2003/2004 Boys. Standings, games of the week etc...

here's predicts for this coming weekend (2/29). home team is listed first.

Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 1
Strikers 1 - LA Galaxy 1
Pateadores 3 - FC Golden State 3
 
here's predicts va actuals for this last weekend (2/29). home team is listed first. had some decent games this weekend.

predict: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 1 actuals: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 3
note: per game report and anecdotal reports, this sounds like a solid match for LAFC with an early goal to make it 1-0 at ht, and then another goal about midway thru the 2nd half to go ahead 2-0.

CN for RSL made it 1-2 at the 80th minute but CT for LAFC brought the margin back up with goal at the 89th minute to make it 1-3. CN, however, got a double at the very end but itwasn't enough, and the final result was 3-2 LAFC.

Sounds like a good match and fun to watch overall, particularly the last 20 minutes.

one item though.

_________

Saw Saldana talking about the LAFC u17 win on twitter. cool, cool cool. but here's the exact quote:

"I am very proud of this group; players & staff. I’ve given them the task of being the youngest team (by a large margin) in every game & always up for the challenge..never used as an excuse. Keep Thriving!"

For the record, LAFC has stacked their teams across all their age groups with January dob's. It's fact. At u12, u13,u14 and u15, LAFC is always the oldest team, usually by a large margin, to borrow a phrase, in age groups where age - even a few months difference - matters to a disproportionate degree. The loading up of January dob's is so consistent that one might even use the word "cynical" to describe the practice.

And the ripple impact has been that other SoCal teams, to be able to compete w/ LAFC at those age groups, have to do the same, which has effectively shrunk the opportunity for SoCal players who are either late developers or have late DOBs across the board

Now, have been open - when asked - that our player is a late DOB. He's managed to find success, and likely will be a much better player for it when everything evens out developmentally wise. So, if you want, discount my two cents, fine.

However, the overall focus on early DOBs across the US soccer environment is artificially shrinking the player pool by at least 50%.

And given that the single biggest advantage the US has, in competing against other countries, is its large population, and given that we are underperforming vs other countries, systematically giving half of our best advantage away thru cynical/lazy development practices is not smart.

Countries like France and England, driven by their pro clubs, are consciously creating specific development paths for late developers/late DOBs. And you can look at the dobs for their national teams over time to see that this is the case. And these guys seems like they're good at this soccer thing.

We were making some progress in the US for a couple of years, but, then, with no explanation, most of it stopped in the 2017-18 season.

Now, US Soccer did just sponsor a late developer tournament this last January but they used to also have a late developer team camp - the Futures Camp - https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...e-relative-age-effect-a-response-from-us.html -which hasn't been heard from for several years.

The irony here is that attendees from the last two Futures camps in 2013 and 2015 - where was the futures camp was their first call-up into the YNT system - have significantly outperformed players who were called up into the regular age group YNT camp those same years.

Futures Camp attendees include names like Mendez, Aronson, Berhalter (yes, GB's son), Gloster and Amaya that should ring some bells.

So, back to Saldana's comment.

To be clear, like a lot of what LAFC academy does, but loading up on early DOB players but then complaining about being at an age disadvantage - for the first time in three years - now that one of the LAFC teams is playing u16/u17 is more than a little hypocritical.

(And btw, the age-based developmental differences - although still significant - begin to even out by age 16-17 a players catch up in height and then later weight).

For the record, close to half of LAFC's current u15 roster was born in January, raising a legit question of "are they better or are they just older?"

Yes, some are better, but some may just be older. But hey, no excuses.

ok, sigh. rant done. sorry about that.. (channelling Twellman...)


predict: Strikers 1 - LA Galaxy 1 actuals: Strikers 2 - LA Galaxy 1

predict: Pateadores 3 - FC Golden State 3 actuals: Pateadores 1 - FC Golden State 2
 
here's predicts va actuals for this last weekend (2/29). home team is listed first. had some decent games this weekend.

predict: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 1 actuals: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 3
note: per game report and anecdotal reports, this sounds like a solid match for LAFC with an early goal to make it 1-0 at ht, and then another goal about midway thru the 2nd half to go ahead 2-0.

