Rubio Ruben

[Unregistered]

Oregon needs an elite team. The Timbers Academy is a failure and everyone knows it. The teams suck and the organization refuses to invest in the younger kids by only having what the MLS makes them have.

Perhaps, though I'm sensing marginal improvement. The U15 team (06) is actually pretty good. Other teams not so much. Whether there is another legit prospect in the pipe, I've no idea.

As far as "not investing in the younger kids", I'm fine with them not fielding U13 and U14 teams. It's too early at that age to thin the herd, and this is a lesson I think they have learned over the past several years. Far too much variance in physical and mental development.

And if there is a "black swan" talent at that age, they can always play up. There is one 07 player, who is quite skilled, on the 06 TA team. Will he make it to the pros? Dunno, he's still in middle school. Is he one of the most talented kids in the metro area? Definitely.

Oregon needs one, or two max, teams per age group that participates at ever level of MLS Next. Let the elite boys play with and against each other with coaches that are focused on player development.

Well, we have that with the Timbers, even though the execution is flawed. And perhaps we should have another, especially if it can a) be subsidized so it's not a "country club" activity that only rich families can afford, and b) sufficiently independent from any of the youth clubs. Lots of youth clubs LIKE to join elite travel leagues, but this is often done as a marketing exercise, and causes an arms race. If nothing else, there needs to be a firewall between the travel league and the club's OYSA teams, so "come play with us and you'll have an advantage in reaching our travel team, even if you don't make the cut initially" isn't deployed as a marketing pitch.

I've always thought that perhaps Nike ought to fund such a thing.

If one of the local clubs put an effort into it and made this a thing they would have every star player from the state trying out.

Lots of local clubs try, but none of them really has the juice to make it stick. And as long as you avoid idiots and a-holes, coaching doesn't matter that much. Some coaches work better with some players than others, but there's no local youth coach of such excellent quality that he can beat you in the first half, then switch rosters with you and beat you in the second half as well.

Instead we get a half dozen clubs trying to promote themselves as "elite", NOT cornering the market on talent, leading to the dispersion of talent you decry. Or one club will corner an age group (see UPDX and the 04s), perhaps through underhanded means, but find that success in one cohort doesn't mean success generally.

Instead- they are stuck with one or two good players on each team mixed with a bunch of average kids.

Most premier gold clubs have one or two excellent players, and lots of very good ones. "Average" players are in rec, which is where most organized players are.

[Unregistered]

Lots of local clubs try, but none of them really has the juice to make it stick. And as long as you avoid idiots and a-holes, coaching doesn't matter that much. Some coaches work better with some players than others, but there's no local youth coach of such excellent quality that he can beat you in the first half, then switch rosters with you and beat you in the second half as well.

Instead we get a half dozen clubs trying to promote themselves as "elite", NOT cornering the market on talent, leading to the dispersion of talent you decry. Or one club will corner an age group (see UPDX and the 04s), perhaps through underhanded means, but find that success in one cohort doesn't mean success generally.

You nailed this. BM is trying to make this work across all age groups for the boys and is having a surprising amount of success given what a terrible coach he is. He collects talent and so more talented kids come flocking. Forget about development once you are there though. If you don't come in with it, you won't develop while there unless you pay for oodles of private coaching. SO many unhappy kids and families, but no one wants to leave a winning team. And the club doesn't take feedback and they live in an echo chamber thinking everything is great since BM is at the top. Gross.

[Unregistered]

You nailed this. BM is trying to make this work across all age groups for the boys and is having a surprising amount of success given what a terrible coach he is. He collects talent and so more talented kids come flocking. Forget about development once you are there though. If you don't come in with it, you won't develop while there unless you pay for oodles of private coaching. SO many unhappy kids and families, but no one wants to leave a winning team. And the club doesn't take feedback and they live in an echo chamber thinking everything is great since BM is at the top. Gross.

Being a regional ODP coach gives one certain recruiting advantages, but only at the age group in question.

But other than that, there's no reason any particular club should get to be THE elite club.

(And actually, I've heard he's not a bad coach, even if some of his actions are ethically dubious, and he appears to have a rather large chip on his shoulder concerning the Timbers and the Alliance clubs, Westside in particular).

[Unregistered]

Count em up at least 5 MLS players developed at Westside in the last 115 years:
Rod Dyachenko, Chad Barrett, Danny Mwanga, Erik Hurtado & Rubio Rubin.

Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, and the same is true of success.

That being said OPFC & UPDX will continue to fire blanks and ask for blank checks from parents per normal.

2005 State Cup Quarter Finals. Westside 0 (5) PDX United 0 (6). BWAHAHAHAHA.. PDX with 6 starters out for the game. Same old sorry Azz Westside. Cling tight to the past losers.

[Unregistered]

2005 State Cup Quarter Finals. Westside 0 (5) PDX United 0 (6). BWAHAHAHAHA.. PDX with 6 starters out for the game. Same old sorry Azz Westside. Cling tight to the past losers.

The pattern never changes.

'0' PFC to the core.

Always next year 'club zero'.

[Unregistered]

The pattern never changes.

'0' PFC to the core.

Always next year 'club zero'.

The 05 boys thread is over there...

[Unregistered]

The pattern never changes.

'0' PFC to the core.

Always next year 'club zero'.

Lol...nothing to see here, keep moving. Just another Westside misdirection. I am not from OPFC loser, I am from UPDX. However, your fascination with OPFC is super weird? Weakside to the core.

[Unregistered]

Rubin (who has been flirting with playing for Guatemala, though now that they are out of WC qualifying, looks like it won't happen) has been named to the 60-player preliminary Gold Cup roster.

Along with Timbers' players Jeremy Ebobisse and Eryk Williamson.

[Guest]

And Roobs wins MLS goal of the year!

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/real-...-year-fan-vote

[Guest]

Westside 4 life

[Guest]

And as an added bonus, RSL knocks off the fish. iLa vida es buena!

[Guest]

Rubio did absolutely nothing but look like an idiot flopping in that game.

[Guest]

Rubio did absolutely nothing but look like an idiot flopping in that game.

When a team parks the bus, that happens to forwards.

[Guest]

Westside 4 life

Sounds like a prison sentence. Come to think of it, very comparable, when you compare the two institutions. Do not own their own facilities, suck off the local community teat, inmates/players go there to atrophy as human beings, and corruption is king. Westside for life, with no chance for parole.

[Guest]

Sounds like a prison sentence. Come to think of it, very comparable, when you compare the two institutions. Do not own their own facilities, suck off the local community teat, inmates/players go there to atrophy as human beings, and corruption is king. Westside for life, with no chance for parole.

Someone is just jealous that their club has nobody in the professional ranks, let alone winning major awards.