Another American player over-estimating his worth. All of these boys should take a peak at the NASL combine and adjust their thinking accordingly.
I agree with the last few comments. The kid's very talented but six figures is a good offer. Hope he stays healthy and has another great season. If so, it might work out. If not, he might regret the decision. FWIW, my nephew has played against him and with him and says the guy is a hard worker and humble.
Easily could be mistaken, but I thought that home growns didn't count against the cap....or were at least subsidized greatly. Something that needs to be kept in mind is the length of the contract he's expected to sign along with the unilateral "options" that MLS usually include. If the kid wants an early career transfer and doesn't believe MLS will sell him when he wants to go, a better contract may be the compensation that makes that worth while for him. I don't knock him for turning it down if he's uncomfortable with all the variables, but the analysis of MLS's reaction is right on for me. Another year at the college level won't help in the negotiations. Surely, he's got better options.
From MLS Soccer's "The Kick Off": Get used to this name: Gyasi Zardes. Many have labeled him the best prospect in college soccer and he’s considered a Home Grown player for the LA Galaxy. But his college coach reveals that playing time was a major reason he decided to stay at Cal State Bakersfield this year: “The Galaxy has David Beckham and Robbie Keane so it would have been hard for him to get a lot of playing time in the early time of his [pro] career. It probably helps his development playing one more college year.”
What a self-serving crock of shit from the college coach. Here's the link to the original article in question. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/sports/csub/x1997184131/MLS-can-wait-Zardes-coming-back-to-CSUB First off, since when did David Beckham play forward? Second, Robbie Keane is going to miss a chunk of the season because of the Euro. Third, the Galaxy will have a LOT of games this year between CONCACAF CCL (both this edition and the next, which starts in the summer), the league, the USOC and any friendlies. Donovan (and perhaps Buddle) has WC Qualifying. Beckham likely has the Olympics. And that's before injuries and suspensions. There will be PLENTY of times when Bruce doesn't have his preferred Best XI, thus creating ample chances for the reserves. Fourth, does Tobin really believe that training with and against college players whom Zardes is already better than will enhance his development more than training alongside and against guys like Donovan, Beckham, Keane, Buddle, Dunivant, Gonzalez (when healthy) and the rest of the Galaxy backline. Hell, with the exception of Leonardo, the Galaxy defenders were all All Americans as college players and went in the first or second round the draft. Ergo, they were among the best college players in the country when they were in school and now they'r even better after their pro and international experience. Does Tobin really think Zardes is going to improve more going against players not nearly as good as the Galaxy's backline in training and games? Please. Fifth - Bruce Arena/Dave Sarachan/Curt Onalfo/Jovan Korovski or Simon Tobin? Which coaching staff do you think has more to offer you in terms of pro development? Other than a loony GK with a drug habit (Josh Wicks), what MLS player has come out of Cal State Bakersfield? Sixth, anytime someone says "it's not about the money," it's about THE MONEY. And anyone who thinks Zardes wouldn't have come out if the money was higher is naive. Also naive is Tobin and Zardes thinking they'll get more money from MLS next season, as explained in previous posts. There's just no precedent to suggest that's gonna happen. This sounds to me like Tobin has taken a page from UConn's Ray Reid and put his own interests ahead of his star player's and sold Zardes a bill of goods that he's "better off" coming back to school than signing with the Galaxy.
Spot on Sandon. There are some coaches out there that are "all-in" with preparing their kids for MLS........and when they're ready, they tell them to go. Caleb Porter, many of the ACC coaches, etc. Yes, it means they need to rebuild every year. But it also means they can recruit really well. Akron needs to replace multiple GenAd kids a year, and still gets the job done. Zardes needs to look no further than Dillon Powers, the former star of DFW soccer. There was a Gatorade National Player of the Year, Development Academy Player of the year with Andromeda, captain of the US U20s, Milk Cup MVP, and on and on. He got a GenAd offer after his sophomore year, but inexplicably decided to stay at Notre Dame. Well, his position in US youth teams has steadily declined year after year. Then he wasn't offered a GenAd contract this time around. Now he's pretty much forced to stay at Notre Dame for his senior year. He's falling farther and farther behind players of his age that are already pros......some of whom have been training with the U23 national team. Who's oldest? Amobi Okugo, Perry Kitchen, or Dillon Powers? The answer is Dillon Powers.................. You've gotta strike while the iron is hot. That 6-figure GenAd deal is a great offer to start out your career. He's not getting more from MLS. And a kid from Cal-Bakersfield ain't getting a lot more on the open European market either. Inexplicable.....................
