God
SILVER ELITE
Only Futbol Club worth mentioning in the Inland Empire was Chivas USA. That, was an academy.
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Academy season
- Thread starter Myleftfoot
- Start date
younothat
PREMIER
Arsenal & Golden State in the IE?
Chivas USA had a good youth program as long as the $ flowed, when the coaches weren't getting paid and the $ stop coming in the program started to fall apart, that and when the ownership thought it was a good idea to favor players of a certain nationality. Although have been impressed with the Chivas Mexico coaches and training methods.
God
SILVER ELITE
Culchie's comment read :
"25 RECREATIONAL clubs have come and gone just in the Inland Empire since 1979"
Arsenal pay-to-play is still around.
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La Pulga
BRONZE
I'm wondering if anyone has any insights on Pats 03 academy. A few years ago they were the team to beat. They looked like they were missing impact players they once had with them just years ago. While it was a scrimmage there is a big gap between Galaxy and them in our last practice game. Please don't say they were hiding their aces.
mahrez
SILVER ELITE
Time and the players changed. Some went to other academies and where 02's.
Pats try to move the ball around and play the subs, their 2nd keeper could use some more experience. They might struggle with some of the better teams early but check back at the end of season. TC knows how to develop.
SoccerDad77
SILVER
The team that won state cup years back was primarily 02s.... Not a deep talent pool of 03s, in any of the branches.... So what you saw is the product of last minute recruiting and trying to piece together a competitive Team with no real base to build off of.... Or in other words, the Pats MO
It is a new team, but how is Pats recruiting to build a team different than what Galaxy 03 Academy team did?
Galaxy were definitely the better team, and it is almost a completely different team from last year's team, very few players from last year's 03 academy team, and a brand new coach!
Are you telling me that all the great new players wearing the Galaxy shirt were developed from within? Because if that's what you're saying, then I've seen their identical twin brothers last year wearing TFA shirts, Golden State Academy shirts, LAUFA shirts, Chivas Academy shirts, Pats shirts, Fullerton Rangers shirts, Strikers shirts.
In fact, I'm pretty sure the brand new developed from within Galaxy coach had two identical twin brothers, one who used to wear a Chivas coaching shirt and the other a Strikers coaching shirt.
SoccerDad77
SILVER
Because galaxy is Galaxy... The only professional academy program in Southern California. They're full funded with the most resources and best facilities... So obviously they get first dibs on whoever they want and it is their duty as a pro organization to find/recruit/develop/steal the 1%ers who can eventually be homegrown players, giving them first rights to sign elite talent level at a lower cost, a la Jordan Morris, yedlin, etc... that's every MLS academies goal. So it makes sense from their perspective, no?
Now, why would a non-professional club operate in this way? Just recruit and sign the majority of kids outside the club. Just to "compete"at that level? There isn't even standings for u12-u14!!! How about those thousands of kids from all of those teams in the club???? What is the purpose of all of those teams and branches? What do those coaches get paid for? You see my point...
No I don't get your point. Of the hundreds maybe thousands of players Galaxy has churned through their academy, only one, Gyasi Zardes, was worth anything. The rest of their homegrown signings have been spot starters or depth only. If you look at Galaxy's roster the starters are almost exclusively developed by other countries, other clubs.
Your point, that Galaxy has a duty to pick off the 1% to stock their pro roster, can't be right because all that effort to get one starter is just a horrible return on investment.
My opinion is that academy status is a marketing point for pay to play clubs, including Galaxy, and it's easier to market and charge more when your academy teams are winning. All the academy teams will try to win through a combo of training/developing from within and recruiting when they can't build the talent they need.
SoccerDad77
SILVER
You're absolutely right... So maybe their not recruiting the right players? Or maybe nobody is? Every MLS team has an academy, and all of them struggle to sign first team players that make an impact outside of Fc Dallas who seem to have something special going. They've signed like 13 academy players to their first team!... But back to the point, Galaxy fully funds their program, so they heavily invest in trying to acquire the best youth players in the local area. If they had a residency, they would have an even bigger radius of players to recruit from... I see your point. I just think a better marketing tool would be to say "80-90% of our academy players were developed from within our program, so that is why you want to join us!". But that would require actually coaching and trying to make kids better...
mahrez
SILVER ELITE
Galaxy spends a lot of $ on there academy program, more than anybody but the return on investment to turn those into 1st team players has not been great. The kids get into college soccer or become mules for the Galaxy II, loaned out or whatever and the 1st team buys more players developed elsewhere to fill the seats.
