Originally posted by Unregistered
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Meh. It has been a long time since WT or ET really were a leader in developing pros. Timbers Academy is now the primary finishing school; neither of those clubs is really differentiating themselves anymore as a place to start. They are now neighborhood clubs like everyone else, albeit with a proud history. -
Depends on what you mean by "developing pros".Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
If you mean "being the last amateur club a pro plays for", yes; TA has taken over that role. OTOH, Rubio Rubin went to IMG after Westside before heading off to Europe, so it's often been the case that a kid won't stick around until 18.
OTOH, WT has lately produced both Rubin and Adrian Villegas (now at TA, and part of the USMNT pool). ET has produced Marco Farfan (now with the Timbers and a legit first-team prospect) and Alan Gaytan (Sueno winner, TA U18) of late. Many of the other local clubs have produced legit college talent, but nobody good enough to play for money, let alone for country. There's a few younger prospects at WT FC worth watching, but that's it.Comment
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The reality is Timbers Academy might produce one pro every ten years. Kids realize this towards the end of Freshman year when grades begin to slip and there are negative social impacts from a life of only Soccer. Many quit and go back to club just to be able to play for their high schools because they realize in the end they will wind up in the same place college-wise TA or not.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Wayback Machine
For sure, with a generation that has ADD, it does seem like a long time ago that Rubio Rubin became a pro from WSM/WT in 2014-15 with Utrech and Marco Farfan ESU/ET in 2016-17.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Thanks for the laugh Mr. Peabody!Comment
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One every 2 years is more accurate. They'd like to get up to one/year.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
And obviously--most players who shoot for the moon won't make it, and adjust their expectations at some point. I don't see the problem.Comment
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Wow, wow, wow - didn't mean to offend EST or WST on this. Good history of producing pros.
Only point is that with the arrival of a $500 per year Timbers Academy, EST and WST role in Oregon soccer has changed a bit. So the fact that they are fans of, or not fans of, the little DA shouldn't be determinative of how other clubs might view it. In this case WST never really seemed to be enthralled with the program; EST struggled to get players. So their departure isn't surprising or (necessarily) a reflection on the platform.Comment
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Oh, certainly! And even if WT and ET drop their "little DA" programs, doesn't mean that prospective talents might not migrate to Timbers Academy rather than stick around. Especially after U14.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
The value of the younger DA programs (U14 and below, where the funnel is necessarily wider) is that it brings a level of professionalism into some clubs. There are quite a few clubs (and I'm speaking generally here; not about any specific club) that arguably are of limited benefit, but bill themselves as elite. DA is generally bad for the business model of such entities--it forces them to either get serious, or exposes them as pretenders. OTOH, established clubs like WST/WSM and EST/ESU (or FC Portland or WT FC as well) aren't fly-by-night operations, and may not need the imprimatur of US Soccer to have credibility. (Being affiliated with DA might be beneficial to the BSCs of the world--clubs that don't have an established reputation, but seem interested in doing the right thing).
Now, if training were more heavily subsidized--and US Soccer were paying the dues of players on the little DA programs, that would be a game changer. But without that, the benefits of the program are less clear-cut.Comment
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The DA teams/league, other then TA, all end at u15, and all those kids will either quit the sport or roll back into OYSA on club teams. The question then becomes what clubs have a long established history of providing the environment to make college soccer an option for the high schoolers. This is where clubs like FC Portland and Westside Timbers shine, because they have established relationships and track records in that arena.Comment
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What’s your source to come on here and announce these clubs are leaving DA? Sounds like more anti-alliance gossip.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Not going to share my sources. Take it with a grain of salt.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Can't speak for Westside, and am only speaking for Eastside. I was at the meeting where it was announced. Last Thursday, after practice, by Joey Leonetti. Some parents are upset, some are not.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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I was at the ET meeting as well. Sounded to me that the club had a different vision for the competitive program. I think completing the new fields and clubhouse are where the club's focus is right now. They didn't like all the rules that USDA was requiring, in particular the prohibition from playing other sports.Comment
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If this is true then more power to them.
The DA run by US soccer is a money and power grab. It's being conducted by the same old people but now they think they are entitled to thing.
Us soccer is being run like FIFA. Corruption, money and power is the key.Comment
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I heard from some college coaches that the girls DA is going to be discontinued.
Many of them were disappointed in the level of talent that they were told is the best but the games were god awful.
Us soccer is trying to make money off of leagues now and it's pretty scam likeComment
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And which college coaches are you on speaking terms with, and why would they tell you that?Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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