Totally agree that they are there to produce player for the senior team. But, getting the team right so that every player can develop is important. Winning when you have so much talent is a measure of how well that is being achieved, playing well and dominating possession is another result of good skills you mention. Also, If getting players to the senior team is the goal why have players who have already dedicated themselves to schools? One of a few answers; winning games and being successful in the eyes of potential player, attracts the best palyer. I believe It's a bit more complicated than just development.
I'm with you on that one. Winning is usually correlated with development. Better players means the coach can use different tactics and implement more complex styles. As long as a team is playing the right way, then the winning and development usually go hand in hand. But, in this day and age, especially in the US, most players in the youth ranks are looking for that college scholarship. It is the name of the game, now and into the foreseeable future. As the youth scene becomes more and more professionalized, there will just not be enough roster spots on MLS teams to support all of the players. A team may not be sure about a player and will tell/allow them to go to college and keep an eye on them. Some really talented players will likely do a year or two in college while the MLS team makes a decision about whether to sign them or not. It also means that most players signed before they're 18 have huge backing from their MLS club. Why sign a player before that unless they have options in Europe when you can let them develop a little more in college ball and see where they stand in a couple years?
The combination of focusing young players on winning at the expense of development and the huge stall in development that occurs when players enter college is, combined, the biggest problem in our player development system, currently and one that the league and clubs are making huge efforts to change. That system is one of the main reasons that American player development has not progressed measurably from 1994-2008/'09. We don't need winning academy teams, we need excellent players that will be good professionals. Those differing goals do not go hand-in-hand. And our teams could lose for all sorts of reasons when the coach is not tasked with winning but with training. Coach has the freedom to consistently experiment with lineups solely for teaching reasons. This means that one game he could have the defenders play at midfield, just to teach them how midfielders look for the ball and how the two lines could work better. He could constantly rotate players so that they are all getting a lot of minutes instead of only the very best players playing all the time. He could try odd formations to see how they work against opponents. And on and on.
I think everyone agrees that development should be ahead of winning and I wasn't suggesting that it shouldn't. But it is an indicator of development and the development of successful players is mental as well as soccer skills. You make some good points. Here's my view. The "stall", in my opinion, is that players get the college offer and frankly relax. That lack of intensity in training and games is a huge "Stall" in there individual development. Any player who goes to college is not subject to the pressure of the professionals and my assertion is that they will not develop at college sufficiently and especially the mentality needed to make it. Some of the more naturally talented will always have a chance, but most need intensity and hard work and they will not make it in the MLS. My logic is that I played in Europe and from 16 to 20 the pressure at a professional club is immense, the hard work and coaching is very high and the "cuts" are deep and often - me included. The change when you leave school, which is normally at 16, is very noticeable. There is more pressure to dominate the game and win as a validation of the skills from training and also to develop a winning mentality. Winning and developing do go hand in hand. Pure skill for skills sake is not going to deliver the players. Barca are the best because they have the best players and a winning mentality and they start very, very young teaching them to win - trust me.
I hear what you're saying about the importance of pressure and the development of a winning mentality, and have to agree.
Quick update on the academy. Plus talks about 2 players that are in college that are eligible for a homegrown contract. http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2011/10/la-galaxy-academy-update-oct-5
That is good news on the college players. I have seen Riley play. A very energetic guy - good player. Let's hope the colleges can provide the intensity to keep them improving. But if they come back after 4 years I doubt they will. College ball is just not a high enough level. But if these guys are talented enough you never know.
Here is another update for the academies. http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2011/10/la-galaxy-academy-update-oct-12 http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2011/10/galaxy-u-18-shine-san-diego-4-0-win
Will anyone beat the Galaxy U18's this year? Watched today. Comfortable but not very convincing. Jack McBean played about 70 minutes but the ball never really got to him. The occasional burst through from mid-field and some long range shoots. Great goal and one very good tackle at the back to keep Strikers out.
A few players from the LA Galaxy Academy will travel to Stockholm in mid-november to train with Hammarby (currently in the second tier of swedish football). Here's my thread about it in the "Yanks Abroad" forum. And here's the quote from their director of sports: "We don't know the exact number but some MLS players plus a few guys from the LA Galaxy academy will come here in mid-november. We want to bring the young Galaxy-players here to assess their level while the older players are here to showcase themselves. We have taken advantage of the LA Galaxy scouting network and I have come in contact with american agents who represent players in the MLS. It might also happen that we will loan one or two players from LA Galaxy, but that remains to be seen. We have a few experienced americans on our radar, but I won't say more about that until we know for certain."
