Been saying it for years: theres a wealth of talent in the Caribbean but youth coaching and league play is something between terrible and non-existent. MLS has an annual "combine" down there where every Caribbean federation can send 3 prospects. Most send none because they cant identify them and/or dont have an organization competent enough to figure it all out. The kids that do show up are 18 years old and while most of them have tons of athletic ability - a few are.really scary - they have next to no skills, no training and no idea how to play the game. Npbody wants them. I've been saying for years that MLS as a whole or an individual team could set up youth academies on a few larger islands like T&T, Jamaica, Haiti, even Cuba, and start bringing in 12 year olds. In four or five years youd really have some players and youd have gotten them on the cheap. Best of all, youd raise the level of regional play, help a bunch of kids who have next to nothing, get at least a few of them a shot at a career or college and, generally do something good for the world instead of the virtue signaling bullshit MLS is addicted to.
I don;t know much about soccer scene in Puerto Rico, but I do believe they have their own national team. I recall a few years ago a local youth player got a call in to one of their camps. I had seen that player play a handful of times as he was at same club as my son and was just a year or 2 older. He was an OK player but I wouldn't say top 10-15% in the local area let alone anywhere near a national team caliber.
They are independent members of FIFA, with their own seat and vote. However, as with several other Caribbean islands, (Netherlands Antilles, etc.) people born there hold dual citizenship. Many of the greatest Dutch and French players in history were actually islanders.
Puerto Rico has had a men's league since back in the sixties although the talent level is poor. Baseball, basketball and boxing are the three top sports there and that's where all the talent goes. The infrastructure was usually based to an European style; i.e. teams were based with social clubs. More recently it's been more public driven with teams based more in cities, like Bayamon FC, etc. One private owner decided to move out of that system and created the PR Islanders who played a few years in the USSF system and participated in the CONCACAF Club Champions League. The national team was good in 1990 because the took advantage of their ties to the USA and allowed US citizens without any link to PR to be part of the team. The went into the 2nd or 3rd round before being eliminated for WC 1994. Politics got involved and funding was withheld if they didn't go back to the old system where players had to have a link to PR up to the grandfather level to be a part of the team. They're in Nations League C and finished 2nd in their group behind Guatemala, who was playing in C because of penalties against their federation. There have been a couple of players that have made it to MLS or have played in the 2nd tier in Spain and in Central America but not much is in the pipeline. The women's team has a better chance to qualify for the Caribbean Cup than the men do.
https://sbisoccer.com/2020/01/the-sbi-2020-mls-mock-draft-final-version Still a few more rounds in draft, and Ives has: 51. Toronto FC – Eli Crognale, Maryland, CM and 47. Columbus Crew – Giuseppe Barone, Michigan State, CM (not sure of Crew Academy Wolves HG rights anymore)
Double checked: both Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf were born in Paramaribo, Suriname in South America
Bullshit. You're not sorry at all. I'll take your word for it, I was going from memory. ( Both of their fathers were Surinamese, but they moved to Holland before their sons were born, which is not the same thing)
Looks like that Spartiatis kid who joined our academy from Atlanta this past fall has moved on to a Greek teams academy. Excited to be back in Thessaloniki to play with Aris FC 19’s. Let’s finish the year strong 💪🏼🟡⚫️ #ArisFc pic.twitter.com/7BnHWasylf— Evangelo Sparta (@ESpartiatis) January 30, 2020
Looks like Crew II coming next year... https://www.dispatch.com/sports/20200131/columbus-crew-aiming-to-field-reserve-team-in-2021
Aiming for 2021 prefer for team to play in Columbus , not sure what division they would play in ( hopefully the best USL division) at least we finally heard something and Bez said the next few months are important and they must be prudent
This is clearly welcomed news, and let's pray that it ends up being a reality in 2021, not 2022, as the article says could be an option. Removing the upper bowl of Mapfre sounds like a logical idea to me. I mean, you don't need a 20K seat stadium on that site anymore. Any idea what the lower bowl capacity is?
I THINK most MLS teams and USL is looking for teams to end up in USL One and not USL Championship. Mainly as you are playing teenagers it seems that has been the better level and secondly MLS teams are some of the worst attendance teams in USL Championship. Naturally USL would like the Championship to feel and be viewed as more than MLS B teams doing whatever they want. As it currently stands more are in the Championship than League One but I think that’s changing.
I think we should want them to compete at the highest level possible the cost between the two can’t be that much . Not a area to pinch pennies you want these young kids to play in MLS in my opinion playing in the lower division is counter productive