Color me a bit surprised to hear that there (apparently) isn't some kind of easily accessible, FIFA- or confederation-run clearinghouse of club contacts for national team callup use.
Our poor itty bitty national team needs to attend some networking sessions and make some friends at some clubs.
I hear ya. But there are some pretty poor itty bitty national team programs out there in the world that might actually need something like that, if it doesn't exist.
I would bet that most youth national teams are pulling the vast majority of their players from domestic clubs where connections and relationships are already established. Our fed has to be the most diverse in terms of where we are calling our youth players in from, so this type of thing probably isn't much of an issue around the world.
Thankful, humbled and blessed! Kenan Hot was once again called into the upcoming U15 US National Team Camp in Carson, CA. #hardworkpaysoff #nodaysoff #newyorkredbullsacademy pic.twitter.com/Bf9Bj36oF6— HH (@Harishot) January 19, 2019
Appears Zach Booth, Brandan Craig, Cooper Flax, Samuel Fenton, and Levi Stephens are in as well. (Side note: US Soccer's website calls him Zack, but his own Instagram says Zach. https://www.instagram.com/czb.23/)
Check out @domrotundo’s Tweet: Looks like its a 28 player roster for the upcoming U15 US National team camp in Carson. Obviously @evanrotundo10 is extremely excited to have been selected again. #usynt #BlessedAndGrateful pic.twitter.com/3F25avn0ad— Dom Rotundo (@domrotundo) January 23, 2019
Wow, US Soccer is really looking outside the MLS/Foreign team academy. There's all of - checks notes - THREE! domestic-based players on the roster from outside MLS... and one of them is from a USL academy. And Rotundo is supposedly Europe bound as he has an EU passport. Should we automatically assume MLS is hording this much of the top talent in this age group or is USSF still not turning over enough stones outside of MLS and the big USSDA clubs?
Only Craig ended getting a callup of the names I mention. Philadelphia Union's official Twitter account said Fenton was getting the US U15 call, yet he isn't listed. The others were from hints on Instagram that typically do pan out, but this time did not.
Two keepers from the same team. When was the last time a YNT called up two from the same team? Two players from Houston Dynamo. Maybe there's some talent in the younger levels of their DA? Victor Valdez is destroying the DA with LAG. Has anyone seen him play yet? Chicago has four players on this roster. Allan Rodriguez has been playing with Indiana Fire this season, but this roster says he's at Chicago Fire. We never know about the RSL academy until U-17 level because they don't add DA rosters and results to the DA website until U-17 level. Dewsnup and Booth both have YNT call ups from the '04 year in their academy. Angel Martinez ('05) is playing up a year. I saw him play recently. Very talented CB for a player of his age. We'll see how his athleticism develops, but he has excellent ball-playing ability at the CB position and is tall for a player of his age.
Yeah, I noticed those Dynamo names. I think something positive is in the works there. Since taking over the DA director position Paul Holocher has been very proactive.
I’ve had my eye on him and I’ve been trying to make it down to Carson but all of their games are on Sundays so it’s probably not going to happen until after the Super Bowl. I’m going to try to make it a double feature and catch the u17s with Cuevas and Perez after. I’ve been asking around on Twitter trying to figure out if the u15s are playing a game this camp cuz if they are, I’ll go down there for that one, too.
That is the question. But what I think is happening is that a pyramid is developing. It is a big country and nobody can scout the whole thing without laying out big bucks. So, MLS teams are scouting their DA brethren and maybe some other local clubs and bringing in the best players. The non-MLS DA teams are scouring the local non-DA teams and bringing in what they want. USSF can sit on top and mostly scount the MLS Academies. Some kids won't want to move to a MLS team, and those have to be followed. Frees up people to then focus overseas. The question is at the younger ages where Pay-to-Play is probably sending kids on non-optimal development paths or giving up to play other sports.
I don't know if anyone follows U15 YNT pool players as closely as the regulars around here. I'm not one of those, but I am interested. From what I've gathered, the consensus wisdom is that these players are the best: Evan Rotundo Fede Oliva Victor Valdez And of those not on the roster: Dantouma Toure
US Soccers press release for this camp mentioned this - Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004 are eligible for the 2019 Concacaf U-15 Boys’ Championship.
Rotundo is much better than any other player in this year, IMO. I think Brandan Craig is the second best player in the year. Toure is a hard player to analyze because he's played a lot above his own age group, and not been all that good in older age-groups. Maybe he shouldn't be expected to do anything more than hold his own at higher levels, but its hard to then compare him to players who are playing in their own age group. I'd like to see him play in his own age group when he returns from injury. I don't see any indication anyone here has watched Oliva or Valdez play. They are "names" for now.
Thanks! Claudio Reyna had an interesting thought on some podcast about USA development. He tried to figure out why we can have so many resources, players, money, etc. and not churn out the best players. He thought it was because our best players are too far apart. That the level of competition at any age group is diluted because there are hundreds of miles between the elite of the elite, unlike say Belgium, where they are all near each other and playing each other. He said, and others including Ramos, have said the trend in combating this is to play kids up in ages. So, Toure can't get anything out of playing 14 year olds around New Jersey, but he can be pushed by playing U19. I guess he would play his own age with the U15 YNT. This happens in baseball too. And a much younger elite player will just hold their own.
I think it's impressive what Angel Martinez has been doing. Three Sounders called up btw. https://www.soundersfc.com/post/201...emy-players-called-us-u-15-national-team-camp
“Injured” right before a training camp is how we stole Johannsson from Iceland.... Hmm... Of course now that we see how his career has unfolded that injury seems a lot more plausible