Reserve league integrating with USLPro

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by PhillyMLS, Dec 18, 2012.

  1. Cactus Hibs

    Cactus Hibs Member

    May 11, 2006
    Albuquerque NM
    Club:
    Hibernian FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think that's where the Cosmos situation complicates things. If the current Cosmos ownership truly have an interest in positioning NASL as a parallel top-level league in competition with MLS it's hard to see MLS doing them any favors.
     
  2. CShine

    CShine Member

    Dec 13, 2009
    Huntsville, AL
    Club:
    Rocket City United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the PR spiel of any minor league ownership group in its first few months of operation should be taken with a grain of salt. Lord knows, we've seen plenty of other soccer teams that wound up operating differently from how they were first pitched to the public.
     
  3. SUDano

    SUDano Member+

    Jan 18, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Kids who don't play college soccer can't go to college parties?
     
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  4. Beau Dure

    Beau Dure Member+

    May 31, 2000
    Vienna, VA
    One thing that has always puzzled me -- last time I checked, few players were taking advantage of the tuition grants offered in Project-40 or Generation adidas. Seems awfully short-sighted when you consider how many people don't stick in MLS.
     
  5. profiled

    profiled Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 7, 2000
    slightly north of a mile high
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    But what better way to put down any "come-uppence" attempts by the NASL then to simply point out, yeah they're competitive with us, especially considering their rosters are chalk full of our *reserve* players.

    Sounds like a win-win for MLS, another place to develop players, and a built in smack down of any delusions of grandeur that the cosmos/NASL may have.
     
  6. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    And for whatever its worth, the track record for those guys (the ones that actually do go to college, but then try to skip MLS to go straight to Europe) isn't all that great. Charlie Davies was making it work before he got hurt, but for the most part Lee Nguyen and Robbie Rogers probably represent above average outcomes for that group, and they still represent a 'failure' in the sense of catching on at any level higher than MLS.
     
  7. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    I can name one guy who took full advantage:

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The A&B federation subsidizes the travel.
     
  9. GVPATS77

    GVPATS77 Member+

    Aug 18, 2008
    Fullerton, CA
    Well aren't you Mr. Smarty Pants.

    Sarcasm aside, I obviously didn't know that and appreciate the information.
     
  10. Gutika113

    Gutika113 New Member

    Dec 6, 2012
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    A mid season USL Pro side like Charleston, Orlando, or Rochester to name a few, against an MLS Reserve League team? Cocky draft picks who haven't proven shit, have zero team chemistry, or professional experience will not be beating a decent USL Pro side 9 times out of 10.

    Look what Charlotte did to FC Dallas in the Open Cup. Embarrassed them 2-0 AWAY (after playing Wed in San Antonio, saturday in Orlando, and then straight to Dallas). Then they went to Chivas USA and got beaten by a late late goal, off of a dive, when they completely out played them. Dayton was SHIT, and they beat Columbus 3-1. Harrisburg was just as shit, and they beat the Revs. For christ sake, Michigan Bucks (PDL) beat Chicago, San Antonio (who lost to Charlotte comprehensively the next round) beat Houston.

    If you are arguing that playing MLS as a reserve who has zero chance of getting first team minutes is better for development than playing in the USLPRO i'm going to have to say that you've neither coached, or played at any decent level. Professional soccer is more than just the 90 minutes on the pitch. It's getting used to sleeping in hotels instead of your own bed for 4 nights at a time, being on the road for a week traveling with your team mates. Learning how your own body recovers from these types of situation is key, because the MLS is not the EPL, with massive teams of medical staff that monitor your every move. All that dirty gritty shit is what makes a US pro soccer player, and they DO NOT GET THAT AS MLS RESERVE PLAYERS.

    And now onto this college talk. COLLEGE SOCCER IS SHIT. Almost all USL PRO/NASL/MLS clubs play college teams in spring season, and 99% of the time they get ********ing blasted. So from a standpoint of PLAYER DEVELOPMENT, which is the only thing MLS is concerned about, they DO NOT want players going into NCAA. Will players go anyways, because of the scholarships offered/low wage of USL/MLS? Absolutely. But this will help to divert a large portion of them to a pro career instead, and that is what MLS cares about. Any 1st round draft pick from any university goes back in time and signs for 4 years with a USL PRO club they come out of that 4th year 3 times better than they did going to college, that is just a simple fact that most of you either don't know or don't want to know. NCAA literally limits players development by stemming training sessions, playing time, and keeping them poor, so they have to focus on other things instead of soccer. If you're having a hard time agreeing with this just think of it this way. USL PRO player wakes up in the morning and the only thing on their mind is soccer, and it is their entire life, it is their job. College player wakes up, and has a final that day, then has practice at 3pm in the burning sun because the players have class during the mornings, then they have 7am course the next day

    Yes, the MLS is a massive leap above the USL, but the point is to get players who would otherwise rot on reserve squads to get minutes in real matches so they can progress as professionals and become better products for their host teams to eventually utilize.
     
