RantingSoccerDad wrote:DCU *currently* fields a U16 team in MLS Next

This is true right now, but it is changing next season. DCU will add a U14 team and not have a U16 team in 2022-2023 -- so U14, U15 and U17. This puts DCU in line with most other MLS academies for the reasons mentioned above.

Cruzado wrote:Why does DCU have a U15 and U17 year but no U16 team? That just seems odd.

Almost all MLS academies are like this. Remember, this is not normal club soccer; DCU runs (and pays for) an academy to produce pro players. In any given age group, only a handful will make it to U17 with that possibility still alive. Some of them will play up on Loudoun United or (in the future) on the reserve team in MLS Next Pro. So that means the best U16s will play up with the 17s. Essentially, by U16 there isn't a full team worth of players with pro potential. They'd rather have a single U16+U17 team of better players than spread those better players out over two teams.

Obviously, European academies are larger, with a team per age until U19, generally. But our funnel of potential pros just isn't as big in the US yet; so our academy system is smaller.

DCUdad wrote:This is not true. DCU academy will have U14, U15 and U17 teams next year.

Why does DCU have a U15 and U17 year but no U16 team? That just seems odd.

This is not true. DCU academy will have U14, U15 and U17 teams next year. Because there will be no U16 team, some current U15s are looking for a new club; and many current U17s will need a new club if they don't catch on with Loudoun United. If anything, DCU has invested much more in the academy this past year than ever before. And MLS academies are getting more and more important for the clubs with the introduction of the new MLS Next Pro (reserve team) league. They will need a larger (not smaller) stream of top players coming through.

Big if true. But I haven't heard anything about that other that this post.

I heard that DCU academy is disbanding and many players were trying out for Alexandria. Anyone can confirm?