DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did anyone say DCU is the best fit for every player in the DMV?

Comment actually said for personal reasons a family may want to go elsewhere

The point is, as long as you're in America until 18 years old, there is no significant difference in probability of making it to the highest international levels regardless of which MLS Club Academy you're in.

If you're not the elite and exceptional of the 1% in the academies, the MLS academy doesn't make a difference in the long run.

U15, U16, U17 MLS Next championships ain't diddly squat when the goal is Division 1 European league contract.

Homegrown signings say otherwise. The teams with the most kids going pro are teams with better funding. Just because it's not Europe doesn't mean you settle for a lesser environment. You might look down on MLS, but it's the highest league you can play here and I'd say every academy kid strives for a contract.

DCU doesn't have Homegrown signings?

Please provide the metrics that show funding allotment per player and measurable levels of associated attributed professional success for all academies?

Only Homegrown signings end-up playing in MLS?

DCU kids aren't going to good colleges?

If college is the goal, sure, DCU is sufficient... as is any other MLS Next or ECNL team. The players in academies are dreaming of going pro, with college as plan b. The outside academies listed here have almost double the amount of homegrown signings than DCU and they've been around for almost 30 years? Use that as a benchmark for effectiveness in developing pro players. Maybe, just maybe, the other academies have stronger development programs or better talent identification.

And no, I won't spend time digging up impossible metrics and measures. You can plainly see it, those proofs have been listed out in 20 pages.

So there is proof but they can't be measured, quantified, no data, no evidence? 😉

Just someone repeating their feelings lol

[Anonymous]

Where is this list that shows how much each mls academy spends on each player for 2024/25 season or 23/24?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the first team missed the playoffs for the 5th straight season after only needing a tie at home to clinch. I guess it all starts from the top anyways.

Philly Union
NY Red Bulls
FC Dallas

None have ever won MLS Cup and only 1 finals each

Their academy and homegrown products must suck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many players started at DCU Academy since MLS Next began, left for another MLS Academy and is now on a USYNT or U21's or Olympic team or the Men's Senior team?

How the heck is anyone supposed to know that. But here's a fact. There are no DCU players on any USYNT. Sure some end up signing with their first team, but not as many as other academies with better funding.

Wait, you come here giving your toxic opinion and drinking the haterade about how much greater Philly, NYRB and LA Galaxy is as an academy and DC kids should run to them but you can't say what successes DCU transfers are having at these much better academies?

So you're full of hot air

Not an opinion, all facts have been repeatedly posted about what's lacking at DCU. You're just in denial. I don't know DCU kids that transferred, who's crazy enough to track all that. Tell us why DCU is so great if a player has multiple options?

So you're admitting your criticisms and opinions are just your feelings with some soft truth sprinkled in here and there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did anyone say DCU is the best fit for every player in the DMV?

Comment actually said for personal reasons a family may want to go elsewhere

The point is, as long as you're in America until 18 years old, there is no significant difference in probability of making it to the highest international levels regardless of which MLS Club Academy you're in.

If you're not the elite and exceptional of the 1% in the academies, the MLS academy doesn't make a difference in the long run.

U15, U16, U17 MLS Next championships ain't diddly squat when the goal is Division 1 European league contract.

Homegrown signings say otherwise. The teams with the most kids going pro are teams with better funding. Just because it's not Europe doesn't mean you settle for a lesser environment. You might look down on MLS, but it's the highest league you can play here and I'd say every academy kid strives for a contract.

DCU doesn't have Homegrown signings?

Please provide the metrics that show funding allotment per player and measurable levels of associated attributed professional success for all academies?

Only Homegrown signings end-up playing in MLS?

DCU kids aren't going to good colleges?

If college is the goal, sure, DCU is sufficient... as is any other MLS Next or ECNL team. The players in academies are dreaming of going pro, with college as plan b. The outside academies listed here have almost double the amount of homegrown signings than DCU and they've been around for almost 30 years? Use that as a benchmark for effectiveness in developing pro players. Maybe, just maybe, the other academies have stronger development programs or better talent identification.