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  11. eclipse02

    eclipse02 Member

    Sep 20, 2009
    All I want is to see all three leagues succeed. MLS is the top league and NASL is getting better with Minnesota now having a owner and San Antonio getting their stadium this year. This may be the perfect thing for USL-Pro right now. Maybe one day we could see NASL reserves teams in USL-Pro. I know if that is if both sides can put the past in the past.
     
  12. SourCream&OnionUtd

    Nov 19, 1998
    Pretty sure Brian West and Jordan Stone did the same (in West's case I believe he finished his BA at OSU while still playing for the Crew), I'm sure there are others. But as Beau rightly points out, it seems surprising that so few, AFAIK, take advantage of the benefits on offer.
     
  13. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    IIRC Hunter Freeman (who was originally GA) tweeted recently that he finished his degree and thanked the program for helping him. I know a Rapids player sent that tweet, I'm pretty sure it was Freeman.
     
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  14. Totoro

    Totoro Member+

    Dec 3, 2009
    Colorado
    Are we talking about GA types using money set aside/escrowed/etc. to go back to college and finish? Do we normally hear of such things? E.g, Hunter Freeman got his degree this offseason, presumably he was using those funds (since he thanked MLS and Adidas). It wasn't publicized...he mentioned it on twitter.
     
  15. Totoro

    Totoro Member+

    Dec 3, 2009
    Colorado
    It was on Freeman's stream: https://twitter.com/huntfree/status/263661322070290432
     
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  16. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Barclay represents the odd case who benefits by not using his Project-40 tuition money, or at least by not using it while he was active in the league. If he had enrolled in college while playing in MLS, his NCAA eligibility clock would've started earlier, and it would've run out before he could've earned a kicking scholarship.
     
  17. SYoshonis

    SYoshonis Member+

    Jun 8, 2000
    Lafayette, Louisiana
    Club:
    Michigan Bucks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Have you ever tried to throw something that does not exist?
     
  18. bnjamin10

    bnjamin10 Member

    Charlotte FC
    Jun 4, 2009
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for the response. Then yeah this is a great step forward in the development of players. The more avenues you give players to improve/prove their skills; the less talent will fall through the cracks. This is awesome.
     
  19. GVPATS77

    GVPATS77 Member+

    Aug 18, 2008
    Fullerton, CA
    I covered MLS for 6 seasons and never met 1 single rookie that was even remotely close to cocky.

    Just saying. This isn't like NBA draft picks or NFL draft picks that we're talking about.

    And its also not like these guys are going to get drafted the night before the reserve league season begins. They're going to have a preseason to jel.

    I'm not saying that they are going to go out and win the league or anything. But shit, you're basically condemning these kids as a bunch of cocky dickbags from a cheesy 80's movie who think they just have to show up and people will hand them a trophy.

    Simply not the case with any rookie I ever talked to in my career.
     
  20. Beau Dure

    Beau Dure Member+

    May 31, 2000
    Vienna, VA
    Really? I've known quite a few.
     
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  21. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    ...I knew a couple also...

    ...and was that u at Whole Foods a couple weeks ago.:)

    Sure looked like it. The one near the Cold Sone and noodle place down there.
     
  22. chapka

    chapka Member+

    May 18, 2004
    Haverford, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Most college soccer programs don't give full scholarships. The NCAA only allows a Division I men's program to award the equivalent of 9.9 full scholarships, which are normally spread out over 20-30 players.

    A few years back, there was a study published that found that the average soccer scholarship was worth about $8,000 a year. Which means the student is still going to be paying $10,000 - $20,000 a year out of pocket.

    On the other hand, minimum MLS rookie salary is currently $33,750.

    So the question for a college player is "do you want to pay them $20,000 to play, or do you want them to pay you $30,000 to play?" The degree is worth a lot, but unless the kid expects to fail in the pros--and no 17-year-old thinks they're anything but invincible--it's not going to be his first consideration.

    The number of schools where college soccer players are campus hotshots could probably be counted on one hand. They're certainly not getting the perks football players do. And it's not like being a pro athlete is a terrible social stigma.
     
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  23. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not even this guy?
    [​IMG]
    :D

    But remember, at 17 convincing the kid is only half the challenge. You also have to convince the parents that their kid going pro is a better move than them going to college and getting the education that goes along with it. There's a pretty strong cultural bias towards college in this country.
     
  24. PhillyMLS

    PhillyMLS Member+

    Oct 24, 2000
    SE PA
    True. But with how dismal the job market has been for college graduates in the past few years, it might be a little bit of an easier sell at this point.
     
  25. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    He never met Chris Carrieri
     
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