NYCFC Academy - General Discussion

[sbrylski]

He turns 16 in November 2018. I think the kid is too young to sign a professional contract.

One of us can't count. His birthday is 11/13/2002. By my count, that makes him 14 today, turning 15 in November 2017.

Alphonso Davies made his debut last year at 15 years, 257 days old. If Reyna debuts at the exact same age Davies did, it would be on July 27, 2018.

 

[LionNYC]

One of us can't count. His birthday is 11/13/2002. By my count, that makes him 14 today, turning 15 in November 2017.

Alphonso Davies made his debut last year at 15 years, 257 days old. If Reyna debuts at the exact same age Davies did, it would be on July 27, 2018.

I think we both can count. I wrote, "He'll be 16 in November 2018."

 

[sbrylski]

I think we both can count. I wrote, "He'll be 16 in November 2018."

Oops. I just can't read.

Well, my point was made. If anyone is ready to be signed at 15.7 years old, it's probably a kid like Gio, and it's not without precedent.

 

[Fake Jew]

Gio looks 20 in a 14 year old's body. For him I'm just going to say "if you're good enough you're old enough."

 

[sundance]

https://twitter.com/x/status/900770238605783040

So...

 

[Kjbert]

I don't see the appeal from the player's end to sign a contract here in the USA at such a young age.

 

[Ulrich]

I don't see the appeal from the player's end to sign a contract here in the USA at such a young age.

The largest growth spurt of ability in soccer is at that age. If they can train full time and take advantage of it as a full-time pro vs older competition, as opposed to regular academy training after school, then it's a huge advantage towards their future playing careers.

 

[Kjbert]

The largest growth spurt of ability in soccer is at that age. If they can train full time and take advantage of it as a full-time pro vs older competition, as opposed to regular academy training after school, then it's a huge advantage towards their future playing careers.

That's if the player is committed to being a professional soccer player. I understand that many of these deals come with cash for college, but the whole system is just so different in the US

 

[sbrylski]

I don't see the appeal from the player's end to sign a contract here in the USA at such a young age.

What's the appeal anywhere and why is it different here?

And don't say college soccer. At a certain level (e.g. Gio), that's not going to factor into the decision.

 

[Kjbert]

What's the appeal anywhere and why is it different here?

And don't say college soccer. At a certain level (e.g. Gio), that's not going to factor into the decision.

The college experience is entirely different in the US than anywhere else. If that wasn't an appeal for some players, you wouldn't have kids turn down homegrown deals every year to go play a few years in college. The money just isn't there in MLS at that level.

So my argument isn't college soccer. My argument is COLLEGE

 

[Fantazma]

The college experience is entirely different in the US than anywhere else. If that wasn't an appeal for some players, you wouldn't have kids turn down homegrown deals every year to go play a few years in college. The money just isn't there in MLS at that level.

So my argument isn't college soccer. My argument is COLLEGE

fair fair...but if they really want to be top end MLS players or even further, college is not really where you go. I mean they do lose development in college and the college system is still a mess.

if not you get more sheltons coming out of college....where their game is still lacking.

 

[The Toe]

We always hear about the "the best of the American young players should be in European academies", and I wonder when that perspective will change. Odds are that the money will almost always be too great to be bought from MLS academies and clubs as young first-team players, but I hope the league grows enough to finally be able to hang onto some of these young players while allowing them to still grow and be good for the USMNT, etc. I'd love to see Gio sign with the team and continue training, but you'll know we've turned a corner when players like him want to develop into young adulthood with their hometown club.

 

[sbrylski]

The college experience is entirely different in the US than anywhere else. If that wasn't an appeal for some players, you wouldn't have kids turn down homegrown deals every year to go play a few years in college. The money just isn't there in MLS at that level.

So my argument isn't college soccer. My argument is COLLEGE

If we are talking about your average kid with a ceiling as an average MLS player, this applies.

If we are talking about someone who has aspirations of staring in MLS and/or playing in Europe (e.g. Gio Reyna, the guy we are talking about), you go hands down go pro. US College is generally where your ceiling goes to die.

 

[sundance]

FWIW, Doyle claims that NYCFC are working to sign Gio:

. . . Busio (and Gio Reyna) both have EU passports, which is why SKC signed Busio & NYCFC are working hard to sign Reyna.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/6vsepo/comment/dm2nlx5?st=J6QZIWP3&sh=e6b77adb

. . . [in re Gio,] Don't hold your breath, tho.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/6vsepo/comment/dm2omay?st=J6QZKX0L&sh=08ccdd60

 

[LionNYC]

FWIW, Doyle claims that NYCFC are working to sign Gio:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/6vsepo/comment/dm2nlx5?st=J6QZIWP3&sh=e6b77adb

https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/6vsepo/comment/dm2omay?st=J6QZKX0L&sh=08ccdd60

Doyle knows nothing. He's a commentator online sitting at home with his cats in California. He's not a reporter.

 

[Kjbert]

Doyle knows nothing. He's a commentator online sitting at home with his cats in California. He's not a reporter.

I can PROMISE you that Doyle has no fucking clue what he's talking about here.

 

[Kjbert]

If we are talking about your average kid with a ceiling as an average MLS player, this applies.

If we are talking about someone who has aspirations of staring in MLS and/or playing in Europe (e.g. Gio Reyna, the guy we are talking about), you go hands down go pro. US College is generally where your ceiling goes to die.

Maybe some of these kids don't know what they want?

I'm not in disagreement about development in college vs. the path James Sands is taking. But unless you are James Sands or Erik Palmer-Brown, what is your long term upside in MLS? Lots of guys can go play for free at UVA, get a great degree, play in MLS for 10 years, maybe make $2 Million tops over their career, then what?

I'm just saying, the college experience and getting a certain type of degree can outweight a $50k a year salary at age 15. It's not clear cut in my eyes, and I am saying this as a parent.

If Fulham comes calling, different conversation.

 

[sbrylski]

Maybe some of these kids don't know what they want?

I'm not in disagreement about development in college vs. the path James Sands is taking. But unless you are James Sands or Erik Palmer-Brown, what is your long term upside in MLS? Lots of guys can go play for free at UVA, get a great degree, play in MLS for 10 years, maybe make $2 Million tops over their career, then what?

I'm just saying, the college experience and getting a certain type of degree can outweight a $50k a year salary at age 15. It's not clear cut in my eyes, and I am saying this as a parent.

If Fulham comes calling, different conversation.

It sounds like we actually agree here. I'm specifically talking about guys like James Sands and Erik Palmer-Brown, because we were talking about Gio Reyna, who is definitely in that category.

For a lot of guys, the decision is not as easy. But for Gio it is. He's going pro.

 

[Kjbert]

Gio will be a professional soccer player, absolutely. But I don't know that it will be as a teenager.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Maybe some of these kids don't know what they want?

I'm not in disagreement about development in college vs. the path James Sands is taking. But unless you are James Sands or Erik Palmer-Brown, what is your long term upside in MLS? Lots of guys can go play for free at UVA, get a great degree, play in MLS for 10 years, maybe make $2 Million tops over their career, then what?

I'm just saying, the college experience and getting a certain type of degree can outweight a $50k a year salary at age 15. It's not clear cut in my eyes, and I am saying this as a parent.

If Fulham comes calling, different conversation.

Isn't one of the benefits of the Generation Adidas program that the league will pay for a kid's education when he retires? I think the deal is, if you sign with us and forego a scholarship, we will pay for your college when you are done.