And no, I won't spend time digging up impossible metrics and measures. You can plainly see it, those proofs have been listed out in 20 pages.

Where is the homegrown list and how many of them play for the Men's National Team and in Europe today for D1 teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did anyone say DCU is the best fit for every player in the DMV?

Comment actually said for personal reasons a family may want to go elsewhere

The point is, as long as you're in America until 18 years old, there is no significant difference in probability of making it to the highest international levels regardless of which MLS Club Academy you're in.

If you're not the elite and exceptional of the 1% in the academies, the MLS academy doesn't make a difference in the long run.

U15, U16, U17 MLS Next championships ain't diddly squat when the goal is Division 1 European league contract.

Homegrown signings say otherwise. The teams with the most kids going pro are teams with better funding. Just because it's not Europe doesn't mean you settle for a lesser environment. You might look down on MLS, but it's the highest league you can play here and I'd say every academy kid strives for a contract.

DCU doesn't have Homegrown signings?

Please provide the metrics that show funding allotment per player and measurable levels of associated attributed professional success for all academies?

Only Homegrown signings end-up playing in MLS?

DCU kids aren't going to good colleges?

If college is the goal, sure, DCU is sufficient... as is any other MLS Next or ECNL team. The players in academies are dreaming of going pro, with college as plan b. The outside academies listed here have almost double the amount of homegrown signings than DCU and they've been around for almost 30 years? Use that as a benchmark for effectiveness in developing pro players. Maybe, just maybe, the other academies have stronger development programs or better talent identification.

And no, I won't spend time digging up impossible metrics and measures. You can plainly see it, those proofs have been listed out in 20 pages.

As it was said in a previous post, football at this level is a margins game. Can you go to college from any MLS, MLS next, ECNL program? Yes you can. But it is about maximizing your child's chances of getting better opportunities. Better training means a better player which means better opportunities. It's the difference between a top tier D1 program and a low tier D1 program. The differences are pretty big in the overall talent in these two programs and the player trajectory at the youth level.

Agree with the homegrown data and using that as a benchmark. DCU is one of the oldest, if not the oldest club in the league. But yet it struggles to produce homegrown players at the same rate as it's younger MLS counterparts. There is only one place to look to understand why DCU can't keep the pace up in the development of its own pros. THE ACADEMY.

This has been said before, if you're trying to be a professional footballer, DCU is a VERY difficult place to achieve that because the academy is just not in the business of producing pros. Remember the MLS is a business first. DCU doesn't believe the academy is a money maker and, they are top 10 in revenue generation in the league so they have a strong sense of how they want to make money (the academy isn't one of those ways). DCU at the academy level is in the business of 1. Satisfying the league by having an academy (remember it was reducing it's commitment to the academy by cutting its younger teams in 2015 despite being pay to play) 2. Spending the least amount of money as possible to keep the academy afloat and credible and 3.Beating the local clubs to maintain its competitive advantage in recruitment (which it is not consistently doing at all age groups and which necessitates win now teams).

And to the PP who said MLS academies aren't close to Europe and you have a very small chance of going to a top tier European club from the MLS, that is a fact. But it is all we have in this country unfortunately. So we have to work with what we have. MLS academies are getting better, but many of them are improving at a rate that is just faster than DCU.

How much money in the past 5 years has the Philly Union and Red Bulls academies generated in earnings for their organizations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did anyone say DCU is the best fit for every player in the DMV?

Comment actually said for personal reasons a family may want to go elsewhere

The point is, as long as you're in America until 18 years old, there is no significant difference in probability of making it to the highest international levels regardless of which MLS Club Academy you're in.

If you're not the elite and exceptional of the 1% in the academies, the MLS academy doesn't make a difference in the long run.

U15, U16, U17 MLS Next championships ain't diddly squat when the goal is Division 1 European league contract.

Homegrown signings say otherwise. The teams with the most kids going pro are teams with better funding. Just because it's not Europe doesn't mean you settle for a lesser environment. You might look down on MLS, but it's the highest league you can play here and I'd say every academy kid strives for a contract.

