MLS Youth Academies

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Postseason scheduled to open for 32 teams — 18 MLS academies — on Friday

USSF Dev. Academy players to watch

Along with the playoffs, every team in the Development Academy will descend on Frisco, with the non-playoff teams taking part in a series of showcase games in an effort to get players a chance to play in front of college and pro scouts.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...-mls-academies

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Who cares about the MLS?

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Dev. Academy Notes: MLS sides advance to Finals

Five MLS teams headed to championship; Union to face Everton

A total of 64 sides were whittled down to 16 over the past weekend as the 2011 USSF Development Academy playoffs were held in Frisco, Texas.

The 16 group winners—eight at the U-16 level and eight at the U-18 level—advanced to Finals Week, which begins July 9 in Milwaukee.

Five MLS academies will send teams to Wisconsin next week. Seattle Sounders FC, LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake will all be represented at the U-16 level, while the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas won their respective U-18s group.

New York’s rampage through Group 2 was particularly impressive and they defeated Real Salt Lake, 3-0, to clinch the group in their third game of the playoffs. Leading U-18 goal-scorer Brandon Allen continues to excel, and New York also got contributions from top prospects Brian Gallego and Dan Metzger

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...advance-finals

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Dev. Academy Notes: Villareal fires Pateadores to U-18 title

LA Galaxy U-16s set up championship date with Union affiliate

Two goals by forward Jose Villareal clinched the 2011 Development Academy championship for Pateadores, who won 2-1 against 10-man FC Dallas squad on Friday afternoon in Milwaukee.

The championship featured two of the best U-18 teams in the nation, as FC Dallas, one of the top MLS clubs in producing young talent, faced Pateadores, an Orange County, Calif., club that only qualified thanks to two late goals on Wednesday.

Other MLS Academies at Finals Week

Seattle’s heavy loss on Thursday meant a third-place finish in Group 1, and they’ll take on the North Carolina Fusion on Saturday to wrap up their Finals Week experience.

The New York Red Bulls U-18s couldn’t overcome an opening-day loss to the eventual champion Pateadores, and they will aim for a fifth-place finish when they take on Baltimore Bays Chelsea on Friday afternoon.

They got the result they need on Thursday, but Real Salt Lake’s U-16s didn’t get the help required to advance to the Finals. Needing a draw between PA Classics and North Carolina Fusion, the Pennsylvania club’s 3-0 win over the Fusion consigned RSL-AZ to a second-place finish in Group 2 and the third-place game.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...res-u-18-title

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Real Salt Lake hires Vasquez to lead academy program

Ex-Chivas USA coach joins Ariz.-based program; FW Agorsor signs

LEHI, Utah — Real Salt Lake on Thursday named Martin Vasquez as their head coach and director of soccer operations for the club's RSL-Arizona academy program.

Vasquez will also serve as director of soccer for Grande Sports World and Grande Sports Academy in Casa Grande, Ariz., where the RSL academy program is based.

Interestingly, Vasquez is the former head coach of Chivas USA, where former RSL academy head Greg Vanney now serves as an assistant coach. Vasquez comes on board after an extensive search following the departure of Vanney.

“Real Salt Lake is excited to add a coach of Martin’s caliber to our youth program,” RSL's general manager Garth Lagerwey said in a statement. “We looking forward to working with him to prepare our academy players for the next level.”

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...cademy-program

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Generation adidas U-17 Cup

Group A
D.C. United
Houston Dynamo
San Jose Earthquakes
Columbus Crew

Group B
FC Dallas
Philadelphia Union
Sporting Kansas City
Seattle Sounders

Group C
Chivas USA
Toronto FC
Colorado Rapids
New England Revolution

Group D
LA Galaxy
New York Red Bulls
Chicago Fire
Real Salt Lake

Gen adidas Cup recap: Chivas, DC, LA, FCD win groups

Four teams to vie for spot in final of championship bracket

FRISCO, Texas — Defending Generation adidas Cup champions D.C. United qualified for the semifinals of the 2011 edition by virtue of a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.

DC, who won on the ensuing penalty kicks, denied Houston a first-place finishing in Group A with the win, as the Dynamo drew Columbus by a 0-0 score and the Texas club won on penalties. US Under-17 goalkeeper Fernando Piña was a stalwart in goal for Houston in the penalty kicks, but the result still leaves them second in the group and out of the running for the championship.

Facing DC in the semifinals are FC Dallas, hosts of this year’s tournament. FCD finished the unbeaten in Group B after winning 3-1 against Seattle Sounders.

The other group winners were Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy. Chivas defeated New England 2-0, winning their third group game — the only U-17 side in Frisco to win all three group games — and take top spot in Group C.

