Anonymous
Post 03/12/2026 09:49     Subject: DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DCU has the same problem as most of US soccer. They are selecting a bunch of man children at 13 and 14 and can't figure out how to develop them. Players that are athletic freaks may make great outside or wing backs but they are not successful at other positions. Identifying the correct kids that will develop is hard and ultimately something that can't be done in a multi-day tryout. It would help if we had bigger youth clubs with a A,B,C,D,E,F,G team for each age group, but the US parent and club director egos would never be for this.


My DS plays for a MLS Next team since U13 and we've seen at least 3 years of DCU and all other MLS Next U14s and U15s play against our club.
Whatever views I may have, the one thing I can honestly say is that this urban legend about dcu having giant players is pure myth. Several teams like SYC and Bethesda has bigger players on average from my estimate


I think Bethesda has 4 bio banded 2009s on their U16 team, which is nuts. Bio banding really is for middle schoolers.


isn't three the limit?

Not sure. Maybe it is and they only have 3. But they have HUGE bio banded 2009s on the team which seems like a blatant abuse of the bio banded policy. No shade to the kids, it’s to the club. I thought bio banding was for late bloomers, kids who were still going through puberty and just small for their age, typically in middle school and not for kids 6 ft tall who are in 11th grade.


Biobanding is supposed to be for late developing kids. And they’re supposed to be using some metrics to assess what the kid’s height is anticipated to be and how they’re just late developing. But in practice, clubs around here like to abuse it. SYC is a constant abuser of it. Look at their 2013s. Agree no shade to the kids, because it’s not their fault that their clubs cheat and that their parents go along with it, but the facts are the facts. The club knows they are not late developers and they fill out the paperwork to designate them anyway.



check syc 2010, 2009 bioband kid who is 7 footer kid is huge there are 2 others similiar size.


Who is the 7 foot bioband on syc 2010? this team hard have or use bio band this season. What you see are all 2010.


My son has played against this age group and we are familiar with most of the players. As far as I know they don't bioband, at least not like Bethesda. There are several smaller players on the team, including ones that were added this year. Yes, they have some big boys, but it doesn't seem like they're cheating, or even prioritizing size.
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2026 09:40     Subject: DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DCU has the same problem as most of US soccer. They are selecting a bunch of man children at 13 and 14 and can't figure out how to develop them. Players that are athletic freaks may make great outside or wing backs but they are not successful at other positions. Identifying the correct kids that will develop is hard and ultimately something that can't be done in a multi-day tryout. It would help if we had bigger youth clubs with a A,B,C,D,E,F,G team for each age group, but the US parent and club director egos would never be for this.


My DS plays for a MLS Next team since U13 and we've seen at least 3 years of DCU and all other MLS Next U14s and U15s play against our club.
Whatever views I may have, the one thing I can honestly say is that this urban legend about dcu having giant players is pure myth. Several teams like SYC and Bethesda has bigger players on average from my estimate


You are a clown.

They just signed a U-14 from SYC that's 6'1.


You're calling someone a clown as you parade your undereducated ignorance.

A team signed a tall player, so in your infinite wisdom, that translates to an entire program is focused on and only signs tall players?

How about you provide the heights of all the players DCU has signed along with the heights of all other MLS club academy players so we can make the comparison based on facts?

You can't? Then what are you using as your evidence?

How is it that no one's eyes who actually see the DCU players not existing pictures can verify your lies that DCU only recruits big tall players?
Show us where Philly Union or NY Red Bulls are recruiting only average size or small players


My son has played them multiple times and I can as a fact, Philly 2012 starters are on average the largest team ive ever seen, even compared to last year. Their second string kids are smaller but of course they had less playing time. This includes a 6'3 2012 striker who, no shade to him, has minimal technical and mostly size and speed.