I wonder if RSL will actually be more likely to recommit to the Philly/SKC/Dallas model than to end up like a Portland/ Minnesota. The academy is one of the sole reasons for their competitiveness (that and Kreilach has been immense) and recruiting challenges aside, I would be pretty amazed/disappointed to see them pivot away from it...
Most of the new super-rich owners have seen the academy as a place to go hard in on investment early. Not all, of course -- Columbus seems to have a different plan. But they generally are still energetic about the league and willing to put money into an area that they aren't restricting (i.e. payroll). So if they get someone really loaded, I suspect they will. The challenge for RSL is that much of their prior academy success was dudes not from Salt Lake, and Casa Grande was a draw. Arizona, Southern Cal, etc. A San Diego or OC or Central Valley kid has no issue going to Phoenix ... Utah is sometimes a different story. Especially, I'd imagine, if you are Latino. Can you find a way to raid the Californians, Nevadans, Arizonans that LAFC and LAG can't or won't take reliably? Because the SLC pop is going to lean you more towards a Portland model.
Yeah they used to have AZ and the residential model as a differentiator...not so much anymore. If Vegas gets a team you could see RSL get crowded out of the market in NV. They need to show a willingness to play and sell their HGs to attract that talent from central CA or AZ. Getting owner buy-in and a coach with a similar vision will go a long way, but that remains to be seen. Best case scenario they execute at a level close to SKC
I think the problem is beyond recruiting. I don't think their recruiting is that bad. They take players from many surrounding states, and some states that aren't that close to Utah either. It's not as if their academy teams are so untalented that they can't produce an MLS level field player in a six year span. The bigger problem is development and integration IMO. That takes a plan and it takes putting emphasis on those areas with squad-building. RSL needs to show that they are going to take those areas seriously, otherwise I'd like to see their top recruits that they bring in (Wellings, Kei, Conteh) eventually go elsewhere, whether thats Europe or another MLS academy.
Real Monarchs build a very strong program that got great results for several years. Perhaps they focused on results over development?
Does anyone know where you can find rosters for these MLS next games? Is there any streaming? There are some players I want to follow but this is way worse than the DA in terms of accurate record keeping.
Austin regional training center for 2006 & 2007: https://3rddegree.net/twenty-three-dfw-players-named-to-september-us-ynt-id-camp-in-austin
Not available currently. We’ve discussed this previously. It is apparently something they intend to do, or at least are willing to do, but haven’t had the manpower or push yet from the clubs. It is interesting to note, though, that the Elite Academy League, which purports to be the place for MLS Next second teams, at least unofficially in some parts of the country, does not post rosters or game reports either.
LAFC v Portland: Sunday 9/19. Times PST. Spiideo Play Registration Link. Create account first. U17- 10:00am Kickoff - https://bit.ly/3mvTVxk U15- 12:30pm Kickoff - https://bit.ly/2UIauue
Re: Rosters. Anonymously submit rosters here and I will compile. https://socalreddevil.wufoo.com/forms/m10wob6h09f2tsh/ Or non-anonymously PM me. I will wait till I get a few, put em in a PDF and share the file here.
It seems the "pros" are getting restless about this issue as well. Note this tweet from the lead guy at Top Drawer Soccer I hope to know the rosters and perhaps even the standings in each age group. Maybe some stats? https://t.co/hYXKY1tvOO— Travis Clark (@travismclark) September 15, 2021
First sign was that you offered to collect and compile the rosters/data for free! If you could do that nationwide, I think there would actually a market to charge subscriptions. Then you would definitely be a pro ;-)
We joke, but this should be embarrassing for MLS. I can go to just about any youth league inside a decent footballing nation and find every bit of info I need. There is absolutely no excuse for them not being able to do this...unless it is being done purposefully.
