YNT-eligible NASL/USL players -- 2017 In-season thread

FC Dallas has loaned Homegrown @coycraft to @USL-affiliate @EnergyFC. He'll be available for tonight's match against Tulsa. pic.twitter.com/Z1H6t6qJlV

— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) July 8, 2017

He started last night against Tulsa on the right wing.

Here’s how @EnergyFC will line up tonight against the (evil) @RoughnecksFC. pic.twitter.com/nAoX1OFIS4

— Energy FC (@EnergyFC) July 9, 2017

 

Farfan just had a nice assist on a cross to Ebobisse

 

Farfan with 2 assists today.

 

The Sounders decided to make Saturday's road game at Real Monarchs into Academy Appreciation Day, apparently. (Actually, a lot of the usual USL characters were playing in a friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt.)

They started:

• Sam Fowler '00 (GK)
• Christian Koontz '01 (LB)
• Khai Brisco '00 (CB)
• Dylan Teves '00 (CM)
• Camerton Martin '00 (CM)
• Camilo Santiago '01 (LM) [not a US citizen AFAIK]
• Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez '02 (FW)

As well as former academy guy Lorenzo Ramos '97 at RB. All seven subs were unsigned academy players. Josh Ragen ('98/DF), Paul Rothrock ('99/MF), and Kei Tomozawa ('99/MF) got in the game. Milo Barton ('98/FW), Ethan Lotenero ('98/RB), Trey Muse ('99/GK), and Stirling Russell ('99/DF) were unused.

They only lost 4-1, which I guess isn't bad when seven of your starters are eligible for the U16 team. I believe Ocampo-Sanchez is the first 2002 to start, play in, or even make the roster for a USL game this season.

Sebastian Saucedo started and scored two goals for Real Monarchs, who are one of the oldest MLS2 teams this season and who have the best record in the league.


EDIT: I should add that Sounders U18 played a DA quarterfinal on 7/7 and Sounders U16 played a quarterfinal on 7/6, so there's a lot going on for these academy kids.

 

I wonder where Ariel Gonzalez was. He played with S2 earlier this year, looked good and had an assist. He along with Ocampo-Chavez are their top prospects and by my semi (un) trained eye are both pretty talented.

 

I would hope that RSL moving their Academy to Salt Lake will allow Real Monarchs to have a more developmental feel to it next year. I don't really see what Real Monarchs brings to RSL when the line-up is primarily older players who will never help an MLS team.

Saucedo getting minutes and a confidence boost was the best thing the team has done all year to help RSL.

I don't see how you can make any money in USL as an affiliate club even though Monarch have decent attendance, so you better by helping the MLS club.

 

Its a shame as that could become a great soccer market.

If the Aztex aren't going to return, that might be an interesting spot for FCD to put their USLPro reserve team................................

 

Wan Kuzain signs for Swope Park Rangers.

https://www.sportingkc.com/post/201...roduct-wan-kuzain-wan-kamal-full-usl-contract

 

Noah Powder signs a USL contract with NYRB II. Is he eligible?

 

He is eligible for our YNTs, but would require a one-time switch as he represented T&T at the 2015 U17 CONCACAF WC Qualifiers.

 

According to Powder, he has been contacted by the US, but chose to be with T&T because "I figured I could play more for Trinidad and Tobago and express myself more." That's not too bad news for the US -- obviously we'd rather have him in our youth setup right now than not, but it hints that he might consider switching if he develops into a really good player who can get playing time with the USMNT, assuming he recognizes the US consistently qualifies for the WC and T&T does not (they are the worst Hex team for 2018 WCQ and didn't even make the Hex for 2014, thus it's hardly guaranteed T&T will make future WCs even with the 2026 expansion). And he was born and raised in the US, after all. He's trained with PSG and other European teams, so he might become a good one. Wouldn't count on him switching to the US but I'd say continue to monitor him, and if/when he truly deserves it, pounce and offer him a senior callup. Of course, this would all be moot if T&T successfully rush him to their senior setup early and convince him to accept the call rather than hold out for the US.

