Reply to MLS Academy League Announcement Coming Soon

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]MLS expects the truly talented kids to leave at U15 to go to DCU. The whole point of this league is to funnel homegrown talent to the MLS teams.[/quote]
DCU has 18 kids at each age.  I highly doubt a roster of 18 will accommodate the entire DMV.  Especially given that the starting 11 will get the most play time given the substitution rules.  Over time the other clubs will get better and better.  Not everyone with a talented kid will want to go to DC or Loudoun for practice.  DCU has name recognition but DC traffic means families will want to stay close to home while getting the same exposure to college scouts.[/quote]
Several of the top 2005s from Baltimore Armour just moved to DCU even though BA's U17 team is in the same MLS league. The top players will go to MLS academies in any case--even if their home club has U15/U17 teams. It's really the only viable route to becoming a pro (while keeping D1 options open).

My guess is that MLS hopes the SYC/Alexandria/Achilles of the world develop enough quality to field U15 and U17 teams in the MLS league in the future. That would mean less travel to play good teams, and more years to keep close tabs on the best players that aren't already at an MLS academy. By the same token, I'm sure they would welcome back Arlington or other former DA clubs in future years.

Also: DCU has way more than 18 kids at each age. The U17s (04s+05s) have 40 players on the squad! Super competitive for game roster and playing time.[/quote]

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