The incredible goal scored by Obafemi Martins on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids exemplifies why he is one of Sounders FC’s three Designated Players. As play-by-play man Ross Fletcher put it, “How many other players in Major League Soccer could do what Martins just did?”
Established in 2007, the Designated Player Rule allows each MLS team to acquire up to three players whose salaries don’t count fully against the cap. David Beckham became the first player to sign under the rule when the LA Galaxy inked the Englishman to a contract that year.
Half of the teams in MLS are currently using all three slots, including Seattle and Portland. The two clubs have had varied results with their DPs since entering MLS in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
As the Sounders prepare for their first match of the season against the Timbers, here is a brief history of both teams’ Designated Player signings.
TIMBERS
Past Designated Players
- Diego Chara: A starting midfielder for the Timbers this season, Chara has been with the club since its inaugural season, totaling five goals and 12 assists in 124 appearances.
- Kris Boyd: The Scottish forward scored seven goals for Portland in 2012 before he and the club mutually agreed to part ways after just one season.
Current Designated Players
- Diego Valeri: Currently sidelined due to an injury suffered during the final game of last season, Valeri was named to the MLS Best XI in each of his first two years with the Timbers.
- Fanendo Adi: The 6-foot-4 striker, who hails from the same Nigerian city as Martins (Lagos), has scored 12 goals for Portland since originally joining the club on loan in 2014.
- Liam Ridgewell: Fresh off a successful season in the Barclays Premier League, Ridgewell signed with the Timbers in June of 2014 and has started every game since.
SOUNDERS
Past Designated Players
- Freddie Ljungberg: The first DP in club history, Ljungberg played two seasons with the Rave Green following a storied 10-year career in the Premier League.
- Blaise Nkufo: The Swiss forward recorded the first-ever hat trick by a Sounders FC player in a 4-0 win over Columbus Crew on September 18, 2010.
- Alvaro Fernandez: A key contributor for Uruguay at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Fernandez helped Seattle win Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles in 2010 and 2011.
- Fredy Montero: The Colombian striker is the top scorer in club history having netted 60 goals across all competitions in four remarkable seasons with the Rave Green from 2009-2012.
- Mauro Rosales: Now playing for Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Rosales led the Sounders in assists during each of his three seasons in Seattle.
- Christian Tiffert: After making nearly 300 appearances in the German Bundesliga, Tiffert was a starter for the Rave Green during their U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup Playoff matches in 2013.
- Shalrie Joseph: A seven-time MLS All-Star, Joseph scored one goal in 10 games for the Sounders in 2013.
Current Designated Players
- Obafemi Martins: The veteran forward was MLS MVP runner-up in 2014 for notching 17 goals and 13 assists in his first full season with the Sounders.
- Clint Dempsey: Along with Martins, Dempsey broke the club single-season scoring record by netting 15 goals en route to Seattle’s first Supporters’ Shield.
- Osvaldo Alonso: Signed by the Sounders before their inaugural season, Alonso has been a perennial MLS All-Star in the central midfield.
