MLS Academies and the Barca Threat

[Midas Mulligan]

I didn't see this posted anywhere, but this is really scary. MLS clubs who don't have residency academy options need to respond by quickly expanding. The league itself is going to have to loosen its ridiculous geographic restrictions in some way, too.

Otherwise, Barcelona and other wealthy European clubs are going to thieve the talent right out from under our noses.

https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/06/27/barcelona-youth-academy-usa-la-masia-jordi-roura

 

[FredMertz]

They are off to a pretty crappy start. It's not a residency program, they don't actually have any home fields yet and the coaching staff is from the FCBEscola, which is a global program of essentially licensed camps and training. They also got off to a very late start this year, not holding tryouts until well after all of the top kids would have likely committed to teams for next season. That also has made it unlikely that their teams will be playing in the most competitive leagues.

If their teams are not good this year it will significantly impact their recruiting for next year.

 

[Ulrich]

I didn't see this posted anywhere, but this is really scary. MLS clubs who don't have residency academy options need to respond by quickly expanding. The league itself is going to have to loosen it's ridiculous geographic restrictions in some way, too.

Otherwise, Barcelona and other wealthy European clubs are going to thieve the talent right out from under our noses.

https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/06/27/barcelona-youth-academy-usa-la-masia-jordi-roura

It should light a fire under the MLS collective ass, but I don't think it's a bad thing to have Barcelona entrenched in the US.

1. It's a big country and even if every MLS/USL/NASL team had a first-rate academy, there will still be a lot of talent slipping through the cracks. This just helps to cultivate all of it.
2. Pretty sure that unless the kids have dual citizenship, Barcelona won't be able to sign any of these kids early because of the work laws of the US and Europe. I guess they could sign them, but they won't be playing in Spain without some legal help. How compelling would that be - a club-tied player that has no place to play without being loaned out?
3. Those players that do excel in their system will only help our NT. Having Americans that are as equally talented as those out of Spain will kinda be awesome.
4. Supporting your point - MLS better try to hoard as much talent as possible as the product on the field and a commodity to trade/transfer.

 

[FredMertz]

Actually, I was slightly mistaken -- I was referring to the one in NY. The one in Arizona is a residency program, but they just purchased a pre-existing club in Arizona that was already part of the US Soccer Academy system. Remains to be seen how they do, but without a direct link to La Masia, not sure they are going to draw kids from a very big area.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Actually, I was slightly mistaken -- I was referring to the one in NY. The one in Arizona is a residency program, but they just purchased a pre-existing club in Arizona that was already part of the US Soccer Academy system. Remains to be seen how they do, but without a direct link to La Masia, not sure they are going to draw kids from a very big area.

They purchased the academy facilities, based on what the article says.

I'm sure they will become a part of the USSDA. They probably will want to play games.

It's Barcelona. They aren't going to put their real name and money into an academy and make it second rate.

Btw, even if they did partner with some of those same coaches, is that so bad? Look at how many good young players came through that facility in its short time.

I think it's a bit hopeful to present it as some bullshit effort. This isn't a partnership. This is a Barca academy in the US.

It should light a fire under the MLS collective ass, but I don't think it's a bad thing to have Barcelona entrenched in the US.

1. It's a big country and even if every MLS/USL/NASL team had a first-rate academy, there will still be a lot of talent slipping through the cracks. This just helps to cultivate all of it.
2. Pretty sure that unless the kids have dual citizenship, Barcelona won't be able to sign any of these kids early because of the work laws of the US and Europe. I guess they could sign them, but they won't be playing in Spain without some legal help. How compelling would that be - a club-tied player that has no place to play without being loaned out?
3. Those players that do excel in their system will only help our NT. Having Americans that are as equally talented as those out of Spain will kinda be awesome.
4. Supporting your point - MLS better try to hoard as much talent as possible as the product on the field and a commodity to trade/transfer.

1. Barca residency with private schooling or subway 2 hours and whatever school is around? Just an example. But point Barca. If they get their pick first because they choose not to be bound by bullshit, it's absolutely detrimental to NYC and every other club. Every Debbie Harrison in NYC will have their little Jacks on the next flight to Phoenix.

2. They will get first dibs. They can sign whomever they want. They get a fee for selling on. There is no downside re Europe faced by kids there that isn't faced by those in MLS. In fact, Barca certainly has more clout to get 18 year olds sold or loan minutes most anywhere in the world. MLS clubs don't.

3. Of course. Doesn't help grow the league to have top talent have an even better and easier path out by ignoring MLS academies.

4. This is the logical point all of your other points lead to, so they better get a move on.

And also, Fred was wrong as hell in his first post on the topic. It's almost like he didn't read what they are actually doing beforehand. Then he did, and walked it all back.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Actually, I was slightly mistaken -- I was referring to the one in NY. The one in Arizona is a residency program, but they just purchased a pre-existing club in Arizona that was already part of the US Soccer Academy system. Remains to be seen how they do, but without a direct link to La Masia, not sure they are going to draw kids from a very big area.

Slightly mistaken? Entirely offbase is more accurate.

ETA: by the way, Fred, I posted this mostly make it clear that what you were speaking of was something entirely different. I did it in kind of an asshole tone just because it's fun and I can't help it.

 

[Falastur]

I did it in kind of an asshole tone just because it's fun and I can't help it.

#justmidasthings

 

[Midas Mulligan]

#justmidasthings

If I'm consistent, then no one can take it personally.

 

[Falastur]

If I'm consistent, then no one can take it personally.

Flawless logic, I'm sold.

 

[FredMertz]

Slightly mistaken? Entirely offbase is more accurate.

