MLS news and notes: LA Galaxy II, MLS Fund, Parent Clubs

There was much ado yesterday with LA Galaxy II beginning life, more details on the MLS Fund players, and clarification on the relationship certain teams have with their parent clubs.

News and notes:

LA Galaxy II had their first match yesterday, taking on a Fresno side. Preseason rules were in play, as Curt Onafolo did a complete line change at halftime. What we see immediately is that the side features many unfamiliar names with some Homegrown players mixed in. There are even some academy legacy players, with younger brothers in the Villarreal and Bowen families featuring.

Laurent Courtois name came up as well. It was learned after the match that he'll be a player coach for LA Galaxy II, so good for him for find his way into the Galaxy coaching system.

LA Galaxy II starters: Laurendi; Sorto, Steres, Diallo, Bli; Djokovic, Stojkov, Walker, Mendiola; McBean, Bowen

LA Galaxy II subs: Shackelford, Borrajo, Emory, Nishanian, Arreola; Martin(Academy), Courtois, Campos, Covarrubias, Lombardi, Griffin, Amaya, Villarreal

Wholesale changes at halftime: Laurendi; Borrajo, Nishanian, Emory, Arreola; Courtois, Covarrubias, Djokovic, Campos; Griffin, Villarreal

Amaya, Lombardi also made it into the match.

Veils lifted on league mechanisms:

There's a new saying with MLS. It's no longer that the league makes it up as it goes along, it's more that the league is playing by a rulebook none of us can see. The Montreal Impact signing forward Santiago Gonzalez brought up the notion of a MLS Fund player, last brought to light when Portland signed Urruti.

The MLSsoccer article referred to it as a Special Discovery signing, and Nick de Santis referred to Olmes Garcia being signed under that rule. Merritt Paulson got into a lengthy discussion on twitter about the rule where he used the term MLS Fund.

What is clear is these players do not count as DPs, and are under MLS control not team control. It's sort of like they're being loaned to the teams by MLS, with the teams having the option to buy.

Parent clubs and loans:

Loans to @MLS: Rule is, as long as player isn't from "parent club", salary cap charge is based only on what league is paying player.

— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) February 14, 2014

This new revelation deals with the possible loophole for teams with a parent club. In the case of Chivas USA and NYCFC, players on loan from parent club carry their full salary over. So if they're a million dollar player, they'll have to be a DP; if I'm understanding the rule correctly.

What I found more interesting is that in a follow-up tweet, Alexi put the Colorado Rapids in the category of having a parent club. It's easy to forget that the Rapids share an owner with Arsenal, but now we know the league sees them as having Arsenal as a parent club.

So far to me that relationship seems like the Rapids are a bit of a forgotten child. Colorado currently has an Arsenal player on trial, but how often does that connection really come up?