DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not

[Anonymous]

The person is a troll. The argument has already been won many times. DCU is a weak academy. No amount of misdirection will change this fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS second years at DCU, this year group not strong, non-academy PDA just out played us.

DCU lost to PDA? An Academy team lost to a NON academy team?

Nothing says ignorance more than hanging all kinds of speculative conclusions on a W or L here and there at U15's age

Especially when there are younger players playing up and the stronger U15's are playing U16's

Nothing says ignorance more than believing something to be true when constantly presented with information that clearly shows what you believe isn't true.

Wins and losses in youth soccer don't matter. Especially when you're talking about legitimately building professional players. But since DCU isn't actually about building professional players then winning is a huge part of what they want to achieve to differentiate themselves amongst their peers - just like every other pay to play club (which they are not). They can't do that successfully because they don't have strong coaches, teaching methodology, or a philosophy in the system that breeds a winning culture, mentality or playing style.

Losing to PDA isn't the travesty. The PP is right about winning not being important. Although, I'm sorry to hear they lost to a non MLS academy - again. The travesty is that you have some talented kids who will not develop to their potential because they are in a poor academy system that doesn't value their development as footballers. Winning every game on the schedule wouldn't change this fact. And when you see the DCU teams as they get older when they play more of the other MLS academies, you can visibly see the difference in development between DCU players and their peers. It's so obvious that it's almost sad to watch because the differences in quality are so glaring. And DCU teams are even less successful as they get older because their teams of predominantly early bloomers and physical players lose their physical edge over time (peaking too early) because everyone else catches up or is just more physical as they've gotten older and then DCU players have to rely on their technical ability and game understanding to be successful which they haven't properly learned.

The recruitment model at DCU skews toward players that have a tendency to peak very early because it leans heavily on physicality and size. Go watch DCUs older teams versus ANY other MLS academy and see for yourself how this flaw in recruitment and teaching gets exposed against quality organizations that think long term about player development, not short term. The differences in quality are obvious to even someone that knows absolutely nothing about the game.

If DCU players are the physical giants in MLS Next, then pictures and eyes lie.
Because the reality on the fields regarding the sizes of players doesn't match your false narrative.
Not seeing players smaller than DCU on FC Delco, Philly Union, Redbulls, Bethesda, SYC, BA etc

Do you have the height and weight information on MLS Next players?

Anyone who advances an argument that DCU doesn't skew toward bigger kids cannot and should not be trusted.

What are the average sizes, height and weight of the U14's and U15's MLS Next teams in the DMV?
List them smallest to biggest with the measurements and weight.

Anyone who can't do that, their Opinion on the size of DCU players cannot be trusted.

Lol go pound sand, get those figures yourself and prove him wrong.

- Thor and the Flash are real.

- Where's the factual evidence?

- Prove they're not real or go pound sand

What a goofy comparison. You can actually see with your own eyes that DCU brings in bigger kids. Why are you so offended by that? Most academies do the same goofy.

Your eyes see what they want to see then translate it to fit your warped biased narrative.
Neutral people with depth perception can objectively see the DCU teams aren't 7ft tall while Bethesda, SYC and BA has midgets.

Its a fake, lying, false accusation with Zero Proof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The person is a troll. The argument has already been won many times. DCU is a weak academy. No amount of misdirection will change this fact.

Yet your kid still couldn't make the cut.
Let it go, troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The person is a troll. The argument has already been won many times. DCU is a weak academy. No amount of misdirection will change this fact.

And the reasons why are very well stated throughout this thread. If you read all pages of this thread you will have a very solid understanding of DCUs shortcomings and how to make decisions based on them. This thread is gold for anyone assessing DCU for their son. And since this forum is indexed by Google pretty well it ranks high on search pages when looking for information on DCUs academy because the reality is that no information exists if you're curious as to what is going on at the academy. There is actually no place that walks through all of DCUs issues and positives so comprehensively...anywhere. For this reason, I am super thankful for this thread. Some of the issues on here I hadn't even thought about or evaluated because I just didn't know they were issues. For all the people that posted such thoughtful info. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS second years at DCU, this year group not strong, non-academy PDA just out played us.

