RSL 2019-20 Offseason Thread

Discussion in 'Real Salt Lake' started by Ismitje, Oct 23, 2019.

  1. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    exactly
    though it really makes you wonder why a club would think a player is ready after college for 1-4 years but wasnt before. Isn't that a self critique of the academies talent identification and/or development?
     
  2. georg

    georg Member+

    May 25, 2009
    Parowan, Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Or maybe the kid wanted to go to college?
     
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  3. kirsoccer

    kirsoccer BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 29, 2007
    Yes, this. Jordan Allen rejected at least 2 RSL contract offers before finally joining the club...and look at him NOW!

    But you are right, some kids do value highly the college degree and even the college experience. Others want to turn pro as soon as possible.
     
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  4. georg

    georg Member+

    May 25, 2009
    Parowan, Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not sure if we really can blame Jordan Allan’s injury problems during his short career on signing with RSL or not signing with RSL soon enough. But the fear of not cashing in early can play a huge role in how these kids choose to move forward. I also think that the development of players differs in many ways. Some peak really early, others need more time. Hopefully this kid needed UCLA and UCLA made him much better.
     
  5. RSL Wonderbra

    RSL Wonderbra Member

    Jan 30, 2013
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Aaron Herrera went to college in new mexico before joining RSL. I dont think that going to college is necessarily a negative. Its more about how he takes his opportunities when he gets them at the monarchs, training camp, and in regular team minutes.
     
  6. SenordrummeR2

    SenordrummeR2 Member+

    Jul 21, 2008
    Layton, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not sure I would consider signing a homegrown contract "cashing in". If I was offered the choice between a $50k-$70k HG contract or a full ride scholarship, I'd probably choose the latter.
     
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  7. RSLer

    RSLer Member+

    Sep 24, 2008
    Stansbury Park, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Are soccer scholarships generally full-ride at PAC-12 institutions?
     
  8. irondeepbicycle

    irondeepbicycle Member+

    Real Salt Lake
    United States
    Jul 31, 2017
    The "Would academy kids rather stay in college or play professionally" conversation would probably be helped by pointing out that there are plenty of other MLS teams who regularly sign academy kids to their USL teams, let alone their MLS rosters. There are 10 current players on the Sounders USL team who either skipped college or left college early for a USL contract.

    So maybe everyone in the Sounders academy doesn't value college but everyone in the RSL academy does. Or maybe they sign academy players because they offer them contracts, and we don't because we need to sign Jack Blake and Maikel Chang.
     
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  9. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Great line from @CMeszt in the daily news thread yesterday:

    But you know which team really is signing players? Colorado. They've had a great offseason so far.
     
  10. El-ahrairah

    El-ahrairah Member+

    Sep 20, 2004
    Wanker County
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the real reason is the simplest to understand: Everyone in the RSL academy is smart enough to go to college and everyone in the Sounders academy is as dumb as a box of rocks.
     
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  11. Taragui

    Taragui Member+

    Aug 13, 2006
    Northern Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Welcome to Herriman, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

    Ht Garrison Keillor
     
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  12. El-ahrairah

    El-ahrairah Member+

    Sep 20, 2004
    Wanker County
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought that Red Green said that about Possum Lake in Ontario, Canada.

    No, wait. He said "Keep your stick on the ice." My bad.
     
  13. PattysCow

    PattysCow Member+

    Apr 4, 2010
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Yeah there is absolutely no way that these kids who dedicated their childhood to soccer by living at an academy are passing up a chance to play professional soccer in favor of college.
     
  14. georg

    georg Member+

    May 25, 2009
    Parowan, Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yet they do it every year, from every academy.
     
  15. kirsoccer

    kirsoccer BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 29, 2007
    I've interviewed many of them, and absolutely, some of them do. I would agree that the majority don't, but more than you may think do, especially when it's a homegrown MLS contract. Now if Barcelona or Man City came calling, it might be a very different story.
     
  16. PattysCow

    PattysCow Member+

    Apr 4, 2010
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    No, the majority of academy players just aren't offered professional contracts before playing in college. That's the whole point of the post I just quoted.
     
