Chicago Magic vs. Sockers FC Chicago [Part 5]

It could, fortunately, they all have experience playing together and like each other. The new players have benefitted by being the players available for selection early in the season, so they have been able to acclimate.

It's going to be a challenge, but not for the coach or the team overall. It's going to be a problem for some individual players. By my math, 2-3 players will be in a bit of a trick bag.

The other side of it is that some of those players are DPs, so they could weather a rotation system using outside matches until the final roster selections are made in January (or whenever the cutoff is this year). So it seems things may be set up well for development of all the players, if not their egos.

It will be a "problem" for the coach to solve. How does he displace the players who have been performing up until now, in favor of those coming off HS season? It may only affect 2-3 of the current players, but still it is for the coach to handle and it is a tricky situation. Do he fix what already works and how does he justify it to the place who would lose their place? How do these players accept it, if/when it comes to that? Imagine he plugs those incoming players in, but then the teams starts underperforming/losing games...what then?

It doesn't matter if the current players are DPs or not. If they have been performing and making the team perform also, it will be tricky replacing them or dropping them. You can say that the players coming back are better players, but that doesn't mean it will make it work better for the team. It may, it may not. Plus, this is just one side, handling both sets of players. Then there are their parents....If your son was performing and helping the team do so too, but now he will be dropped because of other coming back, how would he and you handle/accept it? And vice versa, if your son was coming back, but if he is not inserted back into the team, how would you and/or him accept it?

Tell you what, I'll let ya know in about 5 weeks. lol.

But seriously, kids and parents who have lived with the Academy - at least in this area - for a year or so learn to take the good with the bad. The good: good coaches with dedicated players and a good training environment. The bad: only 11 players can play at a time, but a program needs to carry 30 or so to deal with attrition, kids who turn out not to be good enough, injuries, loss of form, fatigue, etc.

I'll tell you, the worst situation is to be a DA FT player who isn't really a starter. It's murder. Practice every day and wonder if you even make the game day roster. And there really isn't a mechanism to sort of play your way into the lineup. Meanwhile, the FT starters and DPs are getting 45 - 90 minutes every week either in the DA or elsewhere.

So as long as the coach puts players in the right roster designations, it's a good situation for development of the player, even if it doesn't sit well with the ego.

I agree the DP tag has got to be brutal on a kid, they show up to training 4 days a week and then don't play in the games. I give props to those kids as it takes mental toughness and true dedication to continue to work hard in training and never play in games.

Those players are ok. They play lots of good games... just not necessarily Academy games. And in a place like Chicago that is fine. The worst place to be is a Full Time player who doesn't start. THAT is all practice and no play. It really does test a player's confidence and love for the game to continue to play through that.

LOL, I know you would be in a position to tell me, because your kid is one of those returning from playing HS soccer (LFA to be precise).

I don't think DAs need to have 30 or so players in their program. That's too much IMO. I can see your point about FT players who are not starters. But that's why it would be better to have 22-23 FT players and stick to the 25% rule of giving players starting opportunities. Of course the players need to earn their opportunities and when they get them make full use of them, impress the coaches. That's why I feel bad for the players who are apparently performing well for this team now, but potentially may have their opportunities reduced once 5-6 players return. The situation kind of sucks for both groups of players - the ones playing/performing now and those who are returning. It will definitely give the coach/coaches a headache and a puzzle to solve.

Do me a favor and let me know how it all goes in a few weeks when these players return. I would be interested to find out how the coach (and the program for that matter) handle this situation, but more importantly, how it would affect the team and chemistry.

I think is will be a problem if the team does not continue to win. If they start to lose the games like they won this weekend . (They won both games 1-0.) Then I think the kids and the parents will start to talk. It will be very hard because some this kids did not come forward at the start of the year so they have been place at FT not DP players so the bed has been made.

FWIW, ironically, the particular team we are discussing has exactly 23 FT players. Like I said, a good man as head coach will take care of the players' development, even if the players' egos don't like it.

I agree, as long as the team is winning and performing, issues are likely less prominent.

I noticed that out of the 23 FT players, 6 have not played or started in any games so far. Why is that? Are they injured or just not given the opportunity? Could these 6 change into DPs once the other players come back from HS season?

I agree, a good coach should be able to handle the situation. I guess, we will wait and see.

Team Team Team Win Win Win. One can only shake a head. Did we all lose sight of what the DA is supposed to be - PLAYER DEVELOPMENT. A team of good players will win their fair share. Only thing is we're supposed to be concerned about graduating kids to the USMNT and all we do is talk about junior teams winning, incessantly.

