Are MLS Teams.....

[Mysterious]

Are MLS teams trying to sign youth players like Renken, Gyau, Bates, Duran & Jerome? I hope these players stay in our sytems and aren't lost on European club's reserve squads for the next 7 to 10 years.

[ATLGunner]

They will try to sign them into the MLS draft once out of Bradenton. It is too late for a MLS team to sign.

[whip]

Are MLS teams trying to sign youth players like Renken, Gyau, Bates, Duran & Jerome? I hope these players stay in our sytems and aren't lost on European club's reserve squads for the next 7 to 10 years.

Hey you forgot Martinez....:eek: Probably MLS is waiting for Leverkusen to com and snatch them and charge MLS couple of millions for the deal ...sometimes I wonder how dumb could we get....:rolleyes:

[BishopMVP]

Hey you forgot Martinez....:eek: Probably MLS is waiting for Leverkusen to com and snatch them and charge MLS couple of millions for the deal ...sometimes I wonder how dumb could we get....:rolleyes:Assuming they are willing to turn pro now, the only way it would work economically is if they sign GenAd deals, which unless I'm mistaken can't happen outside the draft/a weighted lottery. None of these kids would turn down 6 figure deals overseas for a developmental salary and no MLS team will commit that much of its cap to a young prospect.

Economics aside, and not to ignite some "Eurosnob" argument, it's probably better for our national teams if these guys go overseas to a big club.... face it, the MLS reserve and developmental system is not on par with what G14/CL members can offer. Adu has shown improvement in his short time at Benfica and while Altidore can learn some things about positioning from Angel, his technical skill is going to be lagging behind the rest of his game until he goes over to Europe.

[Count]

It's good to note that GenAd contracts don't actually count against a team's salary cap at all. So a 100k GenAd contract counts nil against the team's salary cap total.

[BishopMVP]

It's good to note that GenAd contracts don't actually count against a team's salary cap at all. So a 100k GenAd contract counts nil against the team's salary cap total.Exactly. For the kids, they need to sign GenAd to be economically close to any Euro offers. For the teams, they need to have the kids sign GenAd because they can't afford to have a prospect taking up 6 figures of the salary cap.

Brek Shea and Alex Nimo are starts, but let's be honest - neither was a standout at the U-17's, and they're 2 out of 20 players. Even as an ardent follower of the YNT's, I can only recognize maybe 6 of the next U-17's - Renken, Jerome, Gyau, Duran, Watts, Edwards. Unless you want to go the NASL route of shooting for the moon, losing $$$$$ and hoping millions come around before you go bankrupt, the key to MLS growth is steadily raising the level of play and only spending big bucks for publicity when it can be backed up on the field. (Beckham's injury clearly ********ed MLS, but when he was on the field anyone could tell he was good. Put a 16yo Gyau or Renken out on an MLS field and they'll show a flash of brilliance or two but the fans will go home disappointed because they didn't take over the game - we saw this with Adu.)

I would love to see these guys every week as much as you, but I'm also honest and it just doesn't make sense from all sides. As a NE fan I have more than enough complaints about MLS teams not spending money. This isn't the place.

[Elninho]

We don't need to rush the U-17 NT players into MLS. They're already getting the best training available in the United States for players their age, and playing regularly for the U-17 NT (which plays a lot of games each year!) is probably more useful than the 12 games that MLS reserve teams play.

The big problem in this country has never been Bradenton itself; the problem is that we need many more academies as good as (or nearly as good as) Bradenton. MLS youth academies with teams retaining rights to players they develop are a start. Most of the top Bradenton prospects will end up going Generation Adidas anyway, so I see no reason to pull them out of an established program to go into fledgling MLS youth programs, if that's what's being called for.

[JohnR]

playing regularly for the U-17 NT (which plays a lot of games each year!) is probably more useful than the 12 games that MLS reserve teams play.

Plus, these guys are 15 years old. I don't know what kind of magicians people think these players are, but most of them were playing age group club soccer last year, and getting plenty of challenge, thanks much. For example, the only time I saw Gyau play at the club level, he was forward and notched 0 goals, 0 assists while being the oldest player on the field. Sure he's good, very good, but it's not as if the athletes he competes against can't give him a battle.

Bradenton to my mind isn't as good as being at Barca or Sporting Lisbon or West Ham youth programs, but it's still a mighty good option, better than what the MLS programs can now offer.

[Corwin_of_Amber]

Hey you forgot Martinez....:eek: Probably MLS is waiting for Leverkusen to com and snatch them and charge MLS couple of millions for the deal ...sometimes I wonder how dumb could we get....:rolleyes:

I always wonder that as well.

Then I read one of your posts.

Thanks, answer gotten.