U.S. SOCCER
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY MOVES TO 10-MONTH SEASON STARTING IN
2012-13
Academy Schedule to Run
from September through June Beginning in the Fall of 2012
March 2012 -- The U.S.
Soccer Development Academy has announced it is moving to a
10-month season starting with the 2012-13 season.
After receiving
overwhelming support from the Development Academy
membership, the Academy is moving to a schedule beginning in
the fall of 2012 that runs from September through June (or
July based on postseason play). This creates a format that
is similar to those followed by the elite soccer playing
nations around the world as the Development Academy and U.S.
Soccer continue their goal of closing the performance gap
with the top soccer nations.
“If we want our players to
someday compete against the best in the world, it is
critical for their development that they train and play as
much as possible and in the right environment,” said U.S.
Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “The
Development Academy 10-month season is the right formula and
provides a good balance between training time and playing
competitive matches. This is the model that the best
countries around the world use for their programs, and I
think it makes perfect sense that we do as well.”
A number of clubs already
have switched to the 10-month season and have seen
substantial improvement (Western Conference, Texas
Division). U.S. Soccer recognizes there might be challenges
during the transition process and will work with individual
clubs to make this swift transition as easy as possible.
Moving to a 10-month season
means players can focus on training together three or four
times per week and play meaningful games on the weekend
nearly year-round. Fewer games and an extended season will
allow for the addition of a substantial number of extra
training sessions, which are the primary vehicle for player
development.
The 10-month season allows
for a greater opportunity to institute a style of play and
implement a system according to U.S. Soccer’s Curriculum as
well as build team chemistry. It also gives teams increased
opportunities for younger kids in their club to “play up”
against older players in both training and matches, thereby
accelerating their development.
“Going to a 10-month season
is an important step in the evolution of elite player
development,” said U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director
Claudio Reyna. “The format provides the ideal platform to
place an increased emphasis on the value of training on a
regular basis, and offers the opportunity to play in
quality, competitive games throughout an extended season.
This schedule puts our elite players in line with kids in
their age group internationally, and places the appropriate
physical demands at this stage in their development.
“The addition of a
significant number of training sessions per year will
enhance the ability of players to develop,” said Reyna.
“Along with the support of our membership, this move has
been greeted with enthusiasm from leading soccer nations
around the world.”
U.S. Soccer created the
Development Academy in 2007 to improve the everyday
environment for the elite youth player. The Development
Academy is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and the top
youth clubs around the country to provide the best youth
players in the U.S. with an everyday environment designed to
produce the next generation of National Team players.
February 24, 2012 -- In
an effort to continue to provide the elite youth soccer
players in the Development Academy with unique opportunities
to improve their development, U.S. Soccer
has partnered with EXACT Sports, an expert in behavioral
assessments and sport psychology tools.
During 2012, Exact Sports will
monitor and train the more than 4,000 players and coaches
across the 78 Development Academy clubs using the Mental
Achievement Program (MAP). The MAP tool will provide a
detailed behavioral profile to every athlete in the Academy
and provide them with the tools to increase characteristics
such as motivation, confidence, competitiveness, leadership
and mental toughness.
“The MAP has been successfully
utilized by our National Teams and will be another exclusive
opportunity for the players in the Development Academy to
improve their overall development,” said U.S. Development
Academy Director of Scouting Tony Lepore. “Along with the
physical and technical tools, mental preparation is an
essential component for success in soccer. The MAP should
help players better understand the mental attributes
required of them to maximize performance on and off-field.”
EXACT’s Mental Achievement
Program was developed by a team of scientists that have
expertise in the monitoring of athlete development.
Development Academy clubs join over 60 professional teams
such as the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New
York Red Bull, and more than 100 NCAA soccer teams including
University of North Carolina, Wake Forest University, and
Indiana University, in using the MAP to aid coaching staff
and elevate player performance. “There are many elements
within soccer that are mental, such as managing adversity
during a corner kick, being confident in goal, showing
leadership on the field and interacting with coaches and
teammates,” said Executive Director of EXACT Sports Barry
Tarter.
Each Academy player will have
the ability to annually update his MAP behavioral profile.
The program will be utilized by his club coaches to assist
in Academy training and preparation.
“Development Academy clubs
will get unrestricted access to EXACT’s team of mental
experts,” said Tarter. Our priority is to assist each club’s
coaching staff in better preparing their team and players
for success at the highest level.”
August 31, 2011 -- Matt Nance,
a member of the Vardar U15/16 Academy Team, was recently
invited to attend the U.S. U-17 residency camp in Bradenton,
FL.
Nance is one of 33 boys and
the only player from Region 2 invited to participate in the
semester-long camp that could include an international trip
to Spain and France. This U-17 cycle that just began this
August will represent the U.S. in the next U-17 World Cup in
2013 in the United Arab Emirates.
