YNT-eligible MLS players: 2016 in-season thread

My 2 cents for what its worth.

Keep talking about the '93 thru '96s until the end of the MLS season.
[In other words whether they qualify for the Olympics or not.]

If we don't, then we'll have little to talk about in this thread. The more discussion and interest, the better. After this season, we can re-load to the '97s and younger.

 

Listened to an FCD podcast last night that indicated both Craft and Zendejas are carrying injuries. They've played very little this pre-season. So we shouldn't be surprised if they aren't used that much to start the season. I can see both heading to OKC to regain their fitness.

Jesse Gonzalez is also carrying a small knock, which kept him out of the last last pre-season exhibitions. Unclear whether he'll start opening day. 3rd string goalkeeper, Ryan Herman, is also a '93. Pareja is quoted as saying he's in "college playing shape" and needs to get into "professional playing shape." I don't think we'll see him start for FCD this season (barring injuries).

Oscar Pareja is like an NHL head coach when discussing (or not discussing) injuries. Its all very cloak-and-dagger.

Walker Zimmerman enters the season in the CB rotation. I have no idea how the defense will be organized, but it looks to me like he'll start out on the bench behind some combination of Hedges, Loyd, and Figueroa. Aaron Guillen would seem destined for a loan to OKC.

How FCD/Pareja uses Acosta will surely be a major talking point of this thread. I'll leave that discussion to when it actually happens.

I'll note that I believe FCD has 25 players on their senior roster, with developmental slots available. If they want to sign a homegrown out of their academy in the near future, they have the space. Its unclear to me whether that's on the horizon or not.

What's amazing about FCD is that of the 25 players currently on the roster, only 6 are over the age of 25. I don't know what the "median" age is, but it must be very young. Should be an interesting season.

 

The current holder of FCD's median is Victor Ulloa!!!
He'll turn 24 this week.

Been harping on this for two years now. FCD is getting better all the time. They are true champion candidates now and yet they can reasonably expect - if the money is available - to keep this team together for another 5 to 8 years.

 

From your lips to god's ears...................

They won't be able to keep this core together much longer. They've been fending off transfer bids for Castillo and Diaz for a while now, and at some point they won't be able to turn the offers down. I also expect Acosta and Gonzalez to generate bids soon. How long can they hold on to Pareja as their coach? When will another team (Colombian national team? Liga MX?) come calling?

Now's the year to win a trophy. Gotta take advantage of the window.

 

We talk all the time about a lack of opportunities for youngsters, but roster spots across MLS are getting tougher to win. Some good players here. These aren't stars, they're "middle class" veterans being pushed out.

Five days from MLS opening, and these guys are still without clubs: Perry Kitchen, Chris Schuler, Dilly Duka, Amobi Okugo, Kofi Sarkodie.

— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) March 1, 2016

Perry Kitchen, who's a '92 (juuuuuuust too old for this thread), has played 175 games in MLS at a pretty good level. Chose to leave DCU, and now can't find a job. He may now be going to Hearts (Hearts!!!) to get a job. That's a step down.

Not to mention Jermaine Jones is available.....................................

 

Mael Corboz, who was released from RBNY, has apparently been offered a Red Bulls II contract

http://bigapplesoccer.com/teams/redbulls2.php?article_id=43930

Also, apparently Chris Thorsheim and Scott Thomsen do not have first team numbers for RBNY, while Justin Bilyeu and Zach Carroll do.

 

REPORT: Los Angeles Times reports that Ari Lassiter has signed first team deal

http://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2016/0...i-lassiter-has-signed-first-team-deal-insider

I like that the Galaxy signed Lassiter, but aren't they going to struggle finding playing time for BJ4, Villarreal, and Mendiola on that squad....................much less Lassiter? Seems to me that forward/winger wasn't a problem position for them.

 

I talked to Craft, Acosta and Pareja last night. Craft is frustrated coming back from another injury and just started training again. Acosta likes the midfield best but will play anywhere to be on the Olympic team. Pareja says Dallas is home and he still has kids growing up. Would take a special offer for him to leave right now.

 

You must have gone to Cocktails & Cleats!

Did you see a Raging Bonner!?

We didn't actually mention it in this thread, but FCD signed Colin to a first team contract. He's a '94 target forward.
Big boy. Must be 6'4" or something.

 

Predictions sure to go wrong for the 2015 with regards to thread eligible players?

First off I've told myself to keep my eye on the ball..................and the name of the ball is Kekuta Manneh.
Not technically thread eligible, but I think he'll absolutely blow up this season.

OK, with that out of the way. Some predictions.

Team with the most minutes to '93s and younger (domestic): FC Dallas
Team with the most minutes to '93s and younger (foreign plus domestic): Orlando City
Player '93 and younger with most minutes: Will Trapp
Player '97 and younger with the most minutes: Collin Fernandez

 

An enormous amount of information in Grant Wahl's MLS Ambition Rankings about youth development at each club. Its worth a read. It gives more financial information about what clubs are spending on their academies than I've seen before.

http://www.si.com/article-list/mls-ambition-rankings-details

It really highlights the difference between the "haves" and "have nots" when it comes to youth development. Many of the "have nots" of course say their info is undisclosed or don't comment.

