FCD's recently signed homegrown player, Ruben Luna, has just been called up to the Mexican U20 national team. http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4145027 Personally I think he's going to be next year's breakout star in MLS.................we'll see. FCD certainly hasn't signed any forwards to replace Cunningham and Harris. Luna's gonna have to get playing time if the roster stays as it is.
Any idea of how close to U.S. citizenship this kid is? I saw him interviewed once and he was as american as applie pie.
Lots of kids in the Dallas area (probably all over US) have grown up here but are not legal and have started to become legal late or have no way to do it. Political hot potato and the National Team is a by-product.
Yes, now. We don't know when that happened. And obtaining the right to work in the US (a la a P-1 visa) is a long way from citizenship.
Well, if he was here illegally, he isn't eligible for a P-1. Perhaps players in that situation with obtain P-1's anyway, but if they do, it's entirely possible that the USCIS will figure it out, throw them in jail, and then deport them. These are ugly times.
Just in case nobody say it.........I loved Boomer's post in another thread regarding Ruben: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1641880&page=5 Yeah, I think the biggest story with Luna is simply that unlike Leyva, who was already a known commodity before joining the Mexican U17's...Luna is a Dallas kid through and through. There's a great story about Luna and his dad coming to Pizza Hut Park one day as it was being built after they laid the grass down. Now the security at PHP was surprisingly lax(I went out there and played soccer on the field with a couple of buddies one night while it was being built) so Luna and his dad went down onto the field and said a prayer that one day Ruben would be playing on that field for FC Dallas. Fast forward and here is a kid identified by FCD, developed by FCD, promoted to the first team and has been called up by his country. Fantastic story. Now that is EXACTLY the kind of story that the homegrown player rule is supposed to be about. As far as the Mexico thing goes.........it is what it is. Whether these kids play for the USMNT or not, they could be great additions to MLS. And that's the goal here.
You can't apply for a P-1 from inside the US, for obvious reasons. So the kids applying go to their home country to do it in the first place.
Or they go to Canada, or wherever. But this doesn't change the fact that if they had previously resided within the US illegally, they would not (in most cases) be eligible to receive a P-1.
Red Bulls reportedly sign Sacir Hot to a homegrown contract. http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2011/01/red-bulls-sign-hot-as-homegrown-player.html
Chicago Fire Aug-10 Victor Pineda, M Chivas USA (* denotes some are debatable since they preceded the rule, but still spent in the clubs academy) Jul-07 Jorge Flores, M * Mar-08 Gerson Mayen, M/D* May-09 Cesar Zamora, M Mar-10 Carlos Borja, D Aug-10 Bryan De La Fuente, M Colorado Rapids Aug-10 David Armstrong, M Columbus Crew - none FC Dallas Sep-09 Bryan Leyva, M Jul-10 Fernandez Moises, D Jul-10 Victor Ulloa, D Jul-10 Ruben Luna, F Jan-11 Jonathan Top, F DC United Sep-09 Bill Hamid, GK Aug-10 Conor Shanosky, M Mar-10 Andy Najar, M Dec-10 Ethan White, D Houston Dynamo Feb-09 Tyler Deric, GK Mar-10 Navas Cobo, M Jan-11 Josue Soto, M Jan-11 Alex Dixon, F Sporting Kansas City Aug-10 Jonathan Kempin, GK LA Galaxy Nov-08 Tristan Bowen, F - traded to Chivas USA Jan-11 Jack McBean, F New England Revolution Nov-10 Diego Fagundez, M/F New York Red Bulls Sep-09 Giorgi Chirgadze, F Mar-10 Juan Agudelo, F Jan-11 Matt Kassel, M Jan-11 Sacir Hot, D Philadelphia Union Dec-10 Zach Pfeffer, M Portland Timbers - none Real Salt Lake - none San Jose Earthquakes - none Seattle Sounders - none Toronto FC Aug-10 Doneil Henry, D Sep-10 Nicholas Lindsay, F Vancouver Whitecaps Nov-10 Phillippe Davies, D/M
Re: MLS Home Grown Player Tracking / History I'm sure if you wait long enough, Scaryice will get it up on Wikipedia
Flores shouldn't count as a home grown. Don't even think it is debatable. Kid won Sueno MLS 2007 on March 25, 2007. Then signed a contract July 25, 2007. And he made an appearance that season. All this according to wiki
I believe you have to do it from the home country, but at any rate I suspect there's some winking and nodding going on with respect to formerly illegal aliens getting visas to play pro soccer.
A couple of counterexamples: During the MLS draft, Nagbe was in Ottawa getting his P1. Geovanni went to Tijuana last year to get his P1 the day before SJ played the Galaxy
I find it rather odd that these clubs haven't signed some kids. MLS is giving them free roster slots. According to Top Drawer Soccer, Seattle has two of the top 7 "2011 recruits" in Palodichuk and DeAndre Yedlin. (remember that this is a college recruiting site). If you have a player in Palodichuk that's one of the top kids in his age group in the country (and many people other than TDS think he is also), why not sign him up on a homegrown deal? MLS is GIVING you a roster spot for it. Maybe the kid doesn't want to do it. I don't know. This site, at least, had him ranked ahead of Sean Cunningham.......who just signed with Molde in Norway. http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/players-to-watch/players-to-watch-top-100/men/2011 http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/play...ves/nid-19539/2011-Top-100-lists-final-update
FYI, now that MLS has 30-man rosters, I don't think there are any "bonus" spots for HG players. That being said, with a 30 man roster there should be plenty of room for one or two regardless.
This is also the first year of the Sounders academy I believe....so maybe they didn't find a work around like Philly and they have to wait a little while to sign them. And as someone mentioned in YNT it might have to do with Nick being a former U17.
Looks like Sean Okoli might be the first from the Sounders. Also, Palodichuk is already enrolled at Duke. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/2617...tle-sounders-academy-not-your-normal-debutant
But what's the incentive to sign them before they're ready for first team minutes? Academy players can play in Reserve League games and friendliest, can train with the first team, can do pretty much everything rostered players can except for playing in a MLS. So why start paying them (and screw up theircollege eligibility) before you have to?
Because if you've got a really talented player, word gets around fast and they'll get poached by a Mexican or European team for free because they have the resources to pay a kid who isn't going to play for them for awhile.