Revolution, MLS working to develop next generation
Response trains players after collapse of U.S. Development Academy
The front end of the MLS season wasn’t the only casualty of the coronavirus.
U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy, which for the last 12 years was advancing the most promising young American players, disbanded on April 15.
MLS had the infrastructure in place to provide a solution. The Revolution Academy and other MLS development programs along with the nation’s elite clubs had worked in conjunction with U.S. Soccer in the past.
“They are the governing body of soccer in our country so there has been a relationship there,” said Revolution technical director Curt Onalfo.
“There were rumors of it (disbanding) and quite frankly MLS has been dealing with them for a long time. Credit MLS for stepping up at a time where it literally found a way to fill the void by putting this all together.”
When U.S. Soccer shuttered its development academy, it eliminated the competitive platform used by hundreds of the country’s top soccer clubs. MLS took this as an opportunity to absorb the displaced athletes into a combination of its own elite youth programs and existing soccer clubs.
MLS announced May 13 that 65 former U.S. Soccer Development Academy clubs will join with its academies in a player development partnership involving the United States and Canada.
“The plan is to make it better and time will tell,” said
Onalfo. “But the plan has been implemented to make it better and honestly my mission and my job is to make our club be the best we can and that is my primary focus.”
Developing the next generation of elite American soccer players has taken on a greater sense of urgency and MLS has taken on an expanded role in making that happen.
The U.S. men’s national team has a low profile when it comes to international competition. The men’s national team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, breaking a streak that dated to 1990.
The U.S. has made 10 World Cup appearances and its best finish was third in 1930. The U.S. enjoyed its highest FIFA ranking (fourth) in 2006 but it dropped to its all-time low (36th) in 2012.
“I do think there will be an enhanced program and a really solid platform for us to develop players in this country,” said Onalfo.
The new platform, once the pandemic has subsided and MLS academies are allowed to resume play, will include a season of league matches with regional, national and international tournaments.
The platform will include over 8,000 players in the U.S. and Canada who will engage in player development and year-round competition.
“There are players that come in with raw talent and natural abilities,” said Onalfo. “There are all cases and we’ve really put an emphasis on training more and enhancing the training environment and putting in initiatives so that underprivileged kids get the training consistently.
“Whatever it takes to enhance the program and we’ve seen a lot of progress. We are doing some really good things. We are just going to keep driving to get better each day.”