Instead of playing dozens of games a month with various local clubs and travel teams, players who are part of MLS’ homegrown program—done in conjunction with U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy—spend more time training and play fewer, but more meaningful, games.
“For us to improve the overall quality of play and be competitive in this global sport, we had to get serious about player development,” said Todd Durbin, MLS executive vice president for player relations and competition. “There’s been an emphasis on winning. When we emphasize winning at a young age, it comes at a detriment to player development. We want players to experiment. We want players to take risks. We want them to develop technically.
“The goal is not to win on Saturday,” Durbin said. “The goal is to have a player that can be a vibrant and long-term professional.”
I absolutely agree that a focus on technique is important, and that young players should be taught to care more about how they play, now how many games they win. The hope, of course, is that the latter will be positive in the wake of the former - everyone wants to win games. But from what I've seen over the years, and in the two recent friendlies the USMNT played (USA 2-2 Poland and USA 0-0 Colombia), one of the biggest obstacles we have to more notches in the win column is inconsistency. There were some players - some new, some not - who just didn't look like they knew quite what to do, or made random questionable decisions or moves, or couldn't grasp what their role was in the more experimental formations. Starting when players are very young and teaching them a strict and dedicated adherence to honing skills and learning exactly what their abilities are seems like a very promising way to create more consistent, reliable and confident players for future USMNT and MLS squads.
It also makes sense from a financial standpoint, which in this league is always a consideration:
Individual clubs also have considerable incentive to develop their own players. “Homegrowns” aren’t counted against the salary cap. If a homegrown player goes abroad, the MLS club gets three-quarters of the transfer fee instead of the regular two-thirds.
“My goal is, and the league’s goal, it’s still a business. There is a cap,” said Frank Klopas, the Chicago Fire’s technical director. “We’re not going to be able to go out and be buying players every year and spending millions of dollars like the rest of (the world). At least not now. We have to start developing players.
Insert typical USian soccer fan's lament about how we could totally kick the crap out of the rest of the world in this sport if more people here cared about it and gave it more respect, but I digress.
It's the one behind the UNBEATEN sign at L.A. Galaxy headquarters. Aw yeah!
Even sans Landon Donovan (league-leading 9 assists) and Edson Buddle (league-leading 9 goals, not to mention 2 beauties to give the USMNT a win against Australia yesterday), the Galaxy easily pulled off a 4-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo yesterday.
(Highlights are in Spanish, which I don't speak or understand outside of a handful of words, but I find not being able to understand the commentary somewhat more enjoyable than listening to most English-speaking MLS announcers.)
The Galaxy are now 10-0-2, having scored 22 goals and only allowing 3. I'm knocking on wood as I write this, although of course I understand that eventually they will lose a game. But at this point, it's really quite amazing. The consistency of all elements of the squad, the ability to put forth major effort at home and at various places on the road, as well as two of their biggest names having been away for three victorious matches now (plus one friendly which they also won, against Boca Juniors) all speaks to the fact that this is not about a couple of guys doing the work, or a team running on luck. This is about a well-built side with skill and depth, and about a coach who knows what he needs and wants from his players and gets it from them day in and day out. Bruce Arena has put together a truly great team, one in which there are plenty of guys ready, willing and able to step up in the absence of the marquee names. The players have obvious respect for Arena, and they show it nearly every time they walk onto the pitch. Tristan Bowen, Michael Stephens and Sean Franklin among others have been strong and consistent, not just playing well but reacting well to whatever is happening. Arena recently became the 4th coach in MLS history to reach 100 victories, and the way he's led this team last season and so far this year, it's no surprise.
Their next match is on Wednesday, at Real Salt Lake, who of course snagged the MLS Cup away from L.A. last year in that damnable penalty shootout. (Fact about me: I hate penalty shootouts. Especially when they lead to a team "winning" the league who ended regular season play at 11-12-7. FFS.) It will be a great test of this team to see how their momentum, and perhaps a hunger for a little revenge, serves them in Utah.
