2018-19 Development Academy

Don’t believe so, maybe another Booth situation? Sorry, don’t have details, just a reliable source that ManU has been talking to him.

 

He turns 18 in January. Wonder if a DA unaffiliated w/ MLS would be willing to take him in until he heads abroad

 

Barca? Or any of the DA’s in SoCal, where he’s originally from, are possibilities.

 

It's my understanding it's much harder to get in the EPL as a youth player from America than any other country. Isn't there a rule in the EPL the teams have to have a certain number of players with English heritage and start a certain number each game? Further read the only way for US players to get over there is the club has to ask for an exemption that the player is of special skill and/or the player started over 75% of the recent games with the US senior national team. These may be old standards from back in the Dempsey era (I think that is where I saw them) but not sure.

Seems it would be really hard for a young player of US heritage to sign with MANU but would be great if he did.

 

I agree, and I questioned it when I heard it, but my “sources” are adamant there have been conversations and genuine interest. I’m interested to see how it plays out.

 

The UK has fairly difficult work permit requirements, but many Euro players are exempted because of the freedom of movement within the EU. Without a second passport from an EU country, Americans need to have played in 75% of competitive national team games over a certain time period (2 yrs, IIRC?) in order to get a work permit. Sometimes they can get in on appeal, but never for youth players.

Obviously, everything could change given the UK's impending Brexiteering.

 

Thanks for explaining that to us.

 

Might as well spill what you know before speculation becomes rumor and all that.

I mean, I heard they dropped him because Nick Rimando felt threatened because he was talking to his wife.

Sure, it was about babysitting, but Nick didn't know that till later.

 

Whoa

Join us in welcoming Dantouma “Yaya” Toure to the @RedBullsAcademy family from PDA Soccer!

Yaya represented #RBNY last season as a guest player at The Next Generation Trophy @RedBullSalzburg where he won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.#TheFutureIsBright pic.twitter.com/dmfOwFeBGU

— Red Bulls Academy (@RedBullsAcademy) July 27, 2018

 

Without giving myself any credit (because I don't believe I posted it anywhere on this website), I thought that signing was going to take place eventually. And NYRB has a good academy. They just don't have that much talent in it, so they don't have waves of players coming through like FCD, Atlanta, LAG, etc.

This should be good for Toure. I'd like to see him play at a consistent level this season, and not be moved up and down. Let him play against his own age group (or even one age group higher) and dominate. Play him there for a number of games and when he's proven he's too good, move him up. I don't think it does a player much good to be constantly moving the level they are playing at, depending on the week.

 

Dantouma Toure isn’t the only star @RedBullsAcademy will add this offseason...

— Joey (@USAprospects) July 29, 2018

Anyone got any guesses?

 

I don't know. "Star" is in the eyes of the beholder.
When we look at UYSNT rosters there aren't many non-MLS "stars" that also aren't from another MLS clubs' homegrown region.

I'll go out on a limb. Francesco Pagano of Empire United.

 

Too late!

From Bryan Scales: First @NERevsAcademy residency players will be Oliver Martin and Francesco Pagano, two '03-born forwards.

Martin's from Vermont, played for @NordicSoccer. Pagano's from Syracuse, N.Y., played for @EmpireUnitedDA. Exciting to watch program evolve. #NERevs

— Jonathan Sigal (@JonathanSigal) July 25, 2018

 

I’ve only ever seen him play right back but he definitely has the skill to play in the midfield. He has a ton of skill and is deadly with his crosses.

 

I think he plays in DM/CM with his age group. Thats where he was playing during the recent ICC futures tournament. Looked like he started out as a #6, and then transitioned to the #8. He even was playing some RW later in one of the games. I saw him playing RB playing up a year with the U-15's. I think he's one of those players who is going to be very good, but its hard to determine his position right now. I could see him playing CB, RB, DM or CM as his regular position.

 

Also these.

18-19 DA Transfer Tracker:

'04 Dantouma Toure : PDA - New York Red Bulls
'02 Adam Saldana: Real So Cal - LA Galaxy
'01 Julian Araujo: Barca Academy - LA Galaxy
'01 Alexsi Morel: NYCFC - Barca Academy
'01 Sal Esposito: SSC Napoli - New York Red Bulls#usynt

— Joey (@USAprospects) August 2, 2018

We had already heard about Toure, Araujo and Saldana. Very proactive move by Columbus to bring in Harms after what they just recently did bringing in a keeper from the age group right above Harms with Kowalczyk. Vegaalban to Seattle is interesting. More top level talent going to that academy. He should do well there, although I think Sacramento has a pretty good academy. Might be the best USL academy. Don't know much about Pukstas, but SKC has done a good job with young USYNT players of late.

 

LAG academy now has or had Axel Mendez '96, Alex Mendez '00, and Alex Mendez '01 (from IMG academy). All are midfielders.

 

Year 3️⃣ begins.#ATLUTD U-17s start preparation for the @LIGABancomerMX Internacional pic.twitter.com/Znmm9UkgdR

— ATLUTD Academy (@AcademyATLUTD) August 2, 2018

 

I swear I thought they were all the same player

 

Then it gets worse, as passports from EU nations donot give access anymore.

 

Possibly, but we do not know how the UK might reform their work permit process for soccer players as a result of Brexit. I am sure the EPL will lobby hard to ensure they have close to unfettered access to the global talent pool.

 

They struggle to get a solution for the financial sector, which dwarfs the epl in economic significance. So I doubt soccer players are on the first to do list.