CN for RSL made it 1-2 at the 80th minute but CT for LAFC brought the margin back up with goal at the 89th minute to make it 1-3. CN, however, got a double at the very end but itwasn't enough, and the final result was 3-2 LAFC.

Sounds like a good match and fun to watch overall, particularly the last 20 minutes.

one item though.

_________

Saw Saldana talking about the LAFC u17 win on twitter. cool, cool cool. but here's the exact quote:

"I am very proud of this group; players & staff. I’ve given them the task of being the youngest team (by a large margin) in every game & always up for the challenge..never used as an excuse. Keep Thriving!"

For the record, LAFC has stacked their teams across all their age groups with January dob's. It's fact. At u12, u13,u14 and u15, LAFC is always the oldest team, usually by a large margin, to borrow a phrase, in age groups where age - even a few months difference - matters to a disproportionate degree. The loading up of January dob's is so consistent that one might even use the word "cynical" to describe the practice.

And the ripple impact has been that other SoCal teams, to be able to compete w/ LAFC at those age groups, have to do the same, which has effectively shrunk the opportunity for SoCal players who are either late developers or have late DOBs across the board

Now, have been open - when asked - that our player is a late DOB. He's managed to find success, and likely will be a much better player for it when everything evens out developmentally wise. So, if you want, discount my two cents, fine.

However, the overall focus on early DOBs across the US soccer environment is artificially shrinking the player pool by at least 50%.

And given that the single biggest advantage the US has, in competing against other countries, is its large population, and given that we are underperforming vs other countries, systematically giving half of our best advantage away thru cynical/lazy development practices is not smart.

Countries like France and England, driven by their pro clubs, are consciously creating specific development paths for late developers/late DOBs. And you can look at the dobs for their national teams over time to see that this is the case. And these guys seems like they're good at this soccer thing.

We were making some progress in the US for a couple of years, but, then, with no explanation, most of it stopped in the 2017-18 season.

Now, US Soccer did just sponsor a late developer tournament this last January but they used to also have a late developer team camp - the Futures Camp - https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...e-relative-age-effect-a-response-from-us.html -which hasn't been heard from for several years.

The irony here is that attendees from the last two Futures camps in 2013 and 2015 - where was the futures camp was their first call-up into the YNT system - have significantly outperformed players who were called up into the regular age group YNT camp those same years.

Futures Camp attendees include names like Mendez, Aronson, Berhalter (yes, GB's son), Gloster and Amaya that should ring some bells.

So, back to Saldana's comment.

To be clear, like a lot of what LAFC academy does, but loading up on early DOB players but then complaining about being at an age disadvantage - for the first time in three years - now that one of the LAFC teams is playing u16/u17 is more than a little hypocritical.

(And btw, the age-based developmental differences - although still significant - begin to even out by age 16-17 a players catch up in height and then later weight).

For the record, close to half of LAFC's current u15 roster was born in January, raising a legit question of "are they better or are they just older?"

Yes, some are better, but some may just be older. But hey, no excuses.

ok, sigh. rant done. sorry about that.. (channelling Twellman...)


predict: Strikers 1 - LA Galaxy 1 actuals: Strikers 2 - LA Galaxy 1

predict: Pateadores 3 - FC Golden State 3 actuals: Pateadores 1 - FC Golden State 2


How do you see DOB? That is not listed on the DA website, only birth year.
 
here's predicts va actuals for this last weekend (2/29). home team is listed first. had some decent games this weekend.

predict: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 1 actuals: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 3
note: per game report and anecdotal reports, this sounds like a solid match for LAFC with an early goal to make it 1-0 at ht, and then another goal about midway thru the 2nd half to go ahead 2-0.

CN for RSL made it 1-2 at the 80th minute but CT for LAFC brought the margin back up with goal at the 89th minute to make it 1-3. CN, however, got a double at the very end but itwasn't enough, and the final result was 3-2 LAFC.

