Arsenal training academy in US - bad for MLS homegrown intiative?

anyone who has ever come up against the home office knows that describing any path to the UK other than being incredibly good at what you do (and therefore fulfilling the EPL's requirements for a work permit) as "easy" is hilarious.

 

We need to build a Wall on the eastern sea cost to keep those British (European) academies out of the US of A!

Note: not Barcelona, the FIRE players need to learn how to pass and receive the ball so their academy is welcomed.

 

I think the Arsenal academy is not a bad thing. Their coming over here will force the MLS academies to become higher quality training facilities, and everyone wins.

Regarding the "one" kid who is good enough for Arsenal and eligible for a work permit, the US is such a melting pot that I believe there will be a whole lot of players that will be able to play ball in England based on "ancesteral passports". The numbers of players playing at a higher level will be staggering!

The US has more players at a very good level and really the only things that are missing are quality coaching (the academies are now offering this), competition (ditto), and a true soccer environment -- at least some of the teams will be able to mimic this with their on-campus residency programs, but the entire football-crazy environment will only be seen when the players get to Europe.

The pipeline of American players is full and we are getting ready to see an immense jump not only in quality of US players, but in quantity of quality US players with this improvement in training. Not only that, but the fighting spirit of the American player has been shown to be an extra bonus.

Arsenal sees that, so does Inter, and MLS for that matter ... and it's just a matter a couple of years before we see an explosion of interest from other major european teams in creating academies over here ...

 

Whatever happened with this idea? Will Arsenal put a youth academy in the U.S. ?

 

It's a completely shit idea is what happened to it. Most of these gimicky academies set up by players or foreign clubs are worth nothing and are no better than pay to play clubs. What we need are all MLS teams to have academies and preferably residencies, then have the elusive stable D-2 to get some going as well. Then we will have a large area of the US covered by pro academies with avenues to first teams and so on and so forth. That is when we will really take off as a serious competitive soccer nation. We are getting there, MLS academies are stepping up and producing save for a few.

 

So I guess it never happened then, I remember the coach of the rapids now was originally sent here from Aresenal to start it up. Then he became the head coach and that is last we have heard from the academy. If the Colorado Rapids are smart they should go 50/50 with Arsenal to build a fully funded residential academy and fund teams down to the youth ages. That would help both teams. This way the rapids would develop player for there team and if they develop any world class players they can sell them to Arsenal for a big profit.

 

As noted in the original article..........they were just doing a "feasibility study" anyway. People took that, and went for a ride.

Once in a while we see stories of Euro clubs trying to start programs in the US.........and they rarely work as planned. I remember the hemming and hawing on these boards about Ajax Orlando. And of course, they faded into oblivion (not before Dax McCarty and Nathan Sturgis came thru their doors, though) Some Euro clubs are setting up relationships with Development Academy clubs, and that makes a lot more sense than opening up a full-scale academy.

If we do see a full-scale hard-core residential academy set up by a foreign club in the United States..........it will most assuredly be a Mexican club. Perhaps in Southern California or DFW.

 

Your rite I don't see a stand alone euro academy working in the U.S. rite now. I think they would have to team up with a MLS team for it to work.