Vardar congratulates Matt and
wishes him luck in Bradenton.
JUNE 2011 -- Vardar's Carroll
to Play With U17MNT on Live TV
Zach Carroll continues to shine on the
U17 Men's National Team. Zach has earned a starting spot at
centerback for the upcoming 2011 FIFA Under 17 World Cup tournament.
All games will be televised (see schedule). And look for #2!
Sunday, June 19, 7PM vs Czech
Rep - ESPNU
Wednesday, June 22, 4PM vs
Uzbekistan - Galavision
Saturday, June 25, 7PM vs New
Zealand - ESPNU
All three group games will also be
shown live-streamed on ESPN3.com.
Vardar U16s
make run at first in U.S. Soccer Development Academy
division
Vardar is 4-0-1 with four shutouts
in last five Great Lakes Division Central Conference games
Tariq Akeel
has helped Vardar Academy U16s to a 4-0-1 in their last five
matches.
Photo By:
Vardar soccer
ESPN.RISE.COM -- June 1, 2011 -- Vardar
U16 has been on a tear in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
The Detroit-based squad has gone 4-0-1 against five of its Great
Lakes Division Central Conference rivals, posting four shutouts. It
surpassed Crew Soccer Academy (8-2-2, 10-5-4) for first place in the
nine-team division.
Jeffery Adkins leads the team with seven goals, followed by Youseff
Bjaidar and Tyler Jugon with five each. Tariq Akeel has four and
Zachary Pagani has three.
In succession, Vardar vanquished seventh-place Chicago Magic (4-5-3,
5-10-4), second-place Crew, ninth-place Internationals (2-8-2,
7-10-2) and fifth-place Sockers FC (4-2-5, 6-3-9). Vardar battled to
a scoreless tie Sunday against eighth-place FC Milwaukee (2-7-3,
2-14-3).
What makes Vardar's position more daunting for opponents is 6-foot-3
defender defender Mahamoudou Kaba, who'd been playing up with the
under-18 squad, could return to the U16s, according to coach Mike
Lupenec.
"We're going to bring Mo down to play with the younger academy,"
Lupenec said. "We're sitting in a good position to make the
playoffs, and that was our main goal. Last year, our older academy
actually won the national championship. Our younger academy has made
the playoffs the last two years."
Kaba, who plans to graduate early this year, has verbally committed
to South Carolina.
Lupenec credits the defense of Phillip Soong, Mike Leone, Jeffrey
Robbins and Sean Hasen, as well as goalie Matt Smolinski, for
limiting scoring chances, particularly during the toughest match of
the run -- the 2-1 win over the Crew on May 21.
"They've been steady in the last few games," Lupenec said. "Our
center backs (Leone and Soong) have done an excellent job."
After losing consecutive 1-0 matches to Derby County Wolves (5-4-7,
8-6-9) and Chicago Fire (6-3-4, 10-4-6), Lupenec made a change in
the offensive rotation after May 14.
"Right after the Fire game, we decided that we were going to put our
best best offensive players in a 4-3-3," Lupenec said. "Youseff,
Tariq and Jeffery have been clicking and putting pressure on back
lines.
"Their roles have been basically to score goals, and I think that
changing the system helped. Yousseff is very athletic; Jeff's very
technical; and then Tariq is a good offensive man who likes to get
forward."
READ MORE......
JUNE 2011 -- Nash Popovic, a
member of Vardar's U14 Academy
Team, earned the Golden Boot
Trophy for the six goals he
scored during the recent
Manchester United Premier Cup
held Memorial Day Weekend in
Beaverton, OR.
The Manchester United Premier
Cup (MUPC) is the largest
international youth football
tournament in the world,
involving over 6,000 teams from
over 40 countries. Teams from
around the globe compete in
regional or national qualifying
tournaments, all with the
ultimate goal to reach the MUPC
World Finals for boys, and the
Gothia Cup tournament for the
girls U.S. winner. Once again,
Nike World Headquarters in
Beaverton hosted the U.S. Finals
for the MUPC. The tournament saw
20 of the top U14 and U15 boys
and girls teams each in the
nation come together to play for
the crown.
Vardar's boys earned a sixth
place finish with a three win, 1
loss and 1 tie record. Vardar
girls went 1-2-1 for the weekend
Vardar
Academy Player selected for U17 World Cup qualifying and
CONCACAF championship
February 2011 —
Vardar Academy player
Zach Carroll has been
selected to travel with the U.S.
U17 MNT squad to Jamaica for U17
World Cup qualifying and
CONCACAF championship. Coach
Cabrerra took 20 boys and Zach
is one of three centerbacks on
the trip.
