I have been very outspoken in regards to the challenges presented to young professionals in Major League Soccer - the ability to develop young players has been threatened by dissolving the Reserve Division, which means college players really need to come into the league 'match-ready' to get a real chance to grow as a player. Knowing how small that number of players really is, that really poses serious player development challenges to MLS, as well as places a large amount of responsibility on college soccer to provide that foundation.
L.E. Eisenmenger of USSoccerPlayers.com examines how the MLS SuperDraft plays a major role in success in Major League Soccer.
The college draft has always provided MLS with an inexpensive pool of capable and talented players to fill gaps in the roster. Sometimes they polish up nicely. The US professional soccer landscape has recently changed however, and so has the function of the draft.
What’s different? Simple enough, there's no longer a reserve league. That decision blocked the path to develop players while they adapt to a professional environment. If they aren’t mentally and technically ready to play, there is no place for them in the League or the resources to carry them during the adjustment phase.
MLS has been here before, when they dropped the Project-40 program that allowed rookies to play for an MLS select team in the old A-League. There was also an end to the operating agreement with the lower division that allowed for something similar to minor league baseball.
The reserve league was supposed to be a better version of that, keeping young players with their MLS club.
Ending the reserve league is more of a problem then it seems. Because foreign clubs are aware of the brightest young American talent, there are options that didn't exist until relatively recently. The best young players are aware of their potential market value. The possibility of a lucrative European career is a strong lure. The complicated rules, lack of autonomy, and limited salaries are a discouragement to starting a pro career in MLS if there are other options.
Without the reserves, rookies need to have it all to succeed in MLS. They need maturity, work ethic, and public presence as well as technical skills and a highly competitive nature. Draft candidates scoring high in only a couple of these categories are not as desirable as those scoring pretty high in most of them simply due to lack of time and space for player development.
The reserve division was cut because of cost, MLS just didn’t see the return. The flights to games, the shortage of players for reserve games, the drain on coaches, and the administrative burdens of managing young adults overwhelmed franchise staff. There is no longer a place to develop the Chris Rolfes (third round 29th overall) and Jeff Larentowiczs (fourth round, supplemental draft). MLS is now prêt a porter.
http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/ussoccerplayers/2009/12/the-relevance-of-the-college-draft.html
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