According to Today’s Dallas Morning News, an 18-year old from Washington, DC is playing for Clube Athletico in Brazil. Clube Atletico's Michael Banner Jr. played soccer as a freshman at Georgetown. He made his first appearance in a match for the Brazilian club. "It was a great first pro match," said Banner, an 18-year-old native of Washington, D.C. "It was everything I thought it would be. The fans, they were all against us." http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/sports/soccer/stories/100203dnspochallenge.232db.html I did a google search on Banner and didn’t come up with much. According to Georgetown’s website, last year he played in 18 games, with 13 starts and had 0 goals and two assists. http://www.guhoyas.com/sports/m-soccer/stats/teamcume.htm#TEAM.IND He was originally listed on their 2003 roster so presumably he went down to Brazil to tryout/train and managed to get an offer. According to this, he’s a 5-9, 145 pound MF. http://www.bigeast.org/sports/msoccer/teams/gae/roster.asp I couldn’t find any ODP state or region links to the kid nor could I find any references to him playing for Gonzaga HS in DC (though with alums like that “Diamond” Bill Bennett and Pat Buchanan, you’d think he’d a school like that would produce pretty good right wings!). I have no idea how good this kid is or, for that matter, what level in Brazil Athletico plays.
Difficult to say but this is certainly interesting. In the article that preceded the one you linked, Banner was listed on the roster with a player, Ilan, said to have played in the Confederations Cup this year, along with at least one other with national team time for Brazil. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...r/stories/100103dnspochallengelead.6b941.html Also: "[Ilan] helped Clube Atletico win the 2001 Brazilian national first-division championship in 2001." Also a picture here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/sports/soccer/vitindex.html If he's the guy I saw play last year against St. John's (weren't you at that game, Sandon?) I am certainly surprised to hear he's now a pro in Brazil. I guess you never know.
Here's a link that might interest you (it's in portuguese): http://www.futebolnarede.com/noticias/63.htm
Diff. banner No no, his father - Bruce... Was permanantly banned due to the "incident of 1978". Fits in good with the green and yellow.
Apparently Michael was in the Tahuichi program a few years back and did well. Perhaps a connection was struck there.
This is fantastic news. I wish more US players would try their luck in Brazil, Argentina, and the other South American leagues. They will get excellent training, and will definitely raise their technical level.
Fabien Ferrada (just graduated high school last june - 18yrs old) a goalkeeper from CO plays in the Universidad de Chile system. I think he is with their under 20 juveniles (sp?) team.
Atletico-PR is currently in 18th place in the 24 team Brasileirao (Top-level Brasilian Championship). IMO, this is a fantastic opportunity for Michael. I hope he takes full advantage of his time there. Good luck to him!!!
That's cool, an American field player starting for a Brasileirao side. He's bound to earn a call up or two if he has a starting position in the Brasileirao. That alone probably puts him in our top 5 most technically skilled players. =D
I am not surprised at all that players who are not very good in the US college system would be excellent pros (in other countries). The whole time he's with those college players, he's probably thinking to himself, "WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE GUYS DOING?!," when referring to his teammates and opponents. Never made even a State ODP squad? Doesn't surprise me either. It's a shame, because normally these players here in the US end up dropping out of the college system (ciz he's not running enough for the college coachs' taste), and end up being plumbers or something. Thank god one of these types ended up _somehow_ in the Brasiliero.
Not yet, no, but if he keeps getting starts in a league better than MLS (and we can all pretty much agree Brazil's league is better than MLS, right) then why wouldn't earn a call up or two?
Yeah the league is better than the MLS, I agree. It's the "he keeps getting starts" that I'm missing. Did somebody find out that Banner has already consistently broken the starting 11 or something? I'd have to think that he's somewhere in the academy right now considering how recent the move is and that he, from prior reviews, isn't like the ultimate hidden diamond of a prospect.
Well, then, we're basically in agreement. I wasn't trying to make him out to be the next face of U.S. Soccer or anything, just someone who has a chance at playing in a good soccer league and maybe playing for the Nats.
Brazilian pros Brazilian clubs have many different paid levels of teams. U-15's,U-17's,U-18's,U-20's,Pro reserves & then the top Pro team. Each of these teams earn their own national level of play. So the top pro team may have weaker younger teams. Some clubs just buy the needed better player. Clube Atletico Parana U-18's lost to Unaio Banderanties a couple of times last year. Unaio Banderanties is the team that Zach Archer(1986) has played for during the last few years. This fall Zach was training with Unaio's adult Pro team. He then tested with Sao Paulo & the Corinthians. He decided he liked the Corinthians so joined them. They have him playing with both the Pro reserves & the Juniors(u-20's). The Corinthians have a U-17 national team mid fielder who hasn't been able to break into the their U-20's. Whereas Zach has been scoring one or two goal in every scrimage while playing center mid with both the Pro reserves & the Juniors(u-20's). So they used up top for a few practices because the team they were going to play has a big forward. Zach is 6'2" 185#. He is checking out how he would fit before he signs a contract. It's good to see other American's playing in Brazil.
Regarding Fabien. Don't know much other than that he went down in lat June/early July and is just starting to break in. His family heritage is Chilean and I think he has family friends that got him his first looks for the club. The news I get is from his father and may be tilted a little to the "fatherly" direction. He's a very athletic youngster that actually has a cannon for a right foot too (good at taking free kicks). His father just tells me that he has just recently broken into a starting role for the U20 team. I don't have any reason to disbelieve his father, but it would be nice to get some other type of "proof" of his play. Mods, sorry for making your life difficult, but I feel bad talking about Fabien in a thread titled for someone else.
I personally know mike we grew up playing together since age 12 in the USA the real players don't stand out. we played together for Team AMerica premier in DC area there are lots of skillful players that have lots of talents but america don't see that. It funny cause he never got picked for a ODP team or anyother big american team never got no special honors but yet he got best player in the tauichi program in bolivia and then gets invited to play for atletico paraneanse in brasil a D1 team playing with players like Ilan Dagoroberto, etc. its funny what kind of players the usa got but coaches and players here think they know soccer but they are clueless. I mean come on who really think players like Convey is good or beasley or anyother american players that are on the national team or in MLS, please. Mike if you are reading this im holding it down for you, dog. Real players are in america just look in the cities, thats another example mike is from the hood! american coaches come on!!!
You bet. I'm a fan of any soccer players from DC proper, being one (albeit a pretty unaccomplished one) myself.
I just found a link that says Michael Banner is the first American to sign at Atletico Paranaense. Check this joint out: http://www.delimasoccer.com/DSE News.htm I dont know there seems to be some real good players in the DC area. I think its time to look in that area for the next stars of America. And in particular the "hoods" of the DC area, not the rich areas. The US staff needs to face the truth and start bringing more minorities into camp.