US Amateur National Team

So, a team called the US Amateur Team, or the USASA Men’s National Select Team, is in Florida competing against MLS teams for spring training. The team is sponsored by the US Adult Soccer Association, which, until last year, was called the U.S. Amateur Soccer Association.

Not familiar with this team, I did some research on this team and here is what I’ve learned.

The team is coached by West Virginia Univ. head coach Keith Fulk, who in 2001 led the University of Tampa to am NCAA Division II title and an undefeated season and who was Tom Fitzgerald’s assistant at UT before he left for MLS.

He is assisted by Mike Seabolt, who is also Fulk’s assistant at WVU and who also coaches the Colorado Rapids Reserve team in the PDL. Last year they made the PDL final, losing in OT to Cape Cod.

The team has played 3 games so far this spring, losing to the Rapids 1-0, beating Florida Atlantic 2-1 (they were supposed to play the Galaxy but LA canceled and was replaced by FAU) and tying the Wizards 0-0.

They have one more game Thursday against the Crew.

This is the second season the MNST has played MLS teams in spring training in Florida.

I’m not positive what the criteria are for playing on this team but here is a quote from a USASA release (found at www.USASA.com) talking about how the players were picked.

Players were selected from the Regional Select Teams Tournaments and U.S. Soccer Festival which was held during 2002 and the recently completed George F. Donnelly Cup.

Perhaps someone who is familiar with the adult regional select team tournaments and the Donnelly Cup can expand on what those are and what the requirements are to participate in it.
Most of the players on the team either are still in college or played last fall – though some are older – and this is where it gets interesting and on-topic in terms of the youth national teams and player development, etc..

Here's the quote that caught my attention.

Not only did Kansas City coach Bob Gansler have a good look at our players, but also in attendance were the coaching staff of the Los Angeles Galaxy and the USSF U-23 National Team coach, Glenn Myernick, who possibly seems to have interest in looking at a couple of players for his Olympic Team squad tryouts. The MNST will wind up their tour on Thursday when they will meet the Columbus Crew at Lynn University, 10:00 a.m.

Here’s the roster, culled from their first 3 match reports, for the MNST. As I said, most of them are done with college but five still have college eligibility AND are age-eligible for the U23 team so we can whittle down which players Mooch was scouting. They are Scott Burcar, Eric Cronkrite, Martin Hutton, Andreas Rota and Marcus Storey.

Burcar is a big center back who goes to San Diego and was the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2000 and the conferences Defender of the Year in 2002.

Cronkrite is a flank midfielder at Portland, where he’s played the past 2 seasons after spending his freshman year at New Mexico.

Hutton was in the U17 pool with Donovan, etc… and began his career at Clemson but was buried behind Doug Warren and transferred to Saint Louis, where he had a very good season last fall.

Rota is playmaking central mid who was a sophomore at UConn last fall after spending his freshman year at an NAIA school in Oklahoma. He was a late call-up to the U23 team for the tour of Portugal last month and scored a goal.

Storey has mad wheels and while he’s played up top some his future likely lies as a flank mid. He was the ACC Freshman of the Year at North Carolina in 2000 and helped the Tar Heels to the NCAA title. He’s also won to USYSA national titles with the Houston Texans, where Rota was a teammate of his.

Anyone have any thoughts on which of these players might interest Mooch enough to get a longer look from him in a U23 camp?

(Regardless of whether any of them are good enough to help, I applaud Mooch for doing his due diligence and looking under as many rocks as possible for U23 players.)

Anyway, here’s the whole USASA MSNT roster.

Scott Bowman, M, UC-Irvine, 2/14/80, Sr. in 2002
Scott Burcar, D, San Diego, 7/7/81, Sr. in 2003
Eric Cronkrite, M, Portland, 10/1/81, Sr. in 2003
TJ Delucia, D, So. Connecticut, ???, Sr. in 2000
Aaron Heinzen, D, Washington, 8/9/79, Sr. in 2002
Shawn Higgins, M, ????, ???, ???
Martin Hutton, GK, Saint Louis, 1/21/82, R-Jr. in 2003
Darren Lewis, F, Connecticut, 4/28/76, Sr. in 2000
David Moore, M, South Carolina, 5/31/80, Sr. in 2002
Dayo Oyetuga, F/M, Washington, 2/1/80, Sr. in 2002
Andres Rota, M, Connecticut , 10/17/82, Jr. in 2003
Cameron Rossi, GK, UC-Irvine, 9/16/81, R-Jr. in 2003
Joe Sithnorrath, ???, ???, ???, ???
Lawrence Smalls, M, UC-Irvine, 3/13/80, Sr. in 2001
Joel Spencer, D, UC-Irvine, 12/29/80, Sr. in 2002
Marcus Storey, M/F, North Carolina, 11/9/82, Jr. in 2003
Jason Thompson, M, UC-Irvine, 1/13/80, Sr. in 2002

^I have no idea why there is a very disproportionate number of players from UC-Irvine on this team.

^The Jason Thompson in question is NOT the one from Eastern Illinois and the U23 team who was recently selected by the Burn.

^ Smalls was taken late in the 2002 draft by the Galaxy but didn’t stick.

^ Lewis, who last I checked, wasn’t even a U.S. citizen, has played for Trinidad and briefly in MLS with the MetroStars. (This is assuming it’s the same Darren Lewis.

