Anonymous wrote:Nova2Euro wrote:Anonymous wrote:
If you're serious with goals of being a soccer professional, there is no way you stay at Philadelphia Union over the clubs it's rumored Cavan Sullivan is looking at in Europe.
Young Kids in Europe cross borders to different countries/languages all the time for development opportunities.
I don't think the bolded part is true. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it doesn't happen all the time. It happens if an opportunity at their local professional academy or at one in their country is not available. And I think it's vanishingly rare for 16-year-olds. Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Gio Reyna, and 99% of players come up to the first team in their club. I'm willing to be corrected on this if you have data or examples, but I've seen lots of kids move to professional academies in-country. A few trials out of country, but no one actually moved.
I don’t disagree with this. It make sense for kids to move in-country to an academy where the competition is lighter perhaps.
For a dual passport holder, there would seem to be more opportunities in Europe, for example, than the USA where so many more kids around the country are vying for spots on just about two dozen MLS academies.
Nova2Euro wrote:Barcelona IS a bit of an exception, but Xavi Simons joined La Masia at 7 or 8 from Club Deportivo Thader in Spain, IIRC. So he was both a) not a teenager coming from another academy, and b) not recruited from out of the country. Maybe his moving to PSG Academy would be an actual example of a teenager moving academies, but PSG paid him $1 million/year, so probably not an academy contract.
Alphone Davies moved as a teenager, but signed a first-team contract before moving and then signed a first-team contract with Bayern.
Bottom line is that it's always better to have an organization pursue you than to try to push your way in. So this young man from PU isn't "looking at" clubs in Europe. They're looking at him, and they're not looking at him for an academy. He'll prove himself as a USL or MLS player and then make a move. I wish him the best!
Nova2Euro wrote:Anonymous wrote:
If you're serious with goals of being a soccer professional, there is no way you stay at Philadelphia Union over the clubs it's rumored Cavan Sullivan is looking at in Europe.
Young Kids in Europe cross borders to different countries/languages all the time for development opportunities.
I don't think the bolded part is true. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it doesn't happen all the time. It happens if an opportunity at their local professional academy or at one in their country is not available. And I think it's vanishingly rare for 16-year-olds. Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Gio Reyna, and 99% of players come up to the first team in their club. I'm willing to be corrected on this if you have data or examples, but I've seen lots of kids move to professional academies in-country. A few trials out of country, but no one actually moved.
Nova2Euro wrote:Anonymous wrote:
If you're serious with goals of being a soccer professional, there is no way you stay at Philadelphia Union over the clubs it's rumored Cavan Sullivan is looking at in Europe.
Young Kids in Europe cross borders to different countries/languages all the time for development opportunities.
I don't think the bolded part is true. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it doesn't happen all the time. It happens if an opportunity at their local professional academy or at one in their country is not available. And I think it's vanishingly rare for 16-year-olds. Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Gio Reyna, and 99% of players come up to the first team in their club. I'm willing to be corrected on this if you have data or examples, but I've seen lots of kids move to professional academies in-country. A few trials out of country, but no one actually moved.
Anonymous wrote:
If you're serious with goals of being a soccer professional, there is no way you stay at Philadelphia Union over the clubs it's rumored Cavan Sullivan is looking at in Europe.
Young Kids in Europe cross borders to different countries/languages all the time for development opportunities.
Nova2Euro wrote:Right. That's the thing. A player with a dual passport can move any time they choose. But why pull a kid out of an environment where they are thriving and progressing towards a pro? It's tough to move as a teenager.
Especially if they're not comfortable with the language (passport notwithstanding), they'll miss out on valuable coaching in the formative mid-teen years. That's why 99% of the time players will stay where they are thriving until they are ready to sign a first-team contract.
Even with a first-team contract, they will probably still go out on loan or play on a lower-level team within the club.
btw, the DCU academy player who went to AZ Alkmaar is now back in the US on a college team. That's not where AZ hopes to send its players.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Nova2Euro wrote:Several DCU academy alumni have signed contracts with European teams in the past few years. Info available via google.
Bottom line for any academy, worldwide, is that most of the kids won't make the first team.
I meant at U16, whether any DCU kids with dual nationalities have moved to Europe or South American academies. I’m aware that a few dcu alum have moved on to euro clubs after a stint on dcu first team.
Philly Union isn't grooming him to go to Germany at 16
They are developing him to reach the heights of his potential.
It's his family's and his personal choice to go to Europe if he so chooses.
That will be the same for every academy.
Nova2Euro wrote:Yes, there's been at least one who moved to NLD with his family and, after playing on a local team and getting noticed/recommended, ended up at AZ Alkmaar academy.
Anonymous wrote:Nova2Euro wrote:Several DCU academy alumni have signed contracts with European teams in the past few years. Info available via google.
Bottom line for any academy, worldwide, is that most of the kids won't make the first team.
I meant at U16, whether any DCU kids with dual nationalities have moved to Europe or South American academies. I’m aware that a few dcu alum have moved on to euro clubs after a stint on dcu first team.
Nova2Euro wrote:Several DCU academy alumni have signed contracts with European teams in the past few years. Info available via google.
Bottom line for any academy, worldwide, is that most of the kids won't make the first team.