Vardar
Academy players named as top 20 players in the Midwest
Region
February 2011 —
Vardar Academy players Zach Caroll, Jeff Adkins,
Phillip Soong, Mike Moscone,
Matt Meldrum and Tariq Akeel
were named by Top Drawer
Soccer as a top 20 player in
the Midwest Region.
The Regional Top 20 Rankings
(for the 2011 – 2015
classes) were based on input
from Top Drawer Soccer
staff, scouts and coaches at
various levels. Both the
numerical rankings and the
star ratings are subject to
update at least once per
week. Read more:
U.S.
Soccer Names 36 players for Training Camp at The Home Depot
Center
December 1, 2010 —
U.S. U-18 MNT head coach Mike Matkovich has
finalized a 36-player roster for a training
camp at The Home Depot Center from Nov.
20-28. The training camp will include
friendly games against local men’s teams,
including Ventura County Fusion, FC Hasental,
Hollywood United and Orange County Blue
Star.
The roster includes 31 players who are
currently part of the U.S. Soccer
Development Academy, plus a former Academy
player in Victor Pineda who signed a
Homegrown Player contract with the Chicago
Fire earlier this year. Midfielder Caleb
Stanko played up last season with the
U-17/18 Vardar squad that captured the
2009-10 championship.
Read More...
November 22, 2010 —
Zach Carroll, a member of the Vardar U18
Academy Team, has been invited to
participate in a U.S. Academy Select Team
game during the Dec. 2-6 Winter Showcase to
be held in Phoenix, AZ. The game between two
groups of players born in 1994 and 1995 will
be played at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 4.
Select Teams
are made up of Academy players chosen by
youth national team coaches and U.S. Soccer
Technical Advisors. They will have the
opportunity to play alongside some of the
top players in their age group in front of
youth national team coaches, Technical
Advisors, national team scouting network and
hundreds of college coaches from across the
country. In the past, professional scouts
from Major League Soccer and foreign clubs
have also been in attendance. All of the
players are age-eligible to compete in the
2011 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in April,
and players born on or after Jan. 1, 1994,
are eligible for the 2011 CONCACAF U-17
Championship in February
CARSON, Calif.
(July 17, 2010) — Two second half goals by
Vardar’s Derek Schrauben helped the Michigan
side come from behind to defeat Crossfire
Premier and win the 2009-10 Development
Academy U-17/18 national championship at The
Home Depot Center. Liam Kelly lit up the
scoreboard in the 12th minute for Crossfire,
but Vardar recovered and tied it in the 29th
minute before winning with Schrauben’s
heroics late in the game.
“We were confident that there were things we
could do better in the second half and get
back to doing things the way we know how,”
said Vardar head coach Demir Muftari. “The
boys really responded well and had a really
good second half. It was good not only to
get the second one, but also to get that
third one and put them away.”
The championship match was the first for
both teams in their first appearances at
Finals Week. Vardar earned a spot in the
final through offensive fireworks, scoring
seven times in group matches—with one of
those goals being the difference between
them and Real So Cal that got them into the
championship match. Crossfire Premiere went
the other way, rebounding from an opening
game loss to FC Dallas to respond with two
straight shutout wins to finish at the top
of Group 1.
Under a setting sun, the match began rather
slowly as both teams attempted to probe for
weaknesses. With the exception of some long
passes over the top by Crossfire, few
chances looked close to appearing in the
first ten minutes.
But as they’ve done all week, Crossfire
Premier strikers Liam Kelly and Kelyn Rowe
made something out of nothing, and suddenly
put the Washington-based side on top in the
12th minute.
On a counter attack starting just inside
midfield, Rowe took a pass in the center of
the park and turned towards goal. Rowe
slipped a ball into the box between the
center and left backs that Kelly ran onto
diagonally from the right side. With the
well-weighted ball at his feet and nobody to
hold off, Kelly calmly looked up and fired
to the left, past an advancing Jonathan
Jebson.
Despite the goal, momentum seemed to stay
level, and Vardar got back to work playing
their game, patiently working for a chance
to tie. But it was Crossfire again who got
the next chance, capitalizing on an
intercepted pass at midfield.
U17/18
National Champions - 2010
US Soccer Development Academy
After stepping in front of a Vardar
midfielder, Bryce Bacic passed to Rowe who
was advancing down the center of the park
alongside Kelly. Using the three against two
advantage to stretch the defense, Rowe laid
the ball off to the right channel upon
reaching the box, and Kelly ran onto it and
fired his first time shot over the crossbar.