Well we all know that the statement above is incorrect. If all they wanted to do was develop then why do they have standings. If I had to guess I would say that your son or daughter have played or is playing for the Sockers from your previous post. I have to agree that they are the only true club that really does not go out and look for other players they keep it in house. The Fire is probably the worse and then the Magic. If you look at both of those clubs probably just a handful have played on the club 5 years or longer. So the question is how do you develop and also keep the players looking over their shoulder. With the Sockers you saw a very good U-18 team sort blow themselves up at the end of the year. Nor sure why but if you do not know how to win games you will not become a better player period. It is always interesting, if you do not think that when the Sockers tied the Fire 1-1 the other week that the ride home in the car was a lot sweeter for the Socker players then the Fire I think you are kidding yourself. These kids play to win we adults love to chat about the win but if kids are not developing then that are not winning. If only 60 percent of kids graduate on Chicago Public schools then we are really not teaching and developing them. Nothing against the kids or the teachers but you need a measure of some sort.USMNT come on the most political animal outside the election. We do not place the best team on the field.

While you make a point a can agree with also, the reality of the matter is that if a team is performing well and winning, people (parents) seem less likely to harp on issues, like for example who and what playing time they get. It's only when things are not going so well, when people feel the door is open to moan about issues, thus making the situation even worse. Of course, there are always exceptions, but generally that's what happens.

In a perfect World I, more than anyone else, would like this to be about Player Development first and everything else second.

A little sweet revenge for the Fire players that have been cast aside. Magic U17/18 wins 2-0

I fail to see how that is a revenge.....but if it makes the boys feel a little better and more confident, then good for them.

It is revenge because they had played for the Fire last year and had basically been told that they did not need them anymore because we have better player then you. So when you beat a team that told you that they did not want you or you were going to ride the bench I would say that is revenge. Just my opinion .

The great Larry can really coach all those kids from around the country/world. Odd that TK moved so quickly to the Magic also after just a couple years there. Seems like lots of issues at Fire since the boys came over from the Eclipse with MM after winning the National title.

Like what? Those kids went back to back at U15 when at the Fire, then the majority of them went to the Academy finals and finished 4th last year. I bet 99% of players/clubs wish they had those kinds of "issues".

Again I think you are incorrect on this. look at the roster that was at the eclipse and what is the Fire now and last year completely different teams. The question unfair or correct if you are the MLS team and you are tied and beat by the two hometown teams then something is wrong with your coaches or judgement of talent

You are probably right, but at the same time it doesn't matter. As long as the players all grow. Youth soccer is all about learning, playing, and successfully matriculating to the next level. Any player or parent who believes his own press - positive or negative - between the ages of 14 to 17 is making a huge mistake.

I just don't believe the MLS sides will drive player development. It sounds cool, but doesn't come together to make sense. They draw from the same player pool, and same coaching pool that any other club does, and with the plethora of excellent facilities available, there is no advantage in that department either. The whole motivation idea doesn't really add up in practice either: with no place for young players to acclimate themselves to the pro game, the youth setup becomes really useless to the pro team in practice.

It just doesn't add up to MLS driving youth devlopment. IMO, we will continue to see what we have seen: the clubs with the better combination of management, player selection, and coaching will do the best job of developing players, regardless of whether they are MLS or not.

Does one win really prove who was wrong and who was right?

To me those players will take revenge when and if some of them or all of them make it to the highest soccer level, despite the fact that the Fire staff told them they are not good enough for their program.

Winning one game against your prior youth team might give you a temporary satisfaction, but I wouldn't exactly consider it a "revenge"...it's just one game.

Also may I ask how many of those players who were kicked out by the Fire, contributed in this win and how? How many of them started, did any of them scored/assisted? How many of them played better than they did last year at the Fire or how many of them played better than the current Fire players?

I get a sense that you are too hung up on the game results and use them to justify issues or whatever. I'm certainly not Larry's biggest fan and I think the Fire can do better. But I'm looking at more than just wins and losses. And I've been critical of him even when the U16s won the National title a few years ago.

For me, it's far more important how the teams/players develop and play.

This makes sense. I think that in all the Academies, the same circle of coaches has been rotating for far too long.

there are 6 former Fire players two which left prior to the end of season last year and the others left at end of season, out of the 6, 3 played 1 has quit and 2 have dp tags. The Magic are doing very well this year as Fire seem to be in a slump, it will be interesting to see how they rebound after the holiday break.
We will continue to support both clubs and wish the kids all the best securing quality scholarships.

Not really but it was a nice win and that is all it is.

My point exactly.

well, this is what 5th year in DA? and yet i dont believe we have a bona fide pro player out of Fire Academy program yet... I might be wrong. where do we need to do better?