I'm all for cute thread titles, but not so cute I can't find them on a search because they don't include the guy's LAST NAME (Gooch, Timmy, etc.). Should there be an informal standard (employed by mods on thread changes) that YA thread titles for a player should include that player's last name? Also sometimes accents or transliterated letters from other alphabets throw the search off. It seems like the standard English alphabet without accents is easiest to type and search for (e.g., Huerzeler vs. Hürzeler).
Logging this story about a D3 college player named Kevin Romero who was born in the U.S., raised largely in El Salvador, and will look into options overseas after graduation. http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/college/cuny2.php?article_id=39304
Midfielders Corey Sherlock and Jeffrey Wright, along with forward Corey Coon, are all listed on the first team of Vilseck-area lower-division club FC Schlicht. Kenneth Bergin and Louis Griffith are listed on the second team. All are said by the club to be Yanks . http://www.fcschlicht.de/ And, yes: I know what you're thinking and, yes: I did almost start a thread on this just for the title.
Doesn't seem thread-worthy, but here's a story on a former player named Alex Grendi who has started another of those combine/camp programs, with a heavy overseas focus: http://www.thedp.com/article/2014/11/alex-grendi-penn-mens-soccer-alum-finds-new-path http://www.axsoccertours.com/
Ryan MacArthur's first hand account of joining a non-league side in England: http://www.howlermagazine.com/non-league-tales-yankee-footballer-corsham-town/
Just logging -- Toronto draftee Michael Ramos had a tryout in Iceland: http://www.courierislander.com/spor...om-division-3-college-to-toronto-fc-1.1741552 http://whitworthpirates.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/bios/ramos_michael_ujk8
Here's a young player who turned down Portugal for college: While in Portugal, he got a chance to tryout for a second division professional team, Varzim S.C. and after a week playing with them, he was offered a spot on the youth academy. Antunes was ecstatic. This was the chance he was looking for. But there was a catch. http://www.riverheadlocal.com/2015/...uese-pro-soccer-team-commits-dowling-college/
Sacramento signed an American-born guy who apparently spent time overseas in several countries: Bonvehi comes to Republic FC on a one-season contract with a club option for the 2016 season. Bonvehi helped his previous club, Stallion FC, win the United Football League Cup in the Philippines. The defender has played in Germany, Argentina and Montenegro. Bonvehi played college soccer at Cal State Northridge. ... Matthias Bonvehi Position: Defender Height: 5-9 Weight: 155 Born: 11/14/1989 Birthplace: Los Angeles, California Twitter: @bonvehi89 http://www.sacrepublicfc.com/news/2015/03/10/republic-sign-four-players
This isn't thread-worthy, but former FC Dallas kid Ethan Sonis is playing overseas for the Freiberg reserves alongside Zack Steffen and Caleb Stanko. Solid chat about him time overseas: here.
I'd ask why a Yank abroad wouldn't be worthy of a Yanks Abroad thread, but we already have one: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/ethan-sonis-signs-with-sc-freiburg.2005916/
Is Ricardo Bocanegra an American? IIRC he was, but I couldn't find a thread. He's at Correcaminos UAT in the Ascenso MX now.
Here it is: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/the-other-boca-ricardo-bocanegra-born-in-the-us.1852570/
Just logging here because it sounds like he's college bound, but here's an ODP player who trained with Chievo: Williams did a little shopping in Verona, tried some authentic gelato and proved he more than belonged with the elite cast of players. In three games, he scored four goals and had four assists. Williams also earned an invitation to practice with the Chievo Verona Youth Pro Team. http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com...s-jj-williams-plays-soccer-overseas/25174427/
Rongen on Klinsmann: "I see a lot of dual-citizen players. There’s a lot of things that remain somewhat questionable." http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/03/...t-job-says-thomas-rongen/#R16ycBlUUVocZti5.99 Per Rongen, dual citizen players = somewhat questionable?
