The TopDrawerSoccer Show: focus on the future with Top Drawer Soccer

After taking a look at the ongoing battle between the Development Academy and the ECNL, Taylor and Travis discuss the U17 Women's and Men's National Teams and the U16 Boys' and Girls' National Teams.

They also take a shot at answering your listener questions:

1) Should more homegrown players stay in college to get more playing time?

2) Why is high school soccer considered to be a backwater for youth development?

Today's show is sponsored by Hudl, who are excited to announce the 2018 Innovator of the Year contest to reward hard-working innovators in club soccer. The grand prize is worth $50,000, so nominate yourself or someone you know at http://hudl.fun/innovate

Also, get 20% off a TDS Premier subscription (where you can access the next-level content) by using code "PODCAST" at https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/

Daryl Grove and Travis Clark answer 14 different questions about Major League Soccer's Homegrown Player rule.

Sponsored by Hudl, who are excited to announce the 2018 Innovator of the Year contest to reward hard-working innovators in club soccer. The grand prize is worth $50,000, so nominate yourself or someone you know at http://hudl.fun/innovate

Also, get 20% off a TDS Premier subscription (where you can access the next-level content) by using code "PODCAST" at https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/

Taylor and Travis review both the 2018 Generation Adidas Cup and the 2018 Dallas Cup, and go deep on who did what, which players stood out, and what domestic sides need to do to better compete with teams from South America and Europe. 

If you've got a question for the show, click this link to access the digital mailbag: http://bit.ly/2AmdSPl

Thank you to today's sponsor, Hudl. Hudl is excited to announce the 2018 Innovator of the Year contest to reward hard-working innovators in club soccer. The grand prize is worth $50,000, so nominate yourself or someone you know at http://hudl.fun/innovate

OH, AND DON'T FORGET THAT YOU CAN GET 20% OFF A TDS PREMIER SUBSCRIPTION BY USING THE CODE PODCAST AT https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/

Daryl and Travis review the USMNT's 1-0 win over Paraguay by looking at the different development paths of the young players who wore the US jersey.

Taylor and Travis talk about A LOT of soccer on today's program, including...

1) Timothy Weah and Andrija Novakovich could be poised to get their senior debuts with the US Men's National Team.

2) The US U20s (featuring Josh Sargent, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, and many others) fall to France while playing in Spain.

3) Catarina Macario nets 4 goals in 3 games for the US U23s in their friendlies against the Houston Dash, the Chicago Red Stars, and the Portland Thorns.

4) The Dallas Cup and The Generation Adidas Cups are getting underway. Travis explains why we should all be watching.

5) MAIN SEGMENT! The 2018 NWSL season kicks off this weekend! We discuss the youngsters (rookies and second year players) who could be poised for big things in the coming season.

6) Listener Question: why don't more MLS teams utilize their USL teams and which team comes closest to doing it as well as the Red Bulls?

If you've got a question for the show, click this link to access the digital mailbag: http://bit.ly/2AmdSPl

Thank you to today's sponsor, Hudl. Hudl is excited to announce the 2018 Innovator of the Year contest to reward hard-working innovators in club soccer. The grand prize is worth $50,000, so nominate yourself or someone you know at http://hudl.fun/innovate

OH, AND DON'T FORGET THAT YOU CAN GET 20% OFF A TDS PREMIER SUBSCRIPTION BY USING THE CODE PODCAST AT https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/

Daryl and Travis compete to draft a team of youngsters who will be competing in the USL in 2018.

Today's show is sponsored by Hudl.

Hudl is excited to announce the 2018 Innovator of the Year contest to reward hard-working innovators in club soccer. The grand prize is worth $50,000, so nominate yourself or someone you know at http://hudl.fun/innovate

Here are the final XIs, as selected on today's show:

Travis USL XI

F: Alan Winn (Nashville SC), Daniel Steedman (Charlotte), Ben Mines (NYRB II)

M: Terrell Lowe (T2), Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal (Swope Park Rangers),
Christian Enriquez (T2)

D: Aedan Stanley (St. Louis FC), Jack Maher (St. Louis FC), Sam Rogers
(S2), Nate Shultz (LA Galaxy II)

GK: Tomas Romero (Bethlehem Steel)

Daryl USL XI:

F: Patrick Okonkwo (Charleston Battery)

AM: Connor Presley (San Antonio FC), Ullysses Llanez (Los Angeles Galaxy II)

M: Gianluca Busio (Swope Park Rangers), Chris Goslin (ATL UTD 2), John Murphy (New York Red Buls II)

D: Kyle Duncan (New York Red Bulls II), Mark McKenzie (Bethlehem Steel), Lamar Batista (T2), George Bello (ATL UTD 2)

GK: Eric Lopez (LA Galaxy II)

Taylor and Travis discuss the young players (foreign and domestic) in Major League Soccer that impressed in the first week of the 2018 season, as well as which players struggled to find form. We also briefly take a look at the youth impact in the Concacaf Champions League, with particular emphasis on the Seattle Sounders.

After that, it's time for some Women's National Team updates! We review all the news relating to the U18s, U20s, and U23s, with specific emphasis on the program-wide shift in their style of play.

And we close with two listener questions:

1) Is Chris Durkin still likely to get a move to Portugal?

2) What happened to Djordje Mihailovic and why aren't we all talking about him all the time?

If you've got a question for the show, click this link to access the digital mailbag: http://bit.ly/2AmdSPl

Thank you to today's sponsor, Hudl. Hudl is excited to announce the 2018 Innovator of the Year contest to reward hard-working innovators in club soccer. The grand prize is worth $50,000, so nominate yourself or someone you know at http://hudl.fun/innovate

OH, AND DON'T FORGET THAT YOU CAN GET 20% OFF A TDS PREMIER SUBSCRIPTION BY USING THE CODE PODCAST AT https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/

Daryl and Travis draft against each other, each assembling a starting XI of U23 MLS players to watch this season.

Some well-known players in here (Andrew Carleton, Chris Durkin, Tommy Thompson) and some names you'll be less familiar with, at least for now (here's looking at you, Sam Vines).

The result is a good, long, detailed conversation about the skillsets of and outlook for 22 different young players in Major League Soccer.

Read Travis' article, Ranking the top 50 prospects in MLS: 2018, here: https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/ranking-the-top-50-prospects-in-mls:-2018_aid43837

Today's TDS Show is sponsored by Hudl. Hudl is excited to announce the 2018 Innovator of the Year contest to reward hard-working innovators in club soccer. The grand prize is worth $50,000, so nominate yourself or someone you know at http://hudl.fun/innovate

Daryl and Travis put together a checklist of things new US Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro can/could/should do to improve youth soccer in the United States.

We also discuss the U18 MNT's two wins over Costa Rica, highlighting the players who impressed.

We close with three listener questions:

1. Has the buildout line been an effective player development initiative?

2. Should youth coaches teach players a few dirty tricks (e.g., pulling jerseys)?

3. Do you believe that MLS and a second pyramid that is pro/rel can co-exist? Wouldn’t that be best way to get the most young players playing?

Today's show is sponsored by Hudl. Every month, Hudl has an expert host a free class. On February 22, it's Brandon Gilliam, head coach of the men's BYU soccer team. Register for free classes at http://hudl.fun/classes