Not a minute later Vardar got their break,
and it was indeed a fortuitous bounce that
allowed them back in the match. Using the
right sideline, forward Ezekiel Harris took
the ball towards the endline. Though he
won’t get onto the scoresheet with an
assist, Harris set up the goal by sending a
low cross through the box that was reached
by striker Peter Jacobsen just to the left
of the spot. His one touch pass went right
back towards the right post to Rob Dolot,
whose side foot shot skipped up and hit the
crossbar—falling back across the goal to
Jacobsen who had only to tap in the ball for
a 1-1 game.
Crossfire made one change at halftime,
bringing on Haakon Taylor for Jordan Zogg.
The Washington club came out firing to start
the second half. In the 49th minute, Rowe
was given space to dribble in the middle of
the Vardar half, and went forward towards
goal. Approaching the box, Rowe stepped up
and fired with the outside of his right
foot, but the swerving ball rose just over
the goal.
The 67th minute brought out the best chance
of the second half for Crossfire Premier, as
Rowe turned his man along the right sideline
and ran onto a long ball from the defense.
Lofting a cross towards the box, the ball
bounced past a defender and found the open
head of Kelly. The striker put the ball
towards the roof of the net, but Jebson made
his best reaction save of the night to push
the ball up and off the crossbar.
Upon weathering the repeated Crossfire
attacks, Vardar began to mount some of their
own in hopes of completing the comeback.
The 74th minute brought the first goal, when
a through ball from Schrauben for Harris was
sent into the left side of the box behind
the Crossfire defense. Coming off his line,
Weakly was just a step too slow and Harris
managed to touch the ball to the left around
the goalkeeper’s hands. Shooting from the
now-sharp angle, Harris’ effort appeared
goalbound before getting cleared off by a
defender. The rebound fell right to the feet
of Schrauben who had continued his run into
the box, and the midfielder finished the
play he started for his first goal of the
night and a 2-1 lead.
Five minutes later Schrauben provided all
the insurance they needed, again finding
himself in the right place at the right
time. From a Caleb Stanko free kick just
inside the half, Vardar headed back in the
clearance towards the back left post. Going
up for the ball was Weakly and Joseph
Dillon, and when the goalkeeper was unable
to hold onto the ball Dillon sent a soft
cross through the center. Jacobson got a
foot to it but only served to move it a step
more to the right, where the wide open
Schrauben side-footed it into the right side
of the goal for the 3-1 lead.
In the final ten minutes Crossfire reduced
their attacks to long balls up to Rowe and
Kelly, but the Vardar defense cleared each
and every effort. A red card shown to Jack
Ryan in the 4th minute of stoppage time did
little to help Crossfire’s cause, and with
the final whistle Vardar’s bench exploded in
celebration.
Click on the following links to
the Academy game reports:
Match: Crossfire Premier
U-17/18 vs. Vardar U-17/18 Date: July 17, 2010 Competition: Development
Academy Finals Week Venue: The Home Depot
Center; Carson, Calif. Kickoff: 7 p.m. local time
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
Crossfire Premier 1 0 1
Vardar 1 2 3
CRO – Liam Kelly (Kelyn
Rowe) 12th minute
VAR – Peter
Jacobson 29
VAR – Derek Schrauben 74
VAR – Derek Schrauben 79
Vardar 17/18 Academy to play for National Championship
July 16,
2010 -- The Vardar U17/18
Academy team, coached by Demir Muftari,
has advanced to play in the Academy
National Championship after posting a
2-0-1 record in preliminary games. The
championship game, pitting Vardar
against Crossfire Premier, will be
played Saturday, July 17 at 7 p.m. PT
(10 p.m. ET). The game will be streamed
online on Sunday, July 18 at 4 p.m. PT
(7 p.m. ET). Crossfire Premier is
based out of Seattle, WA.
By beating
Baltimore Bays 3-0 in its third
preliminary game, Vardar had a +1 goal
differential over Real So Cal who also
had a 2-0-1 record and had tied Vardar
1-1 in the first bracket game earlier
this week.
Click on
the following link to watch the game
streamed online by Hi-Pod:
Congratulations to the Vardar boys for their
well-deserved berth in the National Final!
The U17/18
team is comprised of Joey Dillon, Rob Dolot,
Dean Dziewit, Carlos Folino, Zeke Harris,
Peter Jacobson, Jon Jebson, Miche'le Lipari,
Garth McClellan, Michael Pugh, Zach Schewee,
Derek Schrauben, Caleb Stanko, Mario
Teixeira, Ugo Uche, Fatai Alashe, Zachary
Carroll, Mohamadou Kaba and Blake Skamiera.
Eric Pogue is the team's assistant coach
VARDAR AND CROSSFIRE
PREMIER CLINCH SPOT IN UNDER-17/18 FIRST-PLACE GAMEAT 2010 DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY FINALS WEEK
ONE
GOAL CHANGES EVERYTHING:
Thursday night saw exciting finishes in the
U-17/18 age group at Development Academy
Finals Week, with just one goal separating
first and second place in both groups.
