Youngsters in MLS (1993 or later)

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Real Corona, Aug 12, 2012.

  1. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    When you look at DC United's signings, Najar was signed because he was getting offers from Mexican professional clubs. Hamid was a big strong kid that immediately became DC United's backup and was splitting starting time by his second year. Ethan White, forced DC United's hand by basically telling them, "You can have me for free right now, or I will get drafted by someone else and be gone." DC bit. The only case for them that was different was Conor Shanosky. He is a big, strong kid, but he was far from pro ready and I can't believe that he was getting strong pro offers. Since signing Conor, DC United have stepped up their player development efforts considerably, but have not signed another homegrown player.

    In the end, I think that clubs are seeing how huge of a jump it is to go from 18 year old academy star to productive MLS professional. There are several stages that a player needs to go through and we are seeing clubs try to help players work through those stages now. It will be interesting to see how this continues to develop.

    Regardless, my guess is that there are places for guys like Leyva and Luna to play professionally. And now FC Dallas has a bit more perspective on which young players to sign and which players not to and when to do it. The answer to the question of how to develop these players once they have signed continues to evolve as we post.
     
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  2. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Leyva was apparently cut for the following reason (according to Big D soccer anyway):
    http://www.bigdsoccer.com/2012/11/6/3612046/discussing-tuesdays-fc-dallas-roster-moves

    The thing you can see from watching practically hundreds of practices and dozens of games is the skill on display. The thing you can't really know is just how fit a player is and exactly how they fit into the locker room setup. Leyva's talent is undeniable but in this age, there is no hiding from the fitness tests. People may wonder why Leyva, a player with so obvious skill, is not being retained and all I can say is he's been told to up his fitness levels time after time and this roster cut makes it sound like it never happened. He's had three years to get it through his head, most kids in Europe and South America would get three weeks.

    I've seen this kind of thing mentioned elsewhere about Leyva. He just didn't "get it." Schellas had to sub him out early in every game he started for us because he physically wasn't up to the task. You blame the "gaps in the developmental system" (which we all agree are there.), and that's fine. What I'm saying is that sometimes the player just isn't as good as we think he is. And sometimes a player just doesn't have the work ethic and attitude required to succeed in this business (see Szetela, Danny).

    Here's the deal, as said by Daniel:

    The cuts of Leyva and Luna, however, represent what seems to be a changing dynamic among the homegrowns on the FC Dallas roster and that is, camp cupcake is over, you either continue to develop or stall out and get cut. Gone are the days of having two years to prove yourself as from here on out there will be options of graduating(or upperclass) college players like Woodberry, Ambrose, Okwuono, Garcia, Baladez and so on and so on are nipping at your heels.

    What Daniel is saying is as true for FC Dallas as it is for Arsenal. Every year there are going to be another set of potential homegrowns coming to the club. And if you can't prove that you're better than them......................adios. Moises Hernandez better start showing that he's worth keeping, because there are three high quality homegrown defenders on the way (Okwuono, Ambrose, Woodberry......oh, and Aaron Guillen too). Like Sacir Hot, he could fall off the face of the planet. Note that cut homegrowns like Navas Cobo, Matt Kassell, Donny Toia, etc. aren't playing at an MLS level now. They're clinging to lower levels. Last I heard Donny Toia was playing for FC Tuscon in the PDL. If you aren't proving that you're good enough for the MLS level, then you won't be around very long.

    So while you rightly say the problem is the developmental model.....................that's not Hyndman's problem.
     
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  3. SUDano

    SUDano Member+

    Jan 18, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    'Going to college Except for the best of the best of the best, there's just no substitute for going to college in our current soccer development system. As Schellas said, there's no substitute for the life lessons and personal maturation you get from college that never comes when you sign a homegrown deal straight out of high school and remain in your little Dallas cocoon. Why do you think Moises Hernandez hasn't been released? He was willing to go down to his Guatemala and learn some life lessons. Will he come back next year ready to play? Who knows, but the staff has a lot of respect for Moises because he made the move.'
    These are the lines I'll take away from the post:
    -Current soccer development system: If MLS makes no attempt to improve their training with a professional development system it saddens me that NCAA is all we have warts and all. We haven't really made any progress forward in the last 10 yrs.
    -There's no substitute for the life lessons and personal maturation you get from college....
    Simply wrong. Time gives you life lessons. 70% of those who don't go to college has no life experiences to learn from? It begs the question of if I'm a really good soccer player does NCAA have a better development environment to Overseas or MLS. I'm beginning to believe MLS wants no development infrastructure.
    -Remain in your Dallas cocoon? You have Dallas professional coaches telling you to get in shape compared to other professional athletes and that doesn't work but SMU coaches telling you that in comparison with other college teams you jump right on it. Come on.
    -All people are doing by comparing MLS youth players to NCAA college players is time shifting.
    To judge 20 yr olds like B.Leyva and R.Luna vs professionals is not equal to comparing college players that will end up being 22 when they do sign then the clock starts puts the advantage to that older player no matter where they come from.
    -Until MLS gets rid of HG initiative and expands budget and development infrastructure for youth professionalsl eveyone should go to play college ball. They are doing a disservice to convince them that they are really trying to help them by doing nothing. Go play against first team players so I can compare them to you. Uh, I'm only 17. I don't care I'll give you two yrs to prove something.
     
  4. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    Can we start a separate thread rehashing time and time again the developmental pyramid in this country? Actually use this thread to to only discuss and analyze age eligible players, similar to the Flavors of the Week thread in N&A.
     
