What happens to the young players in the south?

[Eleven Bravo]

With the start of the MLS academies, how is this going to change youth development in the south?

I see this more reason than ever to need a MLS team in the south, florida, and northwest.

[BigKahuna]

With the start of the MLS academies, how is this going to change youth development in the south?

I see this more reason than ever to need a MLS team in the south, florida, and northwest.

I expect a number of teams to set up academies down here. Each team will have their home territory plus two other areas of the country. For example, Chicago has a relationship in Mississippi and RSL has one in Tampa. I hope DC sets one up in Atlanta.

[Tone Capone]

The deep south, being Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and the Carolinas puts out the most athletes per person in the entire United States. even though Florida, California, and Texas produce the most total.

[chlaga]

Would this be like an academy where teams within academy play each other and eventually if a player is talented enough they would move up to play for reserve MLS teams? Or would it be an academy that fields a U 17 teams or PDL teams?

[BigKahuna]

Would this be like an academy where teams within academy play each other and eventually if a player is talented enough they would move up to play for reserve MLS teams? Or would it be an academy that fields a U 17 teams or PDL teams?

I assume that the academy team will play against normal youth clubs in their perspective area, but they also do some special tournaments against other MLS youth teams. Just a guess.

[Eleven Bravo]

see i could see this killing the Silverbacks or any Atlanta team. Jerkunica needs to stay on top of this and make sure that we have some sort of youth academy set up in the south. in other words, DO NOT LET D.C. UNITED GET A HOLD OF THE SOUTHERN MARKET!!!!

[BigKahuna]

I wonder what would happen if DC United or some other team did set up an academy here and then we were awarded an MLS team a few years later. Would the other acedemy have to move? I imagine it would.

[chlaga]

You might see an academy close up or the new MLS team might just buy the academy out.

I keep thinking about the AJAX Orlando situation. Didn't they try it for a year or two and then close up shop? I always saw this a feeder for the club. Did anyone from Orlando ever make in to AJAX?

[BigKahuna]

You might see an academy close up or the new MLS team might just buy the academy out.

I keep thinking about the AJAX Orlando situation. Didn't they try it for a year or two and then close up shop? I always saw this a feeder for the club. Did anyone from Orlando ever make in to AJAX?


I don't know if that Ajax thing ever even happened.

P.S. You signed up for MLStoAtlanta yet? :D

[Eleven Bravo]

You might see an academy close up or the new MLS team might just buy the academy out.

I keep thinking about the AJAX Orlando situation. Didn't they try it for a year or two and then close up shop? I always saw this a feeder for the club. Did anyone from Orlando ever make in to AJAX?

nope.

I'm telling you if MLS wants to do this right (the whole academy situation). than they should be looking at expansion in these spots:

1. Southern Market: Atlanta (my pick), Greensboro, Birmingham, Nashville, Charlotte
2. Northwest Market: Seattle (my pick), Portland, Vancouver
3. Northern California Market: San Jose (my pick), San Francisco, Sacramento
4. Florida Market: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando (my pick)
5. One extra team to create "rivalry": Philadelphia (my pick), Cleveland, Saint Louis, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Montreal, NYC, Club America de Chicago, Rochester, Milwaukee, Tulsa, Oklahoma City.

to bring the league up to 18 teams...and divide the regions up into:

1. D.C. United=stronghold in the DC area, Virginia, West Virginia Maryland, Delaware...possible battle for North Carolina with Atlanta, but Atlanta better make sure they win that battle.

2. Kansas City Wizards=Stronghold in the heartland...east Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas...battle for Oklahoma with Dallas and west kansas and nebraska with Rapids....possible battle for Saint Louis with Chicago.

3. Houston Dynamo=stronghold with everything west and south of Austin. plus LA...in a battle with Atlanta for Mississippi.

4. FC Dallas=stronghold with everything east and north of Austin...battle for Oklahoma with Wizards.

5. LA Galaxy=fight it out for southern california with Chivas USA...what i'm guessing is they'll go for the more "glamorous" side while Chivas tries to go after the hispanics...Hawaii is up for grabs.

6. Chivas USA=""

7. Colorado Rapids=stronghold in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming...battle it out with ND and SD with Seattle and west kansas and nebraska with the wizards.

8. Real Salt Lake=stronghold in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada.

9. Toronto FC=stronghold in Ontario and pretty much all of Canada.

10. Columbus Crew=stronghold in Ohio and Kentucky...in a battle with Chicago for Indiana and Michingan, but should get the upper hand in that battle. also, in a battle for West Virginia with D.C. United, but if it were me i'd give the territory to D.C.

11. Chicago Fire=stronghold in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota...in a battle for Saint Louis with KC (even though KC should win that battle) and Indiana & Michigan with the Crew.

12. New York Red Bulls=stronghold in New York Metro Area with of course Northern New Jersey....In a battle with Revolution for upstate New York and Connecticut.

13. New England Revolution=stronghold in MA, RI, NH, VT, ME.... In a battle with NYRB for upstate NY and CT.

14(e). Atlanta=stronghold in GA, AL, SC, NC, TN.... possible battle with D.C. for North Carolina, but Atlanta should win that battle....in a battle with Houston for MS...and possibly Kentucky with Ohio and Northern Florida with Orlando, but Atlanta will probably lose those battles.

15(e). San Jose=stronghold in Northern California....in a battle for Hawaii with Galaxy, Chivas, and Seattle.

16(e). Seattle=stronghold in Washington, western canada, Oregon, Idaho, Montana...fight it out with Rapids for ND and SD....in a battle for Hawaii with Galaxy, Chivas, and San Jose...and if you want to get crazy they could have Alaska.

17(e). Orlando=stronghold in Florida...out of country they could have Puerto Rico & the rest of caribbean(maybe even Cuba if US/Cuba relationships improve)...could battle for Mobile-especially if Atlanta gets Jacksonville, but unlikely.

18(e). Philadelphia=stronghold in Pennsylvania and southern new jersey.

***basically, this should be the way the lots should be initially drawn, but teams can bargain and sell at their own wish.

[Eleven Bravo]

one thing i would like about the way i set up the academies is that it'd give soccer in this country something that no other sport would have-bargaining for territory.

i think a big fault with pro sports in this country is that players don't have any real loyalty or tie to the team that they play for. plus, with the selling or stealing of players will cause drama...and what does MLS most of all? drama!!!

[BigKahuna]

i think a big fault with pro sports in this country is that players don't have any real loyalty or tie to the team that they play for. plus, with the selling or stealing of players will cause drama...and what does MLS most of all? drama!!!

I agree with you there. Hopefully we'll see more home-grown talent playing for their respective clubs.

[chlaga]

More drama for sure. side note Beckham = Drama. Anyway I have always liked the idea that you develope the player and then they play for the home team. I always like to see Broder play for the Backs . Great to see alocal playing at home.