  17. irondeepbicycle

    irondeepbicycle Member+

    Real Salt Lake
    United States
    Jul 31, 2017
    Seattle and Dallas face every barrier we do, but they don't seem to have any trouble getting academy kids onto pro contracts. FC Dallas just started their academy team last year and they already have more academy signings than we've had in the Monarchs whole history.

    I don't think it's controversial to say that the reason we don't have more academy players on the Monarchs is because the FO doesn't try to sign them. Am I wrong? Is that controversial?
     
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  18. UofRSL

    UofRSL Member

    Jul 23, 2009
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Doesn't that just set a new baseline and make them all average again?
     
  19. Taragui

    Taragui Member+

    Aug 13, 2006
    Northern Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Depends on the sample radius.
     
  20. rslfanboy

    rslfanboy Member+

    Jul 24, 2007
    Section 26
    How old are you? I'm guessing, younger than 30. Or maybe I'm the one missing the cultural reference heaped on top of another cultural reference?
     
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  21. kirsoccer

    kirsoccer BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 29, 2007
    #421 kirsoccer, Jan 18, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2020
    I've been hearing for over 3 years how the Sounders are better at cultivating youth players into the pro ranks, and yet RSL currently has nearly double the Homegrown signings on the roster than SSFC has (9 v 5), and last year RSL's homegrown player minutes dwarfed Seattle's. Morris is exceptional and a clear outlier, but on the face there is little evidence to support the claims that have been made.

    Now maybe there is a burgeoning crop in Seattle that is about to change that (I no longer keep close enough to academy ranks to judge that), but talk to me when that actually happens. And maybe their USL team has signed more players than Monarchs, but does that really matter if those players aren't taking that next step?

    As far as Dallas, their youth program has a long history that goes back over 2 decades. They were one of the first teams to invest seriously in a youth program. Clearly the best in the league.
     
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  22. RSLer

    RSLer Member+

    Sep 24, 2008
    Stansbury Park, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Time flies so I could be very wrong, but it seems like Seattle’s success has been a pretty recent thing. If that’s true, maybe the total current academy signings on the roster isn’t a totally salient stat. Or it could be interpreted as supportive of the argument that RSL’s was better for many years, but Seattle’s has improved recently and is now superior.

    (I only posted this for argument’s sake. I do not follow academy doings and have no idea of their respective situations. The only academy opinions I hear are those expressed on the BS RSL board, which tend to express that RSL doesn’t maximize its academy as it relates to Monarchs and Senior team roster building.)
     
  23. irondeepbicycle

    irondeepbicycle Member+

    Real Salt Lake
    United States
    Jul 31, 2017
    Almost 100% of RSL's homegrown minutes have been played by players born in 1997 or earlier (Arriaga is the only exception to this rule). Almost all of Seattle's promising homegrown players are 2000 or later. The difference pretty much coincides with when Lagerway left us and joined them.

    So I guess we'll see, but I do think it's reasonable to think that Seattle is on the cusp of a breakthrough. They had some good minutes last year played by Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and Danny Levya, who are 17 and 16 respectively.

    Really the only point I'm making is that we could sign more academy players if we want to. Who knows, maybe playing for USL Championships is actually a master stroke and it will pay off for us in the long run. I'm just arguing that the lack of academy players on the Monarchs is a deliberate choice, not a structural barrier.
     
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  24. kirsoccer

    kirsoccer BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 29, 2007
    It's a tough choice, but every player...and coach wants to win. So do you put a 30+ yr old Luke Mulholland on the pitch, or put a youngster out there for the championship game. Do you sign a Maikel Chang or someone younger. Difficult choices, but I think the key is balance. The teams across the RSL org were very disconnected in the past, but this appears to be starting to change. The balance seems to be getting better, even if not perfect yet. However, the RSL academy still seems to be a definitive strength. Especially if you consider those young players that went off to MUCH greener pastures and may come back at some point in the future...ala Brooks Lennon.

    and sidenote: you are my go to Iron on youth questions. I appreciate you following closely and keeping us updated.
     
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  25. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Seems like the only signing we're expecting now is Kyle? That was reported to be close last week.
     

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