The Galaxy topped Group D by goal differential, winning 2-0 over Real Salt Lake, earning the semifinal berth through virtue of outscoring the New York Red Bulls, who beat Chicago 2-0 and finished equal on points with LA.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/generationa...ps-u-17-ga-cup

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Superclásico brewing in Gen adidas Cup

Chivas USA, Galaxy academy teams square off in Friday semifinal

The two Southern California sides have been amongst the best teams in the competition. Kevin de la Torre scored all four goals in Chivas USA’s first game of the week, a 4-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on Monday. The young Goats face a challenge in dealing with an extremely talented group of Galaxy players that includes US Under-17 World Cup representatives Mario Rodriguez and Paul Arriola, as well as Justin and Sean Dhillon, members of the Galaxy side that won the US U-16 Development Academy championship

The other semifinal will be contested between two top sides: FC Dallas and D.C. United. FCD boast a strong lineup ripe with veterans of the recent U-17 World Cup, including Mexico’s winning 'keeper Richard Sanchez, and US representatives Kellyn Acosta and Alfred Koroma.

“They have an advantage playing at home, and they are a team that have also played a long time together,” DC assistant coach Sonny Silooy said of Dallas.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/generationa...gen-adidas-cup


The other 12 U-17 teams that didn’t qualify for the semifinals will be in action in placement games to determine the finishing spots over the course of the weekend.

Other Games (all times Central)

6:30 pm Columbus vs. Seattle Sounders
6:30 pm New England vs. Real Salt Lake
6:30 pm San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City
6:30 pm Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire
6:30 pm Houston vs. Philadelphia
8:30 pm Toronto FC vs. New York Red Bulls
8:30 pm DC United vs. FC Dallas
8:30 pm Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy

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Galaxy top Chivas, book Sunday date with FC Dallas in U-17 Cup

Lively SuperClasico goes to LA, while FCD unseat reigning champions DC

Other action on Friday included a frenetic finish between Sporting KC and San Jose. With Sporting down 4-2 with two minutes remaining, Nate Opperman scoring twice in those last two minutes to earn a 4-4 draw — with KC winning 5-4 on penalty kicks.

Other U-17 results:
Columbus Crew 1, Seattle Sounders 1 (Crew win on PKs, 3-1)
Chicago Fire 3, Colorado Rapids 1
Toronto FC 2, New York Red Bulls 1
Real Salt Lake 4, New England Revolution 2
Philadelphia 2, Houston 1

http://www.mlssoccer.com/generationa...allas-u-17-cup

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GA Cup Recap: Galaxy beat FC Dallas 2-0 for the title
Goals from Velasquez, Rodriguez seal it for LA; RBNY win U-15 Showcase


FRISCO, Texas — A goal on either side of halftime paced the LA Galaxy to a 2-0 win over FC Dallas in the Under-17 championship at the Generation adidas Cup.

Sebastian Velasquez and Mario Rodriguez grabbed the goals, as the Galaxy secured their second major trophy of the summer after winning the USSF Development Academy U-16 Championship at Finals Week earlier in the month.

As the busy tournament came to an end, the heat and number of games caught up with the players in Sunday’s final.

“Both teams were completely shot today,” LA coach Kenny Arena said.
“In this heat, to play five games in seven days, it’s nearly impossible.”

http://www.mlssoccer.com/generationa...llas-2-0-title

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Former MLSers thrive in club academy coaching roles
Recent tournament a chance for ex-players to pass on knowledge


Manning the sidelines for each squad were former MLS players — Danny Dichio and Jim Brennan for Toronto FC, and Alecko Eskandarian and Jim Curtin for Philadelphia Union — a growing trend in academy circles around the league.

“I think it’s a good thing,” Curtin told MLSsoccer.com of players going the coaching route. “The more ex-players that get involved, the better. It’s a newer league, still unique rules we’re familiar with.”

Curtin and Eskandarian (pictured above, at far left and far right, during their playing days) in particular have been working together for only a short time as the latter recently came on as the Union’s youth technical director. The two were teammates at Chivas USA, which helps the adjustment process.

“We’re familiar with each other, we challenge each other,” Curtin said. “I’m more the defensive mind, he’s the attacking mind so it’s good.”

http://www.mlssoccer.com/generationa...coaching-roles

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Whitecaps Residency developing Canada's future stars
"Top-notch academy" program to expand with 3 more categories

VANCOUVER, B.C. — While the Vancouver Whitecaps have struggled to find their feet at times in their first MLS season, the club’s future stars have helped Canada’s Under-17 program to one of its best years ever.

The Whitecaps Residency program played a big part, and with an expansion scheduled for next month, that contribution to the national setup is set to grow.

Things are set to get even better for young players and the Canadian national program — the Whitecaps will be expanding their Residency program in September to include the U-14, U-16 and U-18 categories, in addition to the U-17 and U-19 teams.

The program’s expansion — announced back in April — means the number of players in Residency will grow from the current 25 to more than 80 players.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...s-future-stars

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DC Academy coaches reflect on Generation adidas Cup
Switch to 4-3-3 key change; Robinson, Martin, Foss show potential


FRISCO, Texas — A long year for D.C. United’s Academy finally came to an end last weekend with the conclusion of the Generation adidas Cup.

From a results perspective, there was mixed news: DC’s U-17s finished fourth, wrapping up the week with a tough 6-0 loss against Chivas USA, while the U-15s managed their only win of the week on Sunday, defeating Houston 2-1.

One of the biggest goals of the past week — and the entire season — was to continue to implement the 4-3-3 system at the academy levels, a process that will be overseen by former Ajax player and DC assistant coach Sonny Silooy.

