MLS expansion club Atlanta United is on the verge of announcing Money as the director of its youth academy. It’s an important role, arguably second only to the coach, because the person is tasked with helping to identify, nurture and polish the teenage players who may one day move up to form the backbones of Atlanta’s future first teams.
An academy director is important because the thinking goes, the better the talent in the youth academy, the better the team will be. The better the talent in the youth academy, the fewer ups and downs the first team might experience because good players can be moved up and plugged in without a drop in quality. The better the younger talent, theoretically the less a team has to spend to acquire talent on the open market to make its team competitive.
Club President Darren Eales wants Atlanta United’s academy to also serve as an example for youth clubs throughout Georgia, helping them to improve their coaching and talent development.
It’s a big job.
Just think about what the Atlanta Braves just spent their offseason doing – trading veterans for gobs of younger talent – to understand why the director’s job is so important.
So, how has Money done in his past jobs as academy director, or a similar role?
Of the three places he has served, Aston Villa, Coventry City and Newcastle United, a look at the Geordies when he was there in 2008-09 shows some positive results. Here is a list of some of the players who were in the team’s academy on the under-18 team who moved on to first-team football:
- Striker Sammy Ameobi is with Newcastle but currently on loan at Cardiff in the Championship (a level below the Premier League);
- Midfielder Brad Inman is with Crewe in England's League One (two levels below the Premier League);
- Midfielder Ryan Donaldson is with Cambridge United in League Two;
- Defender Paul Dummett plays for Newcastle's first team;
- Midfielder Shane Ferguson is with Millwall in League One;
- Goalkeeper Jak Alnwick is with Port Vale in the League One;
- Defender James Tavernier is with Rangers in Scotland;
- Defender Ben Tozer is with Yeovil Town in the League Two;
It’s impossible to know how much Money helped their development because he was there for just a year before becoming manager at Luton Town. But it would be hard to argue that he didn’t help in some way.
It’s important to note that not every academy director will strike gold like Manchester United did in the 1990s with an academy group that included David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, or as notable as West Ham which has produced Mark Noble, Jermain Defoe, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole, to name a few.
Who's who in NASL. After listing the who's who of Georgians in MLS last week, this week will feature those players with ties to Georgia who are in NASL.
Most of the group includes former Silverbacks players.
Carolina
Defender Paul Black (@Paul_Black3)
Started 29 games for the Silverbacks last season.
Defender Simon Mensing (@UncleGunta)
Started 28 games for the Silverbacks last season.
Jacksonville
Defender Beto Navarro (@betonavarro66)
The former Silverback (2013) has also played for Edmonton.
Defender Tyler Ruthven (@truthven), Alpharetta
Played with the Silverbacks in 2011 before signing with Red Bulls in 2012.
Midfielder Junior Sandoval
Played for Silverbacks in 2011, ’12 and ’14.
Miami FC
Forward Jaime Chavez
Played for Silverbacks in 2014 and ’15, scoring 16 goals with nine assists.
New York
Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer, Lawrenceville
Played for the Silverbacks in 2011 and the Blackhawks (PDL) in 2010.
Ottawa
Defender Brandon Poltronieri (@BAPoltronieri)
Played five games for the Silverbacks in 2014.
Defender Kyle Porter (@KylePorter19)
Started 26 games for the Silverbacks last season with two goals and an assist.
Puerto Rico
Forward Pedro Mendes
Made 33 appearances for the Silverbacks from 2012-13 with 12 goals.
Rayo OKC
Defender Kosuke Kimura (@imkosukekimura)
The MLS veteran started 19 games for the Silverbacks last season.
Defender Rauwshan McKenzie
The MLS veteran started 29 games for the Silverbacks last season, scoring one goal.
Tampa Bay
Midfielder Junior Burgos (@juniorburgos10)
Played two seasons for the Silverbacks, scoring seven goals with eight assists.
New merchandise. In the wake of player signings or other hirings, two new clothing items for Atlanta United were introduced on www.mlsstore.com last week: a gray baseball hat and a red and black knit hat.
Terminus Legion also unveiled new scarfs at its Termanlia party on Saturday.
FIFA new president. FIFA elected a new president in Gianni Infantino on Friday. Infantino is a Swiss-Italian lawyer who was UEFA's general secretary.
Here are a few good reads Infantino: SI's Grant Wahl with a Q&A.
Gabriele Marcotti: Infantino ushers in new era.
Top 10 games to watch
The top 10 games to watch on your television or mobile streaming device this week:
Tuesday
8 p.m., D.C. United vs. Queretaro, Fox Soccer 2Go: United is on the verge of being knocked out after losing 2-0 in the first leg.
10 p.m., Santos Laguna vs. LA Galaxy, Fox Soccer 2Go: The teams drew 0-0 in the first meeting in Carson, Calif. It will take time for the Galaxy's new players to integrate with the veterans.
Wednesday
2:30 p.m., Inter Milan vs. Juventus, beIN Sports Connect: The Italian heavyweights are in the semifinals of the Coppa Italia. Juventus just defeated Inter 2-0 on Sunday in Serie A play. A.C. Milan faces Alessandria in the Tuesday's other semifinal.
3 p.m., Liverpool vs. Manchester City, NBCSN: If City is to keep its Premier League title hopes alive, it must beat the Reds. City is in fourth, nine points behind Leicester City.
8 p.m., America vs. Seattle, Fox Soccer 2Go: The teams drew 2-2 in the first game. This game will be held at Azteca Stadium, a tough place to play because of elevation and the fans.
10 p.m., Real Salt Lake vs. Tigres, Fox Soccer 2Go: Real Salt Lake is in trouble after losing 2-0 in the first leg.
Friday
2:45 p.m., Roma vs. Fiorentina, beIN Sports: The third- and fourth-place teams in Serie A. Both are within striking distance of moving into a Champions League spot.
Saturday
7:45 a.m., Tottenham vs. Arsenal, NBCSN: The co-game of the week in club soccer features the second- and third-place teams in the Premier League. Spurs are three points ahead of the desperate Gunners. A Tottenham win would likely Arsenal's hope.
12:30 p.m., Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich, Fox Soccer 2Go: The other game of the week features the top two teams in the Bundesliga. Munich leads Dortmund by eight points, but both are running away from the rest of the teams.
Sunday
1:30 p.m., New York vs. Toronto, MLS Live: The MLS season opens with the Red Bulls taking on Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco and Toronto.
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