DCU doesn't have Homegrown signings?

Please provide the metrics that show funding allotment per player and measurable levels of associated attributed professional success for all academies?

Only Homegrown signings end-up playing in MLS?

DCU kids aren't going to good colleges?

If college is the goal, sure, DCU is sufficient... as is any other MLS Next or ECNL team. The players in academies are dreaming of going pro, with college as plan b. The outside academies listed here have almost double the amount of homegrown signings than DCU and they've been around for almost 30 years? Use that as a benchmark for effectiveness in developing pro players. Maybe, just maybe, the other academies have stronger development programs or better talent identification.

And no, I won't spend time digging up impossible metrics and measures. You can plainly see it, those proofs have been listed out in 20 pages.

As it was said in a previous post, football at this level is a margins game. Can you go to college from any MLS, MLS next, ECNL program? Yes you can. But it is about maximizing your child's chances of getting better opportunities. Better training means a better player which means better opportunities. It's the difference between a top tier D1 program and a low tier D1 program. The differences are pretty big in the overall talent in these two programs and the player trajectory at the youth level.

Agree with the homegrown data and using that as a benchmark. DCU is one of the oldest, if not the oldest club in the league. But yet it struggles to produce homegrown players at the same rate as it's younger MLS counterparts. There is only one place to look to understand why DCU can't keep the pace up in the development of its own pros. THE ACADEMY.

This has been said before, if you're trying to be a professional footballer, DCU is a VERY difficult place to achieve that because the academy is just not in the business of producing pros. Remember the MLS is a business first. DCU doesn't believe the academy is a money maker and, they are top 10 in revenue generation in the league so they have a strong sense of how they want to make money (the academy isn't one of those ways). DCU at the academy level is in the business of 1. Satisfying the league by having an academy (remember it was reducing it's commitment to the academy by cutting its younger teams in 2015 despite being pay to play) 2. Spending the least amount of money as possible to keep the academy afloat and credible and 3.Beating the local clubs to maintain its competitive advantage in recruitment (which it is not consistently doing at all age groups and which necessitates win now teams).

And to the PP who said MLS academies aren't close to Europe and you have a very small chance of going to a top tier European club from the MLS, that is a fact. But it is all we have in this country unfortunately. So we have to work with what we have. MLS academies are getting better, but many of them are improving at a rate that is just faster than DCU.

"MLS academies are getting better, but many of them are improving at a rate that is just faster than DCU"

How is this measured?
Can we see the results?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did anyone say DCU is the best fit for every player in the DMV?

Comment actually said for personal reasons a family may want to go elsewhere

The point is, as long as you're in America until 18 years old, there is no significant difference in probability of making it to the highest international levels regardless of which MLS Club Academy you're in.

If you're not the elite and exceptional of the 1% in the academies, the MLS academy doesn't make a difference in the long run.

U15, U16, U17 MLS Next championships ain't diddly squat when the goal is Division 1 European league contract.

Homegrown signings say otherwise. The teams with the most kids going pro are teams with better funding. Just because it's not Europe doesn't mean you settle for a lesser environment. You might look down on MLS, but it's the highest league you can play here and I'd say every academy kid strives for a contract.

DCU doesn't have Homegrown signings?

Please provide the metrics that show funding allotment per player and measurable levels of associated attributed professional success for all academies?

Only Homegrown signings end-up playing in MLS?

DCU kids aren't going to good colleges?

If college is the goal, sure, DCU is sufficient... as is any other MLS Next or ECNL team. The players in academies are dreaming of going pro, with college as plan b. The outside academies listed here have almost double the amount of homegrown signings than DCU and they've been around for almost 30 years? Use that as a benchmark for effectiveness in developing pro players. Maybe, just maybe, the other academies have stronger development programs or better talent identification.

And no, I won't spend time digging up impossible metrics and measures. You can plainly see it, those proofs have been listed out in 20 pages.