Sounds like a good match and fun to watch overall, particularly the last 20 minutes.

one item though.

_________

Saw Saldana talking about the LAFC u17 win on twitter. cool, cool cool. but here's the exact quote:

"I am very proud of this group; players & staff. I’ve given them the task of being the youngest team (by a large margin) in every game & always up for the challenge..never used as an excuse. Keep Thriving!"

For the record, LAFC has stacked their teams across all their age groups with January dob's. It's fact. At u12, u13,u14 and u15, LAFC is always the oldest team, usually by a large margin, to borrow a phrase, in age groups where age - even a few months difference - matters to a disproportionate degree. The loading up of January dob's is so consistent that one might even use the word "cynical" to describe the practice.

And the ripple impact has been that other SoCal teams, to be able to compete w/ LAFC at those age groups, have to do the same, which has effectively shrunk the opportunity for SoCal players who are either late developers or have late DOBs across the board

Now, have been open - when asked - that our player is a late DOB. He's managed to find success, and likely will be a much better player for it when everything evens out developmentally wise. So, if you want, discount my two cents, fine.

However, the overall focus on early DOBs across the US soccer environment is artificially shrinking the player pool by at least 50%.

And given that the single biggest advantage the US has, in competing against other countries, is its large population, and given that we are underperforming vs other countries, systematically giving half of our best advantage away thru cynical/lazy development practices is not smart.

Countries like France and England, driven by their pro clubs, are consciously creating specific development paths for late developers/late DOBs. And you can look at the dobs for their national teams over time to see that this is the case. And these guys seems like they're good at this soccer thing.

We were making some progress in the US for a couple of years, but, then, with no explanation, most of it stopped in the 2017-18 season.

Now, US Soccer did just sponsor a late developer tournament this last January but they used to also have a late developer team camp - the Futures Camp - https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...e-relative-age-effect-a-response-from-us.html -which hasn't been heard from for several years.

The irony here is that attendees from the last two Futures camps in 2013 and 2015 - where was the futures camp was their first call-up into the YNT system - have significantly outperformed players who were called up into the regular age group YNT camp those same years.

Futures Camp attendees include names like Mendez, Aronson, Berhalter (yes, GB's son), Gloster and Amaya that should ring some bells.

So, back to Saldana's comment.

To be clear, like a lot of what LAFC academy does, but loading up on early DOB players but then complaining about being at an age disadvantage - for the first time in three years - now that one of the LAFC teams is playing u16/u17 is more than a little hypocritical.

(And btw, the age-based developmental differences - although still significant - begin to even out by age 16-17 a players catch up in height and then later weight).

For the record, close to half of LAFC's current u15 roster was born in January, raising a legit question of "are they better or are they just older?"

Yes, some are better, but some may just be older. But hey, no excuses.

ok, sigh. rant done. sorry about that.. (channelling Twellman...)


predict: Strikers 1 - LA Galaxy 1 actuals: Strikers 2 - LA Galaxy 1

predict: Pateadores 3 - FC Golden State 3 actuals: Pateadores 1 - FC Golden State 2

Agree 100%, my son is 2004 second half of the year and could run circles around most Academy 2004s but....we're ok with it, however, he's time is coming!!!
 
BJ18, thanks for prompting me to check the data. (genuinely meant)

All, so I double-checked the data.

For the LAFC, of the 19 05s players rostered by LAFC, seven (so 37%) have January DOBs, and four have Feb DOBs, so all said, 11 have January or Feb DOBs with almost 60% of the team being born in the first two months of 2005.

An average distribution would have 17% of LAFC's roster born in either Jan or Feb.

For DA context, RSL has 34% of their 05 roster born in either Jan or Feb, Barca has 0% of their 05 roster born in Jan/Feb, and SD Surf has 30% of their 05 roster born in Jan/Feb. Am sure someone will ask/wonder about LAG and will check those numbers and get back.

To be clear, it's up to LAFC staff and families to do whatever they think is right re: recruiting and development, and they've done a lot right.

