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Now I am not bagging on anyone here but just want to get this topic out in the open because many times are U20 national team is a gauge for player development in our country.
And yes I know Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore I believe were eligible to play at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt yet focusing on that would skirt the overall issue of player development.

I found it fascinating and candid of U20 coach Thomas Rongen to address player development in our country after the U.S. was eliminated after two horrible losses two Germany and Korea and elimination. I know some were secretly wishing for this team to advance with two losses but the truth is that would have only masked a huge problem that quite frankly everyone is aware of yet some still try to sugar-coat.
Our top 16-20 year old players are not getting enough competition and in most cases are playing against their peers as opposed to an environment that includes men in a reserve division. MLS killing off the reserve league this year has left an even larger void. Have any of these developmental players signed in MLS played in significant games or are this just kids being used as a vehicle of promotion. Where are they getting games?

I like the concept of the US Soccer Development Academy league but man was this a long time coming.
Sure it will concentrate the best players on select clubs and hopefully help player development by controlling training related to volume of games plus hopefully pit the best players and teams against each other.
One thing is real clear and lets not beat around the bush here. None of these players are going to move from this Academy to an impactful role in MLS and if someone is telling you this they are being less than truthful…the jump and differences in the level is too large.
Ok, like U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati reminded on my radio show. How about Jozy Altidore? Of course the law of averages says every once in awhile a Jozy will come along but lets get real and realize that many people do understand player development.
The U.S. Soccer Academy league is designed to produce players for the next level which is college. Maybe after two years at the collegiate level we may have a few players ready to jump to MLS and be more impactful. So yes the college game is still the target for Academy players.

How nice would it be here in Houston if UH had a program or Rice and the Dynamo could move players on and keep an eye on them at a local college or university till they were deemed more fit for MLS?
Or even better wouldn’t it be great if players could sign at 16 professionally and be guaranteed an education and begin training at that age with the professional club on a daily basis and be around men and the highest level of player in this country. Of course all of this would take money. Until we get a reserve league, sign players as teenagers an guarantee them a fall back position with education and money we can hype the Academy all we want but it can’t duplicate what goes on in other countries and accelerating player development.
We must truly “own” what is going on with player development and keep our expectations in check. And just a quick reminder, three expansion teams are looming in the future in MLS.
So here is what U 20 coach Thomas Rongen said that is something we all know and is quite compelling yet it come more to the surface with the poor performance of the u20’s .
“None of our MLS players are regular starters, and there’s no reserve league. We go from full time residency to a black hole..That’s the reason we are erratic from game to game. There’s no game sharpness, there’s no game fitness, and no game rhythm.

“Because of the MLS dropping the reserve league the black hole will become deeper and darker.”

Yet on my radio show Sunil Gulati was emphatic that dropping the reserve league was what had to be done. So what is the next step? That is the question.

Thoughts?