As it was said in a previous post, football at this level is a margins game. Can you go to college from any MLS, MLS next, ECNL program? Yes you can. But it is about maximizing your child's chances of getting better opportunities. Better training means a better player which means better opportunities. It's the difference between a top tier D1 program and a low tier D1 program. The differences are pretty big in the overall talent in these two programs and the player trajectory at the youth level.

Agree with the homegrown data and using that as a benchmark. DCU is one of the oldest, if not the oldest club in the league. But yet it struggles to produce homegrown players at the same rate as it's younger MLS counterparts. There is only one place to look to understand why DCU can't keep the pace up in the development of its own pros. THE ACADEMY.

This has been said before, if you're trying to be a professional footballer, DCU is a VERY difficult place to achieve that because the academy is just not in the business of producing pros. Remember the MLS is a business first. DCU doesn't believe the academy is a money maker and, they are top 10 in revenue generation in the league so they have a strong sense of how they want to make money (the academy isn't one of those ways). DCU at the academy level is in the business of 1. Satisfying the league by having an academy (remember it was reducing it's commitment to the academy by cutting its younger teams in 2015 despite being pay to play) 2. Spending the least amount of money as possible to keep the academy afloat and credible and 3.Beating the local clubs to maintain its competitive advantage in recruitment (which it is not consistently doing at all age groups and which necessitates win now teams).

And to the PP who said MLS academies aren't close to Europe and you have a very small chance of going to a top tier European club from the MLS, that is a fact. But it is all we have in this country unfortunately. So we have to work with what we have. MLS academies are getting better, but many of them are improving at a rate that is just faster than DCU.

I'm fascinated
Can anyone list the homegrown signings of all the MLS Club Academy kids and where they are today?

There seems to be a lot of emotional and opinion based comments here. Would love to see whats tangible and real soccer top level career impact versus personal preferences.

Under homegrown players history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homegrown_Player_Rule_(MLS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did anyone say DCU is the best fit for every player in the DMV?

Comment actually said for personal reasons a family may want to go elsewhere

The point is, as long as you're in America until 18 years old, there is no significant difference in probability of making it to the highest international levels regardless of which MLS Club Academy you're in.

If you're not the elite and exceptional of the 1% in the academies, the MLS academy doesn't make a difference in the long run.

U15, U16, U17 MLS Next championships ain't diddly squat when the goal is Division 1 European league contract.

Homegrown signings say otherwise. The teams with the most kids going pro are teams with better funding. Just because it's not Europe doesn't mean you settle for a lesser environment. You might look down on MLS, but it's the highest league you can play here and I'd say every academy kid strives for a contract.

DCU doesn't have Homegrown signings?

Please provide the metrics that show funding allotment per player and measurable levels of associated attributed professional success for all academies?

Only Homegrown signings end-up playing in MLS?

DCU kids aren't going to good colleges?

If college is the goal, sure, DCU is sufficient... as is any other MLS Next or ECNL team. The players in academies are dreaming of going pro, with college as plan b. The outside academies listed here have almost double the amount of homegrown signings than DCU and they've been around for almost 30 years? Use that as a benchmark for effectiveness in developing pro players. Maybe, just maybe, the other academies have stronger development programs or better talent identification.

And no, I won't spend time digging up impossible metrics and measures. You can plainly see it, those proofs have been listed out in 20 pages.

As it was said in a previous post, football at this level is a margins game. Can you go to college from any MLS, MLS next, ECNL program? Yes you can. But it is about maximizing your child's chances of getting better opportunities. Better training means a better player which means better opportunities. It's the difference between a top tier D1 program and a low tier D1 program. The differences are pretty big in the overall talent in these two programs and the player trajectory at the youth level.

Agree with the homegrown data and using that as a benchmark. DCU is one of the oldest, if not the oldest club in the league. But yet it struggles to produce homegrown players at the same rate as it's younger MLS counterparts. There is only one place to look to understand why DCU can't keep the pace up in the development of its own pros. THE ACADEMY.