The highlight of the "haves" is the Galaxy:

• How much money has your team spent in the past five years on youth development? How much in the past year?

Past five years: Over $12 million. Past year: $4 million.

The LA Galaxy invested heavily into youth development through the LA Galaxy Academy Blended Learning Program, which provides a full high-school education at StubHub Center for student-athletes immersed in the same professional environment as LA Galaxy and LA Galaxy II. It is the only program in North America that allows Academy players to train and develop using the same facilities, schedule, and resources as LA Galaxy II and LA Galaxy

That's a lot more sheer money than FCD has spent, for instance.

• How much money has your team spent in the past five years on youth development? How much in the past year?

We have approximately 5,800 players in our youth system overall, including nine affiliate teams in other cities/states/countries (El Paso, Tyler, Midland, Laredo, San Antonio, Florida, Tennessee, Mexico, Costa Rica). Of that 5,800, there are 120 players under the “academy” umbrella, which is five teams here at our training facility. In the last five years we have spent approximately $5 million on the academy with well over $1 million of that coming in 2015.

 

Love Wahl's ambition rankings every year, and these are the best and most detailed yet.

 

Yes. Poor Zendejas was on stage between 6-4 Bonner and the new 6-7 keeper.

 

The Galaxy academy is pretty awesome, but they'll need to make a commitment to play their youngsters if they ever want to profit off the academy. There is nothing wrong with signing older vets here and there, but I just hope they don't do it at the expense of bringing along their academy kids.

 

There's lots of different ways to build MLS rosters.
The contrast could be seen in the Western Conference Final in 2015.

FCD led the league in homegrown minutes and were 2nd in minutes given to their own drafted players.
Portland gave minutes to very few players of either category last season (Darlington Nagbe being the exception.)

So obviously, a team can win with or without utilizing academy and/or drafted players.
In fact, the #1 priority of an MLS club is to win. As we're all posting in these youth threads, we probably share the notion that building fruitful academy programs is a great way to develop sustainable success.

Its very interesting to look at the Galaxy's draft history over the past 5-6 years. Since taking Omar Gonzalez in 2009, they've essentially gotten nothing out of the draft. They barely used it this season. They're clearly building their roster via two avenues. Veteran signings (both foreign and domestic) and thru Los Dos. While we don't think of them as academy signings, guys like Romney and Lassiter (now signed to the first team) are partly Galaxy-developed players. ;The academy players like BJ4 are also coming thru that avenue. A youngster like BJ4 simply needs to prove he can help the team win more than somebody like Mike Magee. If he does that he'll earn playing time.

 

Their 18s are decent, but not outstanding, so we won't see many HGs come out of that group. On the other hand, the 16s, and especially the 14s, have some exciting prospects, so maybe in a few more years...

 

I always need to remind myself that Alejandro Zendejas is only a '97. In the Galaxy's case their U18s might not have exciting prospects, but Eric Lopez has already been signed. He's a '99, and potentially one of the best U18 keepers in the country.

If we go by the DA standings, the best team in the country at the U18 level might actually be BW Gottshee. They're undefeated thru 15 games with a goal difference of +32. BW Gottschee is an affiliate of.........................NYCFC.

Colorado Rapids, by the way, haven't won a game this season at the U18 level. The first team is a mess, and I'm not sure what's on the way from the academy to help

 

Davis and Adams on the bench for RBNY. None started.

EDIT: Delgado on for TFC.

EDIT2: Delgado scored the 2-0 on a counter to put it out of reach.

 

In the FCD-Philly game Acosta, Zimmerman, and Gonzalez started. Philly was pretty inept, so its hard to judge Zim and Gonzalez. Acosta was "OK" in central midfield. Not as impactful as usual. His partner Grueso was amazing.

After the first team game, the reserves faced their affiliate Oklahoma City Energy again. Coy Craft and Alejandro Zendejas didn't play in that game either, confirming that they are indeed out with injuries.

Lineup for the reserves is: Seitz; Hernandez, Salas, Guillen, Jara; Ortiz, McKennie; Pomykal, Lizarazo, Pitter; Bonner

— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 6, 2016

That reserve lineup contained thread eligibles Aaron Guillen at CB and Colin Bonner at target forward.. One will note Paxton Pomykol in the starting XI. He's a '99!!!!! The other academy guys are Weston McKennie and Salas. At half-time thread eligible Ryan Herman came on in goal. Vega, Cannon, Ferreira, and Lopez came on as 2nd half subs.

FCD beat Oklahoma 2-1.

By the way, I saw this in the twittersphere yesterday:

If you're at the reserve game #26 is Paxton, the kid Oscar first named when asked "who from the academy do you know will play for Sr's"?

— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) March 6, 2016

 

Based on the way that lineup is broken up with the semicolons, I take it Pomykal is a winger/attacking midfield type of player? Has Weston McKennie become a c-mid? Or is he maybe a tweener between c-mid and a-mid, like Nagbe?

 

FC Dallas thoroughly outplayed the Union but I thought Acosta was pretty poor. Some terrible giveaways which surprised me. Of course it's only one match and perhaps he's still getting used to a new partner in central midfield. Just thought it was interesting given the increased competition at his preferred position. As you say, Gruezo looked quite good.