By Mike Woitalla
Fifty-six clubs will join the U.S. Soccer Development Academy at the U-12 level, which the DA will launch for the 2016-17 season. They join 78 existing Academymembers that field teams for U-12 competition for a total of 134 clubs.
The expansion is intended to reduce travel distances between clubs at the youngest division in the DA, which alsocompetes at the U-14, U-16 and U-18 levels.
“Expanding to the U-12 age group and the addition of 56 new member clubs will improve the overall environment at an earlier development stage andhelp clubs create a more positive step-by-step learning pathway for players,” said U.S. Soccer Director of Scouting Tony Lepore saidin a release.
U.S. Soccer has also announced that the 56 new clubs have made a financial commitment of more than $1 million for player scholarships that will subsidize more than 600 players,including 400 who will play cost-free.
New U-12 Academy Clubs (Fall 2016)
Bay Area, Calif. — San Francisco Elite Academy, Santa RosaUnited. Los Angeles — Los Angeles FC, Total Futbol Academy. San Diego — Chula Vista FC, LA Galaxy San Diego, San Diego Soccer Club, West Coast FC. Colorado– Arsenal Colorado, Colorado Storm Soccer Association, FC Boulder, Pride SC. Florida — Albion SC Plantation, FC Florida, Florida Rush SC, Players Club of Tampa Bay,Wellington SC. Georgia — AFC Lightning, Atlanta United FC, Lanier Soccer Association, North Atlanta Soccer Association, Southern Soccer Academy, United Futbol Academy.Illinois/Indiana —
Campton United SC, Chicago Fire Juniors City/ South, FC United Soccer Club, Fort Wayne United FC, Indiana Elite FC, Sockers FC Naperville. New England– Bayside FC, Global Premier Soccer, NEFC, Valeo Futbol Club. New York/New Jersey — New York Cosmos, TSF Academy. North Carolina — Capital AreaRailHawks-CASL Del Sol, Capital Area RailHawks-CASL South, Queen City Mutiny. Oregon — BSC Oregon, Capital FC Timbers, Crossfire Oregon, Eastside Timbers, FC Portland Academy,Washington Timbers FC Academy, Westside Timbers Soccer Club. Texas — Houston Express SC. Washington — Eastside FC, Greater Seattle Surf, Pacific Northwest SC,Seattle United, Snohomish Youth Soccer Club, Washington Premier FC, Washington Rush. Washington, D.C. — Arlington Soccer Association, Loudoun Soccer, McLean Youth Soccer.
U.S. U-19 men fall to Spain
In the U.S. U-19 men’snational team’s first game under Coach Brad Friedel, the USA fell, 1-0, to host Spain in its Copa del Atlantico Tournament opener in Canary Islands. Friedel’s
Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer
Feb. 2 in Las Palmas, Spain
Spain 1 USA 0. Goal: Olmo 37.
Spain – A.Fernandez; Rodriguez (Bunuel, 45),Castano, 2- Torres, Cucurella; Villalba (Gomez, 61), Garcia (Puado Diaz, 61), Diaz; Olmo (Villaneuva Rivas, 70), R.Fernandez Caballero, 70), Navarro (Islam, 75).
USA –W.Pulisic; Cannon (Dieterich, 63), Montalvo, Trusty, Nelson; McKinnie, Calvillo (Robinson, 77), Loera (Lekressner, 45); Gaines (Denis, 45), Da Silva, Zubak (Saramago, 88).
U.S. U-18 men end camp with two losses
The U.S. U-18 national team, under new head coachOmid Namazi, finished its first camp of the year with a pair of losses against Florida clubs Montverde Academy and Weston FC.
The U.S. squad of 36 1999-born players, 24 of whom were newcomers to the national team program,split for the two games. They are auditioning for a training camp in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in early March.
Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer.
“Obviously, the goal for this camp was to identify more players at this age group and to expand our player pool,” said Namazi. “I thought these games against strong opposition gave usexactly what we were looking for.”
Jan. 20 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
USA 1 Montverde 3. U.S. goal: Hanson 41.
USAlineup — Lopez; Hanson (Milesi, 63), Rogers, Vom Steeg, Real; Tomozawa, Paoli, Shigenobu, Alvarenga (Russell, 56); Fontana (Marcu, 74), Bulut (Vedamanikam, 70).
Jan. 20 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
USA 0 Weston 1.
USA — Fetterly; Sundquist, McKenzie, Eves, Alfaro Jr.; Tracey (Perez, 50), Abdi (Anton,20), Fernandez (McMaster, 55), Burnett (Wright, 86); De Sota, Marquez-Ramirez (Grey, 66).
This is fantastic news!Those big 12yos can now get more love, while the late growers can get their confidences crushed.Well….those speedy but little kids can just move over to football or basketball or hockey….no loss, rightHey Tab, we’re waiting for the in-utero academy. We’ll use the parents genetic information to determine if they make the team when they are born!Well-played
I wish there was a like button.
Not to worry. We are richer in soccer organizers than players, will soon have development acadamies for 11.5 years old, 12.5, 13.5, …
Minor correction: Washington Timbers is listed as an Oregon club. While affiliated with the Portland Timbers and located within the Portland metropolitan area, WTFC is located in Vancouver, WA (across the river from Portland), not in Oregon.
Actually, if your favorite club fills their first team with larger-than-average kids, as opposed to kids are highly skilled, that’s not a good sign. A well-run club will know the difference and have the big kids play up a year (on a skill-appropriate squad). Fortunately, the clubs from the Portland area that are the worst offenders at fielding teams of giants, aren’t on the Academy list….
(Actually, take that back. One of the worst offenders I can think of is one of the local Crossfire clubs–I won’t say which one–and Crossfire Oregon is on the list. I’m assuming, though, that the Crossfire U12 academy will draw from all of the affiliated clubs, and not just the particular one I had in mind…)
All American great observation. If you look at what happens to the kids at the younger ages the coaching is what is affecting the outcome as they get older. The coaches prohibit good creative play and when a kid gets creative, tries something and it doesn’t work the coach (and I am referring to NT coaches in the younger age groups) are all over them. Strangest thing I have ever seen. Teach them the tactical end of the game and then let them play. There is a lot of talent out there but the my way or highway syndrome is killing it and thus we have the results we have.
>Fan… sound like they’re putting the cart before the horse.
If all these clubs are based on “pay to play”, how can this be an improvement over the recent past? It looks like the same old tired story.