 38.8% | $694,729.44 | $23,157.65 | 53.352 |
| 2014 | New England Revolution | $3,850,442.68 | 55 | 1.618 | 53.2% | $1,266,305.59 | $37,244.28 | 53.722 |
| 2011 | Chicago Fire | $2,484,391.49 | 43 | 1.265 | 47.3% | $929,555.30 | $27,339.86 | 53.917 |
| 2011 | Sporting Kansas City | $2,965,546.24 | 51 | 1.500 | 47.5% | $938,891.94 | $27,614.47 | 54.459 |
| 2013 | Portland Timbers | $2,989,827.45 | 57 | 1.676 | 56.3% | $1,003,522.47 | $29,515.37 | 54.857 |
| 2009 | Houston Dynamo | $2,454,689.75 | 48 | 1.600 | 48.1% | $737,787.69 | $24,592.92 | 56.659 |
| 2011 | Portland Timbers | $2,233,117.60 | 42 | 1.235 | 54.4% | $983,964.78 | $28,940.14 | 57.073 |
| 2013 | Real Salt Lake | $3,290,392.00 | 56 | 1.647 | 52.9% | $1,057,202.95 | $31,094.20 | 57.792 |
| 2010 | Colorado Rapids | $2,672,206.25 | 46 | 1.533 | 52.5% | $915,463.01 | $30,515.43 | 58.328 |
| 2011 | Real Salt Lake | $3,002,747.24 | 53 | 1.559 | 52.3% | $1,007,450.03 | $29,630.88 | 58.435 |
| 2007 | FC Dallas | $2,249,162.42 | 44 | 1.467 | 44.6% | $683,336.44 | $22,777.88 | 58.567 |
| 2013 | Sporting Kansas City | $3,269,118.09 | 58 | 1.706 | 56.5% | $1,083,521.01 | $31,868.26 | 59.230 |
| 2009 | Real Salt Lake | $1,925,774.67 | 40 | 1.333 | 54.0% | $779,649.88 | $25,988.33 | 59.874 |
| 2013 | Philadelphia Union | $3,141,521.41 | 46 | 1.353 | 47.4% | $1,101,553.99 | $32,398.65 | 60.216 |
| 2014 | Colorado Rapids | $3,174,937.38 | 32 | 0.941 | 43.3% | $1,460,669.63 | $42,960.87 | 61.968 |
| 2012 | Real Salt Lake | $3,244,173.61 | 57 | 1.676 | 60.4% | $1,169,587.19 | $34,399.62 | 62.129 |
| 2013 | San Jose Earthquakes | $3,353,938.56 | 51 | 1.500 | 51.0% | $1,140,562.71 | $33,545.96 | 62.349 |
| 2012 | Seattle Sounders FC | $3,623,029.74 | 56 | 1.647 | 53.5% | $1,175,737.85 | $34,580.52 | 62.456 |
| 2011 | Houston Dynamo | $2,911,636.51 | 49 | 1.441 | 53.5% | $1,081,476.87 | $31,808.14 | 62.729 |
| 2008 | Houston Dynamo | $2,349,846.02 | 51 | 1.700 | 61.0% | $842,627.14 | $28,087.57 | 63.177 |
| 2011 | Colorado Rapids | $2,989,482.00 | 49 | 1.441 | 52.5% | $1,089,647.89 | $32,048.47 | 63.203 |
| 2007 | New England Revolution | $1,928,154.67 | 50 | 1.667 | 63.8% | $737,634.85 | $24,587.83 | 63.220 |
| 2007 | D.C. United | $2,098,584.53 | 55 | 1.833 | 64.6% | $738,892.53 | $24,629.75 | 63.328 |
| 2008 | New England Revolution | $2,052,083.00 | 43 | 1.433 | 59.0% | $845,267.30 | $28,175.58 | 63.375 |
| 2010 | New England Revolution | $2,921,358.79 | 32 | 1.067 | 36.3% | $994,996.55 | $33,166.55 | 63.395 |
| 2011 | D.C. United | $2,914,159.40 | 39 | 1.147 | 43.4% | $1,101,582.14 | $32,399.47 | 63.895 |
| 2008 | Colorado Rapids | $2,409,466.48 | 38 | 1.267 | 44.8% | $852,951.13 | $28,431.70 | 63.951 |
| 2013 | Houston Dynamo | $3,257,314.38 | 51 | 1.500 | 54.3% | $1,179,582.11 | $34,693.59 | 64.482 |
| 2011 | Philadelphia Union | $2,828,938.09 | 48 | 1.412 | 56.0% | $1,121,744.68 | $32,992.49 | 65.065 |