Vardar and Crossfire Premier will meet in
the Finals Week championship match on
Saturday, July 18, at 7 p.m. PT at The Home
Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
In Group 1, Vardar and Real So Cal, playing
simultaneously on adjacent fields, exchanged
goals in a pair of wild games that came down
to the wire. At halftime, Real So Cal needed
a goal to clinch the group, but Vardar
quickly scored and forced Real So Cal to
score two to stay ahead of the Michigan club
in the standings. The local team was up to
the task, and went ahead 5-1 in the 76th
minute, seemingly sealing a place in the
final. But Vardar answered back with a goal
in the second minute of added time to go
ahead 3-0 and take the top place in Group 1.
Group 2 also featured late goals and
surprise endings, as FC Dallas started the
day in first place in their group, but
finished in third place after a thriller
that saw CASL FC Chelsea take the lead twice
before scoring the game-winning goal with 10
men in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Though that goal gave CASL six points on the
week, on the next field over, Crossfire
Premier scored a 90th minute goal of their
own to make it 2-0 and gave them the goal
differential tiebreaker.
A LOOK AT
THE U-15/16 PAIRINGS:
The younger age group will wrap up their
Finals Week with four placement matches on
Friday evening. The day will start with CASL
FC Chelsea taking on D.C. United and
conclude with the championship game, slated
for 7 p.m. PT on the Glenn “Mooch” Myernick
Field at The Home Depot Center.
HOW THEY GOT
HERE
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire came through a tough Frontier
Division and a competitive Playoff group to
reach Finals Week, and continued their
streak of impressive play at The Home Depot
Center. In Carson, the Fire bested local
rival Sockers FC 2-1 to take control of
Group 1. On Monday evening, Larry
Sunderland’s club topped D.C. United 2-0,
and with Sockers FC and Baltimore Bays
Chelsea playing to a tie, the Fire were
assured of a place in the championship game.
THEY SAID
IT:
“We’ve had our ups and downs but we’ve come
through and started to play well when it
matters. We support each other on and off
the field. We’re like a family, so we play
well together.” – Peter Beasley, Chicago
Fire Captain
Cal
Odyssey
Last year’s runners up Cal Odyssey returned
six players to the 2010 squad, and will be
looking to build on its championship
experience Friday night. JJ Wozniak’s team
opened Finals Week with a 4-2 victory
against CASL Chelsea FC behind two goals
from team captain Villyan Bijev. Two days
later, the Oxnard, Calif.-side overcame a
1-0 deficit to clinch the top place in Group
2 with a 2-1 win and a game to spare.
THEY SAID
IT:
“It’s not going to be easy, but we just have
to go out and play hard. I still don’t think
we’ve played our best game yet, but we’ll
get there. We have to play hard and stay
focused and do what we do.” –Daniel Flores,
Cal Odyssey Forward
SEASON FINALE:
The Development Academy playoff system was
created to add to the number of meaningful
games for Academy athletes, further
enhancing the player development process.
Since its launch in the fall of 2007, the
Academy has improved the training
environment, provided relevant, high-level
matches on a consistent basis, increased the
level and efficiency of scouting for the
national teams and provided players, coaches
and referees with structured programming.
Academy
Update from the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Staff -
Friday, July 2, 2010 -
2009-10
Development Academy Playoff Results
Congratulations to the sixteen teams moving
onto the Development Academy Finals Week in
Los Angeles. More information on qualifiers
can be found at
ussoccer.com.
Please visit the YNT
Blog for behind the
scenes coverage of the Development Academy
Playoffs in Greensboro, NC.
Hi-Pod
Streaming of Playoff Games
Select
Playoff games were streamed on delay on
ussoccer.com. The schedule of games streamed
appears on ussoccer.com. The Finals
Week Streaming schedule will be posted next
week on ussoccer.com.
July 1, 2010
-- U18 boys as Champions headed
to Nationals! All expenses paid trip to
Home Depot Center in LA from July 10-18th to
fight for the National Championship vs. Real
So Cal (CA-S), Baltimore Bays (MD),
Crossfire Premier (WA), Concorde Fire (GA),
FC Dallas (TX), CASL (NC), and Wolves (MI)
ALL 16
TEAMS SET FOR DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY FINALS WEEK IN CARSON,
CALIF.
July 1, 2010 --
U-15/16 Teams Kick Off Finals Week July
10 and Crown Champion July 16
U-17/18 Teams Begin Group Play July 11
With Final Set for July 17
GREENSBORO,
N.C. (June 29, 2010) – Every group during
Academy Playoffs came down to the final day,
but all 16 teams across two age groups have
been set for the 2010 Development
Academy Finals Week that will take place
from July 10-17 at The Home Depot Center in
Carson, Calif.
