If memory serves, Andrew Durkin was a art of Richmond before this and not DC. I think that’s kind of the case for Chris too. Atlanta poached McGann earlier this year from Philly too, but I think he was from Florida to start with.
Atlanta has poached a number of young players. I don't see the problem with this. I don't want our young players signing a professional contract with Atlanta (if they have better options), but I would think Durkin is a few years off that, if he'll ever be good enough. Thats maybe the best academy in the country right now.
Also DC United‘s academy right now is a much scaled-back version compared to what it will be. They are going to build a 5000 seat USL Stadium along with a training center in Leesburg, Virginia. If I was a player I wouldn’t want to be a part of DC United‘s current academy either. Chris Durkin was able to avoid the current academy by participating in the residency in Bradenton - an option that his brother doesn’t have.
Orlando City partnering with Montverde for a residency program. NEWS: @OCSC_Academy To Join Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy in 2018. #TheFutureIsPurple Details 📝 https://t.co/NtaaAEJAnW pic.twitter.com/nv82BbJlnh— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) January 9, 2018
Has anyone watched Caden Clark play or have some insight on him as a player? He's at the Ynt summit and I've seen his name pop up a couple times before so was just curious. Also, unsurprising but Aruajo has interest from Europe according to TDS - 🗣 @LacavaJake and @julian__araujo featured in @TopDrawerSoccer "18 U.S. Men's YNT Players to Watch in 2018" ⚽️🔵🔴➡️ https://t.co/3wQyeFpr7u pic.twitter.com/HvIdKI6WnE— Barça Residency Academy (@BarcaAcademyAZ) January 8, 2018
I have not seen Clark play, but the comment about Araujo brings up a good point. I think he's a good player, but I don't know if he'll be able to stick at CB. I've only seen him play CB, but I have read even before this that he has played some matches at RB. That might be an option, and I think playing as a #6 is another option. There's also a chance he grows a few inches, and he can stick at CB. I'd say for now his eventual position could be a number of positions, but he can play, regardless.
Yeah I was not aware he had played at RB but it made sense when I read it. Looked up Yedlins height cuz he's someone who can struggle defensively in the air while still playing at a high level and hes listed at 5'8", same as Araujo. Even just a few inches of growth will help, something that's very acheivable
I have s I have seen Caden Clark play. Not in a NT environment though. Where he rates in comparison to the rest of the u16, I can't say. But I am confident he belongs there. This is his third NT call up. He was also on the iD2 team that went to Spain last spring. That team had a nice little run while over there. He scored the teams first goal, and I think he had another during the tourney. Before transferring to Barca Academy this year, he would mostly play up a year for Minnesota Thunder. Has a good motor and a killer instinct (though the one critique I would offer is that he plays so hard sometimes he seems on the verge of out of control). Technically gifted. Dad's is a high level trainer, so you know he will be in top shape. How he has progressed since moving to Barca, IDK. I checked a while ago and saw that to that point he had started all their games.
RSL heads back to AZ with a partnership with Sereno Soccer Club in Phoenix. https://www.rsl.com/post/2018/01/11...phoenix-based-sereno-legacy-clubs-join-forces Doesn't seem like this will be a DA operation, but in theory it will help maintain the pipeline of AZ kids like Glad and Lennon to RSL.
I don't know how much this will be of interest, but it looks like RSL has started streaming their U17 and U19 games on Youtube. Here's the link for the games today: https://www.rsl.com/post/2018/01/20/watch-rsl-academy-matches-live-january-20-2018 I think the only YNT player in the U17 game now is Zach Farnsworth, an 02 LB. David Ochoa, the 01 GK, is probably going to play for the 19s this afternoon.
My son plays for Sereno 06. They integrated RSL coaches into the club already and we just merged with another big club in AZ (Legacy) and we'll be playing under the name RSL-AZ next season. The word is that we're getting DA for next season and will be announced next month.
I wonder if it will be one of the new lower tiered DA teams. I’d love to see RSL have two really good DA teams though.
So from what I understand it's going to be DA, DA2 and we're still going to have ECNL. I'm not sure of all the age groups.
