Myleftfoot
SILVER ELITE
with the academy season about to start, any favorites? what teams are expected to play better? what teams looks stronger?
Academy season
- Thread starter Myleftfoot
- Start date
mahrez
SILVER ELITE
Season goes until June 2017. Teams will evolve and change over time so let's see how the players develop over this time.
No playoffs or standing this AG but the regional & futsal showcases present some challenges to show well.
With the new AG the competition should be close for the most part, who plays the best or more attractive style? beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Some surprises I'm sure just look at LAUFA, the champ's from Cerritos & Surf the two biggest tournaments. Anything is possible so all the teams should be good.
No playoffs or standing this AG but the regional & futsal showcases present some challenges to show well.
With the new AG the competition should be close for the most part, who plays the best or more attractive style? beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Some surprises I'm sure just look at LAUFA, the champ's from Cerritos & Surf the two biggest tournaments. Anything is possible so all the teams should be good.
America
SILVER
Agree
SCpartacus
BRONZE
I believe strikers FCGS Galaxy and Laufa will be the most consistent.
Good to hear nomads and arsenal are playing competitively.
I think RSC has enough talent to do some damage along with Albion and surf.
I don't know anything about Aztecs or Santa barb.
The depth of this league should be a lot of fun.
Good to hear nomads and arsenal are playing competitively.
I think RSC has enough talent to do some damage along with Albion and surf.
I don't know anything about Aztecs or Santa barb.
The depth of this league should be a lot of fun.
SCpartacus
BRONZE
Forgot to add pats to that group with RSC Albion and surf.
younothat
PREMIER
As mentioned there are no standings at this age and some teams are just getting going now. What matters is where you end up in your development
Preseason groups in alpha order but anything can happen during the course of the season.
FC Golden State
L.A. United Futbol Academy
L.A. Galaxy
Strikers FC
Albion SC
Arsenal FC
Nomads SC
Real So Cal
Central California Aztecs
Pateadores
San Diego Surf
Santa Barbara Soccer Club
Preseason groups in alpha order but anything can happen during the course of the season.
FC Golden State
L.A. United Futbol Academy
L.A. Galaxy
Strikers FC
Albion SC
Arsenal FC
Nomads SC
Real So Cal
Central California Aztecs
Pateadores
San Diego Surf
Santa Barbara Soccer Club
La Pulga
BRONZE
Galaxy has the most talent by far but will need time to learn to play together. Quite a collection of talent. By December they will pull away.
- Its looking like Laufa added some talent too. They will need time to play real soccer if what people are saying is true.
- Albion and Surf haven't started the summer in good shape. Maybe they need time. Or it won't be pretty.
- I don't think strikers will look different they rarely attract new players because they always add from there own teams. They finished strong but how many players did they lose that were 02.
- Fcgs lost some really good players and they need to fill those spots to get back to where they were. They need a field general in the middle to manage the game.
SCpartacus
BRONZE
Strikers lost an awesome goalie, two mid fielders and one forward from 02 age, all of which were starters. Also lost two good 03 reserves including a center back/holding mid and an attacking mid that went to Slammers and Surf.
All will be missed no doubt but in the interim Strikers recruited two new goalies, a center back and two new midfielders. The core of the team is still strong but Strikers will definitely be challenged to overcome the loss of the departures.
Overcoming the departures is what makes it exciting as the new players will have to figure out their roles. Should be a fun year.
mahrez
SILVER ELITE
Is LAUFA one of the only organization functioning like a true open academy?
They have reserve & pre-academy team for each group in addition to the academy team. Can't think of anybody else doing this.
The reserves practice, train, share resources, coaches right along with the academy team, they root for each other, make each other better, share the experiences
For all the other organizations I keep hearing that the academy team is separate and takes priority over all other teams. Cross-training for a few players once in a while but not much other than that. The elite" teams" not in the DA are not giving the same amount of resources, coaching,training, or fields. I dunno if true but I was told some teams at galaxy can't even "step on the field" until the academy teams are done at practice.
Treating Academy as "royal" and selling the "promotion" from within line while not really doing that seems to be the norm. If your players is on a regular club team looking for promotion you don't normally have a better chance of making the academy team, in some case you have a worst chance since some value players from "other" bigger name organizations more than yours.
How many ? of the academies actual had open tryouts or out reach programs to let players know about them. I can guarantee you there are tens of thousands of youth players who don't know ussda even exists for youth players or how to go about getting involved.
Looking forward to the day when ussda is more of a open system that can include a broader range of players.
The perceived reality is most are being sold on a development model at the club level that does'nt translate well after a certain age or make a difference if your associated with a "brand" name.
