Kante
PREMIER
Have noticed that there's been a change this year in the US Soccer scouting for the 05s.
Change#1: Coaches and clubs now are the primary first ID filter for US Soccer scouting
Change #2: Increase in focus to bigger/faster/stronger (i.e. existing talent), and decline in focus on ID'ing younger players with promise (i.e. future potential)
Last year, it seemed that the TCs had a track for players born in the 2nd half of the year.
For example, in the first TC at Carson, this was the 4:30pm training in addition to the 2nd training at 6:30pm. In the 2nd TC at Cal State LA where the boys scrimmaged against the LAFC teams, it was again the first training for the youngers (born July thru Dec) against LAFC 05 and then the second training was the olders (born Jan thru June) against LAFC 04.
This year, the scouting seems primarily focused on the olders (Jan thru July w/ the odd bigger/faster player with a later birthday thrown-in) who can play on the national team right now.
Also, have heard from multiple sources that US Soccer won't be holding the Futures Camp this year which would be a shift from the track where US Soccer had been holding the Futures Camp every two years.
By way of background, the Futures Camp was specifically targeted to ID and support players born in the 2nd half of the year, was first held in 2015 and was held again in 2017. For example, some players that were first ID'ed in the Futures Camp (i.e. had not been called up before the Futures Camp) are Frankie Amaya, Brendan Aaronson, Alex Mendez, Chris Gloster, and Michael Edwards. Here's a link for background: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/05/20/14/59/150520-u14bnt-futures-camp-roster-release
Questions to the group:
1) Is the assessment above offbase (if yes, what parts?) or does it jibe with your experience this year?
2) Doesn't this shift reinforce the existing bias most clubs/coaches have towards bigger/faster/stronger, which at u14, is highly influenced by each player's relative age (i.e. at u14, Dec 05 dob will be 3 inches shorter and 10 pounds lighter than similar growth path player with Jan 05 dob, even though both will end up at same height/weight)?
3) Does it make sense for US Soccer to effectively write-off 25% of the player pool (i.e. Oct thru Dec dob) this early in a player's development? if yes, how so?
Change#1: Coaches and clubs now are the primary first ID filter for US Soccer scouting
Here's a quote from a good SoccerAmerica interview with the one of the US Soccer scouts:
"SA: Are you told to scout specific players?
KEITH TABATZNIK: Yes. This is the big change and I think it’s a good change. Basically, it’s specific players now. Obviously when you watch, you’re watching all the players. Like when I was college recruiting and went to watch a player, some other player may catch your eye. Now there’s a lot of responsibility on the clubs to identify the players for the talent ID scouts to see and to follow." (emphasis added)
Last year, US Soccer scouts seemed to be at a much larger number of group play games, would independently ID players with both current talent and future potential, and then pro-actively provide that feedback to the coaches and clubs. Per observations to date and the quote above, this seems to have been reversed.KEITH TABATZNIK: Yes. This is the big change and I think it’s a good change. Basically, it’s specific players now. Obviously when you watch, you’re watching all the players. Like when I was college recruiting and went to watch a player, some other player may catch your eye. Now there’s a lot of responsibility on the clubs to identify the players for the talent ID scouts to see and to follow." (emphasis added)
Change #2: Increase in focus to bigger/faster/stronger (i.e. existing talent), and decline in focus on ID'ing younger players with promise (i.e. future potential)
Last year, it seemed that the TCs had a track for players born in the 2nd half of the year.
For example, in the first TC at Carson, this was the 4:30pm training in addition to the 2nd training at 6:30pm. In the 2nd TC at Cal State LA where the boys scrimmaged against the LAFC teams, it was again the first training for the youngers (born July thru Dec) against LAFC 05 and then the second training was the olders (born Jan thru June) against LAFC 04.
This year, the scouting seems primarily focused on the olders (Jan thru July w/ the odd bigger/faster player with a later birthday thrown-in) who can play on the national team right now.
Also, have heard from multiple sources that US Soccer won't be holding the Futures Camp this year which would be a shift from the track where US Soccer had been holding the Futures Camp every two years.
By way of background, the Futures Camp was specifically targeted to ID and support players born in the 2nd half of the year, was first held in 2015 and was held again in 2017. For example, some players that were first ID'ed in the Futures Camp (i.e. had not been called up before the Futures Camp) are Frankie Amaya, Brendan Aaronson, Alex Mendez, Chris Gloster, and Michael Edwards. Here's a link for background: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2015/05/20/14/59/150520-u14bnt-futures-camp-roster-release
Questions to the group:
1) Is the assessment above offbase (if yes, what parts?) or does it jibe with your experience this year?
2) Doesn't this shift reinforce the existing bias most clubs/coaches have towards bigger/faster/stronger, which at u14, is highly influenced by each player's relative age (i.e. at u14, Dec 05 dob will be 3 inches shorter and 10 pounds lighter than similar growth path player with Jan 05 dob, even though both will end up at same height/weight)?
3) Does it make sense for US Soccer to effectively write-off 25% of the player pool (i.e. Oct thru Dec dob) this early in a player's development? if yes, how so?
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