Major League Soccer has implemented different strategies over the years to raise level of play and competition. Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) has had the most immediate impact. Its returns are quick and obvious. What is not quick is the investment in academies.
If TAM is a hot new stock, academies are the league’s 401(k). Incenting this investment is arguably the most important thing in shaping the future of the U.S. men’s national team (as I wrote about here).
Much like prioritizing the near term over the long with personal finances, not every club has invested or prioritized academies. Unlike TAM signings, the impact of an academy isn’t immediate. It also comes out of the owner’s pocket, unlike most MLS salaries or allocation money. It is difficult to put a number on the investment behind academies as MLS clubs keep that information private.
We can look at how many Homegrown signings a team has to get a gist of an academy’s success rate (FC Dallas leads the way with 10 today). But if prospects sign and don’t play, the academy isn’t reaching its goal. It has to be able identify talents at a young age, develop them and play them quickly to gain either a competitive edge or financial profit.
I’ve been tracking clubs that have been giving the most minutes this year so far through week 5.
PHILADELPHIA UNION ACADEMY
- % of minutes to Academy products in 2018: 24 %
- Academy products with minutes in 2018: Anthony Fontana, Derrick Jones, Matthew Real, Keegan Rosenberry, Auston Trusty
- Alumni at Other MLS Clubs: Zack Steffen, Connor Maloney
A short distance away from the Red Bulls in Harrison, N.J., the Philadelphia Union have quietly built one of the most innovative academies. Much younger than the Red Bulls Academy, the Philadelphia Union academy has only been around for five years. But, it is completely free of cost, paired with a full-time school, has teams starting from U12 and is led by Tommy Wilson, who used to lead player development for the Rangers. This unique set up (specifically the full-time school) not only draws top talent in the area but also brings in talent from across the country. Similar to the Red Bulls, the Union also operate a USL team, Bethlehem Steel, to provide a link between the academy and its MLS squad. 2018 represents a breakthrough year for the academy with four academy products getting minutes so far:
- Anthony Fontana – 18 years old and started in the Academy at 13 years old. He received his first professional contract at 16 years old with Bethlehem Steel (19 appearances) before getting his first MLS minutes this year at 18 years old. He scored a goal on his debut.
- Derrick Jones – 21 years old with youth U.S. national team caps. He started in Academy at 16 years old. Got his first professional contract at 19 years old with Bethlehem Steel (38 appearances) and his first MLS minutes the same year (12 appearances).
- Matthew Real – 18 years old and started in the Academy at 14 years old. He got his first minutes with Bethlehem steel at 17 (20 appearances) before getting his first MLS minutes this year
- Keegan Rosenberry – 24 years old and a starter. Started in Academy at 17 years old before doing four years of college at Georgetown. First MLS minutes at 22 years old (49 appearances).
- Auston Trusty – 19 years old, starter today and capped with the U.S. at the youth level. He started in Academy at 13 years old before getting his first professional contract at 17 years old with Bethlehem Steel (43 appearances) and his first MLS minutes this year.
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