http://skysports.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=168499 Middlesbrough pounces for 16 yr old US Starlet Peter Gerstenberger???? huh who is this kid, I have never even heard of him through any youth national teams or anything....apparently of German descent and eligibile to play for them and us....any body have anything on this???
I googled "Peter Gerstenberger" and all I came up with were German web sites. Sidenote: what does one have to do to be a "startlet"? Is my neice an American Starlet becuase she is 11?
I think it's Paul How about Paul Gerstenberger? http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=175681 Best line: PS - Paul Gerstenberger USSF and Paul Gerstenberger ODP don't bring up any meaningful results in Google
Good catch! That looks like that's it. Good luck to Peter or Paul or Mary or whatever his name is. Seriously, good luck Paul!
Poked around the web and another player named Justin Lafaro or Lefaro also seems to be one who may be heading overseas... Just a name to look out for.
This just points out, again, the obvious...the US is loaded with promising kids, but only the lucky few with an EU passport or truly exceptional talent (Bradenton) get the proper training once they hit their mid teens. It's just amazing how many off-the-radar players with EU passports get signed by big clubs.
This kid plays for Albany's (NY) Blackwatch club. He was a U-16 this past season. He was recognized by the Super Y league as he made their regional ODP pool. To my knowledge, he was not on the Region 1 ODP team. My son has played against his team several times. I do not recall him as standing out, but this may be the case even for a great defender.
I didnt realize the scouting being done by Euro teams over here.... this might be a great soccer nation one day after all.
Superdave, why doesn't the FIFA rule against the international transfer of children apply here? Is it because he is a free agent and therefore it's not a transfer? Or because it is only a youth deal and not a pro deal? Or because he has an EU passport and therefore it's not considered an international transfer? Gotta admit I'm confused.
I'm not superdave, but in reading his posts on these matters we have the same interpretation of the FIFA statutes so I'll try my hand. Below is the section from the Regulations that is pertinent. I think that situation B would probably be in effect. Since he's 16 (which I think is the minimum age in England) he meets the minimum working age so as long he gets training and education provided by the club, I don't see the problem. It will always be a transfer since he is registered with a team that is part of the USSF "International transfers of players under the age of 18 shall only be permitted under the following conditions: a. as a general rule, when the family of the player moves to the country in which the new club is located for reasons that are not linked to football b. within the territory of the EU/EEA and in the case of players between the minimum working age in the new training club's country and the age of 18, suitable arrangements are guaranteed for their sports training and academic education by the new training club. For this purpose a code of conduct will be established and enforced by the football authorities. "
someone mentioned scouting, and the truth is they really don't scout at all. Somebody knows somebody. somebody calls someone, someone arranges a visit, usually going that way. Occasionally, as with Danny K, a guy will come over here - but there's really little scouting going on, by actual scouts anyway (and all on condition of the EU passport, at least for English clubs). When a guy who runs a web site on youth soccer (that would be me) is getting calls from clubs asking a player, or more generically, PLAYERS - you get the idea this is not an NFL-type scouting approach taking place.
This would seem to pretty much make the rule a non-issue for most "major" clubs anyway. They could easily demonstrate the above -- I suppose this is meant to avoid clubs stockpiling players from third-world countries, housing them in dorms, and them cutting them suddenly without much of a safety net. Or am I oversimplifying things?
GersMan - I think you should start a scouting service for European clubs. Charge them a retainer fee plus expenses and promise them that you'll only supply info to three teams per league so they better sign up fast. You could be the next Mel Kipper. Murf
??? It just means the EU is treated like one country. The big clubs can't go outside the EU and sign a child. So you're half right. No, it *IS* an issue for them. But you're right, the purpose of the rule (FIFA even says this is the reason) is to end a pretty bad practice, where big clubs would sign up boatloads of poor Africans, then cut them loose, alone, young, and nearly penniless, in Amsterdam or Madrid or whatever. I have the link to this bookmarked at home, Dave, I'll put it in this thread tonight. EDIT: OK, I think I see what you're getting at. "Within" the EU just means a child from one EU nation can sign with a club in another EU nation. The "within" doesn't just refer to clubs in the EU.
starting on this page there was a pretty in depth discussion as to this rule. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72090&perpage=15&pagenumber=7
Ah, I see what's going on -- I was just being dense. I didn't catch that the second part was for within the EU/EEA only.