Any Guesses on who from the academy? I think this is great news. It shows again that LAG are getting serious about homegrown development.
Jose Villarreal from LA Galaxy is listed on the U-23 callup roster. http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-M...s-to-Roster-for-Training-Camp-in-Germany.aspx And that is the extent of my knowledge. Someone in the Youth NT thread linked an article where he talked about wanting to sign with an overseas club.
It's on the LAG website now http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2011/1...villareal-named-united-states-under-23-roster So he will not be one of those in Sweden. Anyone found out who is going?
He's back in LA with the Galaxy. Not to say he won't eventually sign with a Euro squad but the fact he trialed with 3 different teams and is back in LA suggests that we still have a decent chance to land him as a homegrown player.
U18's won again today. Not impressive. I have to wonder if the coach has any idea how to handle the talent he has. I hope the coach gets replaced before he takes this team down as he did with them last year. Mario and Tilley were not there. I am told they are on there way to Sweden. Will these two be the next home grown signings?
I don't know much more. These are two of the best players in the Galaxy academy. Tilley has just turned 17. He has played and trained at Tottenham Hotspur and with Birmingham City. He can play Center back (preferred) and midfield (heard he is good up front as well) He is English but sounds like he will become US when he turns 18. Mario was in the US U17 world cup squad and team. Always been a good player in Southern California. Plays center forward and can play out wide as well. I believe there's some interest from overseas club for him as well.
Allright thanks man! Galaxys owner, AEG, owns 49% of the Swedish club Hammarby (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammarby_IF) and is currently playing in the Swedish second league. We're currently having a raging silly season with rumors flying everywhere. one of the strongest being that LA Galaxy is going to send ower a few players. Any information you could bring me would be greatly appreciated!
More on Tilley from the Galaxy web site. http://www.lagalaxy.com/news/2011/05/academy-update-qa-matt-tilley Can not find anything on Mario.
Wasn't/Isn't former Galaxy player and now Academy director Chris Klein also part of the coaching staff or front office for Hamamrby? Remember reading something about that at the end of his playing career. Likely to get some knowledge/insight for what he does now.
Representatives of AEG on our board promised to help us sign new players if we managed to stay in the second league, which we did. One of the proposed ideas were to bring in a few players from the US. We haven't heard anything substantial yet, but if you've heard that Rodriguez and Tilley is going to Sweden it's 99% likley to be to train or try out with Hammarby.
It's on our site now, translated with googletranslate because i'm lazy: Three-Bajen players will be featured this week This week is visiting three American players Hammarby. There are two young players from LA Galaxy's Academy and a senior professionals with exprience from the Bundesliga and Portuguese top League. The trio finishes the stay with participating in a training match against Älvsjö AIK on Saturday. 18-year-old striker Mario Rogriguez and 17-year-old Defender Matthew Tilley belongs to LA Galaxy's Youth Academy, and this week they are in Stockholm to train with Hammarby. The third player called Kamani Hill, a 25-year-old midfielder with past VfL Wolfsburg and Portuguese Vittoria Guimares, and two caps on the merit list. The trio will train with Bajen and play Saturday's game against Älvsjö AIK. -The two academyplayers are here because we want to know them better, they get a chance to see and learn in a new environment. Kamani Hill is a player we want to see and evaluate, "says Gustav Grauers, Hammarbys Sports Director. The visiting trio is a result of Hammarby have begun to develop cooperation with the minority owner AEG on the sporting side. With LA Galaxy's Chris Klein, who is also a Board member of Hammarby Fotboll AB, is a large network in the US market available. The idea was that a further senior players would appear on Hammarby this week, but an injury has put an end to his participation. -But he may come here in January instead, "said Gustaf Grauers. It may therefore be more visits from the United States after the end of the year. http://www.hammarbyfotboll.se/se/aktuellt/artiklar/?articleid=37556
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_xXTofQuq0"]Interview: American players at Hammarby - YouTube[/ame]