2017-18 Development Academy

since matches don't start until Sept, players and coaches moving from one DA to another DA would be a good topic for August. I'll start:

Orlando City DA director resigned to take same position at NYRB DA

 

Unless I'm mistaken, this fills a vacancy that has existed since Bob Montgomery shifted to a new job within NYRB in February 2016.

https://www.onceametro.com/2017/4/1...s-not-the-new-york-red-bulls-academy-director

 

Some of the changes for 2017-18:

• U18 and U16 divisions are now U19 and U17, though it's just a nomenclature change and 98s will age out
• The U15 division has been introduced with 82 participants.
• Am I wrong to read the addition of the U15 league as not so much in-fill as effectively expanding the DA down an age group, once you cut through all the nomenclature changes?
  • Last year's U14 league was 02s and younger, but this new U15 league is 03s and younger. So adjusting for the fact that it's a new year and everyone's a year older, the old U14 league = the new U15 league. That means old U13 league = new U14, old U12 = new U13, and there is no corollary to the new U12.
  • For example, last year's FC Dallas U12 team included 04s. This year, 04s will supposedly be U14s, skipping the U13 division entirely.
  • Or else there's a typo in the cutoff date chart here. I guess we'll find out when rosters are posted for the new season.
• For the U19 league:
  • NYCFC and Barca Academy are new entrants, with RSL vacating the Casa Grande partnership and moving operations to Utah.
  • The two Saint Louis Scott Gallagher clubs have merged and are now under the Saint Louis FC banner.
  • It also appears that Juventus SC has changed names to Silicon Valley Soccer Association. Texas Rush has changed its name to Houston Dynamo Youth (not to be confused with the Houston Dynamo, who still have a separate team in the same division...)
  • Everton FC Westchester are now Westchester Armour. Capital Area Railhawks are now North Carolina FC Youth
• For the U17 league:
  • Barca Academy is the only brand new-to-the-DA club
  • Four clubs that have operated at younger levels have been added to the U17 league: Virginia Development Academy (northern VA), Armada FC (Jacksonville), United Futbol Academy (Atlanta area), and Albion SC (San Diego). That's Jacksonville's first DA club and the third club in the other cities.
• For younger divisions:
  • The U13 and U14 leagues added divisions in Oregon (7 clubs) and Washington (9 clubs).
  • Minnesota United joins the DA up to the U14 level this year
  • Metros like Cincinnati and San Antonio are now represented in the DA again up to the U14 level.

 

The Dynamo do seem to be doubling down on youth soccer initiatives inside and outside of the Houston area.

There's this organization I haven't noticed before called Dynamo/Dash youth soccer.



Current Dynamo affiliates outside of Houston.

 

A little more about that...........

Dynamo, Dash, Texas Rush Soccer Club, Space City FC Join Forces to Form New Youth Club
https://www.houstondynamo.com/youthprograms/youthclub

The Dash and Dynamo organization are one of only three in the United States to operate an MLS club, an NWSL club, a boys’ Developmental Academy and a girls’ Developmental Academy. The other two such organizations are the Portland Timbers and Thorns and Orlando City FC and the Orlando Pride.

 

This is exactly right.

 

Hmm, what's the "College Center" all about?

 

ICYMI: @LAGalaxyAcademy U-16/17s set to compete in the 2017 LIGA MX International Tournament: https://t.co/55n84anaYi pic.twitter.com/R0pWSqF2vG

— LA Galaxy II (@LAGalaxyII) August 9, 2017

If I am not mistaken, this is the same tournament in which Efrain Alvarez caught the eye of FMF scouts last year, leading to a callup. Probably Uly Llanez too, and also Julian Hinojosa of FCD, although their callups came a bit later. This year, they will likely be able to get a good look at the likes of Victor Cano, Marco Ceja, Aaron Cervantes, among other USYNTers, and if deemed worthy (assuming they are Mex-Ams) offer callups.

 

Those are the MLS teams that would probably represent MLS the best. Might see Llanez, Sepulveda, Alvarez, Cano, Ceja, Cervantes, Reynolds, Roberts, Collodi, Redzic, Bello, Mangarov at that tournament, maybe also Killeen, Fragle, Sealy.

 

I think the tournament starts on Tuesday. Do we know if the tournament will be televised?

 

Any other MLS teams in Mexico at the moment for this tourney?

897572433082933248 is not a valid tweet id

 

LA Galaxy, FC Dallas, Toronto FC, Atlanta United FC, Pachuca, Toluca, Santos Laguna and Atlas.

 

896198960351551488 is not a valid tweet id

 

Looks like RSL's long awaited academy move to Herriman is now complete:

Great to have our @RSLAcademy boys in Utah, going to be a great @ussoccer_acad season @ZionsBank Real Academy in Herriman! https://t.co/IH8HigYYch

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) August 16, 2017

The complex isn't completely finished. There will be a small stadium for the Monarchs, and more developed training facilities for the first-team. That will all be completed by the beginning of the 2018 season.

But the academy was the first phase, and it looks like it's done.

 

Toured the RSL facility late last week, very impressive (as stated still work to be done, but coming along quickly)...the onsite school opens next week, players will move into dorms in roughly two weeks, most fields / facilities completed by October (at least what we were told)...we were dropping off our '01 son from AZ, so I should get reliable updates...

 

Several player movements this summer and one of them is Jose Rivas signing with @ColumbusCrewSC. We wish Jose best of luck @ussoccer_acad pic.twitter.com/MfYwSFj9EN

— Weston FC DA/USL2 (@westonfc_ussda) August 16, 2017

 

Rosters are on the LigaMX website. All 01's and 02's for the three American teams, besides Dante Sealy on FCD's roster and Bryce McMillen on Atlanta United's roster, who are both 03's. There's an American player on TFC's roster, Michael Washington.

 

These games are all being streamed by the LigaMX youtube channel, but not for people in the US (maybe other countries besides Mexico as well, @CANPRO might be able to help in figuring out that), so if you can figure out how to navigate through that, you can watch the matches.

Here's an example.

Second half vs @Tuzos about to begin.

FC Dallas- 0, Pachuca- 0

WATCH: https://t.co/X0WkI2Agst

— FC Dallas Youth (@FCDallasYouth) August 17, 2017