U-17 Post-Tournament Player Destinations [R]

I have no agenda with Bates. I just found this article(see below) from from the Granite Bay Press Tribune. I guess I read it wrong. But thanks for the education of California soccer and the patronizing tone. Is that all your insight? That I was wrong about California HS soccer?

No Re-Bates?
Roseville star eyes full-time spot on U.S. National Team

By: Bruce Burton, Assistant Sports Editor
Friday, August 5, 2005
PRESS-TRIBUNE file photo As a freshman, Mykell Bates helped lead the Roseville High soccer team to a section title. But it might have been his last high school hurrah as he contemplates joining the U.S. National Soccer Academy.
If he has his way, Mykell Bates might never wear Roseville High's soccer uniform again. Even if he does, it might not happen before 2007, when he will be a senior.

In fact, if his dream comes true, the prodigy who as a freshman forward helped the Tigers win a Division II Sac-Joaquin Section title last year might not make the city of Roseville his home again until after he has competed for the United States in the under-17 boys soccer World Championship Tournament two years from now in Canada.

 

So Bates was a forward before he became a central defender?

I guess my fullback prescription may be in the cards after all.

 

You were the one previously arguing for size and speed as the reasons for teams to sign players. You don't get both sides of the argument.

 

Right and Bruce was talking about size while Cherundolo has speed.

And, if if some guys are neither very fast nor very big, they can still fit in if they are in the mix on all the athletic variables + hard work, etc.

'Dolo has fine speed, even as he lacks size, but then he isn't playing central defender either. Most US U-17 - unless they develop at a later stage like Altidore - are mid-level prospects unlike that big centerforward from Leverkusen that dropped a brace on the US. That guy clearly has a big time potential but there are a lot of spots for people who aren't going to be the next Luca Toni.

When you're looking at these German U-17 kids, you're looking at the creme of the crop. But there are hundreds of other youngstters who are far below the level of Richard Sukuta-Pasu and Toni Kroos. That's where the Yanks would go.

 

I agree, this is the first U17 team that I recall that relied on footballing prowess instead of athleticism.

Nimo, though small, and unorthodox, looks a very very good prospect. Great skill and iq for a footballer.

Results aside, this is one of our best classes talent wise.

Gremany looks on the up and up...

 

Sure. That's the first team that doesn't have neither athleticism nor skills. By far the worst class ever. Nimo will be lucky to make it to MLS.

 

These guys looked totally different as U15s and 16s. I think some of them may turn out to be good players. I am putting most of this debacle on coaching.

 

Sure it's coaching fault. But as of today these guys are as good prospects as a few hundred other kids in the country and it's irrelevant whether they were good as U-15 and their development was retarded by the program or they shouldn't have been selected in the first place. None of them looks like a MNT prospect. But some will make it to MLS based on the names recognition.

 

Wenzel had a average tournament as did the rest of the squad. But I think he has a bright future. He had several great passes in the first game(mostly long bass to Nimo that got wasted in the end). He looked very technical and is quoted by HAckworth as the best young tackler he has coached. He didn't live up to his hype in the tournament. However, I think it was do to how poor our movement and tactical awareness was. nobody was making runs or making themselves available for anything other than a backpass.

 

As my first post I wanted to be fair with my assessment on these boys in residency. There is no player that should sign a pro contract just for the sake of development or simply becoming a pro. They will make a mistake. Each individual should go to university. It could be that in 3-4 years time they will be ready. Maybe 2 years. Some of these boys have committed to outstanding universities. Danny Wenzel and Brek Shea will do good at Wake. Sheanon Williams, Kirk Urso and Billy Schuler will also do well at UNC. Chris Klute is good for Furman and Bates at Santa Clara will improve. Ellis McCloughlin at Washington is near home and the coach will help him move forward. Others who are going pro such as Lambo—big mistake. Go play college soccer and gain some experience. Ibi will fade in the MLS. Nimo should get a degree. Meyer will be an outstanding pro after Indiana. YOU GET MY POINT!

In conclusion—All you National player’s (who are looking at this page along with their parents) for the pro contract either overseas or the joking Adidas Generation contract—Go to school enjoy the college environment. When you are done you can go pro like many others. There is too many too list who have competed in college and doing well in the MLS and overseas. As for the U17 national team staff—It’s time for a change. Not that Hackworth and company are bad guys or coaches, but we need some fresh innovative ideas from other coaches to help our residency program.

 

Um....I think you are making the same mistake....or possibly a worse one, than those who say we should look over college soccer. Honestly, you think change is going to a more amateur focused system because of this failure?