But for the LAFC Technical Director to be talking about how his u17 team is the "youngest team (by a large margin) in every game", well, have the world's smallest violin for that comment.
 
BJ18, thanks for prompting me to check the data. (genuinely meant)

All, so I double-checked the data.

For the LAFC, of the 19 05s players rostered by LAFC, seven (so 37%) have January DOBs, and four have Feb DOBs, so all said, 11 have January or Feb DOBs with almost 60% of the team being born in the first two months of 2005.

An average distribution would have 17% of LAFC's roster born in either Jan or Feb.

For DA context, RSL has 34% of their 05 roster born in either Jan or Feb, Barca has 0% of their 05 roster born in Jan/Feb, and SD Surf has 30% of their 05 roster born in Jan/Feb. Am sure someone will ask/wonder about LAG and will check those numbers and get back.

To be clear, it's up to LAFC staff and families to do whatever they think is right re: recruiting and development, and they've done a lot right.

But for the LAFC Technical Director to be talking about how his u17 team is the "youngest team (by a large margin) in every game", well, have the world's smallest violin for that comment.

But where do you obtain their DOB's from because it is not listed anywhere?
 
Agree 100%, my son is 2004 second half of the year, and noticed that their kids are mostly older when he went to tryout with them. LAFC totally puts emphasis on January birthdays! I do disagree, however, their training is fantastic!

On another note, my son could run circles around most Academy 2004s and 2003s (including LAFC team, he has this year) but LAFC refuses to pull the trigger on bringing him on. We have had multiple talks with coaches and scouts. They say hes good and at the same lever as their current players, so they will stay loyal to their current squad and not bring him on. Doesn't it make sense to give him a year to see how he develops with their LAFC training regiment. I mean, if their current kids have been trained and invested on for the last 3, 4, 5 years and are still only at the same level as my son, who's been working with his non MLS Academy and mostly on his own, imagine what kind of player he would be with great training....why not give him a chance? I dont get that one...He gets up at 5 am everyday on his own to do speed & agility, strengthening, and soccer (looks up youtube videos) but he will only get so far working on his own, he needs formal training which we cant afford. Only hope for him is if Galaxy or LAFC pick him up. I fear, however, that it will never happen for him. I totally ok with it, not sure how he will take it though. IT IS SO HARD IN SO CALI FOR KIDS LIKE HIM born in the second half of the year!
 
Sorry man but they are just telling you what you want to hear. If they rated him, they’d bring him in in a heartbeat. There is no loyalty. We seen kids snapped up by LAFC midweek and their coaches petitioning the old club to release the kid so they could roster him ASAP. And they bring outside kids in all the time for GA Cup and other events.

I agree so cal is so hard but for a motivated kid like yours he will be fine. There are lots of paths and maybe being on the outside looking in will give him the chip he needs to surpass those kids in the long run.
 
Agree 100%, my son is 2004 second half of the year, and noticed that their kids are mostly older when he went to tryout with them. LAFC totally puts emphasis on January birthdays! I do disagree, however, their training is fantastic!

On another note, my son could run circles around most Academy 2004s and 2003s (including LAFC team, he has this year) but LAFC refuses to pull the trigger on bringing him on. We have had multiple talks with coaches and scouts. They say hes good and at the same lever as their current players, so they will stay loyal to their current squad and not bring him on. Doesn't it make sense to give him a year to see how he develops with their LAFC training regiment. I mean, if their current kids have been trained and invested on for the last 3, 4, 5 years and are still only at the same level as my son, who's been working with his non MLS Academy and mostly on his own, imagine what kind of player he would be with great training....why not give him a chance? I dont get that one...He gets up at 5 am everyday on his own to do speed & agility, strengthening, and soccer (looks up youtube videos) but he will only get so far working on his own, he needs formal training which we cant afford. Only hope for him is if Galaxy or LAFC pick him up. I fear, however, that it will never happen for him. I totally ok with it, not sure how he will take it though. IT IS SO HARD IN SO CALI FOR KIDS LIKE HIM born in the second half of the year!

