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15 year old signs MLS contract

Sean Miller Fan

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https://www.soccertoday.com/15-year-old-homegrown-player-signs-with-sporting-kc/

My guess is Sporting KC places him on their USL side for a few seasons but still pretty cool. Usually these Academy kids go onto college and then to their MLS club but this kid is going to bypass that. To be honest, although the difference in competition isnt much between the USL and ACC, you get so many more games ad practices in the USL which makes it a better place to develop IMO
 
https://www.soccertoday.com/15-year-old-homegrown-player-signs-with-sporting-kc/

My guess is Sporting KC places him on their USL side for a few seasons but still pretty cool. Usually these Academy kids go onto college and then to their MLS club but this kid is going to bypass that. To be honest, although the difference in competition isnt much between the USL and ACC, you get so many more games ad practices in the USL which makes it a better place to develop IMO
And this is where his growth will be stunted. The kid, if he’s good enough, should be signing with a euro club academy in Europe. US soccer is doomed.
 
The kid, if he’s good enough, should be signing with a euro club academy in Europe.


If he doesn't have a European passport he can't sign a contract with a European team

Your most recent example, or at least one of them, was Josh Sargent agreeing to join Werder Berman last year but having to wait another five or six months before he could actually sign the contract, because he was not yet 18 when he agreed to the deal.
 
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If he doesn't have a European passport he can't sign a contract with a European team

Your most recent example, or at least one of them, was Josh Sargent agreeing to join Werder Berman last year but having to wait another five or six months before he could actually sign the contract, because he was not yet 18 when he agreed to the deal.
It’s why pulisic could and others could not. I get it. But until The rule changes, our players will never develop.
 
If he doesn't have a European passport he can't sign a contract with a European team

Your most recent example, or at least one of them, was Josh Sargent agreeing to join Werder Berman last year but having to wait another five or six months before he could actually sign the contract, because he was not yet 18 when he agreed to the deal.
It’s why pulisic could and others could not. I get it. But until The rule changes, our players will never develop.

I think that is an EU rule so when the UK finally pulls out, Americans can sign contracts there before age 18. Not 100% sure though
 
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I think that is an EU rule so when the UK finally pulls out, Americans can sign contracts there before age 18. Not 100% sure though


No, it's a FIFA rule to try to keep the clubs in the "big leagues" from stealing all the best young players from other countries. The reason why Europeans, and anyone with a passport from a European country, can move from country to country before the age of 18 is because the EU is essentially one big labor market, and it is illegal to discriminate against, say, a Spaniard in France simply because they are from Spain.

When the UK pulls out the only difference is going to be that young English players will not be able to sign with a club in any other country similarly to the way it is for Americans now, and no English teams will be allowed to sign players from the rest of the EU. And believe me, the big English clubs are worried that that is going to put them at a huge disadvantage.


Edited to clarify, when I say they can move from country to country I mean they can move from one country in the EU to another country in the EU. They can't move from an EU country to a country outside the EU. A Spanish kid can move to a club in France before he turns 18, but he cannot sign with a club in Mexico.
 
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And this is where his growth will be stunted. The kid, if he’s good enough, should be signing with a euro club academy in Europe. US soccer is doomed.

gotta crawl before you walk, in my opinion. it's not ideal but the more kids we get apprenticing means we'll have real academies of professionals. at least maybe some day.

these kids can go back to college later if they want.

i really don't know the answer, man. you see these garbage little countries and they produce multiple high end players. we've literally got millions more kids playing soccer and we can't get more than 1 playing at a truly high level. i mean, really small, really crappy countries.

i think a lot of it is our kids don't do pick up games very much. not all, but one observation. i know there are others but good lord, when iceland, the size of downtown omaha, can produce more real players, we're doing something massively wrong.

my 4 yo's town league has 18 teams of 13 kids each. that's one age group. in one medium sized town. we have enough kids playing.

our "hit" ratio per player has got to be the worst in the world. or close to it.
 
https://www.soccertoday.com/15-year-old-homegrown-player-signs-with-sporting-kc/

My guess is Sporting KC places him on their USL side for a few seasons but still pretty cool. Usually these Academy kids go onto college and then to their MLS club but this kid is going to bypass that. To be honest, although the difference in competition isnt much between the USL and ACC, you get so many more games ad practices in the USL which makes it a better place to develop IMO

SKC is giving HS kids a chance with the first team it seems. A different kid, a 16 year old scored for them. 2nd youngest MLS goal scorer after the disappointment that was Freddy Adu

https://www.soccertoday.com/sporting-kcs-16-year-old-busio-scores-first-mls-goal/
 
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