“It’s better for the players — I know that because I played it all my life,” Silooy said. “It’s more fun to watch more attacking soccer. We want to be dominant, to play in the half of the opponent.”

Of course, this is a plan that can’t be put in place overnight, and in the last half of the Development Academy season, DC made the switch. It led to a rather successful run for both the U-16s and U-18s that came to an end in the Academy playoffs, before attention switched to the Generation adidas Cup last week.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...ion-adidas-cup

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Eight standout MLS academy players headed to college

With the season weeks away, we look at academies' top prospects

A number of top college recruits are affiliated with MLS clubs across the US, and with most preseason camps across the country opening on Wednesday, there were plenty of academy players looking to integrate themselves before the new season starts in two weeks.

With that, here are eight players to watch this coming year (MLS academy teams listed in parentheses):

F Sean Okoli, Wake Forest (Seattle Sounders FC)
A forward/winger who scored 13 goals in 22 games for Seattle’s U-18 side, Okoli is going to be a big addition to Wake Forest’s offense this year as they look to recover from a disappointing 2011.

“He's a player with tremendous potential,” Wake Forest coach Jay Vidovich said in a press release. “He has soft feet and the pace to stretch other teams, and also [knows] how to combine with other players.”

D Boyd Okuwonu, North Carolina (FC Dallas)
FC Dallas’ youth program continues to groom exciting young prospects, and Okuwonu was part of the US U-18 side that competed at the recent Milk Cup. A versatile and athletic defender, Okuwonu can player either in the middle or on the right side of the back line. He’ll compete to start right off the bat.

MF Wil Trapp, Akron (Columbus Crew)
One of the Crew’s best prospects at the moment, Trapp (above right) is a central midfielder with good technique, athleticism and an innate ability to read the game. He’ll look to play a big part in Akron’s rebuilding project.

“I think he's going to excel at Akron and he’s a guy we’re certainly keeping an eye on,” Crew GM Brian Bliss told MLSsoccer.com earlier in the year.

D Jack Coleman, Indiana (FC Dallas)
The defender and captain of FC Dallas’ U-18 team that came up just short in the Developement Academy Finals should thrive under Todd Yeagley in his freshman year at Indiana. A tough and tenacious defender, he’ll continue to improve at the next level.

D/MF Tyler Rudy, Georgetown (D.C. United)
Another versatile talent, Rudy will stay local and play at nearby Georgetown after a successful stint with DC’s Academy. Rudy, who can play in central midfield or as an outside back, held his own in a reserve match with DC earlier in the year.

GK Keith Cardona, Maryland (New York Red Bulls)
With the departure of Zac MacMath to MLS after last fall, Maryland is in need of a new starting goalkeeper, and Red Bulls Academy product Cardona will fight for that chance. A good shot-stopper with a large 6-foot-4 frame, he’ll need to stay healthy in order to take the next step.

“Keith is a terrific young goalkeeper with tremendous potential,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said in a press release. "He has all of the qualities necessary to have a big impact in our program."

D DeAndre Yedlin, Akron (Seattle Sounders FC)
The heir apparent to Houston’s Kofi Sarkodie at right back, Yedlin is another exciting Seattle prospect heading to a big-time program. He’ll join forces at Akron with Caleb Porter, who spotted Yedlin at a US U-18 camp (Porter is an assistant with the U-18s).

MF Sean Davis, Duke (New York Red Bulls)
A workhorse for New York’s U-18s team last year, Davis is a former US Residency player from Bradenton, Fla., who is part of a loaded recruiting class for Duke. He’ll help the Blue Devils replace the Crew’s Cole Grossman.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...headed-college

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2012 Development Academy Finals Week



http://www.ussoccer.com/Live/2012-Finals-Week.aspx

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Future All-Stars?

Five standouts of USSF Academy Finals

HOUSTON – In Philadelphia, they're celebrating the MLS All-Stars of the present. This past week here in south Texas, they're minting the All-Stars of the future.

Youth was on display this past week at the Houston Amateur Sports Park, where US Soccer held their Academy Finals for the last eight days in front of hordes of fans and scouts. And with the FC Dallas U-18s and the New York Red Bulls U-16s making it an MLS sweep on the team side, here are five players, plus one, who stood out. Maybe they'll be gracing the field at the 2017 MLS All-Star Game...

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...academy-finals

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MLS announces partnership with French Football Federation


Major League Soccer and the French Football Federation (FFF) have announced a partnership aimed at providing MLS academy coaches with world class training through a 16-month development course and earning their Elite Formation Coaching License.

The FFF will host the MLS delegation at its Clairefontaine national training facility and guide the youth directors through the same program as the one it provides its domestic coaches; however, the EFCL program will include customized features developed by MLS, the United States Soccer Federation and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).

"We are incredibly excited about this new partnership with the French Football Federation,” said MLS executive vice president of player relations & competition Todd Durbin in a statement. "As part of our vision to be among the top leagues in the world by 2022, we are committed to becoming leaders in the area of player development. This initiative will provide an important learning opportunity for MLS youth academies."

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...all-federation