They have reserve & pre-academy team for each group in addition to the academy team. Can't think of anybody else doing this.
The reserves practice, train, share resources, coaches right along with the academy team, they root for each other, make each other better, share the experiences
For all the other organizations I keep hearing that the academy team is separate and takes priority over all other teams. Cross-training for a few players once in a while but not much other than that. The elite" teams" not in the DA are not giving the same amount of resources, coaching,training, or fields. I dunno if true but I was told some teams at galaxy can't even "step on the field" until the academy teams are done at practice.
Treating Academy as "royal" and selling the "promotion" from within line while not really doing that seems to be the norm. If your players is on a regular club team looking for promotion you don't normally have a better chance of making the academy team, in some case you have a worst chance since some value players from "other" bigger name organizations more than yours.
How many ? of the academies actual had open tryouts or out reach programs to let players know about them. I can guarantee you there are tens of thousands of youth players who don't know ussda even exists for youth players or how to go about getting involved.
Looking forward to the day when ussda is more of a open system that can include a broader range of players.
The perceived reality is most are being sold on a development model at the club level that does'nt translate well after a certain age or make a difference if your associated with a "brand" name.
Myleftfoot
SILVER ELITE
About open tryouts I know GSA do have them.
I've noticed this at least in the San Diego DA clubs. The DA teams are completely segregated from the non-academy "flight 1" teams. Even those teams may have "Academy" or "Pre-Academy" in their name, there's almost zero connection between those teams and the actual DA teams. Different coaches, different resources, different fields, and etc. They do not function like a real academy club where there's a clear pathway and the coaching staff try to maximize their entire talent pool.
I know some parents are very protectionist and don't like when "lower tier" players train with their child's team. Me however, I have always been fine with it. The "lower tier" players help keep my son on his toes and bring a fresh dynamic to training sessions. Also I think it's a good reward/motivational system to keep pushing players forward, which benefits everyone in the club. For example, a team could better absorb losing a few players the following year if they properly groomed a few players form the second team. But of course too many parents are short-sighted to see this.
Anyway props to LAUFA for having a real second/reserve team below their Academy.
SoccerDad77
SILVER
"Reserve team"? didnt know these are professionals we were talking about ... Happy to hear LAUFA has a good reserve system, they'll surely need it since their top teams/DA teams are rarely ever any good...
mahrez
SILVER ELITE
You most be thinking about the the other academies that actually charge to be on the team like Strikers or perhaps Pats who ask players for fees just to try out. LAUFA is a needs based organization that has more kids for lower-incomes than just about any one.
One one team in DA last year; 13/14 's and they were good, beat Galaxy 2-1 toward the end of the season, showed well at the showcase, and had a player make the national team.
This year DA's: 04 surf cup finalist, Dallas cup semi's; 03's Surf and Memorial cup champions
This year 03' reserves: Pats cup champions, qualified for CRL
Open you eyes, development is for everyone not just the so called "top" team or those of privilege. Academy, Reserve, Pre-academy is what ussda recommends just that very few organizations know how to execute that or make that work. Have you even wondered why the big clubs "elite", east, white, etc team end up last in there bracket in a tournament or being blow-out 15-0 in CRL?
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We played LAUFA reserves yesterday. Good team, the ball movement was good, their defense and mid were good playing out of the back thru midfield, controlling mid.
SoccerDad77
SILVER
Thanks for opening my eyes... I see it clearly now, great club!!!! Hope they continue developing players for Galaxy and LaFC for years to come when their club loses DA status after U14...
SoccerDad77
SILVER
that's great that Laufa is funded and provides opportunity for lower income families, that's an awesome opportunity for those kids. Have you ever wondered why the "privileged" as you call them AKA paid to play academies are still more successful? Pats, surf, strikers all have stronger clubs top to bottom, and to my knowledge they all charge... Interesting.
Raggamufin
BRONZE
Bitter are you, do you have a beef with LAUFA?
Let it all play out, right now with the reserves and DA practicing together makes for good competition among the boys. If they are developing players for other clubs then they must be doing something right.
Just another perspective here...my son played the LAUFA reserves in a tourney final a few weeks back. Not sure what our boys were aware of but we parents certainly knew that quite a few of their players had that academy reserve status and it showed. Strong and big back line and central midfielders but after the jitters of the first few minutes, ended up being a pretty exciting game. Our boys fell short but that's ok. But I remember making the point right after the tourney that you have to appreciate how they are doing things there with their reserve team and probably their pre-academy team as well. Just sounds like a good thing to me and frankly, its unfortunate, their academy status disappears after u14 (as mentioned above).