 

Update:

1260 - Sam Rogers 99 (S2)
1213 - Robert Castellanos 98 (LA II)
1157 - Pierre da Silva 98 (OCB)
1149 - Augustine Williams 97 (T2)
1134 - Collin Fernandez 97 (Tulsa)
1127 - Lamar Batista 98 (T2)
1124 - Adrian Vera 97 (LA II)
1090 - Ethan Zubak 98 (LA II)
900 - Auston Trusty 98 (Bethlehem)
847 - Lorenzo Ramos 97 (S2)
819 - Harold Hanson 99 (T2)
810 - Hugo Arellano 98 (LA II)
810 - Chris Durkin 00 (Richmond)
692 - *Blake Bodily 98 (T2)
630 - Eric Lopez 99 (LA II)
596 - *Kevin O'Toole 98 (NYRB II)
564 - Shandon Hopeau 98 (S2)
563 - Jonathan Hernandez 97 (LA II)
556 - *Jorge Hernandez 00 (LA II)
554 - Amirgy Pineda 97 (Orange County)
548 - Devin Vega 98 (San Antonio)
540 - *Mark McKenzie 99 (Bethlehem)
533 - Matthew Real 99 (Bethlehem)
503 - Jackson Yueill 97 (Reno)
471 - *Ian Lonergan 99 (LA II)
450 - Bennett Sneddon 97 (LA II)
450 - Marco Farfan 98 (T2)
425 - Ryley Kraft 98 (OCB)
405 - Erik Palmer-Brown 97 (SPR)
395 - Felipe Hernandez 98 (SPR)
367 - Abuchi Obinwa 97 (Pittsburgh)
364 - *Alex Juarez 98 (LA II)
360 - *Aedan Stanley 99 (STL)
320 - Jeremy Ebobisse 97 (T2)
317 - Terrell Lowe 98 (T2)
305 - Coy Craft 97 (OKC)
305 - *Jacob Montes 98 (T2)
268 - *Milo Barton 98 (S2)
265 - *Anthony Fontana 99 (Bethlehem)
265 - Victor Mansaray 97 (Cincinnati)
244 - Yosef Samuel 98 (Bethlehem)
230 - *Zico Bailey 00 (LA II)
190 - Christian Lucatero 97 (RGV)
189 - *Jonathan Estrada 00 (LA II)
180 - Miles Robinson 97 (Charleston)
180 - *Christian Koontz 01 (S2)
165 - Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal 98 (SPR)
160 - *David Loera 98 (OCB)
153 - *Jake Arteaga 00 (LA II)
149 - *Dawson McCartney 98 (Bethlehem)
141 - Eric Calvillo 98 (NY Cosmos)
135 - *Jose Carranza 99 (NC FC)
134 - *Ben Mines 00 (NYRB II)
131 - *Jamie Dimitroff 98 (S2)
119 - Joe Gallardo 98 (OCB)
118 - *Azriel Gonzalez 01 (S2)
110 - *Kazu Shigenobu 99 (NYRB II)
104 - Ben Swanson 97 (Pittsburgh)
90 - Derrick Jones 97 (Bethlehem)
90 - Tommy Redding 97 (OCB)
90 - Sebastian Saucedo 97 (Real Monarchs)
90 - *Sam Fowler 00 (S2)
90 - *Ethan Lotenero 98 (S2)
90 - *Khai Brisco 00 (S2)
90 - *Dylan Teves 00 (S2)
90 - *Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez 02 (S2)
80 - Chris Goslin 00 (Charleston)
63 - *Cameron Martin 00 (S2)
46 - *Max Rugova 00 (SPR)
30 - *Joseph Hafferty 98 (S2)
28 - *Jackson Ragen 98 (S2)
23 - *Paul Rothrock 99 (S2)
12 - *Kei Tomozawa 99 (S2)
11 - *Zaire Bartley 98 (NYRB II)
9 - *Issa Rayyan 00 (Bethlehem)
7 - *Giovanni Calixtro 00 (T2)
6 - Zach Kobayashi 97 (Orange County)
5 - *Allen Seals 00 (OCB)
1 - *Jessie Ortiz 00 (RGV)

By club:

7843 - LA Galaxy II
5186 - T2
3974 - S2
2730 - Bethlehem
1956 - OCB
1134 - Tulsa
1011 - SPR
851 - NYRB II
810 - Richmond
560 - Orange County
548 - San Antonio
503 - Reno
471 - Pittsburgh
360 - Saint Louis
305 - OKC
265 - Cincinnati
260 - Charleston
191 - RGV
90 - Real Monarchs

 

We're a little more than halfway through the 2017 season, but the number of USL minutes given to US-eligible 97s and younger has already surpassed the number of minutes given to US-eligible 96s and younger in 2016.

