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

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

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

  • USSF Presidential Chat, Plus US Soccer Shakes Up the Spring Season
    Taylor and Travis discuss the new and improved Spring College Program! 6 schools. 7 weeks. International rules. How did this competition come to be and what might it mean for the future of college soccer?
    After that, we take a final look at the USSF Presidential Election before voting starts on Saturday morning. Which candidates might be best for youth soccer or, maybe more appropriately, which candidate is about to learn that attempting to fix youth soccer in this country might be more complicated than an unpaid position would suggest?
    After that, we review college soccer's National Signing Day. Which schools will be the happiest and which ones might see their signings turn pro before every playing a minute?
    We close with a topical Listener Question from Rob Paul:
    "As parent of a freshman D1 soccer player I am shocked at the number of foreign players on US college teams. I have witnessed college teams dominated by Scottish, English, Colombian and even Icelandic players. Often these players are much older and it is now commonplace to see 22-year old freshman placed an all-freshman team. If we truly want to develop our college-aged players for the USMNT and MLS, why doesn’t the NCAA crack down on this practice, or at least decide on a limit of foreign adult players on the field at one time"
    40 min
  • USWNT U20 problems, Development Academies in the USL, benefits of futsal

    Daryl and Travis discuss the USWNT U20's performance at the CONCACAF Championship, where the team qualified for the U20 World Cup but played some pretty uninspiring soccer. Should we be worried?

    Questions answered on today's show:

    1. Why so much focus on U17s and U20s

    2. Is it trues that some MLS Development Academies are pay to play? And do any USL teams have Development Academies?

    3. How does futsal work from a player developments standpoint?

    Want to ask us a question for next week's show? Click this link and ask away: https://goo.gl/forms/ldwW4a6RcNFxWMgd2

    43 min
  • The Pros and Cons of the Development Academy
    In the wake of the Presidential Forum at the 2018 United Soccer Coaches Convention, Taylor and Travis take a look at the (apparent) whipping boy of all 8 candidates: The Development Academy.
    What brought about its creation, how has it succeeded, and why is it now such a point of controversy? All that and more.
    Plus, we get excited about Tierna Davidson's debut for the US Women's National Team, as well as the US U20's performance at the CONCACAF Championships.
    We also ponder Michael Pearsall's question, "Why if qualification for youth World Cups worked more like the Little League World Series?"
    50 min
  • What Can US Soccer Do to Prevent Losing the Next Jonathan Gonzalez?
    Taylor and Travis discuss the big news of the week: Jonathan Gonzalez will represent Mexico rather than the USA. What happened to bring about this change, what is the US Soccer Federation currently doing to foster interest in the national team among the country's Latino community, and what can it do in the future to ensure the USMNT doesn't lose another jewel to El Tri?
    After that, they discuss the U17 and U20 Women's National Teams, and the issues facing those squads. Plus, 5 of the 6 Generation Adidas players for 2018 aren't technically domestic players. Is this part of the problem in terms of developing future USMNT players?
    They also answer three listener questions:
    1) Is it a disadvantage to play for a non-MLS club in the development academy?
    2) What are scouts looking for when evaluating U14-U17 age groups?
    3) Ives Galarcep released his “50 best Americans at the time of the 2022 World Cup.” Which players aren’t on there that you believe will be this time next year?
    Ask us a question for the show! --> https://goo.gl/forms/J9KHGnZJlIFlgQSj1
    48 min
  • Youth National Teams Summit, crowd-sourced youth soccer scouting, and more
    Daryl and Travis discuss the first ever US Soccer Youth National Teams Summit, where 153 players from across U16-U20 national teams have been called in. What's it all about?
    We also answer three listener questions:
    1. Could US Soccer implement crowd-sourced scouting?
    2. What happened to Maki Tall?
    3. How does my kid get a Development Academy evaluation?
    LINKS!
    How US Soccer scouts overseas youth prospects: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/how-us-soccer-scouts-international-talent_aid43604
    Dantouma Toure scouting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYP_ozNIv-0
    Richmond United Q and A: http://www.richmondutd.com/about/about/778156.html
    Richmond United Questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSck2Lgi-53aZADVFkOnEz3h38v4Crha61LwaJ4L7-uRvafzPQ/viewform
    Ask us a question for the show! --> https://goo.gl/forms/J9KHGnZJlIFlgQSj1
    51 min
  • 2017 Year-End Review: Our Favorite Developments in Youth Soccer
    Taylor and Travis take turns recapping their favorite youth soccer stories from 2017, including the development of development academies, MLS clubs emphasizing youth, youngsters abroad getting more recognition, and US youth national teams impressing on the world's stage.
    They also answer four listener questions:
    1) Is there a significant presence from European scouts at youth events in the US to find top players?
    2) How do scholarships work in college soccer?
    3) What do kids who want to play beyond high school need to be doing, and what can their parents do to help?
    4) Does it make sense to enroll a toddler in an MLS development academy?
    Got a question for the first show of 2018? Click this link to access the digital mailbag: http://bit.ly/2AmdSPl
    GET 20% OFF A TDS PREMIER SUBSCRIPTION BY USING THE CODE PODCAST AT https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/
    55 min
  • US Soccer presidential candidates and their youth soccer development ideas