You rarely here how happy players are on the Galaxy academy teams, not a lot of joy, don't know if it's expectations, pressure, or what but the turnstile of players and coaches coming & going makes for a interest development environment. Ever notice how the Galaxy academy teams start so strong but end up fading at the end of the season?
You rarely here how happy players are on the Galaxy academy teams, not a lot of joy, don't know if it's expectations, pressure, or what but the turnstile of players and coaches coming & going makes for a interest development environment. Ever notice how the Galaxy academy teams start so strong but end up fading at the end of the season?
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SoccerDad77
SILVER
No I didn't notice that. But I did notice they are in the semis or finals of the academy playoffs every season so the fading at the end sounds exaggerated.... On all of the other points, I couldn't agree more. Player turnover, coaching turnover. Very odd
Politics:
Academy, et al, starting on Labor Day weekend is no accident, it's a sad commentary on the manipulation of youth soccer in So Cal with prejudice and malice a forethought. Accommodate teams that wish to participate in Labor Day weekend tournaments-like starting the weekend after; what happened to consideration and cooperation? By mid season the same 105 howitzers will be in the top half and the same pellet guns will bring up the rear.
Academy, et al, starting on Labor Day weekend is no accident, it's a sad commentary on the manipulation of youth soccer in So Cal with prejudice and malice a forethought. Accommodate teams that wish to participate in Labor Day weekend tournaments-like starting the weekend after; what happened to consideration and cooperation? By mid season the same 105 howitzers will be in the top half and the same pellet guns will bring up the rear.
mahrez
SILVER ELITE
Last year the U14/5 team dropped 2 out of last 3 league games. U15/16 lost 3 out there last 4 league games but still finished top and went on nice playoff run but came up short vs dallas. Over 30 players in one year for that team on the roster. U17/18 2-2-2 last six games, tied and Lost in playoffs.
Labor day should be for vacations, no tournaments or league but hey seems to start earlier every year.
SoccerDad77
SILVER
Did you consider that their teams were already guaranteed a playoff spot by the end of the season? So there could be various reasons for the dip in form.. little motivation for the players, coaches decide to not play the top players as much to avoid injury, resting banged up players, Etc... Who knows, but when the chips are on the table they always seem to be in at least one final, and often both semis. Outside of Dallas, can't think of any other academy having that much success. Can you?
Who cares about tournaments at that age? Sorry Celtic, once U12 academy starts, the landscape changes... Now if you wanted to argue that holiday weekends should be spent honoring America and drinking beers, then I'm with you!!!
Bagby
BRONZE
No insight but it seems pretty clear that most every team save for maybe GS in this age group got wrecked by the age group change.
Doesn't seem to be a deep pool of quality 03's around, period. The U13 impact players were generally 02's, and the U12 impact players are now facing boys with maybe 10 months more testosterone exposure.
SoccerDad77
SILVER
So this age group just happened to be missing? Were children in SoCal not born in the year 2003? That makes no sense... Couldn't you say the same about every age group pre-birth year change then? If u12 impact players were 03s, and u13 was generally 02s, then was u14 generally 01... There must be no good players born January-July.
It's a complicated question. I am not going to sit here criticizing how Galaxy does things because my son has played against a lot of Galaxy players from different Galaxy teams, and their players in general were very technical and well coached. And their 03 academy team is clearly top notch, just loaded with fantastic players.
I think it is a rare player that has the innate athletic ability combined with the requisite soccer skills to be a regular player on a pro team. Zardes, for example, is a skilled player, but I've seen lots of players with skill equal to or better than him. But how many pros have his burst or his ability to jump through the roof. I think if you coach up a kid with really good, but not great athletic talent, you end up with spot starter or a reserve.
I also believe it is hard to find kids with the hunger to be pro soccer players under a pay to play system. It takes money to develop soccer players in the US, and kids from families with money are not that hungry. I'd love to push my kid harder and make him practice more, but if he doesn't get to play Pokemon go or Instagram with his friends, he is going to end up unhappy and not want to play.
La Pulga
BRONZE
Soccerdad I wasn't meaning to put down the Pats organization. Just referencing this 03 team current performance. Was your son cut from pats ? Or are you a rival coach? Your coming off as a twerp in all your post.