If you play in the PDL but are not of college or even NCAA college age, could one realistically hope to play in the MLS? What if they played for one of the 2 clubs that have a reserve team (Boulder/Fire)? How often do players from these reserve teams get called up onto the MLS?
Nat Borchers was a member of the Boulder Rapids Reserve and I think Faria was a member of the MetroStars Black or something rather.
Players don't really get 'called up' from PDL reserve teams like in MLS. After you finish a season playing for a PDL team, players would usually go play a season of college, and after that, maybe, get drafted. Boulder had (I believe) two players drafted last year, and four make MLS teams the previous year. A couple of others from last year's team will probably get drafted after they finish college. Chicago Fire Reserves had 5 players drafted, and a few more will get drafted eventually. However, there's not really any reason not to go to college - if you're good enough to play for one of these teams (and have a chance at getting drafted), some division one school should definitely be willing to give you a schoolarship, and although college development is frequently bashed here, it's almost certainly than not playing at all. Probably between a third and half of players drafted last year played on PDL teams in 2003, but I'm pretty sure all of them also played in college (although there are exceptions, like Rodrigo Faria).
If you're that old, and you haven't played professionally previously, an MLS team probably isn't going to be interested in you. If you really dominate the PDL, however, there's a chance that a PSL or A-league team might be interested. However, if you want to try anyway, the PDL (and MLS open tryouts (link)) are probably your best shot at getting noticed.
A couple of things: A) You CAN play in the PDL if you're done with college or are older than most of the average PDL players, most of whom are in their late teens to about 23. B) I'm pretty sure the PDL has a limit of players over a certain age - I believe its 23 - that each team can have. I think the number of those players is 4-5. I'm sure someone more familiar with the exact rules can post them here. C) Because of NCAA rules, it's damn near impossible for MLS teams to lend players to PDL teams to get games. The NCAA has a rule preventing college players from playing "with or against professionals" in organized games. Somehow there is an excemption for the US Open Cup, I think because it somehow falls under auspice of "Olympic development." The NCAA makes all kinds of exceptions for Olympic development, like letting college track athletes run, as amateurs, in pro meets in Europe or tennis and golf players, if they qualify, playing in pro events. Because of this rule, if an MLS, or A-League, team lent a player to a PDL team, all the college players on that team, and the players on the teams that played the team with the MLS player, would have violated NCAA rules and could be ruled ineligble. (It likely wouldn't completely ruin their NCAA eligibility but, depending on the number of games the pros were involved, would result in a suspension of some games.) It's a bullsh!t rule and just a small example of the NCAA's hypocricy and contradiction, but it's a rule, and thus a hindrance, none the less. As for PDL players going to MLS, obviously there are lots of examples of college players who played PDL ball in the summer and then went back to college and then made it to MLS. Occassionally, if an MLS team has a player they aren't familiar with on trial and that player isn't currently under contract, and thus not a professional - former pros don't count as pros to the NCAA, thus a guy like Klinnsman could play PDL ball with a bunch of UCLA players and not screw up their eligibility - that player could play some games with PDL teams to let the MLS team observe him. But, as for players who are out of college or older than the average PDL player going straight from the PDL to MLS, I'm sure there are some, but I can't name them off the top of my head. (BTW, Faria didn't play in the PDL. The MetroStars Black team, which he played for before he was drafted, wasn't a PDL team.)
The key to the whole NCAA "playing against professionals" thing is the nature of the team he's on and the nature of the team he's playing against. There are players in the PDL who carry the "professional" designation by USSF (you can buy your amateur status back under certain conditions, but there are guys who just play in the PDL for a while and don't worry about it, because, like you say, there's a certain number of them allowed), but most are officially designated "amateurs." Those "professional" players play against college players all the time in the PDL without costing anyone their eligibility. But an NCAA player can't play on a professional team (and an amateur team is basically defined as a team where players don't get more than actual expenses). If you're an amateur player, you can play on the same PDL team with a player who's officially noted as a "professional" as long as it's on an amateur team, which all the PDL teams officially are. The PDL has, as you mentioned, a limit to the number of overage players, which tends to keep the professionals to a minimum, but as far as playing with or against professional players, that's not what would do you in. It's accepting money to play that makes you a professional and playing on a professional team that screws your eligibility. So, no, MLS teams aren't going to be calling someone up from the PDL, mostly because most of those guys are still in college. There are plenty of guys who play in the PDL each summer who get drafted by MLS the following January, but a straight team-to-team relationship doesn't exist, even in the case of PDL teams that share a name or have a working relationship with an MLS club. And, yes, if you play in the PDL, you're no less likely to be a pro prospect. If you're a good player (and the PDL has many of them) and you're young, you have as good a shot as anyone, I guess.
There you all go buying into the youth - college - Pro cycle. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PLAY COLLEGE TO BE A PRO. College is for those he don't want a pro sports person career. If you go to College and play PDL why the hell play for the college? its only a handfull of games and against dubious and unrealistic conditions (How many Subs?). Why Not play soccer AND GET PAID for it and do a College course? Screw the Drafting system it is just an explotation of young Players. Look how much College Ball games make, some coaches are paid over a million for christ sake, How much for the players?? CREDIT for a course not even real money. Play with NCAA = to being paid like a slave.
Well, it could be that guys that do both PDL and College are trying to get a education and plan for their future. Most players in this country aren't going to get rich being a professional soccer player. For every Freddie Adu there are 30 guys making 25 - 30,00 a year either playing MLS, A-League, PSL or MISL. Plus the long term vaule of a college education is much more then what most people would make by playing pro soccer for the same 4 years. Plus by playing both PLD and College you get more games. The PDL season is only 18 games. And combined with 18 - 20 games they will get in college this will help players to develop. Also, I know a few college soccer coaches and I don't know any of them that are making millions. Some of the coaches at some of the bigger schools are doing ok. But they make alot of their pay from the camps that they do. I think your confusing college soccer with basketball and football.
Steven Herdsman with Columbus came from the PDL. Mike Piserchio who was with the Rapids last year was PDL.
Hey, everybody makes their own decisions. If you're a Freddy Adu or Landon Donovan, then why would you want to go to college? But the US is country where a college education can be very important. If I was a player who was looking at a choice between a $25,000 MLS job and a college education worth maybe $100,000 with the potential of lifetime income being raised by $3 or $4million, then I'd pick college. There are probably more college degrees on the average MLS team than in the entire EPL. Is this a bad thing? Soccers a great game but I think it's good that young men have a choice.
Ching Played for the Spokane Shadow while going to Gonzaga. If only he could have stopped off somewhere in the PSL before hitting Seattle it would have been perfect.