San Jose Earthquakes Academy is on its way!

Kaval didn't say they would start an NWSL team after building the stadium. He said they needed to build the training/academy center (still waiting) and then they would be capable of having an NWSL team.

 

Is that second red circle supposed to be Sacramento, that high up?

So many glaring holes in the map, hopefully many of them get covered eventually...

 

Is that second red circle supposed to be Sacramento, that high up?

Edit: yes
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/05/13/mls-elite-youth-clubs

So many glaring holes in the map, hopefully many of them get covered eventually...

 

Haven't we all been suggesting this all along or rather utilize existing, established academies?

I'm surprised it took 10 years to figure this out.

 

I heard the Quakes girls youth team players all signed with FC Bay Area...

FC Bay Area Barcelona | NorCal Premier

 

That was kind of depressing to read that BBA website. The director and head coach have no professional playing experience. One came over from the local Arsenal Academy (wasn’t Muma with them for awhile?) and other left the Red Star Academy in Mt View.

It sounds like youth soccer coaching hasn’t changed at all since my kids played - coaches leave one club to start a new competitor and charge high coaching fees because of their Euro backgrounds.

 

Ranked #13:

https://chasingacup.com/2020-ranking-of-mls-academies-23-11/

 

Heard a rumor the Quakes parted ways with the U-19 coach. May not field a U-19 team. That’s.......not good news. The Quakes have several talented 2002 and 2003 kids.

 

Another interesting rumor now. Seems like MLS teams are putting together a U-21 or U-23 league. This would be the replacement for U-19s? Perhaps it will work like Liga MX where that team travels with the first team on road trips and plays on the same day. Great way to get your homegrown players lots of high quality minutes while preparing them for the rigors of life as a soccer professional.

 

Lots of rumors that the new MLS DA wil not be able to play until next year. For sure teams are assembling soon and they will try to work out some kind of training in the fall, but at best there will probably be scrimmage only games between local teams. That does favor the Quakes in a way because there are so many local clubs to play against. Clubs like Seattle and Portland will be at a big disadvantage (since they are the only DA clubs in their state).

 

Be forewarned, this will be a long post.

Last year the Quakes let Tom Fox go and gave contract extensions to Jesse, Chris Leitch, Bruno Costa and Alex Covelo. Those extensions matched the length of Almeyda's contract, so clearly they are all involved in the long term plan. That plan is to develop young players into pros that can play along side the green card guys that Jesse favors.

Since Jesse has been GM, he has signed 5 kids out of the academy as homegrown players. Jacob Akanyinge, Gilberto Fuentes, Cade Cowell, Casey Walls and Emi Ochoa. My guess is the Quakes will likely sign 2 to 3 more kids this fall/winter. I have no idea who they will pick, but these are the guys I would sign if I was the GM.

#1 Tarun Karumanchi

A 2003 player that has played for the Quakes academy the past two years, he really started to shine in the winter and spring last year. I love his pro size (about 6 foot) and his soccer IQ. For the U-17s he mostly played the 6 and began to dominate good teams in the middle of the field. The Quakes played the Generation Adidas qualifying tournament and played against 3 of the strongest U-17 teams in the country back to back. Seattle, Chicago and LA Galaxy have youth international players and Tarun dominated them. He covers a lot of ground, shields the ball really well, turns out of pressure easily and finds the open man with accurate passing. Seattle has a highly touted homegrown player in Danny Leyva, I think Tarun can play a lot like him. He is still a bit thin, but I think he can bulk up with weight training and nutrition and become a more physical player if necessary. Of all the players I saw in the youth system, Tarun was the guy most likely to develop into a replacement player for Judson.

#2 Alejandro Cano

A 2004 player that played his first year with the Quakes last year. He is huge (over 6 foot at 15 years old) and plays center back. The Quakes mostly played him at left center back last season, but he is right footed and moved over to right center when Casey Walls would come down from the U-19 team. Cano is a very impressive athlete who would be a natural at any sport. He is also a very smart player that has great passing out of the back. I really enjoyed watching him and Walls paired together because they were able to spark attack after attack by breaking lines with accurate balls through the midfield. Cano is still growing into his body, but I think he'll end up looking like Matthijs De Ligt. He is doing individual training sessions with Victor Bernardez to improve his game and I think he'll be the guy that can transition into a fast marking center back that will make Almeyda's system work. I heard he trained with Barcalona Academy in Arizona for a weekend this summer before the Covid outbreak in Arizona and really impressed them. They offered him a full ride to join them this year (that's 75k!) but the Quakes didn't want him to leave and told Barca to back off recruiting him. He played for Hugo Perez two years ago at Silicon Valley Soccer Academy and was a very good center mid.

There are several other players that I know the Quakes are interested in, but I think these two can play the style that the Quakes are developing.

I have a concern that Akanyinge and Fuentes might end up being "tweeners". I think their size will be detrimental to them in the pro game. Karumanchi and Cano have terrific skill, but I think they also are athletically gifted. Both fill a needed position for SJ.

 

Great report. I agree with the size factor. Along with the necessary skill and soccer IQ, we need bigger, faster, stronger players.

 

Thank you. I think the Quakes are realizing that now. Cowell, Walls and Ochoa are all terrific athletes who can develop into players that would be desirable in higher leagues like Europe. Both Karumanchi and Cano have the same upside. Best of all, they each can play different positions so they can all be on the field at the same time.

 

@jeff_adams what do you know about Ivan Valencia? You watch the youth teams play, so I'm hoping that you can tell us something about this guy.

And I love your reports on our academy players!! Keep it coming!!

Thanks!!

Go Quakes!!
Go Reno!!

- Mark

 

Thanks for the kind words! I don't have a lot of info on Ivan, he played before I was focusing on the academy. I thought he was going to play college (Berkeley?). Smaller attacking midfielder, good ball control. He seems very driven to become a professional player, so hopefully he can become stronger and excel at the next level.

 

So my sources tell me that MLS/Earthquakes will have U-20 clubs this coming year (replacing U-19s). This new team will somehow compete with the U-20 Liga MX teams. I don't know in what format (tournament? Hybrid league? Friendlies?). Alex Covelo will be the head coach. I'm hoping the league will model this after Liga MX where their U-20s travel with the senior team and play against the opponent's U-20s. That would also likely mean several team trainings wil be integrated with the senior team so the youth players will learn from the pros. Almeyda has already coached this format while at Chivas, so I'm excited to see if he can prepare and integrate youth players into the pro ranks. I think the Quakes will have very competitive U-20 and U-17 teams this year. I understand they will have some limited train sessions starting next Monday.

 

NEWS: @MLS announces new academy platform, @mlsnext.

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) September 8, 2020

 

Has anyone seen the 15 year old sophomore Goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa from Salinas yet?

 

I think someone said they saw him at the 7-11 on Main Street.

 

Seeing ‘02 Jack Imperato signed a pro deal with Villarreal.

— Daniel (@DanielSmith1022) October 29, 2020

He was never a part of the Quakes academy but he did play for the De Anza Force. Just another reminder that there is good talent in this area if the Quakes are willing to scout and recruit (plus the most important part, develop).

 

For as long as I can remember , the De Anza Force doesn’t want to have anything to do with the Quakes and they are in direct competition for players. I think it’s the same with a Santa Clara Sporting, Juventus on the peninsula and (now) John Doyle’s Mustangs in the East Bay. I doubt that will change anytime soon. The Ballistic's seem to have a working relationship with them though.

 

The Quakes are a terrible partner. That is all...