^There are at least 4 different Shawn Higgins who played college soccer recently. I have no idea which one is on the USASA team.

*There is Shaun – with a “u” not a “w” Higgins who played at Hofstra and was a senior last fall.

*One played at Cal State Fullerton as late as 1999.

*One went to Plymouth State in Massachusetts and was a senior in 1999 and then played D3 ball for the Cape Cod Crusaders.

*One played 2 seasons at Central Connecticut in 95-96.

^I have no clue who Joe Sithonnorrath (which the USASA also spells Sithnorrath) is and can’t even be sure that either of the spellings listed are accurate. But, I haven’t even heard of anyone with a name remotely close to that. Suffice to say, I welcome any help.

 

Am I the only one who thought this noteworthy or is everyone so high on Freddy-mania, tempered by the WYC being postponed that this kinda got lost in the shuffle?

 

This is why I love this forum!!! (Admit it - whenever someone mentions Drake University you can't help but say "I HATE the Drake!" That, or Ezra Hendrickson.)

Here's a link to Joe's (what - you think I'm spelling that name?) bio from Drake.

http://www.drakebulldogs.org/so_roster.htm#sithonnorath

He's an 81 so he's someone that is eligible for the 23s. He's the longest of long shots but that's not really the point. The points are that A) Mooch is still peforming due dilligence and B) the US Amateur Team is performing a forum for kids who were overooked by various youth national team - many of whom go to smaller schools - to get exposure to and experience against MLS teams and the U23 team.

 

Re: Re: US Amateur National Team

I agree completely. The ideal scenario for this team would be to made up with players who still have eligibility left, particularly those whose options, because of age, for most youth national teams are limited.

(OK, the ideal sceanrio is pro reserve and youth teams but even then there would be a need for something like this.)

It would appear that because this team is sponsord by the USASA and not directly by US Soccer that there are some restrictions placed on being on the roster that come in the form of players having had to participate in a USASA event. (Regional Select teams, Soccer Festival, Donnelly Cup.) If they are footing the bill, it's certainly USASA's prerogative (can't ever type that without thinking about Bobby Brown!) to put a requirement like that on the team.

So, I think the trick to getting more college players to participate in these USASA events and, just as importantly, getting their college coaches to encourage them to do so.

I think having this team go to Florida every year is a great carrott for the USASA to use to increase participation by current college players.

First off, it's a free trip to South Florida in winter. Can't beat that.

Second, and far more importantly, the players get the exposure and experience that comes from playing MLS teams. Sometimes it only takes one good game against an MLS team to get drafted or invited to camp - after that it's up to the player.

This appears to be only the second year the USASA has done this tour to Florida. Hopefully the longer they do this and the more the word spreads, more underclassmen will participate in the USASA events to make them eligible.

That said, I think it would behoove the USASA to offer more competition for the Amateur National Team to serve as incentive to get more players to do what it takes to become eligible. How about a game or 2 against a foreign youth national team or a summer tour of Europe against pro youth and reserve teams?

Or, ideally, enter the Amateur National Team in the World Univeristy Games every year. Before we had a more professional environment, the US was a regular in this event. But, we haven't entered a team since the 97 event (it's held every odd year) when we finished third. (That team featured Cllint Mathis, Ben Olsen, Matt Jordan and Josh Wolff, among others, and was coached by John Ellinger.) I think if a big international tournament was waiting out there for the participants, a lot more college players would make meet the USASA's criteria for inclusion on this team.

Obviously, these proposals cost money. But, I would think the USASA could get money for them from Big Brother at US Soccer, the US Soccer Foundation and, since it both provides training matches for MLS and seasons potential MLS players, I bet the league could be convinced to make a small donation. There's also corporate sponsorship. Why not make it the "adidas Men's Amatuer National Team?" If they were competing in an event like the World University Games, it would mean more exposure to a potential endorser, thus giving said endorser more incentive.

FYI, the 2003 World University Games are schedule for the last two weeks of August in South Korea. The US is not currently slated to send a team. (A soccer team, that is. Other sports are going.)

 

Th MNST tied the Crew yesterday 1-1. They concluded the Florida tour going 0-1-2 against MLS teams with a win over Florida Atlantic Univeristy.

Yesterday's goal was scored by rising Univ. of Portland senior Erik Cronkrite.

http://usasa.com/news/Press Release March05.asp

 

No one is suggesting you should be excited.

The point of the thread was -

A) to talk about another avenue for players to get some exposure to both MLS and the youth national teams.

B) discuss the need for a team for players that often get overlooked.

C) to point out that Mooch is performing some serious due dilligence and looking under a lot of rocks.

D) to discuss the criteria for inclusion on this team and the way it could grow.

Christ, no one is saying that the US Amatuer Team is gonna produce the Olympics answer to its right midfield problems or whatever. Don't get so worked up about it as it seems no one has lost the perspective you are implying we are missing by your comments.

 

Dude, it's the second year of the team, or do you not read all the relevant information and just make statements anyway?

I don't have the roster from last year's USASA tour of MLS spring training so I don't know if anyone got drafted.

I do know that of the current team, most of the players who have college eligibility remaining will get looks from MLS.

And, the fact that Mooch was there scouting tells me there might be a player or 2 worth keeping an eye on.

Further, one of those players HAS ALREADY BEEN CAPPED by Mooch on the U23 team. But, apprarently you couldn't bother reading all the information posted before chiming in with your conclusions.