TopDrawer has Culbertson (#31) actually higher than Souders (#35) on its bigboard - http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/2016-mls-draft:-big-board-v-10_aid38483 Culbertson probably more technical than Kevan George as a possible sub/future replacement for Tchani, or a homegrown Jimenez-type at both outside back, mid, wing. And if Souders' size limits him to outside back in MLS, Culbertson looks more like the attacking wingback we'd be interested in
I like Culbertson I hope he gets his shot. Souders can play CB and I'm not sure what type of pairing Berhalter likes there. Coaches tend to be in three camps 1. two big guys, 2. Big guy mobile guy, 3. Whichever as long as they can play the ball with their feet. We've always had Parkhurst so far I don't know if that's because Berhalter wants a more mobile guy next to a bigger guy or he just wants guys that can play out of the back. If he wants a guy like Parkhurst then Souders is closer to that than anyone we have on the roster and that includes Barson.
I used to bug Mitchell and Jardy about it from time to time but since I was probably the only one that did I don't think it was high on their priority list. Now we don't even have a beat reporter; I'm trying not to pepper Andrew Erickson with too many questions seems unfair as he's just an intern.
The reality of the guys above is I believe only 2 of them actually grew up in Crew system - Trapp & Swanson. The others played much of their youth for other clubs and only became part of Crew academy by being recruited by Bliss & Thompson when they were like 18,19,20. But those were really the first few years of academy as we've come to know it and it didn't exist when they were growing up per se. The other interesting reality is if we looked at how many pro soccer players over the years have come out of Central OH and then to a greater extend all of OH. It's a lot. And many have been very very good Pros. The measure of the next 5-10 years will be how many come through Crew vs other clubs like Internationals in Cleveland, CUP in Cincinnati and then OP or maybe Classics Eagles in Columbus. I think the youth talent will always be here and is by most observers continuing to get better. The questions is - does Crew capture them or do they take different routes - i.e. Emmanuel Sabbi?
Souders one of many potential HGs on the initial Draft Combine list, no Culbertson. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Potential HGPs on combine list: Allen (RBNY), Bourgeois (HOU), Irving (VAN), Madison (PHI), Matarazzo (RBNY), Souders (CLB), Taintor (NE).</p>— Jonathan Yardley (@jtyardley) <a href="https://twitter.com/jtyardley/status/675357555019939840">December 11, 2015</a></blockquote> http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/...-list-2016-adidas-mls-player-combine-invitees seems like every season there is confusion when HG-tagged guys get Combine invites - not sure if it means Crew aren't interested
Just means a deal hasn't been done. Several examples of players signing deals and being pulled out. Safer to just initially include them.
Per Ben Ferree (@ben_ferree), Souders will not be offered a homegrown contract. Wonder who we'll spend that money on, if anyone. The extra $125k homegrown money can be spent on a guy like Culbertson/Mason/Klekota ($60k), to lure someone earlier like Crognale (for more than $60k because he could get $60k next year), or to make someone like Braima skip school altogether.
I guess Culbertson could be a replacement for Klute and we could use the Home Grown Allocation on him if we don't plan on doing anything else with it. I probably wouldn't spend it on Mason or Klekota let them go through the draft if someone wants them fair play to them. Invite them to camp see how they do and if you think they're worth signing go for it then. Selemani would be worth pulling early to get him into Berhalter's system so he can start learning his role. It's too bad we don't have a good developmental system in place because he and Gall would be fun to watch on the wings in Berhalter's system. Crognale I don't really see a reason to pull him early; Cirovski is probably the best teacher of the game at the college level and you can see the good he's done for Crognale from his freshman year already. Let him learn at Maryland another year and then bring him in. The best play is either Selemani or Braima depending on how Berhalter wants to use his roster spots this season. If you get Selemani in he could probably compete for playing time this upcoming season; Braima would probably be a developmental spot with an eye to replacing Tchani maybe next season. I suppose right now you have to look at it as if we only have one open roster spot though so between the above and draft picks it will be a fight for that spot. Guys on the roster: 1. Harrison Afful 2. Chad Barson 3. Sergio Campbell 4. Steve Clark 5. Ethan Finlay 6. Waylon Francis 7. Romain Gall 8. Federico Higuain 9. Hector Jimenez 10. Kei Kamara 11. Cedrick Mabwati 12. Justin Meram 13. Michael Parkhurst 14. Mohammed Saeid 15. Gaston Sauro 16. Brad Stuver 17. Ben Swanson 18. Tony Tchani 19. Wil Trapp 20. Tyson Wahl Until something happens I'll assume we'll see these three come back: 23. Kevan George 24. Jack McInerney 25. Aaron Schoenfeld That leaves three spots; with Pogatetz and Steindorsson leaving that opens two international slots. I'm assuming we will use all of our international slots for new players meant to compete for starting spots, read not draft picks like Campbell and Lev-Ari. Also if you assume we will carry three keepers which I'm sure most of us do you actually close out all of our open roster spots. 26. New International #1 27. New International #2 28. Third Keeper I'd like to see both Selemani and Braima brought in but I'm not sure where you fit them if Berhalter likes his roster.
