Word: developmentally
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Part 1: Where does college soccer fit in the landscape of American player development?
Behind the scenes however, a debate has emerged over the future of youth development in soccer. Look no further than our own senior and youth national teams to see this debate play out.
While Clint Dempsey—the USA’s top goal scorer in the aforementioned tournament—honed his skills in the collegiate game, it was 19-year old Jozy Altidore who turned heads with his performances against Spain and Brazil. Altidore, who eschewed the collegiate system entirely...
The answer is two-fold. First, the structure of college soccer itself has hampered the development of its players. With its arcane rules and limited play time (colleges typically play 20-25 games through the fall and winter, whereas similarly-aged players in Europe and South America play 10-month...
Secondly, the increased competitiveness and viability of Major League Soccer have placed a greater emphasis on American professional clubs to scout the best possible talent. Recently, that has meant signing foreign youth players from overlooked areas like Africa and developing sophisticated youth development academies.