DCU lost to PDA? An Academy team lost to a NON academy team?

Nothing says ignorance more than hanging all kinds of speculative conclusions on a W or L here and there at U15's age

Especially when there are younger players playing up and the stronger U15's are playing U16's

Nothing says ignorance more than believing something to be true when constantly presented with information that clearly shows what you believe isn't true.

Wins and losses in youth soccer don't matter. Especially when you're talking about legitimately building professional players. But since DCU isn't actually about building professional players then winning is a huge part of what they want to achieve to differentiate themselves amongst their peers - just like every other pay to play club (which they are not). They can't do that successfully because they don't have strong coaches, teaching methodology, or a philosophy in the system that breeds a winning culture, mentality or playing style.

Losing to PDA isn't the travesty. The PP is right about winning not being important. Although, I'm sorry to hear they lost to a non MLS academy - again. The travesty is that you have some talented kids who will not develop to their potential because they are in a poor academy system that doesn't value their development as footballers. Winning every game on the schedule wouldn't change this fact. And when you see the DCU teams as they get older when they play more of the other MLS academies, you can visibly see the difference in development between DCU players and their peers. It's so obvious that it's almost sad to watch because the differences in quality are so glaring. And DCU teams are even less successful as they get older because their teams of predominantly early bloomers and physical players lose their physical edge over time (peaking too early) because everyone else catches up or is just more physical as they've gotten older and then DCU players have to rely on their technical ability and game understanding to be successful which they haven't properly learned.

The recruitment model at DCU skews toward players that have a tendency to peak very early because it leans heavily on physicality and size. Go watch DCUs older teams versus ANY other MLS academy and see for yourself how this flaw in recruitment and teaching gets exposed against quality organizations that think long term about player development, not short term. The differences in quality are obvious to even someone that knows absolutely nothing about the game.

If DCU players are the physical giants in MLS Next, then pictures and eyes lie.
Because the reality on the fields regarding the sizes of players doesn't match your false narrative.
Not seeing players smaller than DCU on FC Delco, Philly Union, Redbulls, Bethesda, SYC, BA etc

Do you have the height and weight information on MLS Next players?

Anyone who advances an argument that DCU doesn't skew toward bigger kids cannot and should not be trusted.

What are the average sizes, height and weight of the U14's and U15's MLS Next teams in the DMV?
List them smallest to biggest with the measurements and weight.

Anyone who can't do that, their Opinion on the size of DCU players cannot be trusted.

Lol go pound sand, get those figures yourself and prove him wrong.

- Thor and the Flash are real.

- Where's the factual evidence?

- Prove they're not real or go pound sand

What a goofy comparison. You can actually see with your own eyes that DCU brings in bigger kids. Why are you so offended by that? Most academies do the same goofy.

Your eyes see what they want to see then translate it to fit your warped biased narrative.
Neutral people with depth perception can objectively see the DCU teams aren't 7ft tall while Bethesda, SYC and BA has midgets.

Its a fake, lying, false accusation with Zero Proof.

🚮

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The person is a troll. The argument has already been won many times. DCU is a weak academy. No amount of misdirection will change this fact.

Yet your kid still couldn't make the cut.
Let it go, troll.

🚮

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The person is a troll. The argument has already been won many times. DCU is a weak academy. No amount of misdirection will change this fact.

Yet your kid still couldn't make the cut.
Let it go, troll.

Man, if you only knew...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The person is a troll. The argument has already been won many times. DCU is a weak academy. No amount of misdirection will change this fact.

Yet your kid still couldn't make the cut.
Let it go, troll.

No he just guest plays in all mls major events and takes your kids spot and playing time. Our “PIPELINE” is strong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But parents get their ego stroked when their kid plays up and DCU plays on this in a big way and uses it as a tool to keep the peace only. Again, the facade of a genuine opportunity. It isn't about development.

So, DCU has strong players with heightened potential playing up against older more developed players it's a trick and not about individual development.

Every other professional academy in the world does the same, it is a part of individual development philosophy 🤔

You and the other DCUA Haters need to go see a psychiatrist.
You also need to understand you don't know close to as much as you think you know about youth development, or you wouldn't talk so much nonsense in public.

