Reply to DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As with anything, the DCU talent selection is not uniform. There are some small kids who are picked up and there are some big kids who deservedly get chosen. However, there is a preference for physically mature kids at the U14 entry point so that the club can compete and win games. You can say this for most any top team in the area, but definitely the case for DCU. The problem with that is those kids are simply playing down when they are selected. By this I mean that they are biologically ahead of their same age peers. When others catch up, the intangibles factor in - game knowledge, work rate, technical skills, etc. All clubs need to do a better job of not just picking kids who are athletic but have the intangibles. It shocks me to see how so many clubs pick up kids who have crappy attitudes, commitment, work ethic, and, sorry to say, lack of smarts. DCU is getting thumped by teams like Arlington because the Arlington kids have survived the system and risen to the top through the intangibles while the "chosen ones" have flatlined in athleticism, work ethic, and knowledge. [/quote]

THIS. All of this. Players develop and fizzle out over the course of a couple years. The selection process needs to be more than just big and fast. US soccer needs more Phil Fodens. [/quote]

Agree with this and the previous poster.  Look, the bottom line is that DCU is not a legitimate pathway for a player looking to become a professional footballer.  The system is weak from top to bottom from scouting to player development to facilities to just about everything.  I don't put too much in any DCU team losing one game.  But, them losing is indicative of a systemic issue in the club and that is NOT TEACHING THE KIDS HOW TO PLAY FOOTBALL.[/quote]

The U14's haven't lost a game this season yet.
What "losing" are you talking about?[/quote]

I think are actually proving the original point. When they come in at U14, many of the kids are simply physically mature. You take any decent U15 team, and they will beat a great U14 team. Many (not all) of the kids brought in at 13 years old are well through puberty. But once the size and strength events out, you have to actually know how to play the game and move the ball. So, you see alot of winning at U14 and not much at U19.  Same could be said for SYC. [/quote]

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