Also you cite players who went to college and had success as the reason for your case. Problem is, players have not had other options until recently. And now look at guys like M. Bradley, Szetela, Adu, and Altidore succeeding at a young age. Frankly I see our failure as a soccer nation in the past as an indictment on the other case.

 

True, but also look at players like Well Thompson, Alan Gordon, Adam Cristman, Michael Parkhurst, Michael Harrington, Chris Gbandi, Maurice Edu. I can go on and on. College soccer is crucial to the development of soccer in the United States. Let's take a look at our National teams in the past and under Bruce Arena and for some examples
Before joining Hannover, Cherundolo played two years of college soccer at the University of Portland, from 1997 to 1998. In his freshman season, he was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.
After a successful three-year college career at the University of Portland, Pearce signed with FC Nordsjælland and began his professional career in the 2005-06 Danish Superliga season.
DeMerit played NCAA soccer at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he moved from playing forward to defender. While in college, DeMerit formed part of a defensive backline that helped lead the team into the NCAA playoffs in 2000. Although he played with Chicago Fire Premier, the development team of the Chicago Fire in the USL Premier Development League, he was not drafted or signed by any Major League Soccer clubs following graduation from college.

 

Our federation is over-looking college soccer and how important it is to the development of the youth in this country. Is our MLS reserve league better than college soccer? Is being a practice player better than competing in a BIG TEN match-up or BIG EAST championship game, etc., etc?

 

First of all, more young players now go to Europe for developement then MLS. Only one or two guys skip college for MLS. About 4 or 5 go to youth squads overseas. And in terms of playing, playing against reserve squads is better than big ten squads who are not as good. More importanly though, you have much better coaches, and a lot more time to practice. College proceeds soccer in school, soccer is a profession as a Reserve. However, maybe a player wants the college experience. More importantly, maybe he's not good enough for the pros yet. For them, college is the right decision. But for the true talents, they need the training of professional coaches. Each have their pros and cons. But if we are to progress, we need more players getting more and better training.

 

College would be great if the season weren't so short and if there weren't any pointless restrictions on practices and outside play. The NCAA is not interested in producing soccer players capable of winning the World Cup; it is interested in its own competition.

 

I think there is a definite place for college ball for many players. Especially ones who are marginally talented or marginally committed to playing professionally. If their soccer talent helps them get a good education in case their athletic endeavors fail, that's a great fall back.

And contrary to what many on here think, top players DO develop in the college game. In the past weeks, I've watched Jalil Anibaba for Santa Clara, who came in much heralded getting time on the U18 Nats (although he did not go to Bradenton). He is starting on SCUs team as a freshmen. No doubt he's a gifted athlete and a gritty player, but I look at his play and say he still has a lot to learn - to even be a stand-out player on his college squad. His decision making still looks, well, freshman-ish. I fully expect that by the end of this season we will see a much more polished player.

I will say, however, that a player who obviously is talented enough for the pros and who has the determination to compete at the pro level, it's probably not a bad move to leave college early, like following their sophomore year. At some point the limited number of games does arrest development to their full potential.

 

As a 37 year old with a master's degree who played a bit of college soccer I would urge any kid that can go pro to go pro. I value education, but I could go back and get another degree tomorrow. Sadly, my high level soccer playing days are long over. A career as a pro athlete is not a long term job, and you only have so many years before your body begins the inevitable decline. So in my opinion if someone wants to be a pro, and gets an offer, not taking it to go to collge would be a mistake. But hey, I only wish someone had wanted to pay me to play soccer.

Scumby

 

No, it isn't.

By default, not by design.

Yes, it is. Granted, MLS needs to add more games to the reserve league but the talent in the reserve leagues is far more condensed, and as a result, more talented, than any college soccer game.

Yes, because you're fighting for your job, being exposed to pro coaching, playing against better players in training every day and facing better players in the reserve games.

In college soccer, the pro prospects are already the best players on the field. Not so with the reserves. And while the level of talent on the high-end in the ACC, Big East and Big Ten is very good, on every team in that conference there are players STARTING who don't have a chance of going pro.

Further, for every UVa-Duke type matchup, you have games against the likes of Radford and High Point, etc... filling out the schedule. Those games do next to nothing for player development.

Again, the MLS Reserve League ain't perfect - far from it - but it's a better developmental option than college soccer.

 

College soccer is a value when you have nothing else. Of course many develop as players, but do they develop at a rate that creates top international national team members and professionals? It's not about if they do but rather what systems do it better. College inherently is not there to establish top world class soccer players. In a 'pro' environment you lose your spot and don't progress vs other players in a highly competetive environment. In college it's not about playing your best soccer compared to other talented players, it's about doing your best in the context of education and practice limits. The fact that an educational body determines what is best for the student, not a manager determining what is best for the player.