Great article by Buzz. I think it has national team implications as it seems Stewart and Berhalter are going to try to do this with the boys national teams. https://3rddegree.net/the-fc-dallas-academy-is-great-heres-why
I thought yesterday’s article on the FC Dallas academy footprint and expansion strategy was very enlightening. https://www.bigdsoccer.com/2020/1/4/21043742/fc-dallas-academy-international-puerto-ricomexico
Some clarity is warranted here: any team outside the DFW area is NOT an "expansion of the FCD Academy" in the manner this article implies. They are affiliates to the youth club that prior to July 2019 was paying FCD a small per player fee (I'm told it was $25). That ended when MLS began to point out to clubs the league owned the branding and that began some legal/rights issues. These affiliates are essentially a licensing connection in the same way Chelsea, Liverpool and Dortmund have here with club teams in the Dallas Classic League. FCD has ZERO control or say over how any of these affiliate clubs are run or managed. The reason why this is important: the term "Academy" implies that - in the case of anything FCD - that the team is free to play and funded in a manner that allows for a roster of players who aren't responsible for funding their experience. This is the case in Frisco - the Academy teams are funded (meaning, free to play) by the literally 100's of FCD Youth teams that fall under the Academy and can cost players in the neighborhood of $3000 a year to join (each team is allotted scholarships to add players unable to pay the fee). FCD Youth is divided into different levels Select/Juniors/Academy. FCD Youth generates a reported 8 figure annual sum for HSG and is the single profitable portion of the three related businesses (MLS team, Toyota Stadium, FCD Youth). The majority of these affiliate clubs have a "pay4play" element and while they may not reach the $3K level fees are probably in line with the related economy. It certainly should be crystal clear that FCD isn't funneling funds back down to these affiliate clubs, domestically or internationally. While FCD actively vets each club to find a common understanding of methods, and FCD will provide guidance and other tools - that is the limit. It is a very smart marketing and brand building exercise and I suspect the revenue portion will be figured out with MLS soon and I'm told the affiliate fee will resume in some form. As for filtering potential stars to Frisco - yes - that might be the big promoted idea, but the reality is many of these teams are generally not the Academy level of players seen in the US or even in the related area of the affiliate club. FCD has constructed a admirable international youth brand, everyone should understand the practice and construction, but it should not be framed as some sort of Academy Master Plan in any context other than a marketing exercise. (and as someone who openly complains about the club's lack of marketing of the pro teams, equally and openly applaud)
I think at least three players have come from their El Paso (Zendejas, Pepi and the older defender a couple years ago) affiliate so there is a path if the players is good enough. As you point out there is some wishful thinking here but I do think the teams is sort of in the selling of dreams business and there is a slight possibility.
The Puerto Rico affiliates and the Mexico affiliates have different models. The Puerto Rico affiliates have already sent 2 players to Frisco, and their marketing is lauding the best academy in MLS selling point. The Mexican affiliates goal is to produce players for Mexican Pro teams/academies, and also for the FCD academy. As for wishful thinking, the money going into Puerto Rico is very real. The PRSL has already broken ground on the first of their planned stadiums. The Juarez affiliate is absolutely making preparations to launch D4 and D3 teams. Mexico D3 teams are comparable to USL League One teams, and that yo me. is a huge deal. Also, the addition of more foreign affiliates will continue, without fan fare. As for FCDs involvement, it has always been clear that the affiliates operate independently.
https://sbisoccer.com/2020/06/chris-richards-makes-bayern-first-team-debut Chris Richards continued his rapid rise at Bayern Munich on Saturday by earning the first Bundesliga appearance of his career. The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team standout came on as an 84th-minute substitute in Bayern’s 3-1 win against Freiburg, becoming the third American to play a Bundesliga match, and fourth to make an official appearance, for the Bundesliga champions. Richards made a $1.25 million transfer from FC Dallas to Bayern in January of 2019, staying in Germany after a successful loan stint with Bayern’s U-19 teams.
US Soccer Players @ussoccerplayers 2h Five of the club’s academy products (Kellyn Acosta, Reggie Cannon, Jesus Ferreira, Weston McKennie, and Ricardo Pepi) took the field in last week’s 3-0 win over Honduras in Minnesota, four of them as starters.