| 2008 | Real Salt Lake | $2,248,801.23 | 40 | 1.333 | 52.4% | $882,935.58 | $29,431.19 | 66.199 |
| 2010 | Sporting Kansas City | $2,567,159.25 | 39 | 1.300 | 52.7% | $1,041,279.29 | $34,709.31 | 66.344 |
| 2010 | Chivas USA | $2,228,922.22 | 28 | 0.933 | 43.9% | $1,049,344.74 | $34,978.16 | 66.858 |
| 2009 | Columbus Crew | $2,577,382.26 | 49 | 1.633 | 55.5% | $876,257.37 | $29,208.58 | 67.293 |
| 2014 | Chivas USA | $3,411,456.75 | 33 | 0.971 | 45.1% | $1,586,244.69 | $46,654.26 | 67.295 |
| 2007 | Columbus Crew | $1,887,173.00 | 37 | 1.233 | 51.5% | $788,175.25 | $26,272.51 | 67.552 |
| 2009 | Colorado Rapids | $2,108,038.34 | 40 | 1.333 | 55.7% | $881,265.43 | $29,375.51 | 67.677 |
| 2011 | San Jose Earthquakes | $2,535,304.77 | 38 | 1.118 | 51.5% | $1,167,561.22 | $34,340.04 | 67.722 |
| 2012 | New England Revolution | $2,691,311.01 | 35 | 1.029 | 50.1% | $1,309,038.30 | $38,501.13 | 69.536 |
| 2013 | Chicago Fire | $3,941,552.35 | 49 | 1.441 | 46.9% | $1,281,873.26 | $37,702.15 | 70.073 |
| 2012 | Colorado Rapids | $3,124,568.70 | 37 | 1.088 | 46.1% | $1,323,347.74 | $38,921.99 | 70.297 |
| 2010 | Seattle Sounders FC | $3,337,514.80 | 48 | 1.600 | 53.1% | $1,107,637.72 | $36,921.26 | 70.572 |
| 2011 | Columbus Crew | $3,022,781.56 | 47 | 1.382 | 55.7% | $1,217,550.69 | $35,810.31 | 70.622 |
| 2011 | Chivas USA | $2,748,423.45 | 36 | 1.059 | 47.1% | $1,222,071.22 | $35,943.27 | 70.884 |
| 2009 | FC Dallas | $2,438,069.79 | 39 | 1.300 | 49.4% | $926,278.98 | $30,875.97 | 71.134 |
| 2012 | Philadelphia Union | $3,027,436.37 | 36 | 1.059 | 47.1% | $1,346,132.76 | $39,592.14 | 71.507 |
| 2014 | Chicago Fire | $3,335,107.74 | 36 | 1.059 | 54.2% | $1,707,834.56 | $50,230.43 | 72.454 |
| 2010 | Houston Dynamo | $2,439,855.04 | 33 | 1.100 | 51.6% | $1,143,404.79 | $38,113.49 | 72.851 |
| 2014 | Philadelphia Union | $3,642,438.18 | 42 | 1.235 | 58.6% | $1,726,428.97 | $50,777.32 | 73.242 |
| 2012 | Montreal Impact | $3,354,106.20 | 42 | 1.235 | 50.8% | $1,379,336.24 | $40,568.71 | 73.271 |
| 2014 | Houston Dynamo | $3,342,386.32 | 39 | 1.147 | 60.3% | $1,755,609.84 | $51,635.58 | 74.480 |
| 2013 | Columbus Crew | $3,165,844.47 | 41 | 1.206 | 51.9% | $1,362,811.11 | $40,082.68 | 74.498 |
| 2007 | Houston Dynamo | $2,345,535.34 | 52 | 1.733 | 64.7% | $874,839.58 | $29,161.32 | 74.980 |
| 2013 | Chivas USA | $2,580,666.65 | 26 | 0.765 | 40.7% | $1,373,847.67 | $40,407.28 | 75.101 |
| 2013 | Toronto FC | $4,364,276.92 | 29 | 0.853 | 27.0% | $1,379,984.36 | $40,587.78 | 75.437 |
| 2008 | FC Dallas | $2,361,976.56 | 36 | 1.200 | 52.2% | $1,027,459.80 | $34,248.66 | 77.035 |
| 2008 | Sporting Kansas City | $2,367,664.32 | 42 | 1.400 | 61.5% | $1,039,404.64 | $34,646.82 | 77.931 |
| 2010 | Philadelphia Union | $2,172,809.97 | 31 | 1.033 | 59.1% | $1,241,866.03 | $41,395.53 | 79.124 |