Here's a link to a story about a player who didn't go pro whose name we do know, and a player who did who we don't. http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/community/article17473676.html
Hey all, I run the PR department for SoccerViza, a company whose name has popped up a few times in this forum regarding players going to Europe on trial. I used to write for Yanks Abroad and a couple other websites before I took this job. Anyway, because the YA topic is the one that I got into first when it came to writing back around the 2010 World Cup, I figured I'd drop news off here when it's relevant. First, just announced yesterday: Creighton midfielder and 2014 DC United draft pick Zach Barnes is going on trial with Vitoria Setubal in Portugal's top flight: http://soccerviza.com/soccerviza/readnews.aspx?id=509 Second, from last week: Haitian/American forward Junior Prevalus signs with BI/Bolungarvik in Iceland's first division: http://soccerviza.com/soccerviza/readnews.aspx?id=508 There have been a number of other signings over the past few months, including Will Daniels (Aegir, Iceland 2nd), Uche Onyeador (Aegir), Aaron Walker (BI, Iceland 1st), and trials including Roberto Del Toro (U.D. Leira, Portugal 3rd) and Adam Misirly (U.D. Leira). There will also be a trial announced next week regarding a player from LA going to Queretaro in Mexico. Del Toro is a really interesting case because he's one of those natural talents who doesn't have any organized playing history, just pickup in parks around Chicago his whole life.
19-year old Mexican-American forward/midfielder Josue Soto is on trial with Queretaro. He'll be splitting time between the first team and Queretaro II, who play in the second division. Soto wrapped up his freshman year at Cal. Baptist with a goal and team-leading seven assists, and was named to the All-Conference team. He was also the runner up for 2014's MLS Sueno competition, and spent time previously with the Pumas Academy. http://soccerviza.com/soccerviza/readnews.aspx?id=511
Just logging this tidbit on Kyle Venter's attempt to restart his beset-by-injury career: “I was inactive and rehabbing my shoulder so they didn’t have much to go off of as far as evaluating a player and his potential,” Venter said. “I didn’t have much of a resume, so it had a role. How big, I don’t know.” The now 24-year-old Venter has entertained the idea of playing overseas but says he’s just focused now on making a name for himself in America with the Roughnecks. “I’m healthy now, if I just keep playing well good things will come,” Venter said. “Hopefully it goes the best and I’m able to move up into better situations and better opportunities for myself. But I’m trying to stay in the moment and enjoy my time here and make the most of it. http://www.abqjournal.com/576056/sports/former-lobo-venter-lands-with-roughnecks-of-the-usl.html
Logging another one: Former Auburndale boys soccer Chase Hovious has signed with Liberty University, a Division-I school in the Big South Conference, and will enroll in January 2016. He plans to pursue a career in the healthcare field. ... Hovious has played internationally, trained with FC Cologne Youth Academy in Germany and played in Mexico with the Olympic Development Program. http://polkpreps.blogs.theledger.com/16084/hovious-signs-with-liberty/ Has some YNT exposure as well.
I've been trying my hand at creating individual player stats for the swedish leagues during the last couple of days, and since I post on here pretty regularly I thought that one of the things I'd do was to make something with american players. So here's a list of the american forwards/midfielders in Sweden ranked by who averaged the most non penalty goals+assists per 90 minutes during a specific season. I only included players with over 500 minutes played. Noone could quite match Warshaws ridiculous half a Superettan season in 2013, least of all himself in the following half a season in 2014. Another thing one can take away from this is that Stadler definitely deserves better then to be stuck with a third tier club in total chaos.
#1 Phil Saunders, Goalkeeper Position: Goalkeeper Date of Birth: 08/28/1991 Height: 6' 1" Weight: 195 lbs College Experience: UMBC Hometown: Perry Hall, MD Biography: Goalkeeper Phil Saunders is a local product out of Perry Hall High School and UMBC. Saunders is also entering his second season of professional soccer as he played outdoor soccer for BÍ Bolungarvík of the Icelandic First Division. http://www.baltimoreblast.com/team/roster/index.html?player_id=60
Perhaps of eventual note, from the ASL: "Our team is in the process of negotiating an agreement with a 1st Division French Professional Soccer Club which will result in our acting as a feeder of players to the French team,” explained David Borts, General Manager of the Oceaneers. http://www.golocalprov.com/sports/ri-oceaneers-kick-it-up-a-notch