In Carson,
the eight teams in each age group will be
split into two groups, with the winners of
each group advancing to the championship
match. The U-15/16 championship will be
played on July 16 and the U-17/18
championship game will be July 17. Second
place teams will meet for a third place
match, following down into a seventh place
match between the two fourth place teams
from each group.
In the
U-15/16 age group, top-seeded Baltimore Bays
Chelsea earned three wins in Greensboro to
advance to Finals Week. They will be joined
in Group 2 by 2009 runner-up Cal Odyssey,
CASL FC Chelsea and Finals Week newcomers,
Internationals.
Group 1
includes a pair of Chicago-area teams as
both Sockers FC and the Chicago Fire will do
battle in the early stage. They will be
joined by another member of the Central
Conference, Internationals and the lone
member of the West Conference, DeAnza Force.
The U-17/18
age groups feature last year’s U-15/16
champion Derby County Wolves, who are
looking to repeat in 2010. They will be in
Group 1 alongside Crossfire Premier, FC
Dallas and CASL Chelsea FC Academy.
Group 2 for
the older teams includes Real So Cal, the
only representative of Southern California
that will be at The Home Depot Center.
Concorde Fire, Baltimore Bays Chelsea and
Vardar round out the U-17/18 teams.
The
Development Academy playoff system was
created to add to the number of meaningful
games for Academy athletes, further
enhancing the player development process.
Since its launch in the fall of 2007, the
Academy has improved the training
environment, provided relevant, high-level
matches on a consistent basis, increased the
level and efficiency of scouting for the
national teams and provided players, coaches
and referees with structured programming.
Zachary
Carroll training with the U.S. U17 National Team -
Vardar U15/16 Academy -
April 28, 2010 --
Zachary Carroll, a member of the Vardar
U15/16 Academy team, will be
spending the rest of his sophomore year
at the IGM Academy in Bradenton, FL,
training with the U.S. Men's U17
National Team.
Zach came
to the attention of the national
coaching squad during a US Development
Academy Training Session in early April
at the Columbus Crew Stadium. He was
noticed by Gerson Echeverry, U17
assistant coach, and was asked to play
with the U17 National Team the following
weekend in Chicago. From there Zach was
asked to attend an April 18-24 mini-camp
in Florida. At the camp's conclusion,
Zach was approached by Wilmer Caberra,
head coach of the U17s, and was offered
a spot in the residency program.
Zach is one of
40 U17 players who live on campus at the IMG
Academy in Bradenton, and train in the
morning under the guidance of Cabrera and
assistant coaches Paul Caffrey, Echeverry,
Keith Fulk and Paul Grafer. In the
afternoon, the players attend classes at
Bradenton Preparatory Academy. While in the
full-time residency program, the players not
only train daily under Cabrera, but also
have access to the IMG Academy’s spacious
facilities. The team regularly uses IMG’s
state-of-the-art strength-training
facilities, as well as some of the nation’s
best sports psychologists that work at the
Academy. The IMG Academy includes
top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three
Bermuda grass fields, an indoor dome with
artificial turf, two swimming pools, newly
renovated student housing and dining
facilities.
Zach is a
student at Grand Blanc High School and will
graduate in 2012.
ESPN’s
“Outside the Lines” aired a
feature this past week covering U.S.
Soccer’s player development initiative
leading up to the World Cup this summer.
The short feature includes footage from
Development Academy events and has
interviews from the L.A. based Academy club,
LAFC Chelsea.
EVERYDAY TRAINING
HIGHLIGHTS WINTER SHOWCASE From the
U.S. Soccer Communications Center - Dec. 5, 2009
•
Everyday Training Theme in Full Effect
with Individual Training on Display
PHOENIX (Dec. 5, 2009) - As the 2009
Development Academy Winter Showcase gets
underway, the overall theme for the year
is in full effect, as Everyday Training
is being incorporated into player and
coaching education surrounding games as
well as in the matches themselves.
Technical advisor Louis Mateus, who has
seen hundreds of players rise from the
club ranks to various youth national
teams, explains that along with the
Academy-mandated three training sessions
per week, players have to train
individually to reach the highest levels
of the game. Training, he says,
incorporates more than ball work.
“(Every day
training) becomes important because in order
to be competitive in a world market, in
order for the players to be better, we have
to get better in what we do,” said Mateus.
“That has to come not just on game day or
practice day, but in everything we do.
Physical fitness, the way we eat, sleep,
rest, all those things become much more
important in order for us to be successful.
I think first of all, it has to come from
the players.”
Tony Lepore,
who has seen the Academy mature into its
third season, agrees players in the United
States must adapt to meet the high technical
standards set by top-level players around
the world. “If you look at all the top
players and skill development, it wasn’t
taught by the coach,” said Lepore. “It was
spent through a relationship the player had
with the ball on his own. I think young
players especially need to know that they’re
training only through the time spent at
practice, it’s just not enough.”
