I guess it makes sense for Cincy as they are trying to bootstrap the amount of players they have in USL as well as fill out there roster. I saw a tweet where they said they have ID'ed at least 16-28 players that would be worth drafting and having on a pro roster (meaning MLS or USL)
I think this is a potential minefield for MLS. Let's assume that MLS and all MLS teams would be willing to give up on the draft - or perhaps gift all the (graduating) college players to expansion teams to use as DMN's roster-fillers. Teams have their USL teams, their foreign signings, their Academies, their 'home-grown' players, etc. There are plenty of young players for a successful franchise like the Union to build on. Fine. But I see a big risk in devaluing college soccer - in effect, ultimately, to zero. Wish I had the time to lay it all out here, but in essence it's this: While college soccer seems irrelevant to the production of high-level soccer players, because of its many limitations, the limited season, the absurd rules, the poor coaching, the poor refereeing, the (advanced) age of its players, the poor level of their skills, the lack of interest (most places) and support (almost all places) - I would argue that the existence of college soccer remains important to the overall health of the sport in this country. But I'll have to argue that at some later time ...
I doubt college soccer will be going away anytime soon and I doubt the Draft will go away either. I can see teams start declining to pick though. The reason it might make sense to get out to the first round is that you don't want to have to pay 1st round prices for a similar talent who might come at the fraction of the cost.
But they will continue to sign players directly from college as free agents and as homegrown players. Teams won't be limited from approaching players who aren't seniors and players can select the teams they would rather negotiate with. You would lose the Generation Adidas designation though.
Instead of a draft, they'll probably just have a combine for NCAA players. MLS and USl clubs can then negotiate with whom they want. Shudder.........................that almost sounds like free agency. Keep in mind that a lot of our USYNT prospects did play in the NCAAs. Reggie Cannon. Mark McKenzie, Brandon Servania, Justin Rennicks, Trey Muse, and the list goes on. So we're not saying the NCAAs don't have some value. Its just that as time goes on more and more of these players are homegrown signings. When you take all of that elite domestic talent out of the draft, what's left? There are a lot of foreign players that's for sure.
There's theory and then there's fact. In theory you post is absolutely true. In fact its not. college soccer is devaluing itself by not stepping up and modernizing itself and improving itself. Its stagnant reluctant to change or improve. Until they want to become relevant they won't be. They have to change their season to replicate professional soccer game/practice ratio, they have to change substitution rules, their clock, their coaching, their play. They have to let their players play against professionals in the summer to gauge their competition. It has to change to be an important to the overall health of the sport. If not they will slowly go away and fade into the background.
Keep in mind most of those players only played one year of college soccer and not 4. There's a reason for that. Because they realized for them to advance their game to a professional level they had to leave. College Soccer is not a good long term training environment for 4 yrs. 1 year its ok. It loses its value the more you spend time in it. The quicker the better is the time needed for those few players who need it. Ultimately these type players won't use college soccer because the infrastructure for younger prospects will need higher level soccer that USL provides.
Almost everyone involved in college soccer have pushed for these changes, the NCAA just doesn’t care. Every NCAA sport abides by some very dumb rules, not just college soccer.
sometimes you choose what you get. college soccer has chosen to become irrelevant because you have educators making decisions and not athletic people. even good educators make poor decisions because of blinders. they don't see the bigger picture, they don't care if soccer becomes irrelevant because they think of it as an extra curricular activity and not a competitive world wide sport.
Well, the U17, U19, U20 camp feedback is rather quiet, so may as well shift focus to the MLS Draft...
Does anyone know when the double header is this weekend I want to watch but on the link https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u17-u20-mnt-rosters-for-florida-camp_aid45691 it says Sunday the 12th, Sunday is the 13th so is it Saturday the 12th or Sunday the 13th?
It's tomorrow the 12th. 4 & 6 PM Eastern. https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...ee-team-training-camp-kicks-off-2019-for-mynt
Without a doubt, Amaya is undrafted if he wasn't with the U20 team. Ramos calls in a not very productive UCLA midfielder to U19, elevated him, and he is #1.
Maybe. I think you're being a little harsh, though. Frankie Amaya was a freshman All-American and a first team all-PAC12 player at UCLA. He did only appear in 14 games with the Bruins due to an early injury, and then being with USYNTs a lot. So no he didn't light up the stat sheet. But he also did enough in the games he did play to merit a look with the U20s. He obviously convinced Tab that he should be part of the squad. [He probably wouldn't have made it if all of our Euro U20s had been available.] And he did, it should be noted, START our two most important games at the U20 Championships. The WC-clinching game against Honduras and the final against Mexico. Both wins. All of that play with Tab and the U20s is what got him a GenAd contract. Without that, he wouldn't even have been eligible to be drafted. So you're right that being in the U20s got him this deal. However, I think you're a bit harsh by saying a player of his talent level wouldn't have been drafted. Should a US-eligible midfielder that STARTS for the U20 national team be a 1st round kind of talent? Sure enough. That's exactly who we WANT to see drafted and be given a chance to develop in the league. Griffin Dorsey, who I'm less convinced of than Amaya...……….went at #6 for Pete's sake.
This is a fair analysis. Players have to take advantage of the opportunities presented, and to Amaya's credit he did. I don't think anyone is saying that Amaya will be a major talent, but I also believe that pro scouts, once they saw him in action with the U20s, took a closer look, liked what they saw, and that resulted in his GA designation.
3-2 a little over halfway through the first half, don’t know who the other team is, lineup seems to be Garces Lindsey Durkin Keita Real Servania Akinola Pomykal Cappis Taitague Ferreira Ferreira has been dangerous and lively, Taitage has shown flashes, Servania has been excellent, defense has been rarely troubled. Goals came off a corner and a moment of complacency from Keita. Akinola two nearly identical goals, Ferreira with the third.
6-2 at half time thanks to the Taitague show, drew two PKs, scores two PKs, assisted another. No bad performances because of the inferior opponent but Taitague is very special. Also like what I’ve seen from Ferreira and Servania, no one will play their way out of this team in this game (maybe Keita) but I think those three have stuck out a little extra. Not huge on Pomykal or Real but that may just be me, someone else smarter watching may easily disagree.
11-3 final so not to read too much into it against an opponent that is so far off but for the subs I thought Amaya looked sharp and Fernandez in a very short time showed some things. Aside from the players who showed some stuff and didn’t, the man of the day is without question in my opinion Taitague. There probably won’t be much movement in the depth chart based on a game like this bar Taitague, he was fantastic.
Tough to move up the depth chart when you've really always been at the top of it for offensive players. He's always been a top prospect but due to Schalke being a stickler for youth player releases and his own injury issues he hasn't been able to play for US Youth teams. If healthy and Schalke not being such a d*** he should be easily on the team.