GDA relegation or profit

El Clasico said:
So why do so many people have trouble understanding the negativity towards the new GDA? In this very same thread, it has been acknowledged that Boys DA has been a failure while at the same time, implementing that same failing structure on what has been a successful women's side.

My experience has been on the boys side as nobody has experience on the girls side as of yet. However, that hasn't stopped a large percentage of individuals from not only jumping in with both feet, but trying to defend it to the naysayers who have already experienced it with disastrous results. I don't mind those who jump in with the hopes that it will be all that has been advertised as I can see the appeal but to defend a product that has produced no results in 10 years and has been accepted as a failure by its creator (US Soccer) demonstrates either ignorance or stupidity. And with no shortage of both, US Soccer has no incentive to improve it's product.

By the way, when I said I was confused, I was being facetious.
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I don't believe the same structure is being implemented as the Boys DA. As @Fact acknowledged above, there are differences. When you say it has produced "no results in 10 years" why do you believe that? Just this year alone, the following US Soccer Development Academy players earned Caps on the US Men's National Team:
  • Kellyn Acosta, FC Dallas
  • Paul Arriola, Arsenal FC (SoCal)
  • Steven Birnbaum, Pateadores (SoCal)
  • Ethan Horvath, Real Colorado
  • Jordan Morris, Seattle Sounders FC
  • Darlington Nagbe, Internationals
  • Christian Pulisic, PA Classics
For a development program that is only 10 years old (2007), had some growing pains and has not yet matured, I do think the jury is still out and there are more potential Pulisics in the program today than there were when Christian joined 6-7 years ago. The USSDA has not been a failure, but has made some errors and had some failures, but the program as a whole has in fact produced some great homegrown talent, some of which have furthered their training (like Pulisic) in countries with far more established youth and professional programs (a good thing).

The end game for the USSDA is complete and total residential programs that are funded by the Academies (aka MLS clubs). US Soccer knows that the "pay to play" system for soccer leaves a whole lot of talent on the side of the road. The USSDA is our best bet to eliminate the pay to play system for the top talent. Will it happen on the girls side? Only time will tell, but the ECNL won't give in that easily.
 
espola said:
What was the methodology for awarding boys DA teams? I watched it in 2007 or 8 from San Diego perspective, where it seemed like the 2 clubs with best political connections got teams, and everyone else was ignored.
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Ok I guess you are right but over time it has been awarded to deserving teams regardless of club.
 
MWN said:
I don't believe the same structure is being implemented as the Boys DA. As @Fact acknowledged above, there are differences. When you say it has produced "no results in 10 years" why do you believe that? Just this year alone, the following US Soccer Development Academy players earned Caps on the US Men's National Team:
  • Kellyn Acosta, FC Dallas
  • Paul Arriola, Arsenal FC (SoCal)
  • Steven Birnbaum, Pateadores (SoCal)
  • Ethan Horvath, Real Colorado
  • Jordan Morris, Seattle Sounders FC
  • Darlington Nagbe, Internationals
  • Christian Pulisic, PA Classics
For a development program that is only 10 years old (2007), had some growing pains and has not yet matured, I do think the jury is still out and there are more potential Pulisics in the program today than there were when Christian joined 6-7 years ago. The USSDA has not been a failure, but has made some errors and had some failures, but the program as a whole has in fact produced some great homegrown talent, some of which have furthered their training (like Pulisic) in countries with far more established youth and professional programs (a good thing).

The end game for the USSDA is complete and total residential programs that are funded by the Academies (aka MLS clubs). US Soccer knows that the "pay to play" system for soccer leaves a whole lot of talent on the side of the road. The USSDA is our best bet to eliminate the pay to play system for the top talent. Will it happen on the girls side? Only time will tell, but the ECNL won't give in that easily.
Click to expand...