| 2013 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | $4,196,449.22 | 48 | 1.412 | 48.9% | $1,454,139.60 | $42,768.81 | 79.490 |
| 2012 | Chivas USA | $2,770,275.00 | 30 | 0.882 | 47.8% | $1,501,692.20 | $44,167.42 | 79.770 |
| 2013 | FC Dallas | $3,820,034.09 | 44 | 1.294 | 49.5% | $1,461,163.04 | $42,975.38 | 79.874 |
| 2009 | Sporting Kansas City | $2,048,196.11 | 33 | 1.100 | 56.7% | $1,055,379.60 | $35,179.32 | 81.048 |
| 2014 | Portland Timbers | $4,603,855.61 | 49 | 1.441 | 60.1% | $1,921,179.55 | $56,505.28 | 81.505 |
| 2014 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | $4,646,613.97 | 50 | 1.471 | 62.2% | $1,966,279.75 | $57,831.76 | 83.418 |
| 2012 | FC Dallas | $3,898,540.69 | 39 | 1.147 | 47.2% | $1,604,879.26 | $47,202.33 | 85.252 |
| 2008 | San Jose Earthquakes | $2,111,856.80 | 33 | 1.100 | 60.0% | $1,152,113.88 | $38,403.80 | 86.381 |
| 2007 | Colorado Rapids | $2,300,088.91 | 35 | 1.167 | 51.4% | $1,013,944.91 | $33,798.16 | 86.902 |
| 2009 | San Jose Earthquakes | $2,190,272.42 | 30 | 1.000 | 52.5% | $1,149,235.94 | $38,307.86 | 88.256 |
| 2012 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | $4,094,423.03 | 43 | 1.265 | 51.5% | $1,665,668.42 | $48,990.25 | 88.481 |
| 2010 | D.C. United | $2,975,273.38 | 22 | 0.733 | 34.6% | $1,405,005.23 | $46,833.51 | 89.519 |
| 2009 | Seattle Sounders FC | $3,242,312.00 | 47 | 1.567 | 56.6% | $1,172,199.27 | $39,073.31 | 90.020 |
| 2009 | D.C. United | $3,023,208.55 | 40 | 1.333 | 52.2% | $1,184,266.37 | $39,475.55 | 90.946 |
| 2010 | Chicago Fire | $3,687,212.00 | 36 | 1.200 | 48.0% | $1,476,113.87 | $49,203.80 | 94.049 |
| 2013 | Montreal Impact | $3,970,798.06 | 49 | 1.441 | 62.9% | $1,732,499.71 | $50,955.87 | 94.707 |
| 2014 | San Jose Earthquakes | $3,878,060.12 | 30 | 0.882 | 51.6% | $2,266,131.50 | $66,650.93 | 96.139 |
| 2012 | Portland Timbers | $3,653,001.10 | 34 | 1.000 | 50.2% | $1,833,806.55 | $53,935.49 | 97.412 |
| 2007 | Real Salt Lake | $1,988,810.58 | 27 | 0.900 | 52.3% | $1,154,836.01 | $38,494.53 | 98.977 |
| 2008 | Toronto FC | $2,629,994.49 | 35 | 1.167 | 58.7% | $1,323,488.37 | $44,116.28 | 99.231 |
| 2009 | Toronto FC | $3,655,424.18 | 39 | 1.300 | 47.4% | $1,331,980.33 | $44,399.34 | 102.290 |
| 2007 | Sporting Kansas City | $2,429,225.00 | 40 | 1.333 | 69.3% | $1,261,860.93 | $42,062.03 | 108.150 |
| 2013 | Seattle Sounders FC | $6,405,492.38 | 52 | 1.529 | 48.0% | $2,009,082.68 | $59,090.67 | 109.826 |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $9,856,960.27 | 59 | 1.967 | 34.6% | $1,733,154.34 | $57,771.81 | 110.426 |
| 2011 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | $3,423,902.05 | 28 | 0.824 | 46.9% | $1,950,743.74 | $57,374.82 | 113.150 |
| 2011 | New England Revolution | $2,770,993.79 | 28 | 0.824 | 59.3% | $1,994,640.50 | $58,665.90 | 115.696 |
| 2008 | New York Red Bulls | $3,599,745.62 | 39 | 1.300 | 57.8% | $1,601,332.99 | $53,377.77 | 120.062 |