For more on
individual training from the U.S. Soccer
Development Academy Technical Advisors,
be sure to check out
the full-length feature from
Tony Lepore, Louis Matues and Hugo Perez at
ussoccer.com.
Written by
ESNN (Elite Soccer News Network) -- July 22,
2009 -- The U.S.F.C. SuperElite®
Discover Europe™ International Showcase,
which comes via the Orange County Blue Star,
begins tomorrow.
Eighteen of
the top players in the country set off on a
voyage that will include tours through
Austria, Germany and Belgium.
And as
eye-opening as the tour will be for some
players, for others it won’t be their first
brush with playing internationally.
Soony Saad, one of the final two
players that we’ll spotlight for the event,
has had much of the world opened up to him
through his enormous talent. Having competed
in the likes of England and Italy, Saad has
the rare combination of veteran experience
and newcomer enthusiasm.
“I’m very
excited,” Saad said. “I’ve never played in
any of the countries where we’ll be but I
know that playing overseas is a lot
different than playing here at home. I
always try to watch a lot of soccer from the
countries I visit so that I pick up a couple
tendencies and styles of the way they play.”
To even the
playing field a little, it might be wise for
a few of the international teams to brush up
on some of Saad’s moves as well.
Saad has
been a standout talent since the first day
he touched a soccer ball. A natural, Saad is
one of the top young strikers in the world,
is dynamic with the ball and has a nose for
scoring. He seemingly always puts himself in
good position to convert chances.
He’s
received great experience through the U.S.
Soccer U17 Residency Program, and was the
2008 U.S. Soccer Development Academy U16
Player of the Year during his time with
Vardar Soccer Club.
CONTINUED...............
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SUCCESS STORIES IMPACT UNDER-17
MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM
Soony Saad
and Jose Perez Are Among Many Youth National
Team Players to Benefit from Academy System
CHICAGO (Feb.
4, 2009) – The U.S. Soccer Development
Academy has to look no further than the
Under-17 Men’s National Team to find stories
of successful player development and
scouting. Members of U.S. Soccer’s Residency
Program, former Vardar standout Soony Saad
and FC Dallas’ Jose Perez both credit their
time in the Academy in providing
opportunities with the U-17 MNT. Both are
part of a 22-player roster that is currently
participating in the La Serena Cup in Chile.
Saad, who at
age 15 earned Development Academy Player of
the Year honors in the combined U-15/16 age
group, is taking full advantage of his time
with the U-17 MNT Residency Program in
Bradenton, Fla. Since joining the program in
the Fall 2008 semester, he has scored three
goals in 12 international appearances to
date.
Though he was
part of the Under-14 National Developmental
Program, National Team coaches believe that
his time with Vardar, specifically in the
inaugural year of the Academy, helped aid
his player development immensely. With more
training and more consistent games against
better competition, Saad began to realize
his potential.
“I was part of
U-14 and U-15s,” Saad said. “I was probably
on the fringe with those teams to be honest,
but with the Academy and all of the
opportunities that came along with it, I had
new incentive to work harder.”
He also reaped
the benefits of a growing network of U.S.
Soccer scouts, first catching the eye of
National Staff Coach Roberto Lopez early in
the inaugural Academy season and eventually
other members of the scouting network,
including Development Academy Director of
Scouting Tony Lepore.
DEVELOPMENT
ACADEMY VIDEO
“When Vardar
started in the full Academy program, Soony
was playing up a year in those games,” said
Lepore. “He was a U-15 player but was
playing in the U-15/16 combined age group.
We were able to see him pretty regularly in
good games and we had a few different sets
of eyes that saw him. He was also scoring a
ton of goals for Vardar, so when (U-17 head
coach) Wilmer Cabrera held a mini-camp last
spring he was one of many Academy players in
attendance. During that camp he proved that
he belonged.”
Saad was
brought into a U-17 MNT training camp in
April 2008 alongside other Development
Academy players. Cabrera liked what he saw
from the Dearborn, Mich. native and
continued to keep an eye on him. Eventually,
he traveled to Central America with the
U-17s and it wasn’t long before Cabrera
offered him a place in Residency for the
Fall 2008 semester.
“To a certain
extent, Residency is set-up similarly to the
way we’d been playing with Vardar,” said
Saad. “We trained four times a week, which
was more than we’d been training before. The
level of play wasn’t quite what I have now
in Residency, but it was definitely
competitive. That made the step I was taking
seem a little smaller.”
Perez, one of
the Residency Program’s most recent
additions, saw immediate rewards from FC
Dallas’ first year as part of the Academy.
