Rapids Home Grown/ Youth updates

This. With the time difference the game ended around 10pm in Turkey. So he's got essentially one day of rest (tomorrow) in which he would have to travel 6 time zones to join the team in Montreal and then play the next day. My be is that the Rapids don't even try (and they shouldn't), they just tell him to head home to Denver and get ready for Thursday's game.

 

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...shane-oneill-provides-bright-spot-us-crash-ou

Good article with Shane O'Neill about the Ghana game from mlssoccer.com

 

Twellman included O'Neill when ragging on the D for the first goal but I don't know what he was supposed to do. A Ghananian player had the ball at the edge of the box and the d-mid (Trapp?) couldn't clear the ball. Stanko was on that side watching passively and O'Neill was manning his side on the left. Then the ball squirts loose to a forward behind the line who has an open shot. (A replay later showed the forward was offside.) O'Neill comes sliding into the picture late because all this is happening on Stanko's side and he had a lot of ground to make up.

The 2nd goal was pretty much a hell of a shot just inside the far post on a counter after a midfield turnover. 3rd goal was a header off a corner when the Ghananian jumped in front of Stanko (I think). 4th goal was off a long free kick--the goalie Cropper just missed it with the punch, leaving it for a wide player to cut it back to an onrushing player for a free, hard shot that zipped through Cropper's legs. I don't see that O'Neill played much of a role, if any, on these goals.

Two of the Ghananian goalscorers (Acheampong with the 1st goal, and Assifuah, 2nd and 3rd goals) looked pretty damn good. Stronger and faster than the American boys.

O'Neill also had a shot saved a minute or two before scored his goal. He was forward for a corner. The US took a short corner, someone took a long shot that deflected on the edge of the box and the ball fell to O'Neill.

 

Our young lads just couldn't compete on quality of names. Ebenezer Assifuah. Now THAT'S a name.

 

Nor could they compete on quality of play or quality of thought!

 

Ghana is USMNT's daddy.

 

Ghana had a hell of a game today and is amazingly fun to watch. Their forwards and #10 playmaker are pretty good and most are playing in domestic leagues. I guess if things are as corrupt in Ghana as Cameroon, that would explain that situation.

 

The forwards were letting rip left and right, that's for sure. However, #10 Aboagye was setting guys up left and right. #7 Acheampong on the left wing did really well in a couple games I saw. (He's with Anderlecht, apparently.)

Edit: Ghana credited with 41 shots, 22 on goal!

 

Don't know if this was ever posted here, but its a bit of info about each team's exclusive regions (we get all of Colorado) and how many exemptions each team gets.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ademy-demographics-favor-big-market-mls-teams

I find it funny that FSL is complaining in the article when their region of Utah and Arizona is almost double the population of Colorado. Of course it is fairly spread out other than Phoenix and having 700 miles of distance is a drawback, but they need to stop whining.

 

It's all good, no one commented after I posted it a bit ago...

Interesting to me, especially the exemption piece.

 

Well done to the Rapids U-16 team. 3rd place Nationally.

 

Two Rapids U-14's called up to a US National U-14 Team camp. I had no idea there was a U-14 National team, but that's great for those kids and for the Rapids' academy.

 

This is in recognition by USSF for the need for higher quality training for progressively younger players. In reality, few of these players will make it to a U-17 World Cup and fewer yet, if any, will ever play for the USMNT.

 

MLS's players to watch. Sure hope we get Howngrown for Rogers when he comes out.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...p-10-college-players-watch-heading-new-season

Ricardo Perez, Fr., M, Creighton

Elmar Bolowich’s teams have a history of success, but the Bluejays have plenty of questions to answer this season. Goalkeeper Jeff Gal decided to leave the program in favor of Virginia, and First Team All-America defender Andrew Ribeiro graduated at the end of last season. There’s still talent on this team, but the way the Colorado Rapids academy product Perez performs out of the gate will set the tone for just how effective the Jays can be.

James Rogers, Jr., F, New Mexico

The departures of 15-goal scorer Devon Sandoval and the MLS SuperDraft’s eighth overall pick Blake Smith leave the Lobos with some giant holes to fill on offense. Rogers, who has spent time in both the Rapids and RSL systems, put up a tidy eight-goal and five-assist season last year, and he should be the guy to shoulder some of the excess scoring duties.

 

Not sure this is the proper place for it, but I could not find a more appropriate thread.

Are you Rapids fans still happy that Dillon Serna left Akron after his freshman year? Has he played at all?

Just checking in.....

 

I'm glad he got to play in U-20 WC...

IMO, Still needs to physically mature in order to compete in MLS.

 

That has been my contention all along.

Glad he saw some time for WC U20. He nearly scored.

He should be starting for Zips; God knows we could use him right about now.

 

Portland - 1, Zips - zip (sometimes this stuff just writes itself) ;>)

 

Serna remains a boy trying to play a man's game in a man's league. IMO, he should have remained at Akron where he could have played lotsa minutes, grown in stature and continued to mature tactically. Meager U-20 participation aside, his playing opportunities have been minimal and his development stunted. While I typically feel college is a detriment to a young player's soccer development it can be a real aid to a small player, like Serna, needing to add size & strength. I do not see him as a quality MLS player now or in the future. Bypassing a college education for a very few dollars may well prove to be a life-long impediment!

BTW, nearly scored in U-20 WC + $ 2.00 buys one an ice cream bar! I have yet to see a game won by a nearly scored goal!

 

Uh, so things are pretty much the same as in January of this year. No change. Thanks.

 

Rapids add another youth academy to network, this one in NM. http://www.coloradorapids.com/youth/news/2013/09/colorado-rapids-add-rio-soccer-club-adidas-alliance