Twellman says he's underpaid
Revolution forward Taylor Twellman was satisfied when Major League Soccer renegotiated his contract two years ago. But Twellman believes his value has increased since then.
``I absolutely love the Kraft family and I want to finish my career here in New England," Twellman said yesterday. ``I said that after last season and in January I wanted to stay here. At that time, I did not have an agent and I was told that if I do it for the national team, it puts more urgency on things; I scored some goals and had a good camp for the national team. But I haven't gotten any response from anyone since then."
Twellman has scored 73 goals in the last four seasons, more than any other MLS player, and he was named the league's Most Valuable Player last season. Twellman performed for TSV Munich 1860 until joining the Revolution as the No. 2 choice in the 2002 MLS draft. He signed a four-year contract at the league minimum annual salary of $24,000, then received a raise to about $120,000 annually. He reached incentives as the Revolution advanced to the conference championship four successive seasons and played in two MLS Cups.
``Percentage-wise, that's fine," Twellman said of the difference between his first and second MLS contracts. ``But when you see the players' union numbers and I am not among the highest-paid, it's frustrating. For me, the most frustrating part is the way everything has been handled. Other players in the league are being paid very good salaries and contracts have been redone in the middle of the season."
Twellman believes other Revolution players, such as Clint Dempsey, are similarly dissatisfied, and that it could affect the team's performance. The Revolution (6-6-10, 28 points) play host to Chicago at Gillette Stadium Sunday.
``It completely affects the team, in all honesty," Twellman said, ``because how do players know they will be compensated for what they have done?
``[Dempsey] has voiced his opinion and he deserves to go to England or wherever he wants to go. He is at his highest point and he is getting decent offers, so let the kid go."
Kraft Soccer president Sunil Gulati recently said the team will review the status of Revolution players after the season ends. The league's policy is to not comment on specific contracts.
Both Dempsey and Twellman are contracted to MLS through December 2007. MLS has been offered a multimillion-dollar transfer fee for Dempsey, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. If Dempsey plays out his contract, he could depart as a free agent, with the league not receiving a transfer fee.
But Dempsey, who signed a four-year contract worth about $40,000 annually in 2004, may have established himself on the European transfer market after performing well for the United States in the World Cup. Dempsey has stated his intention to play in Europe and appears to be frustrated with his situation in MLS, lately becoming involved in physical altercations, which have led to two suspensions.
``The league and Sunil know how the Revolution players feel, but I don't know if it can be resolved," Twellman said. ``It's not me having a bad attitude. I have worked my rear end off for four years and I don't see any sign of a commitment.
``I am at the stage where I am playing because my No. 1 job is playing for the Revolution and I want to help the team win games because I love the guys and [coach] Steve Nicol." 