2010 Soccer America's Best Boys Clubs
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Dec 7, 2010
[RANKINGS] The Baltimore Bays remain the No. 1 team in Soccer America's ranking of the best boys clubs in the country launched in 2004.
The Bays, who
were also first in 2008 and 2009, outdistanced CASL, which moved up to No. 2, LAFC Cosmos, the Michigan Wolves and PDA. A record five MLS teams are ranked.
The Bays Chelsea won the
under-15 boys title at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships for the third year in a row and had teams finish third and fifth in the two 2010 Development Academy age groups at Finals Week. The
Bays have won four USYS titles in the last three years to give them a record eight boys crowns.
Forward Michael Gamble was named to the 2010 Development
Academy U-15/16 Starting XI. Midfielders Romy Hernandez and Nate Hall have spent time on the U.S. under-15 national team. One of the young Bays players just breaking
into the national team program is Tyler Gabarra, son of Jim and Carin Gabarra, both former U.S. internationals.
Tomorrow: 2010 Best
Girls Clubs
Criteria: Soccer America selects the top 30 clubs based on success of their teams in national youth competitions over the last three years
(2008-10) and the selection of their players to national teams in 2010.
2010 Best Boys Clubs
1. Baltimore Bays
2. CASL
3. LAFC
Cosmos
4. Michigan Wolves
5. PDA
6. Carmel United
7. Chicago Fire
8. Columbus Crew
9. New York Red Bulls
10. Cal Odyssey
11. Dallas Texans
12.
Crossfire Premier
13. Andromeda
14. Real So Cal
15. Arsenal
16. Concorde Fire
17. Vardar
18. FC Dallas
19. D.C. United
20. Colorado Rush
21. Solar
SC
22. Real Colorado
23. FC Delco
24. De Anza Force
25. Chicago Magic
26. St. Louis Scott Gallagher
27. West Coast FC
28. Triangle United
29. IMG
Academy
30. FC Westchester
30. Westside Metros
READER'S NOTE:
Soccer America's annual Best Boys Clubs story, detailing the
accomplishments of the ranked clubs, will appear in Soccer America's Best of American Soccer 2010 magazine, which is included in magazine subscriptions.
Readers interested in purchasing
individual copies of Best of American Soccer 2010 magazine can do so at:
Soccer America subscriptions
Clubs interested in purchasing
copies at bulk rates should contact Soccer America's Sergei Kogut at:
sergei@socceramerica.com
Clubs interested in advertising should contact Soccer America's Doug Murdock at:
doug@socceramerica.com
how is this list compilled?
Soccer America selects the top 30 clubs based on success of their teams in national youth competitions over the last three years (2008-10) and the selection of their players to national teams in 2010.
Does SA make the effort to take a closer look into the player rosters for the older teams with these clubs to see how many players were actually developed at that club or if they were brought in from somewhere else? The inquiry is important because the true mark of a club's quality is if they are able to develop their own talent as opposed to the typical cutthroat tactic of releasing homegrown players in significant #s to make room for new 'ready-made' players raided from another club. Knowing the % of players on older team rosters who have been with that club for say at least 3 years is an important consideration in this regard.
I'm curious as well if there is a formula. My son's club, GSA in Gwinnett, GA has quite a few rpl teams, had one team win at nationals, and just had a U18, Walker Zimmerman selected for the National team trip to Isreal next week. OK, sorry about the hard sell, I'm really just interested in where our club ended up if they scored clubs beyond the first 30!. Not that it would change anything, I think there are many good clubs, and once you find one with the right coaching philosophy and coaching talent, you stick with it!
Glad to see that South Carolina united did not make the list. that club is ran like a Rec. league. Their Executive Director runs that club like what is wrong with US youth soccer. Not looking for talent waiting for the talent to come to them.