| 2009 | Chicago Fire | $4,812,747.39 | 45 | 1.500 | 49.9% | $1,599,436.38 | $53,314.55 | 122.829 |
| 2011 | Toronto FC | $4,963,064.48 | 33 | 0.971 | 42.6% | $2,178,334.12 | $64,068.65 | 126.351 |
| 2014 | Montreal Impact | $4,707,116.44 | 28 | 0.824 | 52.5% | $3,000,786.73 | $88,258.43 | 127.306 |
| 2008 | D.C. United | $4,248,396.12 | 37 | 1.233 | 49.4% | $1,703,032.74 | $56,767.76 | 127.687 |
| 2007 | Chicago Fire | $3,438,407.90 | 40 | 1.333 | 58.3% | $1,503,443.85 | $50,114.80 | 128.856 |
| 2010 | Toronto FC | $4,424,369.81 | 35 | 1.167 | 56.1% | $2,128,248.29 | $70,941.61 | 135.599 |
| 2007 | Toronto FC | $2,601,237.67 | 25 | 0.833 | 52.8% | $1,647,519.89 | $54,917.33 | 141.204 |
| 2014 | Seattle Sounders FC | $9,599,343.32 | 64 | 1.882 | 66.1% | $3,369,849.47 | $99,113.22 | 142.963 |
| 2008 | Chicago Fire | $4,363,077.56 | 46 | 1.533 | 67.9% | $1,932,084.56 | $64,402.82 | 144.861 |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $6,548,285.88 | 48 | 1.600 | 50.4% | $2,062,710.05 | $68,757.00 | 158.407 |
| 2007 | New York Red Bulls | $4,272,665.83 | 43 | 1.433 | 63.7% | $1,899,448.37 | $63,314.95 | 162.796 |
| 2013 | D.C. United | $3,390,570.35 | 16 | 0.471 | 43.9% | $3,163,698.81 | $93,049.97 | 172.943 |
| 2014 | New York Red Bulls | $10,171,949.12 | 50 | 1.471 | 64.8% | $4,480,784.28 | $131,787.77 | 190.094 |
| 2010 | New York Red Bulls | $9,274,322.02 | 51 | 1.700 | 55.5% | $3,025,065.62 | $100,835.52 | 192.739 |
| 2013 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $9,056,327.06 | 53 | 1.559 | 61.2% | $3,552,643.32 | $104,489.51 | 194.205 |
| 2007 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $5,653,858.79 | 34 | 1.133 | 45.7% | $2,279,835.41 | $75,994.51 | 195.398 |
| 2009 | New York Red Bulls | $3,288,640.93 | 21 | 0.700 | 56.7% | $2,664,268.96 | $88,808.97 | 204.604 |
| 2011 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $11,583,196.94 | 67 | 1.971 | 64.4% | $3,784,282.31 | $111,302.42 | 219.501 |
| 2013 | New York Red Bulls | $10,110,216.90 | 59 | 1.735 | 69.1% | $4,027,670.51 | $118,460.90 | 220.172 |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $12,050,883.29 | 61 | 1.794 | 78.1% | $5,247,902.85 | $154,350.08 | 222.638 |
| 2012 | New York Red Bulls | $13,747,830.82 | 57 | 1.676 | 51.9% | $4,252,758.81 | $125,081.14 | 225.908 |
| 2012 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $10,861,142.43 | 54 | 1.588 | 63.8% | $4,359,541.89 | $128,221.82 | 231.580 |
| 2012 | Toronto FC | $6,451,117.69 | 23 | 0.676 | 47.0% | $4,477,356.16 | $131,686.95 | 237.838 |
| 2014 | Toronto FC | $15,596,181.21 | 41 | 1.206 | 59.2% | $7,652,703.76 | $225,079.52 | 324.660 |
| 2011 | New York Red Bulls | $12,413,704.49 | 46 | 1.353 | 63.1% | $5,792,396.43 | $170,364.60 | 335.978 |
| 2008 | Los Angeles Galaxy | $8,227,541.58 | 33 | 1.100 | 70.6% | $5,279,089.86 | $175,969.66 | 395.808 |
