My coworker whose son plays on the u18s said she was told that four players from that group are supposed to be signed to SPR. Whether that's a fixed number as a promise to the academy players, whether that means they have their eye on four specific players who they think can cut it, or whether she didn't get accurate information, I have no idea.
I'll throw out a couple of names ... Ezra Armstrong (Starting Fullback on U18's), pedigree is there (dad is former USMNT player Desmond Armstrong who is SKC Acadamy's affiliate Technical Director) Felipe Hernandez (Starting Attacking Mid), spent time down in Arizona with the first team this past year during their preseason camp and was highly regarded. Oddly enough, both of those players moved to KC from Nashville shortly after they joined the SKC network as an affiliate. To me this signifies that they picked at some point, and chose soccer development over the standard education (or at least their local high school's education) ... which is likely the type of mindset that will lead to forgoing college to sign professionally. As far as two more ... names like Borges, Collinsworth, Little, Illes, Selbol, ... really it's hard to tell. It's possible they drop down to the U16's though as there are a couple of players that are VERY highly ranked in their age groups and get US Youth Callups frequently in Cameron Duke and Jaylin Lindsey. As far as nationally recognized talents (by Top Drawer Soccer anyways) those are the names that are known ... but probably a year or two away from the Swope Park Rangers.
9 schools with academy players made the tournament, 6 of those schools have players getting regular minutes, 4 of those are seeded (UNC, Creighton, Denver, USCB are seeded, Drake and Cal Poly are in the tournament, Notre Dame, Dayton, and Ohio State are in the tournament but the academy players aren't playing.)
I don't have back a long way, but last year there were only 7 it appears, and only about 3 were getting regular time.
Interesting, but likely not anything huge, but Andy Lopez is no longer listed as an academy alum. http://www.sportingkc.com/post/2015/11/18/sporting-kc-weekly-update-nov-18-2015
Doubt it's that, Duke wasn't homegrown eligible due to not spending enough time post academy with the team, but he still is on the list of alums.
http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/2016-mls-draft:-big-board-v-10_aid38483 De Julio makes TDS's top 50 Draft Prospects List ... comes in at #39. We don't have a 2nd round draft pick ... but with all of the CB's now on the roster, not sure he fits in the roster. Would need to draft him to sign him directly to SPR though I believe.
I'm not seeing anything that says he couldn't sign for SPR instead of any MLS team that would draft him. Players over the years have done that instead of signing for MLS. And that's assuming we don't file for his HGP rights and then have him just with SPR, the USL team situation for all MLS teams seems really fluid.
You're right ... I remember Mike Ambrose signed directly out of college with the Austin Aztex (USL) who had no "rights" to him at all (He was actually FC Dallas HGP eligible if I remember right). SPR could do the same thing essentially, and they could pay him whatever they wanted (the same as a HGP salary) but wouldn't have to be on the roster. The only thing that might happen is that if he played well enough to get a MLS contract a year or so later, his contact may not have the same benefits of a HGP contract would (off budget). But who knows ... that may not be correct either!
Actually we'll need to see how this works out before saying how EDJ would be classified if and when he moves up. http://www.empireofsoccer.com/officially-senior-roster-42117/
http://www.sportingkc.com/post/2016...molano-nansel-selbol-and-jacob-vancompernolle Nansel Selbol who just signed with the Rangers is from the academy.
De Julio isn't among the draft eligible players. http://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/2016/eligible-players
Interesting, could mean a number of things (chosen another career, already signed to a contract with a non MLS team ... well, those are the big 2 other options I guess).
http://www.sportingkc.com/post/2016/02/09/seven-skc-academy-players-sign-national-letters-intent 7 academy kids signed letters of intent.
Meh. Nothing like Wright and Lopez at UNC. One to NC State and another to Northwestern are the only power conference commits. NC State has some success in its recent past, and does continue to get players drafted into MLS, but its been a weaker ACC school the last few years. Northwestern finished middle of the pack in the Big 10 last fall. Two players are going to West Virginia, but the Big Twelve doesn't have men's soccer, so West Virginia plays in the MAC where Akron is the national powerhouse. WV was fourth of six behind Akron, Buffalo, and Western Michigan. MLS players come from pretty much everywhere (Dempsey played at Furman), but I'd still prefer to see some prospects at some better programs.
FC Wichita@FCWichita May 24 Final 1-2 Sporting KC U23s win. Wichita plays 22 guys. Weir, Kyei, Melo, TenEyck, Hobson, Sosa, Osterloh, Contrares among those not suited. We have a U23 team? Probably not official, just college kids back and not playing in the PDL/NPSL? Just curious if anyone knows are cares to ask someone who does know what's this about.
http://www.sportingkc.com/post/2016/07/07/miracle-frisco-u-18s-pull-remarkable-playoff-victory How the u18's advanced to the developmental academy quarterfinals tonight against FC Dallas, advancing from a group with the number 1 ranked team in the country.
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...ominant-7-1-victory-vs-portugal-in-nif-opener Defender Jaylin Lindsey (who was an Academy Player who saw some roster time on Swope Park Rangers this past season) started for the U17's in their thumping of Portugal. If he's eligible, I'd be curious as to how likely he is to be signed by Swope Park or a Homegrown player for SKC. Might be our next EPB in terms of Homegrown player with USMNT upside. He's been consistently called into the Youth National Teams.
http://www.uslpdl.com/news_article/show/731577 Evidently Zach Wright hasn't played in the PDL over the summers (hopefully that means he's been in KC training with us in some capacity to keep him HG eligible). They have former Academy Player Andy Lopez (UNC) having PDL history with the NYRB U23's. Ultimately don't think this is a big deal as he was likely never coming to SKC after his brother left (who went to NY so he could have just spent the summer in NY with his brother and found a PDL team to play for there).