Pulisic played a year in England and 2 years in Germany as a youth before he made the USMNT. I suspect the DA had very little to do with his development.
 
espola said:
Pulisic played a year in England and 2 years in Germany as a youth before he made the USMNT. I suspect the DA had very little to do with his development.
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So was he scouted by these European clubs during an AYSO game?
 
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espola said:
Pulisic played a year in England and 2 years in Germany as a youth before he made the USMNT. I suspect the DA had very little to do with his development.
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Did Pulisic play in England? Yes, Brackley Town as a uLittle from 7-8. Then he played from 2008 (age 10-17) for PA CLassics (one of the first DA clubs ... the original 64), at age 17 he moved to the US National Team training program in Florida, where he was signed to Borussia Dortmund.

2005–2006 Brackley Town[2]
2008–2015 PA Classics[3]
2015–2016 Borussia Dortmund

As a youth player, he played up two age groups and was one of the youngest USSDA players. While I think he was only in the USDA for 5 years, he nonetheless played his key development years 12-16 with PA Classsics USSDA.

The DA and competition he received in the DA was key to his development, but certainly his move at age 17 from the USSDA to Germany furthered his development. But as it stands right now, this 18 year old kid has spent more time playing in the USSDA than for any other program. FYI, he only spent 1 year in the German Youth program, making his professional debut a year later.
 
espola said:
Pulisic played a year in England and 2 years in Germany as a youth before he made the USMNT. I suspect the DA had very little to do with his development.
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Pulisic played in England for a year at age seven. He was in then in the US for the rest of his development. He was a YNT player. He was only in Germany for less than a year before he made the first team, so the notion that Germany was crucial to his development is totally overblown. Like Nagbe, a lot of credit should probably go to his father.
 
MarkM said:
Pulisic played in England for a year at age seven. He was in then in the US for the rest of his development. He was a YNT player. He was only in Germany for less than a year before he made the first team, so the notion that Germany was crucial to his development is totally overblown. Like Nagbe, a lot of credit should probably go to his father.
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Pulisic is the poster child for why the USSDA was created. Create a league and training program (4 days a week) that allows the best talent to come together, throw that talent together and see who rises. If more developed pro clubs/programs want to snatch up these youngsters from the US ... more power too them. They are still ours. The reality is that if the MLS was in the Premiere League just about every team would have been relegated to Level 2 or Level 3 or lower. For USSDA players, the best thing for the USSDA is to have these players signed oversees at this time.
 
MWN said:
Pulisic is the poster child for why the USSDA was created. Create a league and training program (4 days a week) that allows the best talent to come together, throw that talent together and see who rises. If more developed pro clubs/programs want to snatch up these youngsters from the US ... more power too them. They are still ours. The reality is that if the MLS was in the Premiere League just about every team would have been relegated to Level 2 or Level 3 or lower. For USSDA players, the best thing for the USSDA is to have these players signed oversees at this time.
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Ok, but it looks like he had to play up 2 years to get the level of competition he needed. Those kinds are players are few and far between.
 
chargerfan said:
Ok, but it looks like he had to play up 2 years to get the level of competition he needed. Those kinds are players are few and far between.
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All really good kids play up. Pulisic was/is playing up in Germany too.

The problem in the US is that we don't have any place to develop these great boys once they hit 15 or 16 (playing up becomes less effective). In Europe, they are at pro clubs developing. With the exception of the MSL academy teams, we don't have that system. Some get to Europe, but that is difficult given the restrictions for youth players in Europe. Pulisic was lucky to have the Croatian connection.
 
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chargerfan said:
Ok, but it looks like he had to play up 2 years to get the level of competition he needed. Those kinds are players are few and far between.
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Yep, and US Soccer knows this and the USSDA is intended to give those kids a place to play against kids their own age or just a year older. We have all seen kids playing up an age (heck my son is), but its a special player that can play up against top level competition. All we need is to find 26 of these kids and give them a forum and opportunity to develop and we have a winning USMNT, the rest can go play the MLS and the balance can go play college ... according to the blueprint.
 
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