A nice of benefit of RSL's U19 games being on Youtube is it's easy to paste highlights. The RSL U19s won 3-1, and Richie Ledezma scored all 3. He's an 00, was at the recent YNT summit with the U19s, but according to the announcers he caught Tab Ramos' eye and trained with the U20s for some of the camp. Here's the second goal he scored. Really terrific goal. EDIT: Since apparently it didn't fast forward, the second goal is at 4:10:40.
RSL doing a hell of a job developing talent, integrating them into the 1st team, having their own USL team, great facilities, and an excellent social media presence for their academy.
Personally, I don't want to congratulate them too much until I see USL contracts for these guys, instead of for Sebastian Velasquez.
Check out @ThatCroatianGuy’s Tweet: How Coach Brian Kleiban Creates a Winning Culture [link below]https://t.co/XzjQPmMIqr pic.twitter.com/JJwh3lzUi5— John Pranjić (@ThatCroatianGuy) January 24, 2018 Nothing revealing here except that Brian Kleiban wants his players to be competitive, I guess like a lot of other coaches.
"The focus was on development,” said Matt Pilkington, the coach of that team from Washington’s Maryland suburbs. “We were patient. The emphasis was never on winning. Winning was a byproduct.” https://t.co/n2wkcIX7JE— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 26, 2018
Wanting to revive this thread for more general discussion about the DA and its place in the U.S. development landscape. We'll pick back up with this little nugget: Paul Holocher announced as new director of Houston Dynamo Academy https://t.co/sjutcRIUVv— SoccerWire (@TheSoccerWire) July 16, 2018
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. They Dynamo. You can always count on them to do something inexplicable. It brings great joy to this FCD fan's heart. Opening for an academy director? Go out and hire the "Director of Formation" of the San Jose Earthquakes academy. What, what, what? If you're going domestic, why not recruit out of an academy that actually accomplishes something? Why not look down the street at Eric Quill, who last year won the DA title as the academy director with the Houston Texans? Working with and developing players such as Chris Richards and Chris Cappis. There are a ton of folks out there with actual results on their resumes in the player development arena. The Kleiban, Pilkington types...................... And they hired an assistant from one of the most underachieving academies in North America. [Other than Houston of course, which is THE most underachieving academy in MLS.]
On a more general development note, I was talking to my sons during the World Cup about the fact Croatia has a pop of 4.3 million and yet still have produced 3 World Class players in Perisic, Rakatic and Modric. Two of them start at Center Mid for the biggest clubs in Europe and Perisic is a stud as well. How is it the USA with a pop of many, many times Croatia has not produced a SINGLE World Class player in the history of this country, no offense to Dempsey, Donavon, Lalas, etc? It is simply mind boggling. The excuses are infinite, but no real explanation. Has the advent of the DA helped our player development? With more kids going to Europe its possible that is has, but will the US ever have a player like Modric, Ratkitic etc or a starter on the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern? We can hope Puliscis gets there, McKinney, Sargeant but time will tell. What we know for sure is the US has failed to produce talent and there is no reason why it can't.
Ok I know everyone doesn't have a subscription to the Athletic, but here is this: https://theathletic.com/426932/2018...untry-beats-a-huge-one-youve-got-it-backward/ I am for people joining the athletic, but I'll just give this small part: "In soccer terms, size makes everything more difficult, more laborious, more expensive, more fractured. Uruguay, our South American Connecticut, has had a single man at the head of the country’s entire men’s national team program for 12 years. Oscar Tabarez presides over everything, keeping a vigilant watch over every tier of the men’s program from the U15 team upward. It has obviously worked—players like Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, and Martin Caceres all made their senior team debuts under Tabarez." Clearly there is a lot more to the article, but making population comparisons is really a unhealthy way of looking at things.
That makes sense but then it would seem some of our various regions would have produced more talent. Texas ( DFW) has a population of around 6 million. That is more than a number of the countries in the World cup. I do agree being so spread out makes it hard for the US to find all the players. But the players the US does find should be doing better.