ETA: by the way, Fred, I posted this mostly make it clear that what you were speaking of was something entirely different. I did it in kind of an asshole tone just because it's fun and I can't help it.

No offense taken whatsoever. The Barca Academy is a hot topic in the NY soccer scene so I forgot about AZ. As far as admitting I was mistaken, I'll let Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli take care of that:

 

[ferrarinycfc]

Children at football academies are more likely to 'get hit by a meteorite' than succeed as professionals

http://www.businessinsider.com/mich...s-will-never-succeed-soccer-sport-2017-6?IR=T

 

[LionNYC]

Children at football academies are more likely to 'get hit by a meteorite' than succeed as professionals

http://www.businessinsider.com/mich...s-will-never-succeed-soccer-sport-2017-6?IR=T

Mumsi knew...

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Children at football academies are more likely to 'get hit by a meteorite' than succeed as professionals

http://www.businessinsider.com/mich...s-will-never-succeed-soccer-sport-2017-6?IR=T

You know who's even less likely to succeed as professional footballers? Those not at football academies.

 

[ferrarinycfc]

You know who's even less likely to succeed as professional footballers? Those not at football academies.

True, but at the end of the day these acadmies are designed to do one thing, make money.

 

[FredMertz]

True, but at the end of the day these acadmies are designed to do one thing, make money.

They are largely designed to make money for the sole purpose of perpetuating their existence, not to generate a profit for owners.

Nobody is getting rich running US Soccer DA clubs -- it's just not possible.

 

[FredMertz]

Children at football academies are more likely to 'get hit by a meteorite' than succeed as professionals

http://www.businessinsider.com/mich...s-will-never-succeed-soccer-sport-2017-6?IR=T

Isn't this true for every youth sport in the world?

And not to be too picky, but according to National Geographic the odds of getting hit by a meteorite, asteroid or comment are 1 in 1.6 million, which is .00006%, much longer than the odds of becoming a premier league player.

That's the problem I have with my son's experience in soccer so far -- 98% of the kids and parents have no expectations of playing professionally and it's the 1.999% that have no shot but believe they do that ruins most of it for the rest of us.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

no shot but believe they do that ruins most of it for the rest of us.

Could you expand on that a bit?

And to be clear, I think the USSDA is a good thing. But I'm far more concerned with what happens with professional academies - rather, academies attached directly to professional clubs. (Which is a small sub-set of USSDA, if my understanding is correct.)

I heard or read somewhere from ManU's (gross) academy head responding what their job was at the academy. His response, and if I'm not paraphrasing it's only luck, was "produce professional footballers". Not produce ManU players. Not PL players. Professional footballers. I hate that team, but I agree with that gentleman. Producing pros really has to be the goal of every high level academy attached to a club.

 

[FredMertz]

Could you expand on that a bit?

The parents that think their kids are going to be pros are the ones who scream non-stop at refs (which creates ref shortages), lead their children to believe it is their responsibility to criticize their teammates on and off the field in non-constructive ways and create pressure on their coaches to win games vs develop kids -- two goals that are frequently at odds.

My son's club's philosophy is to play out of the back -- in my opinion, the only way to develop players. His team is full of skillful, generally smaller, players that are learning how to play soccer at a high level. We frequently play teams full of large, lesser skilled players, that employ the main strategy of booming long balls and pushing smaller kids around (most younger refs are terrified of calling fouls -- see above). They usually win, but those kids won't be playing soccer in high school because they won't have developed any scalable soccer skills.

It's a microcosm of why the current US system is so far behind in developing world class players. I haven't fact-checked this, but I think most of the great young US soccer players have mothers or fathers who were excellent players themselves and helped manage their development.

My kid is a good player, but not going to be a college or pro player unless puberty hits him VERY hard. I like him playing with kids that are heading to college and maybe the pros, but it's the kids (and parents) who aren't but think they are that make the experience less than ideal.

 

[mgarbowski]

I have not looked closely at this at all:

https://twitter.com/x/status/882991163820716032

 

[Falastur]

The parents that think their kids are going to be pros are the ones who scream non-stop at refs (which creates ref shortages), lead their children to believe it is their responsibility to criticize their teammates on and off the field in non-constructive ways and create pressure on their coaches to win games vs develop kids -- two goals that are frequently at odds.

My son's club's philosophy is to play out of the back -- in my opinion, the only way to develop players. His team is full of skillful, generally smaller, players that are learning how to play soccer at a high level. We frequently play teams full of large, lesser skilled players, that employ the main strategy of booming long balls and pushing smaller kids around (most younger refs are terrified of calling fouls -- see above). They usually win, but those kids won't be playing soccer in high school because they won't have developed any scalable soccer skills.

It's a microcosm of why the current US system is so far behind in developing world class players. I haven't fact-checked this, but I think most of the great young US soccer players have mothers or fathers who were excellent players themselves and helped manage their development.

My kid is a good player, but not going to be a college or pro player unless puberty hits him VERY hard. I like him playing with kids that are heading to college and maybe the pros, but it's the kids (and parents) who aren't but think they are that make the experience less than ideal.

Yeah, parents of prospective footballers are the worst. It's not just that they shout at people during the game, either. Far too many parents believe that they are in a position to train their own children, and will sit there in the car on the way home from matches, drilling into them the tactical lessons they think their kid should learn next, regardless of whether they are actually right or not. Stuff like "stop passing the ball and take your man on", "always stay with your marker, never leave his side", "don't mess around on the edge of the penalty area, just punt it up field" etc. Problem is that kids at a young age will often actually listen to this advice and will often become worse players for it.

Honestly, the best thing an academy can do for a player's development - harsh as it sounds - is shut his parents out from actually watching him until he's old enough to not need to listen to their advice anymore.