It directly restricts me from information that is vital to succeeding in my job. Can confirm, we’re getting restless
https://elevensports.com/en/view/event/cktngdg9objbt0hbqalexwdny?src=CPT_EL#mycujoo RSL v Seattle u15s starting at 8am PST today 9/18.
https://elevensports.com/view/event/cktpxj75ld5is0g8nntovhc3h https://elevensports.com/view/event/cktpxj75ld5is0g8nntovhc3h Corrected
I was hoping that this would've been publicized by someone else, but at some point it was going to come up, so I'll mention it now. This isn't a secret either, so I'm not breaking any big news. Gage Akalu ('05) quit soccer earlier this year. We focus so much on how well these prospects play soccer, but these guys we discuss in this YNT forum are mostly all kids. A lot of development happens off the field for these guys, and sometimes the most talented players decide to do something other than play soccer. There's nothing wrong with that. Good luck to him in the future going forward.
It's very hard without roster info to piece together who all these players are and their exact age group, so I'm including a few players that I'm not sure about their name and I think most of the listed age groups are correct, but if someone knows something I don't then please correct me. Charlotte FC U-15: Anthony Pena (‘07) is a CF with dynamic speed. He plays right on the shoulder of the CB’s, and looks to run in behind the defense. If it becomes any type of foot race, the CB’s are losing it, and he’ll be in on goal. He scored two goals in the game I watched, and could’ve had a few more. He has good size, above-average technique, and shows a pretty good soccer IQ with the runs he makes, and how he combines with teammates. I don’t think he’s super-talented outside of his speed, but a big CF with speed without any other big problems is a player with very good potential. Derek Powell (‘07) is a big CB with athleticism and ability to pass the ball. He’s average or slightly better defensively right now. Still could use some work defensively, but so could all players his age. He’s probably an early developer athletically, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good prospect. Kongmong Vue (‘07) is a CM, likely more of an 8 than a 6, that has incredible passing ability. It’s pinpoint and his footwork with turns, controlling the ball, and buying himself space is excellent. He also isn’t afraid to make tackles. His athleticism is slightly below average, but not terrible. Goalkeeper #0 has good ability to play out of the back, good size and reflexes, but way too undisciplined with cutting down angles. He needs to work on that part of the game. St. Louis SC U-16’s: Nick Bishop (‘06) is the goalie, and was one of the best players. He showed very good ability to play out of the back, excellent command of his box, shot stopping ability, and good size. He looked like a very complete goalkeeper. If Bishop was not the best player for St. Louis, it was Zach Stanton (‘06). He’s a left-footed CB with good size, and great ability to play the ball out of the back. He’s also pretty good defensively. His quickness is about average. He reminded me of Casey Walls, but he may be a little quicker. Eddie Stewart (‘06) is a smaller #6 with excellent passing ability, foot skills, and soccer IQ. He’s similar to Vue, but a more commanding player with a better soccer IQ. He’s not terrible defensively, but it’s not a strength. A growth spurt or some added quickness would help. Landon Weber (‘06) is a very complete #8. I’m not sure he’s great at anything, but he works very hard, and does some of everything. Gavin Netzel (‘06) is an attacking mid with a good blend of tools. He has good size, some speed, passing vision, and he can make some excellent and quick decisions, but he also makes a lot of errors, and doesn’t play up to his full potential yet. His tools are better than his current performance level. Sam Leonard is a very basic winger. Above-average speed, very direct approach, plays quickly, and can combine. Has the occasional flash of some creativity, but he’s more of a direct end-line winger. Saint Louis SC U-17’s: The best prospect in the team IMO was Anthony Faupel (‘05). He’s a winger with great quickness and acceleration. He’s able to turn well in small spaces, dribble past players with his speed/quickness, he makes good decisions, has good ball control, and enough creativity. He’s probably the most similar stylistic player I’ve seen to Pulisic since Pulisic. Caden Glover (‘07) did very well, considering his age. I think he scored a goal, but I can’t remember exactly. I don’t pay much attention to the results. He made some very good plays in the buildup. He’s a target forward. I thought he looked like he had good size suspecting he was an ‘05, and seeing that he’s an ‘07, he’s very tall for a kid his age. He’s coordinated though, makes good decisions, has some ability to make plays, although he’s not the most athletic. I’m not sure he’s an ultra-elite prospect, considering he’s an early developer physically without elite tools, but I was impressed and he has enough tools to be a high level player. Tyler Sargent (‘05) is a an attacking midfielder with a very good soccer IQ. He’s great with pressing, decision making, sensing where defenders are. He drew a penalty getting himself right across the defender’s body after winning the ball from the defender with good anticipation a few seconds earlier. I would say his quickness and creativity is enough to be effective. He’s not going to be a dynamic attacking talent, but due to his soccer IQ he should have a pro career. Aaron Heard (‘06) looked a little disappointing, considering the high expectations, but I don’t want to be too negative because he is a talented player. I hadn’t seen him play in 1.5 seasons, but I found the scouting report to be very similar. #10 with good athleticism, decision making, combines well. Has pretty good technique and creativity, but doesn’t make enough plays. He’s more talented than he performs. He should be dominating games and trying to be the main difference maker, but he often plays it safe a little more often than you’d like to see for a player with his talent. Jacob Lusignan (‘05) is a versatile defensive player. Can play as a #6 or LB. Very hard-working defensive player. He marks players very well. Doesn’t get beat 1v1 often, although he does that without more than average athleticism. He has some moments of good technical play, but he’s going to be known for his defense. Nathan Yao (‘05) is a good all-around LB. He has good technique, makes good decisions, and is a good 1v1 defender. He’s small with average quickness. He might not hold up as well as he plays bigger and faster players at higher levels and he’s not dynamic in any part of the game either, but the bar is a lot lower at LB. Harrison Engel (‘05) is a big CB with some ability to play out of the back, but he’s slow and is error-prone defensively. Chicago U-17: Adrian Giron (‘06) was pretty weak. Committed an error that led to a goal, and made a few other errors. He also made a nice save or two. He has good reflexes, he’s quick off his line, and good with his feet, but this wasn’t a good performance, and sometimes players in the younger of the two U-17 age groups struggle their first season in the U-17’s. Patrick Los (‘07) played the other game I saw. He was good for a player of any age, and excellent for his age. He made a few nice saves, made no errors, and was good with his feet. As I’ve said before when goalkeepers play up in higher age groups, it’s often very hard to figure out if they are undersized. Very few of them aren’t undersized compared to the competition in the higher age groups. I’ve not seen him play against 07’s, so I can’t comment on his size for the position. Nicholas Nobles (‘07) defended very well at CB, given his age. Like with Los, he’s playing up an age group and isn’t overly tall, but I haven’t seen him play against his own age group, so I don’t know if he’s undersized. I think he’s probably around average height. Very good reader of the game, quick, well positioned. Technically a little limited. Joel Ineh (‘06) was pretty good. He only played in the second game. He was playing CB. Very talented player with a lot of tools. Good size, very athletic, can carry the ball, pass it, and he showed some better defensive positioning in this game. Kamden Held (‘06) has an excellent soccer IQ. He’s a smaller CM with a low center of gravity. Makes a lot of winning plays, and is a good passer. A growth spurt would help. He’s in that tweener range otherwise as not big or athletic enough to defend as an 8 and not enough offense to play as a 10. Cristian Torres-Gale (‘05) struggled and also got injured. He lost the ball a lot playing LW. He also suffered an injury where he didn’t land well after a challenge, and the game had to be stopped. He had to be taken out of the game. Dylan Borso (‘06) was playing as a CM before Torres-Gale got injured, and was moved to LW when Torres-Gale exited the game. Borso was great as a CM. His ability to transition the ball, run with it, play quick, and add some creativity is excellent. He’s similar to a player like Cameron Duke or Bryce Duke in how he plays the game. I don’t know if he’s creative enough to play full time as a 10, and he’s probably not going to do the needed defensive work to play as a 8, but I think rotating these positions with winger, he’s going to be an effective pro. His best position is one of the shuttlers in a 4-3-3. Michael Ramirez (‘06) only played in the first game, and scored a goal. He was playing out of position at RW. He’s a CF. He’s not quick enough to play as a winger. His lack of a right-foot also hurts him more on the wing than at CF. Chicago U-15: Juan Villa (‘08) is probably the top player on the team. I’m still unsure what his position will be. He was playing up an age group, so that also has to be accounted for. He played both wings, both fullback positions, and the #10 position. I think he’s probably a #10 eventually because I don’t think a talented attacker is going to play as a fullback, if he’s an effective attacker, but he surprisingly was pretty good defensively. His positioning, reading of the game, and 1v1’s were a lot better than I expected. I had only previously seen him play in attack. As an attacker, he’s quick, dribbles well, passes well, has some creativity, and makes good decisions. If he’s able to defensively keep up as a fullback, he could be a really good attacking fullback due to that his attacking skills are so much better than the average fullback. Christopher Cupps (‘08) is the other top talent in this team. He’s a CB with good passing ability and defensive ability. I liked his ability to read plays defensively. For a kid playing up an age group, he wasn’t lacking on the defensive end. He’s the leader on the back line, which is impressive, given his age. I don’t know that he’s overly big or quick, but this is one of the problems with trying to evaluate these younger players in higher age groups. It’s hard to know how they compare athletically for their own age group. I would probably say his size/speed is right around average. If he can keep up athletically/physically, he may have more potential than Villa. Marius Aiyenero (‘08) is the third ‘08 playing in the U-15’s. He’s a CF/wing with good athleticism, soccer IQ, and dribbling ability. He combines well, and is capable of leading the attack. I don’t know that he’s overly dynamic, but he’s a good player. Jayden Quezada (‘07) was the best of the 07’s (and the only one I thought was any more than a fringe prospect). He’s a RB that plays both ends of the field. He’s capable in attack because he’s a good passer and has good ability on the ball without being overly dynamic. Defensively, he reads the game well and is good in 1v1’s. His athleticism is right around average from what I can tell. He’s not the most flashy player, but I think he’s a well-rounded player. SKC U-17: Nati Clarke (‘05) put in a very good performance. His reading of playing was excellent. Numerous times he picked off a pass before it got to the intended target, and carried the ball the other way into space. His recovery speed also allows him to gamble more than most defenders because he recovers so quickly. He showed a few nice passes, and runs into the attack, but he’s more limited with what he does technically and offensively when he’s playing LB. He can play the position and play it well, but he’s not a LB. Guy Michaeli (‘05) played in this game. I completely forgot about it though, and didn’t notice until a few minutes before he was subbed off. He’s a new recruit though to SKC’s academy, and one of the most talented players on their U-17’s. Matthew Hudson (‘05) in goal was excellent. He made numerous very good saves, was in complete control of his area, has good size, and wasn’t bad playing out of the back either. I don’t think I’ve seen him play before, but if this is his normal level of play, he’s one of the best ‘05 keepers. SKC U-15’s: Angel Franco (‘07) is a dynamic winger. Great speed, dribbling skills, and goal-scoring ability. I don’t think his decision making, combination ability, or passing vision is any worse than average, but when he gets the ball in wide positions he’s going towards goal on his own. He was playing as a LW. He’s a left-footed player. I think he could play on the right cutting inside, but he was very good on the left. Leo Christiano (‘07) is the other top prospect in the team. It’s too early to say which is better. Christiano started at LCB, and then moved to RW. I think he’s probably a CB long-term, but his foot skills and technical creativity are not out of place in the attack. His passing ability and the creativity he has with playing passes is absolutely elite. He may be as good as any young American at passing from the back. Defensively, I also thought he was very good. His pace/size is around average. I think if this kid grows to 6’1-6’2 and keeps average pace, he’ll be a star. If he’s 5’10-5’11 (or shorter), then SKC will have a decision of if he should play as a #6. He’s also left-footed. One thing I found looking for info on this player is that he was a child prodigy. Years back he was getting local news profiles, training at big worldwide clubs, having videos of his training circulate on these big social media accounts. Seeing one of these kids pan out as a high level prospect adds another interesting element to it. Jacob Molinaro (‘07), the GK, was pretty good. Well-rounded keeper. Did pretty well in all areas. I need to see more, but he was one of the better players during this game. #8 (played as a #8) was a good player. Box to box midfielder with some skill and composure on the ball, but also some defensive skills. #4 (playing as a RCB) is not as good as Christiano, but I found that he defended well, he has good size, he’s quick enough, and his passing isn’t bad either. He’s a well-rounded CB. Austin U-15: Uba Ibeanu (‘07) is probably the best prospect in this team. He’s a #6 with great athleticism, field coverage, defensive skills, and passing ability. He has good size, as well. I don’t see much in his game not to like. He only played half the game though and this was the first time I saw him play, so I’d need to see more, but he looks like a big talent. He’s another big talent from El Paso. Mason MIller (‘07) is a CB with an above-average defensive game, good passing skills, good enough mobility, and height. Chris Avila (‘07) is a well-rounded RB that is good going forward, has about average athleticism, and good defensive ability. In this game, his defensive game wasn’t as great, but it wasn’t anything I’d be worried about. Joah Reyna (‘07) played well. I don’t think he’s a superstar prospect, but he’s a big forward, can play centrally or wide, with good dribbling, combination play, and soccer IQ.
Both the RSL vs. Sounders U15 and U17 games were thrillers and worth watching. There are obviously a few hyped prospects on the RSL team. Not going to go into detail here, but it is interesting hearing player's perspectives on other players. The players are so much more detailed and perceptive than the hype/scouts/parents - and when you go back and watch the film with the players' observations in mind, you can see that they are often right.
I thought the U15 RSL v SEA game was very disjointed. Felt like RSL could never really string together consecutive passes, get the two strikers close enough to participate together, relied on 44 to be a bully and defensively got rattled by the Seattle press. Seattle keeper had his back foot on the line for the initial PK save and was unfortunate to get that called back. I thought Seattle defended relatively well and had a more cognizant game plan but didn't really capitalize on their opportunities or adjust when RSL defended well. Score was fair. Wouldn't surprise me to see the result flip next time they face. U15 LAFC v Portland. Portland had two 8-10 minute runs of sustained possession (2nd half when the rain started and first half in 8th-18th-ish minute) but other than that LAFC 07s were in cruise control and were never challenged. LAFC hasn't given up a shot on target against RSL or now Portland. LAFC pinged the goal and Mohammed Shour, Portland keeper, played well. He came out bravely and often to squash anything getting in behind. Score could have easily been more if LAFC had capitalized on any of their dozen or so chances. LAFC plays Ventura next and that may help get their strikers loose. Portland hosts RSL next and will be interesting to see that result. I call 3-1 Portland. LAFC 2007s have not lost a game against an 07 team in over 3 years, since a 1-0 loss to Atlanta United in the final of GA Cup. Overall, I'm pleased with the physicality this year. There is a noticeable difference from last year and the boys are playing like men.
My latest exclusive interview with Sean McCafferty of the New York Red Bull’s I’ll have a preview of the u-15 and u-17 groups hopefully early next week or late this week https://www.onceametro.com/redbulls...th-development-even-younger-for-the-red-bulls
Here is an interview with LAG GM Dennis Te Klose. Color me skeptical. SPECIAL PODCAST: LA Galaxy GM, DTK, spent 60 mins with @jguesman last night discussing the strategies and pitfalls of youth development around the club. It's a special edition podcast that you don't want to miss!🎙 https://t.co/jVBPwlGLyc#LAGalaxy #MLS #USL #MLSNext— Corner Of The Galaxy (@GalaxyPodcast) September 22, 2021