This is false. Very few players are playing up. In fact, it’s quite the opposite—DCU is keeping players on age, while many of these athletes were previously playing up with their former teams. Playing against older more developed players…. Lol Stop it!! Only thing that is true is the DCU players are talented with potential. But this is what DCU academy doese slows or destroys the growth of talented athletes.

This is false.

Not false at all. They should be playing players up but don'. Lol And Yeah DCU academy also doesn't play USL players in Academy games either lol.

They also have Aliens 👽 on their rosters.

Come on don't go there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The person is a troll. The argument has already been won many times. DCU is a weak academy. No amount of misdirection will change this fact.

Yet your kid still couldn't make the cut.
Let it go, troll.

No he just guest plays in all mls major events and takes your kids spot and playing time. Our “PIPELINE” is strong.

That's deep...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But parents get their ego stroked when their kid plays up and DCU plays on this in a big way and uses it as a tool to keep the peace only. Again, the facade of a genuine opportunity. It isn't about development.

So, DCU has strong players with heightened potential playing up against older more developed players it's a trick and not about individual development.

Every other professional academy in the world does the same, it is a part of individual development philosophy 🤔

You and the other DCUA Haters need to go see a psychiatrist.
You also need to understand you don't know close to as much as you think you know about youth development, or you wouldn't talk so much nonsense in public.

NO. DCU has a lot of physical players that don't really know how to play. And they aren't being taught. Big difference. Playing up doesn't help them because they mainly just use their size to compete not their technical ability. That size advantage will run out. That's proven.

Other academies in the world certainly play kids up. But they do so in a way that is much more thoughtful, to the earlier post. Bigger kids may stay on age longer to develop their feet so they aren't relying just on their physicality to get by which has proven to be a development killer.

I know quite a bit about football. What I know with utmost certainty is that I know more than you do.

So now the kids at dcua "don't know how to play"?

Why don't you reveal yourself to their parents mister expert?

Some do and some don't. Like all other academies. Difference is at the other academies they are being taught.

I'm interested to know your daily access to training of the 4 teams at DCUA, and how many seasons have you been in attendance consistently at training?
Do you have the KPI's stats of each player as well?

This is ridiculous. Talking about access to training and KPIs for each player? It’s laughable. I highly doubt the Academy director even knows the names of all the kids in the program. Tracking KPIs and player stats would require actual soccer knowledge, and there’s no way this academy is doing that. They can’t even hire enough qualified staff or secure a consistent practice location. The only thing remotely professional about DCU Academy is the uniforms. The kids deserve so much better!

Actually DCUs social media is on point. It is the only thing that is quality at the academy...in addition to the uniforms. 🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS second years at DCU, this year group not strong, non-academy PDA just out played us.

DCU lost to PDA? An Academy team lost to a NON academy team?

Nothing says ignorance more than hanging all kinds of speculative conclusions on a W or L here and there at U15's age

Especially when there are younger players playing up and the stronger U15's are playing U16's

Nothing says ignorance more than believing something to be true when constantly presented with information that clearly shows what you believe isn't true.

Wins and losses in youth soccer don't matter. Especially when you're talking about legitimately building professional players. But since DCU isn't actually about building professional players then winning is a huge part of what they want to achieve to differentiate themselves amongst their peers - just like every other pay to play club (which they are not). They can't do that successfully because they don't have strong coaches, teaching methodology, or a philosophy in the system that breeds a winning culture, mentality or playing style.

Losing to PDA isn't the travesty. The PP is right about winning not being important. Although, I'm sorry to hear they lost to a non MLS academy - again. The travesty is that you have some talented kids who will not develop to their potential because they are in a poor academy system that doesn't value their development as footballers. Winning every game on the schedule wouldn't change this fact. And when you see the DCU teams as they get older when they play more of the other MLS academies, you can visibly see the difference in development between DCU players and their peers. It's so obvious that it's almost sad to watch because the differences in quality are so glaring. And DCU teams are even less successful as they get older because their teams of predominantly early bloomers and physical players lose their physical edge over time (peaking too early) because everyone else catches up or is just more physical as they've gotten older and then DCU players have to rely on their technical ability and game understanding to be successful which they haven't properly learned.

