Long article talking about Durkin. This tidbit is one of the biggest indictments I feel like I've ever read about DC United's Academy. Are you listening Jason Levien!!!!!!! https://www.soccerwire.com/blog-pos...durkin-set-to-open-next-chapter-at-dc-united/ Though D.C. have an uneven track record of developing young local talent, sources close to Durkin say that they trust Olsen and United to do the right thing. His agent Chris Megaloudis, who helped Andy Najar make his multi-million-dollar move from D.C. to Europe several years ago, has a generally friendly relationship with the club. But it’s also worth noting that the Durkin family recently elected to move Chris’ younger brother Kevin south to join Atlanta United’s ambitious, well-funded academy rather than follow Chris north to D.C.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/generation-adidas-cup/2018/championship-division/schedule-standings Results of Friday's game were really buried, but alas DC United lost to River Plate 1-0.
Lost today (Sunday) 2-0 vs Toronto https://www.mlssoccer.com/generation-adidas-cup/2018/championship-division/schedule-standings
Megaloudis-related to Tom Rongen? The name rings a bell Why put your eggs in one basket. If the kid has promise send him where the system is in harmony with his abilities. MIT is a great school but not for English Lit
Rongen married Chris Magaloudis' mother. Chris played at UVa for a year or two. I used to see Rongen at most of UVa's home games during that period. asitis
Reposting my thoughts on Nyeman today from the 2018 Dallas Cup thread. Thought the team did well and especially impressed with his play.
I'll double down on that, and take it a step further (I've watched him play close to 10 times). In my opinion, he's the top prospect in any MLS academy right now (U-15 age group or so and above) and its not even close. Other good players in his '03 age group around the country have a fraction of the impact he does at the U-17 level, and he outplays the older '01 and '02 players, as well. I think its now just a matter of whether DC can get him signed in the next year or so or if one of the big teams in Europe becomes aware of him. Going from Durkin to Nyeman would be a pretty good pipeline, especially for a pretty average academy (no offense).
The team needs to send more ready to publish material to the various media types. But after recalling that last "edited" memo that was posted here the kids would be better served by anonymity than defamed by careless and shabby announcements
For any of his shortcomings this sort of thing would never have happened under Kevin Payne. The Carolinas were DCU territory. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018...s-competing-head-head-academy-talent-far-home
But he would have had to move 400ish miles to live in DC also... I don't get too upset over stuff like this. If he lived in Richmond or Bowie or something, maybe I'd get more upset. SKC has a great academy. According to the article, North Carolina is not in any teams "area" Overall, the DCU Academy has to improve to keep pace with the better teams. Hopefully they will now that they seem to be willing to spend $ on guys like Rooney, they can spend enough so kids don't have to pay to attend the Academy and they can improve facilities and coaches etc...
Our games used to be broadcast on TV in the Carolinas. Payne used to talk about the DCU brand owning the Mid-Atlantic.
Maybe so. But we don't own it and haven't for a long long time. And for Academy rules we definitely don't according to the article.
With the exception of one in Virginia Beach, United's youth affiliates are all in the greater metropolitan area and up toward Baltimore. Chris Durkin's little brother, Kevin, moved to Atlanta to be part of that storied system. There are a couple of points here. United is irrelevant in its home territory and nonexistent outside of it. Whether media coverage territory or youth development, that's all a great failing to me.
Quoting the silly MLS rules is one thing. Reality is another (using Ben Olsen's language here). There simply isn't the ambition at the club to dominate our region, or anything. If I'm running the club I want every stud in the region playing for the DCU youth team. Any squad sniffing around my territory can forget about it. Instead, DCU is sending the message that one of the best regions in the country for producing soccer players is ripe for taking.
I didn't say there was ambition to dominate the region in our Academy. There isn't. It seems like my posts in this discussion are looked at as excuses. They aren't meant to be. Just trying to make the details accurate. My contention is with whether Charlotte is "our territory" I doubt the team would say it is. They have zero reach there and I'd be amazed if they ever had any. Even if Kevin Payne hoped it was true and said it was, I doubt he was ever correct.
I'm a little amazed we kept Durkin myself. But it's telling that his brother, who had a first hand look at it decided on Atlanta.