Benefiting from the fall games played by the
Texas Division, Perez was noticed early on
by U.S. Under-20 assistant coach Dave Dir,
the National Team scout assigned to the
Dallas area.
Working
closely with former Under-17 assistant and
now FC Dallas Director of Player Development
Oscar Pareja, Dir knew Perez was a player
that was worth a second look. Now Perez,
after just a few weeks in Residency, is on
his first international trip and has
appeared in his first international game,
coming on in the second half of a 2-0 win
against Chile.
“I always
wanted to go to Residency,” said Perez, on
the phone from Chile. “One of my teammates
went there before and I just wanted to get
up there with him. I just really wanted it,
so I worked really hard to get there and
playing with FC Dallas for Chris Hayden and
Oscar Pareja really helped me a lot in
developing both my skills and fitness level.
These are my first international games and
there was definitely a different level of
play than I’m used to. It’s been fun
though.”
Lepore says
that Perez, and other youth national team
players like him, are signs that the
scouting process is starting to work.
“Every week we
hold a conference call with a representative
from every youth National Team,” said
Lepore. “On a typical week we talk about
upwards of 40-50 players. It’s really
exciting when players come through and have
success on a national team and we can
remember when they were first talked about
on a call and who spotted them first. It’s a
sign that the system is beginning to work.”
As the U-17
MNT builds toward the 2009 CONCACAF Under-17
Championship that will qualify four regional
teams to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in
October, Saad and Perez are among 21 players
from Development Academy clubs currently on
the 40-player Residency roster and are vying
for a spot on the 21 player World Cup
Qualifying roster.
The U.S.
Under-17 Men’s National Team will open its
CONCACAF Championship campaign against Cuba
on April 21 at Estadio Caliente in Tijuana,
Mexico. They will play Canada on April 23
and round out Group A play against Honduras
on April 25. Should the U.S. advance out of
their group, they will cross over to play
one of the top two teams from Group B, which
is made up of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica
and Trinidad & Tobago, in the semifinals.
Semifinalists will also earn a berth to the
2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, slated for
Nigeria from Oct. 24-Nov. 16.
Cabrera will
be at the helm of his first qualifying
tournament, and will attempt to continue the
U.S. streak of being the only team to
qualify for every FIFA event at this age
level, dating back to 1985. At the biennial
event in 2007, the U.S. advanced to the
Round of 16 in South Korea. The USA's
best-ever finish at the event was fourth
place in 1999.
(July 18, 2008) – The U.S.
Soccer Development Academy
announced the 2007-08 Academy
Player of the Year for the Under
15/16 age group at the
Development Academy Finals Week
at The Home Depot Center in
Carson, Calif.
The U-15/16 Player of the Year
is Soony Saad from Vardar. Soony
has parlayed his impressive
performance into call-ups to the
U.S. U-17 Men's National Team.
The recipients of the honors
were voted upon by U.S. Soccer's
Development Academy coaches and
National Team scouts. Already,
13 of the 22 players on the
Starting XI have been in camp
with a U.S. Youth National Team,
and the 10 players from the
Starting XI have one more chance
to impress the National Team
scouts.
Another Vardar
Player Joins the U.S Soccer National Residency Program
(June 12, 2008) –
Soony Saad, a member of the U-16
Vardar Academy League, has been
selected among the nation's top
players to join the U.S National
Residency Roster for the Fall of
2008 in Bradenton Florida.
Soony & his older brother
Hamoody Saad recently joined
Vardar Soccer Club this past
year and since have helped bring
the team to many victories. The
U-16 Academy record is 16-2-3.
The Saad brothers' goal is to
win their league and represent
their new club at the National
Championship in July, which will
be held in California.
Soony attributes their recent
success to the great coaching
staff: Morris and
Mike Lupenec as well as their
fellow teammates. Soony will
miss his team and coaches as he
bids farewell this fall. "It
will be sad to say goodbye, but
I'm excited for my team-mates
who look to have an awesome
finish this year and a bright
fresh team next year in the U-18
Academy. Thanks to all!!
64 clubs from
24 States and the District of Columbia
Represented in Program's Inaugural Year with
Clubs Focused on Improving Development
Environment
The 64 teams will be
divided into eight conferences, each
comprised of eight teams based largely on
geographic proximity. Each team will play
approximately 30 matches during an
eight-month season, with the winner of each
conference playing in the Academy Finals at
The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Additional Development Academy program
elements such as a Technical Workshop and
Best Practices seminars are being finalized.
“The clubs participating
in the inaugural Academy season represent a
shared vision of player development and the
desire to change the current landscape,”
said U.S. Soccer’s Director of Coaching
Education Bob Jenkins. “These clubs were
selected because of their ability to
implement the best development environment
for our elite youth players.”