The recruitment model at DCU skews toward players that have a tendency to peak very early because it leans heavily on physicality and size. Go watch DCUs older teams versus ANY other MLS academy and see for yourself how this flaw in recruitment and teaching gets exposed against quality organizations that think long term about player development, not short term. The differences in quality are obvious to even someone that knows absolutely nothing about the game.

If DCU players are the physical giants in MLS Next, then pictures and eyes lie.
Because the reality on the fields regarding the sizes of players doesn't match your false narrative.
Not seeing players smaller than DCU on FC Delco, Philly Union, Redbulls, Bethesda, SYC, BA etc

Do you have the height and weight information on MLS Next players?

Anyone who advances an argument that DCU doesn't skew toward bigger kids cannot and should not be trusted.

What are the average sizes, height and weight of the U14's and U15's MLS Next teams in the DMV?
List them smallest to biggest with the measurements and weight.

Anyone who can't do that, their Opinion on the size of DCU players cannot be trusted.

Lol go pound sand, get those figures yourself and prove him wrong.

- Thor and the Flash are real.

- Where's the factual evidence?

- Prove they're not real or go pound sand

What a goofy comparison. You can actually see with your own eyes that DCU brings in bigger kids. Why are you so offended by that? Most academies do the same goofy.

Your eyes see what they want to see then translate it to fit your warped biased narrative.
Neutral people with depth perception can objectively see the DCU teams aren't 7ft tall while Bethesda, SYC and BA has midgets.

Its a fake, lying, false accusation with Zero Proof.

Ok dork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS second years at DCU, this year group not strong, non-academy PDA just out played us.

DCU lost to PDA? An Academy team lost to a NON academy team?

It can easily happen when one team has been playing together for a while and has an identity. Was that DC United team freshly put together?

Been at DCU for two years. Majority of them.

Ok so kids playing 2 years together and the starting nucleus has largely stayed the same and they actually lost?

Did the MLS next team have a superstar that made the difference? Someone DC United didn’t discover yet?

If they did not losing is unacceptable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS second years at DCU, this year group not strong, non-academy PDA just out played us.

DCU lost to PDA? An Academy team lost to a NON academy team?

It can easily happen when one team has been playing together for a while and has an identity. Was that DC United team freshly put together?

Been at DCU for two years. Majority of them.

Ok so kids playing 2 years together and the starting nucleus has largely stayed the same and they actually lost?

Did the MLS next team have a superstar that made the difference? Someone DC United didn’t discover yet?

If they did not losing is unacceptable

Correct. 2 years of largely the same team but also 2 years of poor coaching and teaching. Last year I'm pretty sure this same team beat PDA pretty easily but now, like has been offered here before, just kicking the ball and running hard (DCUs main tactical approach) won't beat teams that have similar physical ability and are trying to play football. And PDA is a team where most of their best kids go to a MLS academy at these ages so they don't have all the best kids in the area like DCU does. But they do try to play football with the kids they have and that is noticeable and also distinguishing from DCU. Of course they didn't have some superstar. They are just in a better environment than the kids at DCU.

[Anonymous]

And 3-2 score leads me to believe that they didn't park the bus on DCU which is what some clubs will try to do to keep the scores respectable. Losing can happen to any team on any given day. I personally don't think losing alone is unacceptable. But it is the way DCU loses that is unacceptable because the kids aren't learning how to actually play football. Just think about it this way...DCU assembles teams of local all stars and 1. Can't put any of those kids on our youth national teams 2. Can't beat local clubs consistently with the best players in the area 3. Isn't producing homegrowns consistently 4. Has one of the most talent rich regions to pull from and 5. Can't consistently compete with other MLS academies as the kids get older. This is just in the US. DCU is so far behind. The academy system is the weak link. Not the players.

Imagine the differences in quality if you start comparing to Europe. The players at DCU are at a distinct disadvantage, just in the US. Overseas, forget about it. There are levels to the game especially if you reach a certain echelon. DCU isn't at the level.