[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SPOTLIGHT] D.C. United’s U-17/18 squad features the son of four-time MLS champion Jaime Moreno and two youngerbrothers of current D.C. United 19-year-old star Andy Najar. Najar, the 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year, was a D.C. United Academy product who had emigrated from Honduras,which he represented at last summer’s Olympics. His brother Denis, […]
development academy
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Jack McBean scores on three fronts
[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SPOTLIGHT] Within two weeks in October, 17-year-old Jack McBean scored goals for the Los Angeles Galaxy in DevelopmentAcademy play, the MLS Reserve League and the Concacaf Champions League. McBean struck twice in a 6-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps that gave the Galaxy its first-ever Reserve Leaguedivision title. The following weekend, the Newport […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Expansion underway
[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY] In August, U.S. Soccer announced it would be adding a U-13/14 division to the Development Academy and it’s now accepting applications forthe 10-month program that begins in fall of 2013. On Nov. 6 at 1 pm ET, U.S. Soccer is holding a public webinar on the program conducted by Director of Scouting TonyLepore.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Goal leaders: Red Bulls, D.C. United
[U.S. DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY] The New York Red Bulls are the highest scoring team so far at the U-17/18 level with 23 goals while D.C. United is producing the mostat U-15/16 with 21 goals. Ismar Tandir leads the 5-0-1 Red Bulls with seven goals. Gerson Umana, a 14-year-old El Salvador native, leads 6-0-0 D.C.United with six […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Academy players win Reserve League title
[LOS ANGELES GALAXY] The MLS Reserve League gives MLS clubs a chance to see how young players do when they line up against older pros, and the Los AngelesGalaxy played three academy players in its 6-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps that earned it its first Western Division title. Highly rated RaulMendiola had two assists. Drew […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Chicago U-17/18 teams all perfect
[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SPOTLIGHT] When MLS’s Chicago Fire entered the youth market, threatening the territory dominated by Magic PSG and Sockers FC, the questionwas asked, is there enough Chicago area talent to go around for three teams? The fast start by the three teams, all unbeaten and untied, in the Development Academy’s U-17/18 division would seem […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Fire's Farina opens with back-to-back hat tricks
[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY REWIND] The Chicago Fire, one of four U-17/18 Mid-America Division teams to sweep their games in the first two weeks of play in the 2012-13Development Academy, got back-to-back hat tricks from Jeffrey Farina as it swept Internationals (7-0) and Crew Soccer Academy (4-0). Farina is ajunior at New Trier High School. He had […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Joya makes rapid climb at Santos
[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. under-20 international Benji Joya became the latest Mexican-American to debut in the MexicanFirst Division when he played last weekend in Santos’ 0-0 draw against Jaguares. Joya, a product of Development Academy program De Anza Force, is one of three U-20s from Northern California to joinSantos. Joya, who just turned 19, has been […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Sporting KC teams off to perfect starts
[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SPOTLIGHT] Sporting Kansas City’s two academy teams are both off to 3-0-0 starts, making it the only Development Academy club to win allsix games since the launch of the 2012-13 season, the first in which all clubs play year-round schedules. Perhaps the top prospect on the U-17/18s is its youngest player, 15-year-oldErik Palmer-Brown. […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
New season starts early in Northeast
[DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY] The 2012-13 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season kicks off its sixth season this weekend with 40 matches. It’s the first year that allteams are playing a 10-month season. That means teams like D.C. United, FC Delco, Baltimore Bays Chelsea and BW Gottschee, which would have otherwise been idle until the end of the […]