re: Young Players Tracker and Americans Abroad Thread

A big part of it is that there’s no youth compensation set-up in the US yet, so unless a player has signed a contract with MLS, a European team can swoop in and get him for free. It’s hurt Dallas the most. Losing guys they’ve developed like McKennie for free. While it’s something I’d like to see us resolve soon, it’s indirectly been a positive for US Soccer by giving our young talents more opportunities in Europe that they might not get if the teams had to pay compensation. We’re like an apple orchard without a gate to European clubs.

Also, several MLS teams have direct partnerships with European clubs. New York Red Bulls with RB Leipzig and Salzburg, NYC with Man City, Dallas with Bayern Munich, and DC United with AC Milan just off the top of my head. Now that MLS academies are actually producing talents, you’re starting to see more of these kids be picked up by the teams in Europe.

Dallas is the best academy in the country at taking young kids and developing them into teenage prospects, and they are directly partnered with Bayern, so that probably explains it. Dallas is adding a USL team next year which should further help their development.