To recap another successful season at Sounders Academy, SoundersFC.com sat down with Sounders FC Director of Player Development Marc Nicholls. Enjoy!
Q: The U-15s wrapped up their season last weekend. How would you assess their progress since August?
A: We have been very pleased with the U-15s in their first year in the Development Academy. In terms of the league standings, they played a game in Vancouver last weekend, and if they had won, they would’ve won the league. So it was a really meaningful season for them, which went to the last game. We also elected not to play against the four bottom teams in order to ensure that we only played quality matches. Of course this has implications on the league standings, but competitive fixtures are more important to us. Perhaps more importantly, we’ve had seven players consistently playing with the national team, and a number of the boys have been playing regularly with the U-17 team. A couple have even been training from time to time with S2. Sean Henderson did a wonderful job with the U-15s, and we’re more than satisfied with their year overall.
Q: Sounders Academy has this ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’ mantra. Is that something that extends down to the U-15s?
A: "Yeah, it’s already a young team. We have a number of 2004s on the team who will form the core of the U-15s next season. We also have a 2005, and we’re quite proud of the fact that we have lots of young players representing our club and our academy teams. People will talk about the U-17s, but we’re also very confident about the players coming up behind them and for the future. We’ve been able to make more informed decisions about them, largely because of our SDP program and further clarity with our scouting. They’ve been training with us for a few years now, so we now have a solid core for this group going forward."
The U-15s shined in their first year in the Development Academy. | Quinn Width
Q: The U-17s won the USSDA Northwest Division and finished as the No. 2 team in the country. What do you make of their results, performances and development?
A: "You only have to look at their results this year to see they’ve had a successful season, not to mention we have a number of guys on the team who are playing up. They’ve scored 115 goals just in league play. Six players in the group have had national team call-ups. There are four in that group who have signed professional terms with S2, as well as a number of others who’ve played matches for S2 and the U-19s.
They’ve had some tournament success with the Generation adidas Cup, which was very good for the club and the group. It brought them some additional exposure and the chance to play big games in another MLS stadium. That event solidified our purpose as the style of play was evident and was a major factor in the success -- we’ve received many plaudits for the way that they played. If there’s a team in the club that epitomizes what we want, it’s that group. Chris Little has molded this team into a disciplined, creative and attacking force."
Q: Do you think this group’s experience in knockout tournaments will help this group during the playoffs?
A: "Yeah, we put them into these tournament formats when we can because we think it’s fun and it adds a component of pressure. If you’re going to be a successful professional player, you have to be able to play well in tournaments -- MLS Cup, Champions League, the World Cup, etc. The experiences they’ve had should stand them in good stead. They made the quarterfinals of the USSDA playoffs last year, they’ve won Youdan Trophy and the GA Cup all in the last 12 months. Hopefully it will help them."
Q: Pivoting to the U-19s, what have you made of their progress this year?
A: "The U-19s has become a transitional team for us where we have to measure success differently. They had a solid league season -- they fell away a little at the end -- although they’ve proven that on their day they’re capable of beating anybody. But we measure the success of the U-19s by whether the players are getting minutes with S2. We’ve had eight of the players start in USL matches, with the majority of them earning multiple starts. Five games into the season, Dylan Teves was leading S2 in minutes played. On Sunday, we had five guys start for S2 and they achieved a good result against OKC Energy FC.
And that’s not including Sam Rogers, who has only played one match with the Academy. When you talk about measuring success, Sam is still eligible to play Academy matches, but he’s outgrown it and needs to be tested with S2 and the First Team. The pathway is very clear for the players now, if you are a good player in the Sounders Academy you will get your chance.
We’ve also had several national team call-ups, so it’s very rare that the U-19s actually play with their strongest group. That means there are opportunities for other players, and opportunities for the U-17s to play up. We’re quite comfortable with the fact that they are a transitional group, but at the same time we think it’s important for them to qualify for the playoffs and compete in a tournament format. We think it’s important that they’re still competing at a high level. And for those who don’t make it to the next level immediately, it’s important that they find a good college experience, and we’ve had a very good year in that regard. Michael Morris has done a fine job managing the players in testing circumstances."
Like Sam Rogers, the Sounders hope to develop 17-19 year-olds at S2, where they can play in a professional setting. | Corky Trewin
Q: When you look at the transitional element, U-19s have played in a lot of different formations and have had a lot of guys going in and out of the group. How important is that for their tactical development?
A: "They have to be able to adjust and adapt. They could be with S2 on the road playing in Phoenix v Drogba or San Antonio, who have an average age of 29, fighting for their lives, and the next week they could be with the first team in U.S. Open Cup, like Marlon Vargas was last week. It’s very important for them at that age to have their minds opened even further, to be challenged even more, to be tested. There’s an element of sink or swim to it, and they’re the right age for that. We’ve found that with opportunity comes success."
Q: How has club’s commitment to vertical integration and giving these young players chances with S2 and the First Team impacted the growth of Sounders Academy?
A: When we’re talking about the teams at the club, we have to talk about the First Team. This year we had eight Academy boys go to preseason with the First Team. A couple of them made very big inroads in the preseason friendlies with the First Team, notably the Portland Timbers match. Many of them continue to train with the First Team on a weekly basis. For us, that’s the clearly stated goal.
This creates a lot of expectation, excitement and it gives hope to the rest of the boys in the Academy. They see their teammates get called up and they think ‘that could be me’. It’s a very tangible thing for them. It helps to raise the standards because they all want a piece of that. Naturally, that continues the conveyor belt, this upwardly mobile trickling of talent."
Q: It’s been another banner year for USYNT involvement. What does it say for the individual players and for the club?
A: "Already this year, we’ve had 17 boys throughout the Academy in national teams. The vast majority of them have been to more than one camp, and we have many that are regulars with the national team. It obviously provides them with plenty of exposure as they’re facing the best players in Spain, Italy and Argentina. There are logistical challenges that come with so many of our players consistently receiving call-ups, but we embrace it because we want them to play for the United States. This is part of a new era for us.
It’s another season of measured progress. At the same time, we are very excited about what’s next. It’s a different challenge every year and we have to continue to raise the bar."
