MLS has scholarships for an online university. Local teams also often provide tuition for a local college. https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/...lets-major-league-soccer-players-earn-degrees
Thing is, there are very powerful cultural factors at play when American teenagers consider college -- not just whether they'll get a degree. Offering educational options probably does help sway some guys, but for those for whom it actually is a difficult choice I doubt it's the only factor.
It's true FCD only has one starter from their HG's but they've also sold two players to Mexico for real money that might be starters had they stayed and three were just signed and are very young. I'll grant you the first wave was limited but since then they've been pretty good at turning out players. The next wave needs a little more time to see how they do as is the case at most clubs right now. We're now on Academy 3.0 and it has the early look of success.
Evan Louro signed an HG contract with NYRB.....again. http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/post/2017/04/29/new-york-red-bulls-sign-nyrb-ii-goalkeeper-evan-louro
Ben Spencer got a first-team contract with Toronto: http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/788043?referrer_id=2349190
What's bizarre to me about this is the following............ Last season, Toronto FC acquired the Right of First Refusal along with homegrown rights for Spencer from Real Salt Lake and later signed with Toronto FC II. So he was at the RSL academy, then moved to ChivasUSA academy, then moved Molde, and then came back to Indy XI. But somehow RSL had his homegrown rights.............?
While we weren't watching, Alonso Hernandez ended up as the leading scorer last season in the Mexican Segunda Division (which is actually the third tier). Ex-USYNT F Alonso Hernandez & fellow Texan on trial w FC Dallas after Monterrey's Segunda Premier season ends: https://t.co/bMaVOldKs8— Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) May 9, 2017
FYI, the other guy mentioned in the article Clint posted is '92 Justin Perez, who has a YA thread: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/justin-allen-pérez-aguilar-at-monterrey.1989970/
Luis "Lipe" Fernandes has signed with USL Reno. At 17, he caught the eyes of U.S. scouts when Cruzeiro’s under-17 team lifted the IMG Cup. http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/792193?referrer_id=2349190
It is amazing that no player that was born after 1987, and grew up in the USA, has scored a World Cup goal.
Amazing? Not really. World Cups happen every 4 years and there's normally only 4 games. 3-4 goals a world cup. So in 2014 all 87s would have been 27? Altidore injured, Dempsey scored multiple goals, Jones, Brooks, and Green score. Still Americans. All other World Cups aren't in play because its normal age related. Something seemingly AMAZING.......not so much.
Correct, low numbers make the whole thing a coin toss. Also, only three American born players born post 1987 have gone to the WC. Jozy, Omar and Yedlin. Only Jozy was playing in 2010. So basically we are talking about one WC. Or maybe we're talking specifically about Jozy?
Alot of people try to use these sporadic statistics. I remember something about we hadn't beat Mexico in U20WC qualifying in something like 29 yrs.............then someone pointed out we only played them like 3 times over that period. Watch out for BS its our biggest contempt on the truth.
I didn't make any point in my post. I just thought it amazing. A player born in 1990 would have been 24 at the WC. Hardly young in world football. Brooks and Green did score, but that is it. Germany had seven players born after 1987 score for them. In fact, except for two goals by Klose, ALL their goals were scored by players born after 1/1/1987.
Amazing, really? Germany played 3 more games than we did.Germany scored 7 goals in one of those extra games vs Brazil. Germany won the World Cup. Germany is better than we are. Germany scored 18 goals. US scored 5. We had 2 players under 24 score they had 7. Altidore injured a few minutes into the WC. Amazing or explainable.
Well sure, development goes in cycles. The 1988 through 1989 (aka the Freddy Adu) group was very promising but produced bust after bust except for Jozy Altidore. We're not the first country to have a bad cycle. Meanwhile Germany had a bumper crop of talent in those years. Not the first country to have a golden generation either. Next WC I'll bet that we'll have a whole bunch of players born after 1991 and one or more will score a goal.
That is what I believe too. If we gaff the current development structure in place in 1994, some of those kids would probably have done much better. Also, 1980-1984 was a great group that was still scoring goals in 2014
Was never a US YNTer (though I think he got a look from Honduras) but noticed that Darwin Espinal is now on the PDL's South Florida Surf and recently topped that league's list of top prospects. Ricky Lopez-Espin was #3 and there are some other names of note further down. http://www.uslpdl.com/2017-top-prospects
Charles Renken sighting! He signed a USL deal with Seattle. https://www.soundersfc.com/post/2017/05/26/sounders-fc-2-signs-midfielder-charles-renken
Every time I see that name I feel some sadness. He was a terrific prospect, great kid, great back story, then injuries. What might have been...
Sometimes-kinda-ballyhooed 93 fullback Ali Dia was apparently without a team, as he's just signed to play in the USL with PHX. http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/802108?referrer_id=2349190
It's a bit ironic that Renken's original thread title, 'I Found the 2nd Freddy Adu', turned out to be accurate in a negative way since neither ever reached their full potential (albeit for very different reasons). It's too bad a dirty tackle from a Brazilian youth player that he was clowning contributed to his early injury problems. For those interested, here is the original thread by @JohnR: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/i-found-the-2nd-freddy-adu.221499/
Was in VA beach last weekend and caught some sand soccer. I'm pretty sure Boyd Okwuono was playing for second place team Great Lakes FC. Guy looks just like Body at least. I've tried to do enough research but everything I see is inconclusive. May be someone else can figure it out. Here's there Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Great-Lakes-Beach-Soccer-323283741092063/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf