Depends on why the Texans are starting the residential program. They could be adding the program because most of the good kids are going into FCD's program. It also depends on what exactly FCD's designated development area is. Unlike the Texans, FCD has to get all their kids from a certain area of the US because of MLS's rules. If that area is just the D/FW area, is there much point to starting a residential program?
That's funny................. FCD is in no danger of becoming "second fiddle" to the Texans. Right now they're the highest rated USSDA club in the whole United States for Christ's sake. The Texans program isn't going to be any more residential than FCD's already is. FCD has kids from all over Texas and Oklahoma doing the same thing that Vancouver does a lot of..........billeting. Supposedly they're even bringing in kids from Mexico soon. (may already have) In fact what I envision happening is that FCD is going to start bringing in elite talent from across Texas, Oklahoma, and the affiliates they're starting across the country..........leaving fewer spots for kids actually from DFW. Those are the kids that the Texans, Andromeda, and Solar should be recruiting hard. And that's really good talent. I like what the Texans are doing. They're acting like they're an MLS USSDA team. They've got affiliates in Houston (also a USSDA team), Austin, College Station, San Antonio, West San Antonio........and I believe in Oklahoma. I guess they're gonna try to bring their elite talent from far flung affiliates to their two USSDA teams. Which is great of course..........because hopefully they'll get their best talent to play against the best competition. But unlike MLS teams.................that's the end of the road. If you were an elite youth talent in Texas I can't understand why you'd play for them as opposed to the Dynamo or FCD..........because with them you have a path to advanced levels of the MLS reserve league & possibly an MLS contract. The Texans can provide a lot, but they can never provide that.
I can not remember if this has been posted in this thread (so please forgive me if it is repeated information). FCD has an arrangement with the local school district (FISD - Frisco Independent School District) where ALL of the DA players attend school (no matter where in the Dallas-Ft Worth metroplex they live). They take classes at times designed around daily morning practices - similar to the way the US Bradenton Academy schedules its classes. Building/setting-up an actual residency building is the next logical step. The dream is one step closer.
FC Dallas recruited Aaron Guillen, currently a starting U-18 center back, from their affiliate in El Paso. Richard Sanchez, star goalkeeper, was from California. Ruben Luna and others were from Mexico. Other players came from Guatamala, Columbia, and Brazil. Jia Jie Zhuang just joined the team now that his papers are in order -- and he came from the Chinese national team! Last year's standout defenders Jack Coleman and Boyd Okuono were both from Oklahoma. You can't get any more geographically diverse than that. If I were playing on FC Dallas and I were from the DFW area, I'd always be looking over my shoulder. As for the MLS rules about taking players from a certain geo, I'd like to see that in writing. Doesn't seem to apply here.
Sanchez moved to Dallas with his family after being at Atletico Madrid, not necessarily for soccer reasons. Luna has lived most of his life in the Dallas area and joined FCD like any other local kid. There are numerous kids from other countries in their system, but theyre not necessarily living in the area solely to play for FCD, but rather because it's them and their family's home. I think Clint is mainly focusing on players that come to Frisco solely for the purpose of playing for FCD and that number seems to be growing.
You're correct about Sanchez and Luna ... but I think I am, too. ;-). Nevertheless, I get your and Clint's point. By the way, you can add Michael Ambrose to the list of players who moved to Dallas from El Paso to play for FCD.
I do realize that this is a puff piece, but it does look like the Canadian MLS youth academies will be near the top of the heap. We're already seeing it this season with the Whitecaps. http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2011/12/16/bottjer_blog/?site=www
Sounders and Whitecaps academies played each other this past weekend in Tukwilla. For the U16s the Sounders won 4-0 For the U18s the Whitecaps won 3-1. Game was tied going into the 80th minute when the Whitecaps scored two goals in the final 10 minutes. They played their pre-academy teams as well. the 98/99s had a draw the actual Pre-Academy game had the Sounders winning 5-0. You can watch the highlights of that game here http://goalwa.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/vide-buzz-sounders-u15s-tackle-whitecaps/
Correction! Free kick goal was by Cody Crook, out of WPFC. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPwutabBex8"]Cody Crook free kick goal for Sounders U16 USSDA team - YouTube[/ame]
Interesting interview with Darren Sawatzky on the Sounders Academy philosophy, structure, future: http://www.sounderatheart.com/2011/...y-darren-sawatzky-philosophy-structure-future
We tend to put a lot of focus in youth fixture results in North America. I'm not interested in the 95% of players that won't make it to the first team. As a TFC fan, and neutral to both teams, I see that Vancouver just signed 17 year old academy player Bryce Alderson to a HG contract. Rumour has it the VWFC u18 team has a few other players that have the potential to make the jump. Seattle's academy teams can beat Vancouver's all they want. The Whitecaps u16 squad recently lost to the Concord fire from New Hampshire at the USSDA winter showcase. Concord played direct soccer and had big strong forwards. Good for Concord, but I doubt their players will go on to higher levels. If the Caps, or TFC's youth teams get pounded in games but produce a player or two each year for the first team, fantastic.
Seattle's academy is absolutely stacked with talent. I could go on and on about their prospects from U16s to guys they could sign homegrown deals in college. Concorde Fire is from Atlanta. Vancouver's U16s are decent but haven't performed against the best DAs. They've lost to Concorde(2nd in the Southeast Division), RSL(1st in the Southern CA Division), and got crushed 4-0 by the Sounders(1st in the Northwest Division). I know we shouldn't focus on results, but these are exceptionally talented teams that get these results. You're point is valid about producing professionals, but to assume that Vancouver U16s have more professional prospects than the aforementioned teams is not. I read those match reports from the Whitecaps during the showcase and they were pretty biased. At least the quote from Grootscholten on the Concorde Fire match admitted it was tough to maintain possession, which has little to do with the two "big and mature-looking"(direct quote from article) forwards.
My apologies, I thought they were from N.H. In any event, the basis for my comments regarding Concorde Fire is that the whitecaps article that I had read made it seem like they played direct soccer (ie less technical of a game) relying on their forwards to use their physical stature to dominate. If that was the case, then they are making the same mistake as 99% of North American youth teams in the last 50 years, playing that way doesn't enhance technical ability and produce good players. If the whitecaps article was inaccurate than shame of on them for being biased. The point is, no strong professional youth academy in the world cares about results. I'm not saying the Whitecaps u-16 team is good or not, I could care less about the Whitecaps. All I'm saying is that having 11 good to very good players on an u-16 team which wins most of the time shouldn't be the goal of any youth academy The goal is to at the very least have a truly execptional player or two work their way through the youth ranks up to the 1st team every year, if the youth team they're on loses 90% of their games, who cares. I'm not assuming the Caps u16 have more professional prospects than other teams. I'm stating a) youth results are meaningless and in fact are the biggest red herring in player development in existance b) playing direct soccer doesn't produce great soccer players, if indeed that was the style used by certain teams.
You might also be looking at a difference in philosophies. The Sounders academy is only in its second season and, for whatever reason, the FO seems to be sending the players off to college for a few more years of seasoning. There were supposedly a couple kids on last year's U-18 that could have been signed, but the decision was made to send them to college and let them train with the senior squad during their breaks.
Sawatzky indeed comments on Americans' pressure to go to college and preserving their NCAA eligibility. As a Canadian, I think not having the college mentality(similar to Europe) will be a big advantage to our young players coming up. (You can play university sports after being a pro in Canada, a former Portland Timber plays soccer for my old university team).
I believe as time goes on, and the amount of money goes up, and the path is "blazed" this will become insignificant. I mean as a Canadian you should be able to attest to the number of Americans that forgo college to play in the CHL, or the number of American baseball players that fore-go, or basketball players that use to. You start getting a few more Najar's/Agudelo's/Gil (even though he is slightly different) kids will see that going pro early is a legitimate option.
College is still a great result for most of these players and should not be down played. if soccer gets you a good edcuation than is was well worth it. I still think there is a whole in the system for those players that are not quite ready to be pro but could become a pro with the right training. In the soccer world I dont think college fits that scenario? The MLS might need to create a league for that other than the reserves? Maybe a under 22 MLS academy league?
College is still a great result for most of these players and should not be down played. if soccer gets you a good edcuation than is was well worth it. I still think there is a whole in the system for those players that are not quite ready to be pro but could become a pro with the right training. In the soccer world I dont think college fits that scenario? The MLS might need to create a league for that other than the reserves? Maybe a under 22 MLS academy league?
Depends on the college the kid goes to and their own personal drive to improve on their own. Also, D2 and D3 shouldn't be ignored as professional options. MLS doesn't have to be the first professional league for a player. There is PDL pro as well, so 4 levels of professional soccer in the US.
Marco Feruzzi is taking on the FC Dallas Head Coach of the Reserves Team, replacing the well known Oscar Pareja who is now becoming head coach of MLS' Colorado Rapids. This is certain to effect the Rapids DA, and will also impact the FC Dallas DA (though to a lesser extent).
Yup, Feruzzi is a former MLS player.......and was interim FCD coach prior to Schellas signing on. Keep in mind he'll be reserves coach. They haven't indicated who the next academy director will be. One would assume they'd promote "from within" as they have multiple options. The U18's have a match next weekend against the Dallas Texans, which is their real rivalry match. One might imagine we'll get a good hint of their plans before or at that game.
Someone earlier posted a Sportsnet article about how Canadian teams should do very well in the USSDA. The Whitecaps will always be there or thereabouts at the top and always have been - evidence: their results in various elite tournaments prior to joining USSDA. Montreal, being in Quebec, will have a plethora of bright technical players and will also be very strong. I'd be shocked if they ever really finish below 3rd in their respective divisions. MY question is - now that Caps and Mtl are in, I wonder how long it is before various major clubs in Canada begin looking at USSDA and applying for entry. I can think of at least 1 club side in BC, and 2 in Ontario. But I realize with passport issues these teams might not be able to afford crossing the border for every game to play their home games in a US border-town? (which is basically what the Caps are doing this year - though I am a bit surprised they are going all the way to Seattle when I am sure they could find a good university field nearer the border....). I wonder if other club teams from Canada will apply to join because Canada is certainly no nearer to having a nationwide youth system! Though BC is now in the first steps of having specific, franchise-based league, and standards that would satisfy such a nationwide league.
One would think that if they get a few more clubs invovled, there could be a Canadian division of the Development Academy. Sponsored by the CSA, as opposed to the USSF, of course. Then the Canadian clubs could travel to the states a couple times a year for major tournaments like the Dallas Cup, SUM Cup, Winter Showcase, Academy playoffs, etc. to compete against teams from the US.
That would certainly be agreeable to me. You might see TFC enter then! The only issue is the vast distances that the Canadian clubs would have to travel for games. In any given province there'd only be 1-3 USSDA-level club sides. And if a pro league can't be set-up (though an NASL-type Canadian league is being explored!) I don't see a Canadian USSDA being set-up either. If a Canada wide pro league is developed I could see those teams having youth clubs/academies hitch a ride. What's more likely, I think, is each province will have it's own elite youth league (as BC now has), and then maybe from that 1 or 2 enter the USSDA. Though I don't think that's very likely either! Ie, the BC entry would be the Whitecaps and then maybe Victoria Highlanders (who recently played Sounders and Crossfire in exhibition games and were very very competitive by all accounts).
canada is too damn big. lets just keep adding d2 teams. ottawa, calgary, hamilton, london, kitchener-waterloo, quebec city, winnipeg....and expand the NCC. Each team with a youth academy where all the kids go to the same high school similar to what watford is doing. maybe mcgill can apply for D1 soccer.