What ridiculous comments by the college coach. I understand he doesn't want to lose his best player but how in the world does he think 20 hours a week of college soccer (believe thats the training amount please correct if not) is better than a professional environment? Reserve games would be a higher standard. Isn't the point of a GenAd deal to sign players early and give them a higher than average salary for rookies so part of that salary can be used to finish school? Professional player's don't train all day he could still attend college he just may not be able to take a full course load. Part of me doesn't think its all about academics though. I think Zardes and his coach believe staying in school will amount to a higher salary. This isn't college basketball or even baseball where holding out can lead to a higher salary. MLS doesn't have the wages that other pro sports do for young players. $100K is a good offer and I believe most GenAd guys are making between 100-120K correct?
I always found it funny in school that I got to play with half the team's soccer players because they were looking for any which way to get more time on the ball outside of the allotted time. Whether it was in city leagues or just pick up games. Silly.
No way its academics...the HDC is located on a college campus!!! If Zardes wanted he could walk to class after/before practice or games lol. Also it can't be the lifestyle, cause nobody wants to live in Bako.....nobody.
This is a really good point. Plus, both Bakersfield and Dominguez Hills are part of the Cal State system, so there shouldn't be much issue with transferring credits. Hey you don't know me but you don't like me You say you care less how I feel But how many of you that sit and judge me Have ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?
In general, I think people very much under rate the value of playing in college and over rate the value of training without playing as a pro. But this is a joke. Zardes got the playing time he needed to develop last and he's past that. Financially it is a big risk as the MLS offers are only going to go down the education at Bakersfield could easily be had by walking across the parking lot.
Turning down a 100K GenAd deal would be a mistake. There is no guarantee he'll be offered that much next year or even offered a GenAd deal at all (as Clint said see Dillon Powers). European interest? Possibly but I would think we would have heard something by now. Judging by the fact he was offered 100K deal by MLS I don't think he had any interest at the time to use as leverage. Call me crazy but 100K to play soccer for a living, I know its not "european money" but I'd take it. Isn't Billy Schuler making a similar wage in Sweden? Granted the differences between Sweden and USA, contract length, etc but strictly wage wise I think it is about the same.
For me..........it has a lot to do with the age and potential of a player. As well as the quality of the NCAA program. Each situation is different. I'd rather have some 18 year olds playing full-time at an elite NCAA program than sitting on the bench in MLS. So I'm fine with Alfred Koroma going to Akron for a year or two, for instance, if he doesn't have pro offers that he's happy with. But Gyasi Zardes is going to be 21 this year. He's supposedly an elite prospect that's gonna be playing in the MPSF. This is not an elite soccer conference. He's not going to learn anything new playing another year against that caliber of competition. He's not going to do anything in his junior year (redshirt junior I think...) playing in the MPSF that's going to increase his value. I just don't get it. The coach should have been jumping up and down with glee when the kid got a GenAd offer. He should have told the kid to take it immediately...............
The coach should be using this to help promote his program. Use Zardes as an example that you don't have to go to UCLA, UCSB, or one of the other "big name California schools" to make it in MLS/pro soccer.
They did get a really good recruit this year in Christian Duarte from the Texans-Houston. (#36 on TDS's prospect list--------subjective of course) He spent some time at Bradenton with our U17s, and I believe was invited to a recent U20 camp by Ramos. The also got Oscar Sorto from Pateadores, who's a nice player. He was an all-Western Conference Academy player in 2011. So Bakersfield seems to be "on the move." I don't understand this particular decision with Zardes at all, though.
From Top Drawer Soccer: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer/college-soccer-latest-news/nid-23881
New article: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/20/fusions-zardes-has-potential-to-be-international/ He had an assist on GW as VC Fusion beat the Timbers U23s 1-0 in PDL playoffs this evening.
Sounders u23 beat VC Fusion 2-0 in playoffs on Sunday. Their defenders said besides being big and fast he was "OK".
Watch he is going to do well at Swansea match and finally get snapped up by European team. Blah blah blah from all the haters....... the kid is that good. Just a shame he couldn't leave earlier as a youth.
Yeah, doing absolutely nothing against a bunch of college sophomores to be is usually a good indication that he'll get snapped up by a European team. People can be realists without being haters. Hard to fathom, I know.
Looking forward to the day when "hater" joins "fanboy" and "mancrush" on BigSoccer's list of banned words.