This has been said before, if you're trying to be a professional footballer, DCU is a VERY difficult place to achieve that because the academy is just not in the business of producing pros. Remember the MLS is a business first. DCU doesn't believe the academy is a money maker and, they are top 10 in revenue generation in the league so they have a strong sense of how they want to make money (the academy isn't one of those ways). DCU at the academy level is in the business of 1. Satisfying the league by having an academy (remember it was reducing it's commitment to the academy by cutting its younger teams in 2015 despite being pay to play) 2. Spending the least amount of money as possible to keep the academy afloat and credible and 3.Beating the local clubs to maintain its competitive advantage in recruitment (which it is not consistently doing at all age groups and which necessitates win now teams).

And to the PP who said MLS academies aren't close to Europe and you have a very small chance of going to a top tier European club from the MLS, that is a fact. But it is all we have in this country unfortunately. So we have to work with what we have. MLS academies are getting better, but many of them are improving at a rate that is just faster than DCU.

I'm fascinated
Can anyone list the homegrown signings of all the MLS Club Academy kids and where they are today?

There seems to be a lot of emotional and opinion based comments here. Would love to see whats tangible and real soccer top level career impact versus personal preferences.

Here you go. Under Homegrown Player Signings section. Listed by club and all of their signings. Supports what is above.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homegrown_Player_Rule_(MLS)

[Anonymous]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homegrown_Player_Rule_(MLS)

Sorry this link...

[Anonymous]

What's with all the fake homegrown players wiki links?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's with all the fake homegrown players wiki links?

Doesn't take a genius to figure out that for some reason, wiki breaks the link. You can click the "Did you mean: Homegrown Player Rule (MLS)?" with the big light bulb next to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not about the best funded. It's about a system that actually tries to develop the kids in a consistent and proven way. There may be academies that have even less funding than DCU but have a commitment to real development that DCU doesn't have.

Look at the list of MLS teams with the most homegrown signings. All of them have bigger funding for their academy kids than DCU.

If Rocky had trained in a real gym like Drago maybe he wouldn't have had such a hard fight.

If it was all about funding the Division 1 in European leagues wouldn't be littered with players from small, low budget, no budget African, South American and CONCACAF youth clubs

People always seeking ready made excuses

Got it. Anything Dcu does is good enough. You make the best arguments for “just ok” and mediocrity. DCU just missed the playoffs yet again for the 5th year in a row.

Let’s go DCU and the just ok academy that’s supposed to feed into it!!! Wohoo!

Actually, the PP is saying the likes of you are exaggerating the downfalls of the DC academy, especially in comparison to other MLS academies.
They didn't say DCU is good enough or great.

No NY Red Bulls 2010's made the USYNT camp going on now in Florida.
Yet Red Bulls is referenced here as a standard bearer and far superior to DC with 1st Grade funding and top progressive leadership etc.

And half of the 2009 usynt last year was comprised of Red Bull players. Not the camp, the final team. So what.

I don't know if they are the standard bears, but fact is Red Bulls and Union academy programs are far superior than DCU. Give us reasons why that's not true.

Can't possibly be true that half the USYNT 2009's come from any one academy.
You must work for Fox News.

Obviously it was an exaggeration. More like 5-6 of them on the usynt all last year. You are slow, you must watch CNN.

Go drink bleach like your God told you.

Ok now it all makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's with all the fake homegrown players wiki links?

Doesn't take a genius to figure out that for some reason, wiki breaks the link. You can click the "Did you mean: Homegrown Player Rule (MLS)?" with the big light bulb next to it.

Exactly. Just click the hyperlink on the page that says did you mean... Wikipedia breaks links all the time and that is what happened here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's with all the fake homegrown players wiki links?

Doesn't take a genius to figure out that for some reason, wiki breaks the link. You can click the "Did you mean: Homegrown Player Rule (MLS)?" with the big light bulb next to it.

Exactly. Just click the hyperlink on the page that says did you mean... Wikipedia breaks links all the time and that is what happened here.

Inter Miami founded their academy in 2020 (during covid so imagine how difficult that was) and between 2020 and 2024 they produced more than double the amount of homegrown players than DCU did in that same period. DCU has been running an academy for two decades. Inter Miami academy didn't even EXIST four years ago.