This change is driven in large part by Los Dos (who have more than doubled their 2016 total already), T2, S2, and non-MLS2 teams. S2 currently occupies a playoff spot; Los Dos and T2 are the bottom two clubs in the West. T2 is particularly bad, with five points and a -20 GD from 17 games.

 

Yup. The standings really reflect the differing priorities of teams in the USLPro right now. I'd call Los Dos' season a success as they're giving lots of playing time to young players. But in terms of results, they're dismal. If this was Europe (let's say if they were Porto B) they'd be relegated for sure.

BTW Coy Craft not in the 18 for OKC last night. Don't really understand that unless hurt. What's the point?

 

It will be interesting to see in a few years if any MLS clubs move their USL team down to the new D3 league USL is launching in 2019. There's certainly a gulf between a club like G2 playing a USL club featuring basically all adults and some players with a decent amount of MLS experience.

 

Eric Calvillo started and scored for the NY Cosmos in their last game of the spring season. Alexis Velela made his season debut in a late sub appearance. Per Soccerway, Calvillo started at right midfield.

 

It has been interesting to watch the balance of power in USL start to shift from MLS reserve teams like NYRB II dominating to full time teams with all adult players starting to dominate more and more. The highest MLS reserve team in the east is Bethlehem Steel in 5th place and, while Real Monarchs are 1st in the west, 3 out of the top 5 teams are non-MLS reserve teams. The bottom three teams in the west are MLS reserve teams.

This is as it should be and I expect to see this trend away from MLS reserve team dominance to continue. The reserve teams are still, for the most part, competitive but, as they learn to use their reserve teams more and more effectively, they will find that reserve teams are a more useful tool at the division three level where there is less pressure to field guys that will just win the game in front of them. Reserve teams are better to give experiences to guys who are not there yet, but on their way up and just in need of experience. Why roster and pay guys to win games at the division 2 level when you already are doing that at the division 1 level?

Conor Shanosky is a good, solid division 2 player and I wish him well, but I don't want a promising kid to never get a chance to develop his game beyond youth soccer because a guy like Conor is in the way. There needs to be a place for the Conor Shanoskys of the world and a different place for the young prospects just learning how to play with adults.

If a kid is ready to challenge the likes of Conor Shanosky, but not yet ready for MLS, work out a loan. This is typically a limited window of time in a limited number of players' development and better accomplished through the loaning process.

By the way, there is still a HUGE discrepancy in attendance numbers. Some franchises have division 2-type numbers(with a couple approaching division 1 numbers) and some clearly have division 3-type numbers and will probably never have division 2 level attendance. They just clearly won't or, in the case of some USL reserve teams, don't want to even try to get over 1000 per game.

 

S2's regulars returned to the USL lineup in last night's game, but a few of the U16 crew stuck around. Christian Koontz '01 started at LB and Khai Brisco '00 started at RB. Koontz, who turned 16 last week, now has three USL starts under his belt.

Orange County beat S2 2-1, powered by a goal and an assist from Totti. [Okay, this Totti is a 27 year old Cape Verdean rookie from UMass-Lowell.]


Interestingly, Koontz hasn't played with Seattle's U18 or U16 DA teams at all, from what I can tell. He is listed on the Sounders' website as part of their non-DA U15 team.

 

I would hope in 10 years that the model will develop where their is MLS, USL, DIII.

- DIII are the affiliate clubs focused on development plus a handful of small market clubs.
- USL is locally owned clubs that have agreements in place with MLS clubs.

An average prospect would go through Academy and start playing DIII at age 16, 17 and 18 for the local affiliate MLS club. It would basically be a more competitive DA. There would also be older players filling out the roster, so it isn't just another DA. The prospect would then get loaned out to a USL team and then called-up to the MLS club.

I would hope by that time that MLS is a a couple steps better than it is now and that the average USL team is closer to on par with the better NASL from a few years ago and DIII is a step or two up from the U18 DA Academy playoffs on a game by game basis.

 

As noted above, he has close to 120 minutes so far with Sounders 2.

NEWS | @SoundersFC2 signs 16-year-old @AzrielGonzalez.

Gonzalez becomes youngest pro signing in club history.

➡️ https://t.co/yVJhnYYyGu pic.twitter.com/aciLhuF8vZ

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) July 17, 2017