Bethesda (MLS Next) vs Achilles FC (MLS Next) vs Baltimore Armour vs Alexandria (MLS Next) vs SYC (MLS Next) experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

There are no top level clubs or organizations in the world that condones Sal's behavior as a youth soccer coach

No youth sports coaching courses or seminars would condone Sal's behavior

Haha. Same Achilles stalker. If you spent more time training your kid than complaining about Sal, he’s probably be headed to great places. But he didn’t make the cut a few years ago Ang you can’t last go.

Look in the mirror. Sal isn the problem. It’s you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

Never met anyone high in the US Soccer hierarchy that considers the DMV soft and weak with talent

You have not had any heart to hearts with NY/PA/NJ coaches then.

If you are talking high up, then no. My rebuttal would be then why does NJ/PA outnumber us in USMNT players?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know when/if Achilles will have tryouts or ID sessions? Will they have the same age groups they have this year in MLS Next (U13, U14, U16, and U19)?

This is one tryout (Achilles) I’d skip - and I’m not a Sal hater. It’s just it’s ’don’t Call us, we’ll call you type of a thing.’

Now if you:

1) know someone on team
2) your kid is technical
3) U11 or under
4) have connection to St. John’s
5) or play them in high school and he’s approached after a game than be my guest!

Otherwise it’s an hour of you watching Sal while he hobnobs with wealthy Dads.

Neither he nor Vinnie (brother) recruits from these events in any traditional sense of recruiting. They certainly don’t actively recruit like the corporate clubs- Bethesda Armor and likely poach dissatisfied DC United players!

If you make it though this is the one club that shapes USMNT, European pathways consistently. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

out of the clubs mentioned in the title i think bethesda and etc at least give the kids playing time. bethesda gives equal time to their rostered players. such lets kids play in other non mls next games if not playing the mls next game that weekend.

achilles will play their main 11 and maybe a few kids get some playing time but rest of the roster do not.

baltimore armour u17 and u19 are the worst of the teams. only 11 play real minutes and about 98 percent of the entire 90 minute game. there are 3 or 4 players who get 5 to 10 minutes at the end of the second half. the roster is close to max like 26-28 players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

Never met anyone high in the US Soccer hierarchy that considers the DMV soft and weak with talent

You have not had any heart to hearts with NY/PA/NJ coaches then.

If you are talking high up, then no. My rebuttal would be then why does NJ/PA outnumber us in USMNT players?

If NJ/PA has more youth players in the USYNT age groups, how does that make a conclusion that the DMV is soft and weak?

California having more than Florida makes Florida weak?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

Never met anyone high in the US Soccer hierarchy that considers the DMV soft and weak with talent

You have not had any heart to hearts with NY/PA/NJ coaches then.

If you are talking high up, then no. My rebuttal would be then why does NJ/PA outnumber us in USMNT players?

If NJ/PA has more youth players in the USYNT age groups, how does that make a conclusion that the DMV is soft and weak?

California having more than Florida makes Florida weak?

Do you really think your kid is strong? Do you even know what is tough?

You have not watched and played enough soccer in multiple environments to have a valid discussion. There is a reason Alexandria and SYC travel up there to play for league play. Ownership is the first step to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

Never met anyone high in the US Soccer hierarchy that considers the DMV soft and weak with talent

You have not had any heart to hearts with NY/PA/NJ coaches then.

If you are talking high up, then no. My rebuttal would be then why does NJ/PA outnumber us in USMNT players?

If NJ/PA has more youth players in the USYNT age groups, how does that make a conclusion that the DMV is soft and weak?

California having more than Florida makes Florida weak?

Do you really think your kid is strong? Do you even know what is tough?

You have not watched and played enough soccer in multiple environments to have a valid discussion. There is a reason Alexandria and SYC travel up there to play for league play. Ownership is the first step to change.

You didn't answer the question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

Never met anyone high in the US Soccer hierarchy that considers the DMV soft and weak with talent

You have not had any heart to hearts with NY/PA/NJ coaches then.

If you are talking high up, then no. My rebuttal would be then why does NJ/PA outnumber us in USMNT players?

If NJ/PA has more youth players in the USYNT age groups, how does that make a conclusion that the DMV is soft and weak?

California having more than Florida makes Florida weak?

Do you really think your kid is strong? Do you even know what is tough?

You have not watched and played enough soccer in multiple environments to have a valid discussion. There is a reason Alexandria and SYC travel up there to play for league play. Ownership is the first step to change.

You didn't answer the question

Correct. I don’t entertain attorneys and scientists with their logic arguments on this board that don’t translate into reality on the pitch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

Never met anyone high in the US Soccer hierarchy that considers the DMV soft and weak with talent

You have not had any heart to hearts with NY/PA/NJ coaches then.

If you are talking high up, then no. My rebuttal would be then why does NJ/PA outnumber us in USMNT players?

If NJ/PA has more youth players in the USYNT age groups, how does that make a conclusion that the DMV is soft and weak?

California having more than Florida makes Florida weak?

Do you really think your kid is strong? Do you even know what is tough?

You have not watched and played enough soccer in multiple environments to have a valid discussion. There is a reason Alexandria and SYC travel up there to play for league play. Ownership is the first step to change.

You didn't answer the question

Correct. I don’t entertain attorneys and scientists with their logic arguments on this board that don’t translate into reality on the pitch.

in other words, the intelligent people intimidate you because they cut through your biased emotional rhetoric

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dude! Why such vitriol against Achilles? So the club isn't your cup of tea. OK fine then and move on. The fact that for some reason you feel the need to go on and on with your gripes under the pretense that you are simply defending your arguments makes you come off as bitter and have an axe to grind against Achilles. No normal person would spend so much time in an effort to feel vindicated. If you feel BSC, Alexandria, Armour or another club are ideal, great but you don't come off as impressive by constantly droning on about Achilles. Go ahead and bash me with your next response. It will simply highlight further you are a massively insecure person.

Let’s be totally honest. PP’s kid tried out and failed at Achilles. Kid didn’t make the cut and rather than focus on his own kid’s skills, it turned into a total attack an Achilles 24x7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dude! Why such vitriol against Achilles? So the club isn't your cup of tea. OK fine then and move on. The fact that for some reason you feel the need to go on and on with your gripes under the pretense that you are simply defending your arguments makes you come off as bitter and have an axe to grind against Achilles. No normal person would spend so much time in an effort to feel vindicated. If you feel BSC, Alexandria, Armour or another club are ideal, great but you don't come off as impressive by constantly droning on about Achilles. Go ahead and bash me with your next response. It will simply highlight further you are a massively insecure person.

Let’s be totally honest. PP’s kid tried out and failed at Achilles. Kid didn’t make the cut and rather than focus on his own kid’s skills, it turned into a total attack an Achilles 24x7.

+1. Achilles (and Sal) live rent free in this guy's head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

There are no top level clubs or organizations in the world that condones Sal's behavior as a youth soccer coach

No youth sports coaching courses or seminars would condone Sal's behavior

Enough. You don't like Sal or his methods. We get it. Don't join Achilles. Have you watched any of the all-hispanic teams in the area? Some of those coaches scream and curse at kids for the whole game. Sal seems like a teddy bear in comparison. If you think competitive youth soccer around the world is a kind and gentle environment, I don't think you know much.

[Anonymous]

I miss when every thread ended up being about the Samba Boyz and not about Achilles

[Anonymous]

what happened to the samba boyz? the coach was so hilariously cringe. i assume the team broke up somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what happened to the samba boyz? the coach was so hilariously cringe. i assume the team broke up somewhere.

Nah, they are still going. Won MLS Next Cup last spring.