    Daryl and Travis open the show by discussing Stanford's College championship — what is Jeremy Gunn doing right and which Stanford players could we see go pro in the near future?

    Link to Sam Werner's goal: https://twitter.com/ncaasoccer/status/939955618068054016

    Link to Sam Werner story: https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/sports/prep/soccer/coming-up-roses/article_89d94f40-e2ab-11e1-a71a-0019bb2963f4.html

    12:57 — We talk USWNT U20s, who went 1-1-1 at the Nike International Friendlies. Should we be worried about the future of the US Women's National Team?

    22:36 — Our big topic: What has each US Soccer presidential candidate proposed regarding youth soccer development and how detailed/realistic are their ideas? We offer a sweeping overview with (we think) some interesting debates.

    55 min
  • Nike Friendlies Recap and D1 Women’s Soccer Championship Review
    Taylor and Travis review the US U17 national team's performance at the Nike International Friendlies. The games... did not go as well as one might have hoped. So, we try to figure out what went wrong and what's to come.
    10:59 - After that, it's on to our review of Stanford's dramatic 3-2 victory over UCLA in the D1 Women's Soccer Championship. Are we witnessing the birth of a dynasty? The short answer is yes.
    22:00 - Travis talks to Akron Zips men's soccer head coach Jared Embick about the Final Four and their approach to tournament soccer.
    35:08 - We answer three questions from digital mailbag:
    - I currently live in Phoenix AZ and with no real Boys DA options that aren’t a 2 hour drive away. My son is about to turn 10 and right now is a very competitive player. I can live anywhere in the country, so would it be worth my effort to move to a city with DA or MLS academy?
    - Which youngster do you see getting an increase in minutes after the MLS roster purge?
    - Do the USA women have the same U16-18 development problem that Pulisic talks about for the men? They haven't made it out of the Group Stage of the U17WWC in almost every tournament. Is anything being done to rectify this, or do we wait for the senior team not to qualify for a World Cup or Olympics before we address it?
    Got a question for next week's show? Click this link to access the digital mailbag: http://bit.ly/2AmdSPl
    GET 20% OFF A TDS PREMIER SUBSCRIPTION BY USING THE CODE PODCAST AT https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/
    53 min
  • Three lesser-traveled paths to the pros, plus: College Cup w/ UCLA's Amanda Cromwell
    Daryl and Travis discuss three lesser-traveled American soccer paths to the pros, focusing specifically on a trio 18-year-olds:
    Jonathan Amon, playing for FC Nordsjælland in Denmark
    Juan Pablo Torres, playing for Lokeren in Belgium
    Jonathan Gonzalez, playing for Monterrey in Mexico
    Amon is already scoring in Denmark, here's a link to his recent goal: https://twitter.com/Nordic_Footy/status/934868659020890112
    Starting at 28:52, Travis interviews UCLA Women's Soccer Head Coach Amanda Cromwell about the College Cup, which starts December 1. 
    At 39:42 we answer three questions from digital mailbag:
    —The U17 Nike Friendly roster noticeably lacks players from European academies (Josh Pynadath, Malik Tillman, Justin Butler, Konrad De La Fuente). Any reason why? If/when do you expect to see them in the fold?
    —Who are the next us youngsters set to make the jump to Europe? When/where would Adams, Gonzalez, Acosta go. 
    —Can we really trust MLS to develop our next wave of US players?
    Got a question for next week's show? Click this link to access the digital mailbag: http://bit.ly/2AmdSPl
    GET 20% OFF A TDS PREMIER SUBSCRIPTION BY USING THE CODE PODCAST AT https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe/
    1 hr

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