For the last 10 years I have been ridiculized in this board for my crazy idea of how powerful some Sunday leagues are... I have been called all kinds of things... Here is recent quote from Hugo Perez SA: Jonathan Gonzalez, one of the players you brought into the national team program – he’s an example of a player who has excelled because he played above his age group? HUGO PEREZ: I found him playing at a very amateur Northern California club [Atletico Santa Rosa] that had nothing to do with the [Development] Academy who I thought could contribute to the U.S. national team. He made the hard decision to go to Mexico four years ago. There, they had him play with the older age groups. Monterrey is not only best team in Mexico, but has the most expensive players in Mexico, and he’s starting. If he had stayed in the USA, he would have gone up, but not as quickly.
What are you talking about? You make it seem like he was playing for a team that gets together on Sundays and plays a match rather than for a formal club playing at a high level. His club charged $1200 per year registration fee plus the costs for tournaments and travel They have 14 players who played for them last year enter college to play this season. Not every club is a DA, but you make it seem like Perez found him playing on a dirt field using barrels for goals. He played for a highly exposed club that give people ample opportunity to see him play. I'd say the US system works in this case.
I think you are running away from the main point. About 10 years ago, I came to this board talking about good players on Sunday leagues. People attacked me with all sorts of things, the humiliation of that idea was crazy, I was almost demonized for claiming there were better players on Sunday leagues than college. 10 years later, we have players like Luis Silva that dominated the college game The idea that young Sunday league studs aren’t good enough for MLS is simply wrong. We have a culture of MLS coaches picking their sons and son friends coming from their pay to play clubs and from their soccer buddies. Reason why are are not good internationally. Hugo Perez is re-stating what I have been saying for the past 10 years.
More like you are imagining Hugo saying something different than what he said and also making it all about you.
The main point is you were right? Not sure that's thread worthy. Feel free to continue development discussing elsewhere.