MLS “Considering” Pulling Out of DA

[texanincali]

I understand the reasoning behind the MLS clubs wanting to do this. However, there are dozens of non-MLS Academies that are as good or better than many of the MLS Academies.

For the life of me, I just can't see how MLS clubs could pull this off. The travel in many areas is already ridiculous and that is with the non-MLS clubs included.

How is a club like Orlando City, or Portland, or Seattle going to be able to fund their Academy teams flying around the country to play other MLS teams? This league is not making any money as it is, I just don't see how this "MLS only" league is logistically or fiscally possible.

 

[timbuck]

Heck, the euro players that come to play in the MLS complain about having to travel so far for games.

 

[outside!]

Heck, the euro players that come to play in the MLS complain about having to travel so far for games.

Europeans in general do not have a real concept of how big the US is and how far apart the cities are. I have talked to several that have come the US, bought a cheap car and driven coast to coast. One of the comments I remember is "It seemed like Texas would never end".

 

[StrikerOC]

Who are the "other quality teams"? Do they offer deals equivalent to those of MLS DA teams?

There are lots a solid non MLS DA teams out there. It will vary greatly depending on age group but just by looking at the standings the last couple years in any age bracket you see good MLS DA teams but also some real bad ones. Same is true for non MLS DA teams...

 

[espola]

There are lots a solid non MLS DA teams out there. It will vary greatly depending on age group but just by looking at the standings the last couple years in any age bracket you see good MLS DA teams but also some real bad ones. Same is true for non MLS DA teams...

"lots"? Who?

 

[StrikerOC]

"lots"? Who?

I mean, this is straight off the DA site for socal U-15. The point I m trying to make is that there is tons of talent on non MLS DA teams and every kid has a different situation. Its crazy to assume that all the top tier kids are landing on MLS teams. If you're familiar with DA in Socal you know thats not true.

 

[focomoso]

Its crazy to assume that all the top tier kids are landing on MLS teams. If you're familiar with DA in Socal you know thats not true.

Agreed. There's a real geographic issue here in LA too. I know a kid that made the Galaxy academy, whose parents aren't willing to make the crazy drive for an 11-year-old. We're thinking of leaving a non-MLS DA for the same reason. I don't think splitting the Galaxy and LAFC into their own exclusive club will help soccer in LA. It'll mean that some number of kids who are talented enough won't get the highest level of coaching.

 

[End of the Line]

MLS and USSF deserve each other.

MLS academies are a joke. They cherry pick the best youth players from their competitors by offering free participation and delusions about becoming professional soccer players. Then they go around acting like they did all the heavy lifting to develop players when, in fact, their teams are usually only good (when they're even good) because most of their players came from non-MLS clubs that were actually doing the development work when it mattered. Good luck having to fly twi

For its part, USSF is also a joke because it goes around demanding that DA clubs do things that make no financial sense at all. And it also acts like it did all the player development because it created a system that essentially leaves kids no choice but to participate in it to have any realistic hope of development. But USSF has deluded itself into thinking that having all the best youth players means it is creating better players. In reality, its stupid nationwide system and nationally-regimented requirements has only forced all the best players into a corral where it has impeded their overall progression as a collective.

In the end, neither USSF nor MLS have done anything to improve soccer here, but they have done a lot to hold it back. The best thing that could happen is MLS and USSF call each other's bluffs and blow up the DA. Then we can go back to a system in which clubs can do what is best for them and their customers, rather than USSF's one-size-fits-all and my-way-or-the-highway solution to every problem. Maybe that way clubs won't be forced to run so many kids out of soccer by the time they're 11 because it's just too expensive to pay the inflated club dues needed to subsidize a DA academy. You know, like back when the U.S. produced players good enough to qualify for the World Cup. Remember those days?

 

[Grace T.]

Don't have a dog in this particular hunt, but I'd just point out that the goal of the MLS academies is not to create great soccer teams (so the W/L statistics aren't really relevant), improve soccer generally, or give players the best coaching, or even really to develop players (which is only a secondary goal). Ultimately, it's to create professional, individual players capable of playing in the MLS or of being sent to Europe. That's the only rubric that really matters. So the relevant comparison is how are the MLS academies doing in that department vis-a-vis the non-MLS academies or even other nations (such as England). From their point of view, that's also how the DA is to be judged, at least as far as male players are concerned....to the extent those players are going on to play college that's a failure. Don't have the numbers, but that (at least as far as they are concerned) is the relevant test.