Recently retired and former long-term college coach Bob Warming on his Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/bob.warming ) voicing his concerns about the lack of young US players playing in the MLS. Warming's post follows: https://amp-businessinsider-com.cdn.ampproject.org/…/number… We are playing less young players in MLS than the top leagues We need young players playing to help us qualify for the 2022 WOrld Cup. Where are young players to get matches? The pros are not the only place where young players are not getting games. College soccer has changed dramatically. So many of the top teams in Division 1 have 7 to 15 internationals now on their roster. The 2015 and 2016 final four teams had a total of 30 and 31 International players and Stanford had zero. I believe that is the highest number in the last 40 years. How and where are the top young players going to develop? We need a rethink. Our US U17 player Timo Weah just made an appearance for PSG. How many young players will play this month in MLS? How many young talents have not gotten a game in college soccer since November. We need a rethink. All of us who love the game need to rethink. Youth soccer participation down 23%. We need a rethink folks.
I think a lot of it has to do with the win first mentality at all levels. You have to break some eggs to make an omelette. Why risk playing a young guy when you can buy a more experienced player? They don't actually want players that need to be coached up. I I believe the same thing that prevents the playing of US soccer players is also the same reason MLS soccer is so hard to watch. Why risk playing a possession oriented game or even teaching kids how to move in a way to keep possession of the ball when it means you will lose some games? I will see plenty of U14 to U18 teams and high school teams that rarely can connect more than 4 passes in a row. When this happens the game becomes more about who has the best athletes.
I think the powers at be should study what Ireland has done. Some how that tiny country has managed to field a pretty competitive international team. And largely from a pool of unknown players. I think a lot of leagues limit the amount of internationals who can be on the roster. Perhaps limit how many can be on the field at the same time as well.
Along the lines of Bob Warming's comments, here is an article from today's Washington Post which touches on the lack of opportunity for young U.S. players in the MLS: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...nged-they-walked-away/?utm_term=.c366e84105e4
Left unsaid by Warming is that college soccer isn't doing a good enough job producing American players who can play in MLS.
That is an interesting article. A couple of recent Wolverines had professional opportunities and decided to start their non-soccer careers instead, and I thought it was surprising because I would've kept playing. After reading this, who knows? Maybe their decision was the right one.
From way I read it, I'd say it seems that Warming, in at least a two ways, does indict college soccer for not producing U.S. players who can play in the MLS, i.e., in these specific excerpts from his message: "... College soccer has changed dramatically. So many of the top teams in Division 1 have 7 to 15 internationals now on their roster. The 2015 and 2016 final four teams had a total of 30 and 31 International players and Stanford had zero. I believe that is the highest number in the last 40 years. How and where are the top young players going to develop? We need a rethink ... How many young talents have not gotten a game in college soccer since November ... "
One question for which I still have not seen a clear response is: why do Colleges need to recruit so many foreign talents? This international recruiting is the "syndrome" not the root cause. Am I right? The development of skilled and mentally strong footballers must start when the kids are 6. Trained by skilled coaches, with clear guidelines by the FA. For example, here in Switzerland every club receives books, guidelines, training session scripts for the very young up to the U21. And all coaches must have their badge. The objective being to develop enough skilled players with the right frame of mind and not only athletes (and still have fun especially for the young ones). It works as the Swiss NT is getting pretty good results for a country of 8M+ inhabitants. Is a similar strategy happening in the US?
Ideally the dream would be to play two three years as a pro (with sufficient play time), and then fulfilling another career. Here in Europe it happens, either by choice or forced.... except that most of the kids did not have the opportunity to get a serious college degree.
What he's also left unsaid is that youth soccer (before college) hasn't done a good job of producing American players who can go straight to USL, MLS, or other pro leagues. Many players aren't good enough FOR college, no way they'd be good enough FOR pro contracts.
What's a few? The list isn't that positive. Updated chart, minutes played total for players born Jan. 1, 1993 or later. pic.twitter.com/pXhhEVGH8R— Travis Clark (@travismclark) March 5, 2018 Quick and rough math: Sounders - 3 Union - 3 Crew - 3 FC Dallas - 2 (could be 3, but minimal minutes) DCU - 2 Revs - 2 Orlando - 2 TFC - 2 (with 1 at minimal minutes) RSL - 2 (with 1 at minimal minutes) San Jose - 2 (with 1 at minimal minutes) Vancouver - 1 Montreal - 1 Timbers - 1 ATL - 1 (minimal minutes) LAFC - 1 (minimal minutes) NONE: Houston, SKC, Minnesota, NYCFC, LAG OFF: Chicago, NYRB, Colorado That's 28 total players. There were at least 440 players who played this weekend (not counting subs). That mean's the "young" players accounted for 6.3% of the playing roster. That percentage drops to 5.2% if you remove the minimal minutes for at least 5 of the players.
Regarding US youth soccer, Warming's post did mention the following, although obviously this is a pretty general comment: "... Youth soccer participation down 23%. We need a rethink folks." Along these lines, here is an interesting Washington Post article about the US Soccer Foundation's recent effort to encourage more youth soccer and kids' time on the ball by building hard court, outside "mini-pitches" for small sided play, mainly in under-served, intercity areas. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...maximize-mini-pitches/?utm_term=.974466d804f0
Well LAFC had a GK that was born after Jan 1., 1993 that played 90 minutes so no sure of the validity of the report... Four teams had 28% under 25, 7 teams with 18%. so another way to look at it is that 50% of the teams played a solid portion of their lineup who were under 25... Just really saw some guys who played last couple years in college getting a run... That would constitute a few...