If he's that good, why only LAFC and Galaxy? Why not try Real Salt Lake? He'd have to be 100% all in to leave Cali, but it is an option and they do develop there. Definitely not easy but cant give up hope......
 
BJ18, thanks for prompting me to check the data. (genuinely meant)

All, so I double-checked the data.

For the LAFC, of the 19 05s players rostered by LAFC, seven (so 37%) have January DOBs, and four have Feb DOBs, so all said, 11 have January or Feb DOBs with almost 60% of the team being born in the first two months of 2005.

An average distribution would have 17% of LAFC's roster born in either Jan or Feb.

For DA context, RSL has 34% of their 05 roster born in either Jan or Feb, Barca has 0% of their 05 roster born in Jan/Feb, and SD Surf has 30% of their 05 roster born in Jan/Feb. Am sure someone will ask/wonder about LAG and will check those numbers and get back.

To be clear, it's up to LAFC staff and families to do whatever they think is right re: recruiting and development, and they've done a lot right.

But for the LAFC Technical Director to be talking about how his u17 team is the "youngest team (by a large margin) in every game", well, have the world's smallest violin for that comment.
Just checked the LAG 05 DOBs. 22% of the LAG 05 DA team is born Jan/Feb.
 
TS is a great director and really cares for the kids. He might get a little overzealous with the comments sometimes but he means well.

By the time players reach u16/17 in DA does age, dob, really matter that much? LAFC might suffer from not having enough teams to play more players up. Not having all age groups kind of restrains them somewhat and they will remedy that this coming season.
 
How are you able to obtain DOB's? I guess I am the only one concerned that some random person can obtain my minor son's information.........

Used to be open and listed until I think last year sometimes, no longer public view.

You have to have a certain level of privilege to see certain things now... managers, coaches, admins, directors, etc.
 
Used to be open and listed until I think last year sometimes, no longer public view.

You have to have a certain level of privilege to see certain things now... managers, coaches, admins, directors, etc.

That is what I assumed. So I presume, Kante must be in that category of a manager, coach or admin. Thanks!
 
here's predicts va actuals for this last weekend (2/29). home team is listed first. had some decent games this weekend.

predict: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 1 actuals: Real Salt Lake 2 - LAFC 3
note: per game report and anecdotal reports, this sounds like a solid match for LAFC with an early goal to make it 1-0 at ht, and then another goal about midway thru the 2nd half to go ahead 2-0.

CN for RSL made it 1-2 at the 80th minute but CT for LAFC brought the margin back up with goal at the 89th minute to make it 1-3. CN, however, got a double at the very end but itwasn't enough, and the final result was 3-2 LAFC.

Sounds like a good match and fun to watch overall, particularly the last 20 minutes.

one item though.

_________

Saw Saldana talking about the LAFC u17 win on twitter. cool, cool cool. but here's the exact quote:

"I am very proud of this group; players & staff. I’ve given them the task of being the youngest team (by a large margin) in every game & always up for the challenge..never used as an excuse. Keep Thriving!"

For the record, LAFC has stacked their teams across all their age groups with January dob's. It's fact. At u12, u13,u14 and u15, LAFC is always the oldest team, usually by a large margin, to borrow a phrase, in age groups where age - even a few months difference - matters to a disproportionate degree. The loading up of January dob's is so consistent that one might even use the word "cynical" to describe the practice.

And the ripple impact has been that other SoCal teams, to be able to compete w/ LAFC at those age groups, have to do the same, which has effectively shrunk the opportunity for SoCal players who are either late developers or have late DOBs across the board

Now, have been open - when asked - that our player is a late DOB. He's managed to find success, and likely will be a much better player for it when everything evens out developmentally wise. So, if you want, discount my two cents, fine.

However, the overall focus on early DOBs across the US soccer environment is artificially shrinking the player pool by at least 50%.

And given that the single biggest advantage the US has, in competing against other countries, is its large population, and given that we are underperforming vs other countries, systematically giving half of our best advantage away thru cynical/lazy development practices is not smart.