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  5. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    I say we drop it, because these particular players are:

    1) Not USMNT eligible
    2) Outside of the age group being discussed here.
     
  6. youth=glory

    youth=glory Member

    Sep 2, 2010
    That says more about SH than anything imo. Its clear the FCD academy is producing quality players. The kids that went to college are now seen at or above the level of kids that have been with SH for 3 years speaks poorly on him,
     
  7. youth=glory

    youth=glory Member

    Sep 2, 2010
    True, but I think the issue at hand impact said players that would be discussed in this thread. So as it stands this is the best place currently. Plus outside Gil this thread is likely dead for the next few months.
     
  8. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    There's no rule saying this thread has to be super active. Plus we're heading into offseason anyways when there will be some additions to this thread from the college and HG ranks.

    Even when the developmental issues affect a player it turns into 5 pages of people saying the exact same thing, it's something that's in nearly every popular thread on this forum. It's been the same damn thing people are talking about 6 months ago, 1 year ago, etc. No new information.

    There is an MLS Youth & Developmental forum btw: https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/forums/mls-youth-development.1283/
     
  9. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    Gil went the final 10 minutes or so in RSL's loss to Seattle, and his season is now done.
     
  10. scoachd1

    scoachd1 Member+

    Jun 2, 2004
    Southern California
    You are starting to get it. But the reality is that some kids are actually ready to compete for first team minutes at a young age while others are so disinterested or academically unfit for college that signing and trying to bootstrap it are still a better fit. You think it is just a matter of money (and that of course is a big factor), but you also need players. If most of the real prospects believe college is a better route, then it will still be hard to field an effective league. The other problem is that it is just not the cost of paying younger players more to make it worth their while, but also the cost of changing MLS salary structure which is based on minimizing the costs of US players. In any other league in the world the guy who leads the league in scoring for two years in a row is one of the highest paid players in the league. MLS has worked very hard to push that day off as long as possible.
     
  11. SUDano

    SUDano Member+

    Jan 18, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    I want to respond to you at length but we've been scolded by the thread police this is not the venue to do so.
     
  12. Pl@ymaker

    Pl@ymaker Member+

    Feb 8, 2010
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How could I do it to purchase an online subscription for all North Carolina soccer games?
     
  13. bajansoccer

    bajansoccer Member

    Aug 28, 2011
    Then signed Acosta because he was set to sign in Germany and they had to pull the trigger or he would be gone. I still think he made the wrong decision because the black hole is about to swallow him up too. Leyva screwed up he should have gone to Spain when he had the offer 2008-2009 but took the easy "safe" route and look what it did for him... deadend. YOU CAN'T DEVELOP IF YOU DON'T PLAY. Its a testament to Fagundez's remarkable achievement. He is undoubtable the best US teenager at the moment. No matter the amount of the offer i would never sign a HG contract.
     
  14. bajansoccer

    bajansoccer Member

    Aug 28, 2011
    where is navas cobo?
     
  15. Balerion

    Balerion Member+

    Aug 5, 2006
    Roslindale, MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Atletico Bucaramanga.
     
  16. youth=glory

    youth=glory Member

    Sep 2, 2010
    Not that I don't agree FCD is currently "ruining" the players they sign...that said, how is Germany been anything but a black hole for players raised in America that sign there....
     
  17. youth=glory

    youth=glory Member

    Sep 2, 2010
    Also, I know it is somewhat OT...but I love how Houston and DC are having success riding the backs of young Americans in the playoffs right now. And as much as I hate the way Dom's teams play the game. He really seems to know how to develop his players. And I can easily see Bruin/Sakodie being his next Rico/Holden/Cameroon.
     
  18. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    Villarreal and McBean on the bench for the Galaxy tonight. They're basically the only two attacking options on the bench with Buddle out.
     
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  19. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Villareal has been on the bench every game, and McBean was on the first game. They seem close?
     
  20. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006

    Anyone remember Novo Combo?


    Up down periscope round round we go search high and low
     
  21. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    It'll be an interesting offseason because there's rumors Landon could move to Everton permanently, Buddle is a shell of himself 2010 and has a very high salary. Plus, I'm sure we'll try and sign Gyasi Zardes again.

    I think Villarreal is closer to becoming a full time regular, but I'd also like to see Bruce try him out wide too. He isn't afraid of taking people on and if you play him out right, he can cut it in and shoot with his deadly left foot.
     
  22. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I certainly think and kind of expect that Villareal will become close to a regular for LA next year.
     
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  23. youth=glory

    youth=glory Member

    Sep 2, 2010
    I very interested in him and McBean going forward. If LA always feels the need to have a top end striker or 2 its gonna be hard to crack the line-up. And at the same time its hard going into a season where your only bench strikers are still teenagers. Especially for a team that is suppose to be the elite team in the league.
     
  24. profiled

    profiled Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 7, 2000
    slightly north of a mile high
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Villreal came on late for LA when they were up 3-0. Looked nervous out there. Had a couple of poor touches and a few poor passes as well.

    Also doesn't look very confident tracking back or tackling players... but it's great that he's out there learning, hope to see more of him next year.
     
  25. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    Yeah, I think Jose was surprised he even came on because of Landon's cramps, and he wasn't quite sure what his role was out there. Probably caught in the moment of his first playoff game, as he's looked like he belongs when he played during the regular season.
     

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