The International recruiting appears here to stay and even expand. We have a lot of International coaches with contacts in the "Old Country". In addition, these guys come over and they are 19 and 20 or even 21 year old Freshman. Physical and mental maturity already achieved. A lot of these guys graduate at 24/25 years old. They come from semi-pro/pro clubs and just didn't quite make it but are more than ready for the American college game.
10 games played in the MLS opening weekend. Here are the starters from American college soccer, per team, and the number of seasons of college ball they played. Foreign players in italics. TORONTO Alex Bono, Syracuse (3) Eriq Zavaleta, Indiana (2) Justin Morrow, Notre Dame (4) COLUMBUS Zack Steffen, Maryland (2) Lalas Abubakar, Dayton (3 - out of eligibility after 3 seasons) Wil Trapp, Akron (2) Gyasi Zardes, Cal State Bakersfield (3) HOUSTON Chris Seitz, Maryland (2) Kevin Garcia, Villanova (4) Andrew Wenger, Duke (3) Eric Alexander, Indiana (4) ATLANTA Brad Guzan, South Carolina (2) Jeff Larentowicz, Brown (4) Darlington Nagbe, Akron (3) Julian Gressell, Providence (4) PHILADELPHIA Andre Blake, Connecticut (3) Jack Elliott, West Virginia (4) Keegan Rosenberry, Georgetown (4) Alejandro Bedoya, Boston College (4) Fabian Herbers, Creighton (3) CJ Sapong, James Madison (4) NEW ENGLAND Matt Turner, Fairfield (4) Andrew Farrell, Louisville (3) Scott Caldwell, Akron (4) Teal Bunbury, Akron (2) ORLANDO Joe Bendik, Clemson (4) (r)Cam Lindley, North Carolina (2) (r)Chris Mueller, Wisconsin (4) ^Justin Meram, Michigan (4) DC Nick DeLeon, Louisville (4) Steve Birnbaum, California (4) Oniel Fisher, New Mexico (4) Darren Mattocks, Akron (2) DALLAS Jimmy Maurer, South Carolina (4) Matt Hedges, North Carolina (4) Reggie Cannon, UCLA (1) Jacori Hayes, Wake Forest (4) SALT LAKE Nick Rimando, UCLA (3) Shawn Barry, Virginia (2) Luis Silva, UC Santa Barbara (4) SAN JOSE Andrew Tarbell, Clemson (3) Nick Lima, California (4) Shea Salinas, Furman (4) Chris Wondolowski, Chico State (4) MINNESOTA Matt Lampson, Ohio State (3) Michael Boxall, UC Santa Barbara (4) Ethan Finlay, Creighton (4) Abu Danladi, UCLA (3) SEATTLE Stefan Frei, California (3) Tony Alfaro, Cal State Dominguez Hills (4) Cristian Roldan, Washington (2) Harry Shipp, Notre Dame (4) Henry Wingo, Washington (3) Will Bruin, Indiana (3) LAFC Tyler Miller, Northwestern (4) (r)Joao Moutinho, Akron (1) Dejan Jakovic, Alabama-Birmingham (3) ^Steve Beitashour, San Diego State (4) Benny Feilhaber, UCLA (2) VANCOUVER Aaron Maund, Notre Dame (4) Jake Nerwinski, Connecticut (4) ^Kei Kamara, Cal State Dominguez Hills (2) MONTREAL Evan Bush, Akron (4) Daniel Lovitz, Elon (4) (r)Ken Krolicki, Michigan State (4) KANSAS CITY Tim Melia, Lynn (4) Ike Opara, Wake Forest (3) Matt Besler, Notre Dame (4) Graham Zusi, Maryland (4) ^Roger Espinoza, Ohio State (3) NYCFC Sean Johnson, Central Florida (2) Ben Sweat, South Florida (4) ^Rodney Wallace, Maryland (2) LA GALAXY David Bingham, California (3) Emmanuel Boateng, UC Santa Barbara (1) Perry Kitchen, Akron (1) PORTLAND None ^Grew up in the US but plays for a different national team (r) rookie TOTAL - 10 games, 20 teams, 68 starters who played college soccer = 3.4 per starters per team. Of the 68, 37 played less than four years of college soccer, for an average of 2.4 seasons. Added to the four year players, the 68 played an average of 3.13 seasons of college soccer. 12 of the 68 are internationals, including a Canadian playing for a non-Canadian team and two Right-To-Dreamers who went to HS in the US. So, it would seem the question is if 3.4 starters per team who played an average of 3.1 seasons of college soccer good production from the college ranks?
Thanks Sandon. Actually a pleasant surprise. I guess though it would be the trend that would matter the most and I suspect the trend line is down. TopDrawer had the number of drafted players actually signing contracts and it was 32 of 81 drafted for this year at this point. Most of those probably won't ever play in MLS and will be predominantly USL players.
There are many reasons: 1) Foreign kids are less familiar and likely less selective than US kids - not an accident schools like Stanford, Cal, Notre Dame are almost exclusively US kids while teams like Fordham, Coastal Carolina have starters that are significantly non-US. The top schools and top conferences get the pick of the litter for US kids so other coaches go international to compete. University of Pacific probably seems a lot more attractive to a kid from Germany than a kid from California. 2) Sometimes it is easier to get money for foreign players from their government or other sources. 3) The coaching in this country is poor. Many foreign kids have better fundamentals 4) Foreign kids are often older. A good 19 year old is going to be better than a similarly capable player that is just 17.