Cosmos cash; U-17s on TV; High school rules; MLS teens

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Nov 29, 2011

By Mike Woitalla

The reincarnated New York Cosmos appear to be recommitting to their relationship with Queens club Blau-Weis Gottschee, which had filed a lawsuit against the Cosmos on Nov. 3 after not receiving a promised payment, reports Michael Lewis of BigAppleSoccer.com.

The Cosmos, who last August pulled the plug on their Southern California-based Cosmos Academy West, have reportedly paid the $210,000 they owed Gottschee under an agreement forged in July 2010 in which the Cosmos acquired the right to sponsor the club’s academy teams for five years for $500,000 annually.

Lewis cites sources as saying that Gottschee, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last month, will not yet drop the lawsuit because there is another payment, of $250,000, pending on Jan. 1.

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FOX Soccer will broadcast all three U.S. U-17 boys national team games during the 2011 Nike International Friendlies. The USA faces France on Wednesday, Turkey on Friday and Brazil on Sunday. All three games kick off at 5 pm ET. … The games are part of the 2011 Winter Showcase in Sarasota, Fla., where all 78 Development Academy clubs will play 234 non-conference games Dec. 2-6. ... Also at the Showcase, 78 Development Academy players named by the U.S. Soccer technical staff will be divided into four select teams and compete in two games. Check out the rosters HERE.

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Holland High School, one of the best girls soccer teams in Western New York with a 15-2 record, was banned from the regional playoffs because it exceeded the 16-game limit.

The move to restrict all varsity schedules to 16 games came as a cost-cutting measure by New York state officials, so Holland's scheduling of 17 games did little beyond offend the fiscal sensibilities of state athletics administrators, wrote Yahoo!Sports’ Cameron Smith.

"It's pretty black and white that we went over 16 games. But like it's been said, the punishment didn't fit the crime," captain Katherine Shanahan told Buffalo YNN.

Shanahan’s team went the entire season without a single yellow card – but played a game too many.

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In the last MLS regular season game of 2011, 16-year-old Jack McBean made his MLS debut, starting for the Los Angeles and scoring in a 3-1 loss to Houston. McBean, a Southern California product who played for the Galaxy’s Academy team, became the sixth U.S. product who was 18 or younger entering the 2011 season to see MLS action:

Player (Club) age (games-goals-assists)
Andy Najar (D.C. United) 18 (28-5-6)
Juan Agudelo (New York) 18 (27-6-2)
Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake) 17 (25-2-0)
Jack McInerney (Philadelphia) 19 (18-1-0)
Omar Salgado (Vancouver) 18 (14-1-1)
Diego Fagundez (New England) 16 (6-2-1)
Zach Pfeffer (Philadelphia) 16 (3-0-0)
Jack McBean (Los Angeles) 16 (1-1-0)

(The list includes only players who played youth soccer in the USA. All of the above have been part of the U.S. national team program except for Najar, who has played for his native Honduras. He moved to the USA at age 13 and played in D.C. United's youth program.)

For stats on the 41 Homegrown players on MLS rosters in 2011, including the 14 who debuted in 2011, go HERE.

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... The renovated Newburgh Armory is becoming home to the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association's Olympic Development Program. Randy Vogt, ENYYSA's PR director and longtime New York referee, notes there has been criticism of ODP by Soccer America readers with the major complaint being the cost excludes some minority kids.

“While I do not know the actual cost of ODP for each family, I cannot remember ever seeing or refereeing an ODP boys team that was lilly-white,” says Vogt, who adds that the Newburgh Armory is in a poor area and that its frequent use by ENYYSA will help the local economy. “Our Olympic Development Program has made it a point to help out a very racially diverse area.”

"The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association is absolutely delighted to enter this partnership with the Newburgh Armory Unity Center to provide a northern home base for our ODP and Coaching Education classes," said ENYYSA President Richard Christiano. "Just as importantly, we also believe this refurbished facility will help keep kids off the streets and on soccer fields."

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MORE U.S. YOUTH NEWS ... Joe Gallardo scored in all three games as the U.S. under-14 national team's Red squad swept regional teams at the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Boys Thanksgiving Interregional. ... The Region I 1996 team completed a perfect 3-0-0 week with a 4-0 win over Region III, while the Region IV 1997's also finished 3-0-0 with a 3-2 victory over Region II at the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional. ... The U.S. under-18 women’s national team consisting of 26 players, the majority born in 1994 with several born in 1993 and 1992, will hold its final training camp of the year Dec. 11-18 in Sunrise, Fla. Check out the roster HERE. ...