16 year old Saint Louisian Brandon Manzonelli of the U17 Scott Gallagher Soccer Club & Lafayette High School signed a 3 year professional contract with Spain's Villa Real of the Spanish Premier Division. Brandon will start off playing on the U17 Academy team and work his way up from there. He scored the 2nd goal on a 3-0 win for Villa in his first game with the club this past weekend. Brandon will live in the Villa Real Academy in Villa Real, Spain and attend a British Private School in Caxton near Valencia, Spain. Here is a link to the story, http://stlsoccer.net/
Apparently they didn't. It seems as if Man United gave him the first look. Here is an old article about the kid: http://www.stlsoccer.net/cgi-bin/we...n=form&_layout=znews&keyval=znews.znew_id=955
Is it a pro-contract? Or an Academy + Pro option? If he's 16, he can't sign a pro deal yet without having a Euro citizenship. Then again, maybe with a name like Manzonelli, he does have it or can get it later. PS. It's Villareal, not Villa Real. And they do have some players to learn from.
I'm guessing he's a 90 or 89. Does he want to play for USA? Are we positive he is a US citizen? Has he been involved in State or Regional ODP? Youth Nats at any level?
Damn, every time I turn around there's news about a new American teenager signing with a big club in Europe. Good week!
Man, we need you guys on the threads where people whine that none of our guys ever play in spain/italy. It is quite encouraging to get a guy in this team, 2 guys in portugal, at least 1 in italy, etc. all developing through the normal euro channels. At least 1 will hopefully emerge as an impact player for us.
The years are clouding my memory, but I think Peter Vermes also played in the Spanish second division, though I forget which team. Regardless, this is great news regarding this Manzonelli kid. Tom (or anyone else), do you know what year this kid is? I'm assuking he's a 90, but he could be a late 89, too. Regardless, gotta wonder why he's not un the U17 national team pool.
The 5-foot-8, 140-pound Manzonelli plays wing midfield on either side of the field. http://www.stlsoccer.net/cgi-bin/we...n=form&_layout=znews&keyval=znews.znew_id=955
Villareal is located in the city of Castellon, capital of the Province of Castellon, which is the northern most province of the Comunitat Valenciana. It's almost halfway between Valencia and Barcelona, and home to the golfer, Sergio Garcia. Ramos and Vermes both played for Figueres, located about an hour north of Barcelona (and home of the Dali Museum). Tab went to Betis after Figueres.
It has to be an Acadmey contract until he turns 18. What I'm wondering is that once he turns 18 will he be able to sign a pro contract with Villareal or some other side in Spain(if good enough) or would he have to have a certain amount of national team caps in order to do so?
1. If he's not an EU citizen, he becomes a free agent at age 18. Villareal is taking a real chance. 2. Only Britain cares about caps. Spain cares about whether a team wants a player.
Spain has a 3-player non-Euro limit but will naturalize the Latin American players after two years. At this point, Villareal has Riquelme, Forlan, Arruabarrena, Barbosa, Franco, Peña, Rodriguez, Somosa, Senna, Sorin and Viera who are not Spanish or EU born. Brazilian born Senna is a Spanish citizen and has played for Spain in this WC.
Considering these connections he had with that UEFA Matrix Academy and his trials at Blackburn and Manchester United and his obvious last name, I would put 10-20 $ on him having a EU passport.