The development of the infrastructure of MLS teams will likely one day lead to the production of the first world-class player in U.S. history, according to Atlanta United President Darren Eales.
While the country has produced plenty of good to really good players, it has yet to produce one that could be mentioned in the same group as Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“The difficulty with world-class players is there aren’t that many around,” Eales said.
He points out that his native England is still looking for its Messi.
Eales said one of the first steps to finding that first world-class player starts by helping the existing talent develop. That starts with better coaching, which is a product of investing in the academies. Atlanta United is on the verge of hiring its director, Richard Money, who has a history of helping players move from the junior squads to the first teams at several clubs in England.
Eales said one of his goals for the academy is to improve the players and coaches in leagues and on teams throughout the state.
“More and more players will start playing with better coaching,” he said. “They will have the fundamentals.”
Better coaching isn’t the only answer. Eales also believe that experiences count.
Eales believes that the academies should allow the younger players to rub elbows with the professionals so that they can learn what it takes to make it to the first team, and then to succeed. Atlanta United’s academy will be designed so that players no matter their age can interact and share experiences.
Lastly, comes passion.
Technical director Carlos Bocanegra, who played for teams in Scotland, England, Spain and France, has spoken about how cut-throat it is in Europe because earning time with the first team is what every player wants. The players push each other to improve.
“As we produce better talent, it’s almost self-fulfilling,” Eales said. “They will push each other and that great player will rise out of it.”
Interesting take: NYCFC manager Patrick Vieira, reflecting some of what Eales has described, said managing in MLS is "harder than in Europe." The reasons are because of the league's ownership structure and talent development structure.
MLS Designated Players: Goal.com put together a list of all the designated players in MLS.
Bookmark this: SI's Grant Wahl with his annual MLS ambition rankings. The rankings are a guide to how much teams are spending and receiving on their present (infrastructure, TV and radio rights) and future (academies and player development).
Good reads: A Q&A with Bob Bradley.
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