Lemont Raiders U17B

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by aek chicago, May 16, 2012.

  1. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    If there's a better U17 boys side in the country, I'd like to know where. I know they lost one game all year, to East Side FC out of the Seattle area, but that was their first match of the year and most observers tell me Lemont is a much better side now than back then. They're absolutely KILLING it in the Midwest Regional League and Illinois State Cup. I would be hard pressed to find even one starter that isn't D1 caliber.
     
  2. chitownseadog

    chitownseadog Member

    Dec 21, 2006
    I see they beat Galaxy pretty well last night, how was the game? Galaxy are a highly ranked team also.
     
  3. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    I'd say I had a birds eye view....lol.

    Galaxy scored in the 22nd minute on a direct free kick right outside the penalty area...and no more than a minute later Raiders equalized through their big gun striker AM. Six minutes later Raiders made it 2 to 1 and seven minutes after that they increased the lead to 3 to 1....and that was basically all she wrote. In 13 minutes Raiders sealed the deal.

    There was a 45 minute delay due to inclement weather. Raiders scored in the 72nd minute on a beautiful strike low to the far post for the final tally.

    The Raider midfield simply controlled possession and therefore the match, and Galaxy had no answer whatsoever for AM (who was unquestionably the man of the match) up top. It should also be noted that Raiders played without their other big gun, RA.
     
  4. SockerFan70

    SockerFan70 Member

    Aug 26, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago
    There are quite a few....they all play in the academy league.
     
    aek chicago repped this.
  5. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    Well, I've seen the 16's and the 18's of the Developmental Academy...and this Raiders team can play with ANY of them. Nonetheless, I meant to say non DA teams.
     
  6. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    Let me know which U17 team in the DA is better....so I can watch.
     
  7. respecthegame

    respecthegame Member

    May 1, 2010
    Club:
    Everton FC
    OK I think you are getting carried away. The U-17 premiere team has stockpiled some of the best non-academy talent out there for sure and they are the best of the Raiders teams. Most of these players could be academy but choose not to and seem to have a good thing going. But they are untested against academy level. You must be aware that state cup is now extremely watered down with all of the academy talent removed. And the U-16s are good but not great. There is no doubt they are not as good as the three DA teams. They are performing at an average level in the NISL premiership. OK that you are a Raiders dad and blowing the horn but be somewhat realistic.
     
  8. chitownseadog

    chitownseadog Member

    Dec 21, 2006
    He's not a Raiders dad and far from it. The team is #1 in the region and #4 in the country (Gotsoccer) and finished 2nd in the national league. They had a scoreless draw early in their MRL Premier season but are undefeated with 23 goals scored and 3 given up. They won at Disney in December in the Showcase Black Flight. Considering these results it's not so far fetched that they may be playing very well right now beating a very good Galaxy team 4-1 who won the National League and are currently #14 ( gotsoccer) in the country. I know Gotsoccer isnt the best for rankings and I know thing are watered down and I know ALL the best players are at DA's and all the DA players are the best players .......BUT.. Its also not that far fetched that they can play with DA teams......
     
  9. y.o.n.k.o

    y.o.n.k.o Member

    Jan 12, 2010
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Who cares and what difference does it make who they beat, what they won and where they are ranked? Good luck to these players in college.
     
  10. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    No, I'm not a Raiders dad, not even close...my boy is 8 years old and not affiliated in any way with the Raiders.

    As far as what I need to be aware of, nice try but try again. I know all these teams inside out, primarily because I referee them all, including at Schaumburg in the NISL. Their big gun up front is a national team player and his partner up front may be a better player...just ask the Galaxy and what he did to them last night. I reffed him last year in hs in his first game of the year and he scored four goals...in a half. Their midfield is absolutely stacked. Look at the Illinois hs all state list from last year...they're all on it except one...and that one plays hs ball in Indiana. I've reffed him since his freshman year in hs. Their keeper plays in the major division of the national soccer league. What else you need to know? One of their big CB's was a star on the Morton team which won the IHSA title this past fall.

    I also know ALL the kids on the Academy teams. IMO, not much difference between the Raiders and them, if any.

    Any other comments?
     
  11. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    Which ones, specifically?

    Remember, I asked for U17. If you give me a U18 team, take out their 18's and tell me what you have.
     
  12. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    How are they performing at an "AVERAGE" level in the NISL Premiership when they sit atop the table with 13 points? How is that average? I just reffed the Sockers-Galaxy U17 Premiership contest and that was basically a snooze fest draw....80 minutes of more or less nothing.

    Don't forget, the fields at Schaumburg are very narrow and work against skilled sides like the Raiders.
     
  13. so1mio

    so1mio Member

    Jan 10, 2007
    Lake Zurich
    Club:
    FC Kaiserslautern
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
  14. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    #1. My son is a baseball player.