Countries like France and England, driven by their pro clubs, are consciously creating specific development paths for late developers/late DOBs. And you can look at the dobs for their national teams over time to see that this is the case. And these guys seems like they're good at this soccer thing.

We were making some progress in the US for a couple of years, but, then, with no explanation, most of it stopped in the 2017-18 season.

Now, US Soccer did just sponsor a late developer tournament this last January but they used to also have a late developer team camp - the Futures Camp - https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...e-relative-age-effect-a-response-from-us.html -which hasn't been heard from for several years.

The irony here is that attendees from the last two Futures camps in 2013 and 2015 - where was the futures camp was their first call-up into the YNT system - have significantly outperformed players who were called up into the regular age group YNT camp those same years.

Futures Camp attendees include names like Mendez, Aronson, Berhalter (yes, GB's son), Gloster and Amaya that should ring some bells.

So, back to Saldana's comment.

To be clear, like a lot of what LAFC academy does, but loading up on early DOB players but then complaining about being at an age disadvantage - for the first time in three years - now that one of the LAFC teams is playing u16/u17 is more than a little hypocritical.

(And btw, the age-based developmental differences - although still significant - begin to even out by age 16-17 a players catch up in height and then later weight).

For the record, close to half of LAFC's current u15 roster was born in January, raising a legit question of "are they better or are they just older?"

Yes, some are better, but some may just be older. But hey, no excuses.

ok, sigh. rant done. sorry about that.. (channelling Twellman...)


predict: Strikers 1 - LA Galaxy 1 actuals: Strikers 2 - LA Galaxy 1

predict: Pateadores 3 - FC Golden State 3 actuals: Pateadores 1 - FC Golden State 2
Not just age, but emphasis on physical development. Look at the 05 camp right now. Grooming players up top whose physiques are nothing like those of top European players...players who can't last 90 minutes on a pitch and will not successfully compete vs internationals. "Cynical/lazy development practices" is right.
 
Sorry man but they are just telling you what you want to hear. If they rated him, they’d bring him in in a heartbeat. There is no loyalty. We seen kids snapped up by LAFC midweek and their coaches petitioning the old club to release the kid so they could roster him ASAP. And they bring outside kids in all the time for GA Cup and other events.

I agree so cal is so hard but for a motivated kid like yours he will be fine. There are lots of paths and maybe being on the outside looking in will give him the chip he needs to surpass those kids in the long run.

Im sure you're right, it definitely crossed my mind, but then, he's invited again this year already...wtf? It really doesnt matter to me, its my son that has to have the mental toughness to take that rejection and use to make him better. The way he puts it "Dad, that's just their opinion and I have to work harder to change it" The situation has also lead to a few conversations and opportunities to teach life lessons. In that sense, it's been a positive thing for us. This summer he also has the opportunity for Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, we touched basis with coach not too long ago. We will see how this develops. In the end, he has a 4.4 GPA that he's kept since his freshmen year (last year). He's a nice, humble, hard-working, and intelligent kid. Seems he has things figured out more than me. It will also help that (as of yesterday) he's 6'-0", 145 lbs.!!! I'm gonna use my tax return to take him to TOCA Chino Hills, that's the only thing he wanted for Christmas...freaking kid man

Thank you full90 for your words. Blessings!
 
If he's that good, why only LAFC and Galaxy? Why not try Real Salt Lake? He'd have to be 100% all in to leave Cali, but it is an option and they do develop there. Definitely not easy but cant give up hope......

Yes, Real Salt Lake is real option, we were in contact with coach some weeks ago...looks like this summer might be his big break. We will see how things develop!
 
Yes, Real Salt Lake is real option, we were in contact with coach some weeks ago...looks like this summer might be his big break. We will see how things develop!
TFA is going to be adding u17 DA for 2020-21. Have heard they're fully funded (but not sure about travel etc.) and they seem to be consistently decently coached across age groups.

Not sure what their situation is w/ 04s/03s but, other than their current 05 DA, it doesn't look like they have set team waiting to start u17 DA, so likely would be a more even field for try-outs. Takes a community...
 
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