I would have to think Barson, Schoenfeld, George, and Campbell are all on the bubble. If Gregg is planning on keeping Jac Mac, I don't see a need to have a third striker. Meram and Finlay could fill that void if both Kamara and Jack Mac went down with an injury and Cedric could step in on the wing.
Sure any of those guys could lose their job in camp; Meram or Finlay could also move on. My point was just that roster spots are actually pretty tight to sign a home grown player if Berhalter likes his roster. Once you add in the draft picks there won't be a lot of room to work with.
We'll probably only add 1 through the draft. I'd be a little surprised if two draftees made our roster.
Depends on what we do with them; with so few spots available I'd like to see Berhalter find a guy he likes and just go after him. If we use all of our picks where they are at we'll probably draft some cannon fodder that won't make it through camp. Maybe you find a couple guys that compete in camp with Barson, Schoenfeld, or Campbell but that doesn't really get you anywhere. We have enough squad players I'd rather have one guy Berhalter thinks he can develop than three or four guys that just churn the bottom of the roster. Where we're at we aren't going to get a useful forward; we also don't have a good forward coming from the academy soon so I'm for re-signing McInerney. Anyone that wants a forward isn't going to let us trade above them to get one so there's no point in us even looking at the good ones in the draft just stick with what we have. I don't think we could move up to get anyone that would be a better wing in Berhalter's system than Selemani. I don't really like the group of center backs this year and I don't think any of them project much better than Crognale so what's the point. Braima would be developmental so there are a couple of guys that might be good competition for George; this is where I might look to get one good player. Keeper would be a waste we either need to really upgrade or just wait for one of our own guys to be ready.
One thing we don't know is if Selemani wants to play in Europe or here. He is one who might try to go. Hasn't seem to stick with any of this "trials" but who knows.
Daniel Karell Retweeted Ben Ferree @ben_ferree 12h12 hours ago #CrewSC academy product Andrew Souders no longer going to the MLS combine http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/01/03/rosters-named-2016-adidas-mls-player-combine-ft-lauderdale…
Klekota taking one of the empty places at the combine. Doesn't look like either will be a Crew player in 2016.
Andrew King Retweeted Travis Clark @travismclark 54m54 minutes ago .@ZipsMSoc defender Andrew Souders, who pulled out of MLS Combine, plans on going to grad school instead. Has a 3.9 GPA.
Makes sense to me.... He'll probably end up better off--would not surprise me if he played USL ball in the summer though.
Half the season is done and they are on winter break till April I think. At the 15/16 age group Crew Academy is in 9th and Crew Wolves in 2nd. 12 teams in the division. At the 17/18 age group Crew Academy is in 10th and Crew Wolves are in 3rd. 12 teams in the division
Looks like FC Cincinnati signed Omar Mohamed. No mention of him being former/current Crew Academy player. He's only 19. I think we may see more of this where kids leave MLS academy and sign USL contracts in their teens because MLS teams won't/can't sign them. Not necessarily a bad thing. https://www.fccincinnati.com/-fc-cincinnati-signs-six-more-players/
http://www.columbuscrewsc.com/post/...player-development-standouts-announce-college Anyone/thing we should be excited about in this?
Proof to me that we are going to have a couple of poor years of the academy coming through. Doesn't mean they won't develop in college. Braima would be the one player who could become a good pro. However, I don't like OSU as a soccer development school. Kamara going to Akron should mean he gets some decent coaching and you never know what could happen.