    #2. I know which people/coaches to stay away from. Been in the game a LOOOONG time, in multiple capacities. I can also definitively tell you I've seen much worse from Sockers, Magic and Eclipse. Haven't seen anything bad from Fire....yet.
     
  15. SockerFan70

    SockerFan70 Member

    Aug 26, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago
    Its a bit of an imperfect science. A 16 academy team will have several players who are younger than the majority of the lemont team. A 18 academy team will have several players who are older. My point was just that its hard to say how good this team is, because they aren't playing against the best players or teams around the country (and please don't even try to compare usys national league and the development academy because the level of competition isn't even close). Most of the best U17 eligible players around the country are playing in the academy league, that fact can't even really be argued. Lemont is a nice club team, but unfortunately, the players/team won't get much credit because they are not challenging themselves against the best of the best.
     
  16. respecthegame

    respecthegame Member

    May 1, 2010
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Let me be clear. I do agree this team can play with the DA teams and their U-17s. But I think the DA is deceiving because of the U-18 structure having so many of the 17 year olds and so there is no way to compare apples to apples at U-17 level. Much respect to the Raiders U-17s and I am aware of ALL of their players and have seen them play. I just think you can't get too carried away when there is no longer strong enough competition at U-17 level because of the DA. I wish there was a U-17 DA as it would be better for my boys quite honestly.
     
  17. respecthegame

    respecthegame Member

    May 1, 2010
    Club:
    Everton FC
    OK, I just read this post and Sockersfan makes this point better than I did. Thank you and this is exactly what I was trying to say. Again, much respect to Lemont U-17.
     
  18. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    Nonsense.

    As a coach I can tell you who the players are and how good they are. Every single one of Lemont's starters, at a minimum, is DA quality. The fact that they don't play DA doesn't mean they don't have the ability, or can't. There are only 3 DA sides in the Chicagoland area, yet there are many more than 3 sides full of academy caliber players in the metropolitan area...I can assure you of that.

    Lemont's keeper played for the Fire DA last year. Both of Lemont's strikers are as good, if not better, than any DA striker I've seen this year. Their midfielders, all of them, can play on any DA team in the country. The fact is, Lemont can only play who is put in front of them...and they're absolutely killing it there.

    As for the assertion that these kids aren't playing against the best, lol...many of them also play in some of the local mens amateur leagues where they face competition every bit as good, if not better, than the DA. A player is a player, irrespective of playing level and/or labels. Put another way, which one of Lemont's kids do you think would struggle at the DA level? LOL.

    This mindset is what's killing soccer in this country. Simply because a kid plays on XYZ team, he's automatically of a higher quality. Ridiculous. I've reffed most of these kids in various competitions and while I concede that the DA kids are VERY good, Lemonts kids are of the same caliber. Very simple.
     
  19. respecthegame

    respecthegame Member

    May 1, 2010
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Please re-read my post. I refer to the U-16 Raiders team when I say performing at an "average" level in NISL Premiership and also note they were bounced early from a watered down State Cup. I think they are pretty good - have seen them play 3 times now - but are no comparison to the U-17 top team within respective age groups. U-17 will win state cup, but again, not the prize it should be unfortunately because of DAs.
     
  20. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    There's no getting carried away here. I simply stated if there's a better U17 team in the country, I'd like to see it. Not hard to figure out.

    I've seen and reffed the Fire U18 academy. IMO, Lemont can play with them, straight up, without any age concessions. Lemont may not win the majority of games, but they sure as hell can play with them. I don't need to see Lemont in an Academy setting to evaluate their roster and say they can play at that level.
     
  21. aek chicago

    aek chicago Member

    Sep 17, 2004
    Who said anything about Lemonts U16's?

    And what does the DA or state cup have to do with anything?

    The question is, is Lemont's U17 side able to play with the academy sides?

    I say definitively yes.
     
  22. respecthegame

    respecthegame Member

    May 1, 2010
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Yes, yes they are very good! Certainly DA material! We are not assailing them - I know these kids (and like them, by the way). I'm telling you as my son has played with and against many of them. But you are fussing that they are the best U-17 side in the country and we are simply saying that argument can't be made because of the DA U-18 structure. Not saying DA kids are higher quality because they are DA. Saying U-17 competition is watered down because of DA. I don't see how you can rationally argue with this. And Lemont will keep killing that competition, because to me, they are like a DA team playing non-DAs.
     
  23. respecthegame

    respecthegame Member

    May 1, 2010
    Club:
    Everton FC
    I referred to the U-16 team and you misinterpreted it. Thats who.
     
  24. respecthegame

    respecthegame Member

    May 1, 2010
    Club:
    Everton FC
  25. chitownseadog

    chitownseadog Member

    Dec 21, 2006
    D1 college coaches seem to think differently, check out how many National League players are going to D1 schools and it will suprise you.
     

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