Saints have been careful to say that they need to find out more about the college system...don't want to tread on toes or imply you know better.
I doubt the NCAA or colleges care at all, they're all about football and basketball. But yeah, there is I guess sort of a need for understanding and diplomacy. I don't want to overplay it. It's not like we're talking about a nuclear arms treaty or anything. But probably you want to make sure you don't start unnecessary friction with the USSF. The best U-17 woman soccer player just opted not to attend University of North Carolina (which is like the Man U of women's college soccer, and an elite public university academically) to play for PSG. And the best collegiate men's soccer player just dropped out of Stanford (which is also somewhat like the Man U of men's college soccer and also an elite university) to play for Seattle in the MLS after refusing a contract from Werder Bremen. So that stuff gets talked about by soccer fans here. Is it good that this one player is leaving the country to play for a European club? Is it bad that this other player is playing in the MLS when he had an opportunity to play in Bundesliga? Would DeAndre Yedlin and Jozy Altidore have been better off here instead of abroad? Etc. I suspect no one in England is much concerned about Bradley Wright-Phillips playing in MLS.
Whenever I see news of MLS matches I look out for his contribution. He's done extremely well for himself.
Apologies if this has been said before somewhere, but does anyone know where in the US the program will be based ? I currently live in the New York area and wouldn't mind checking things out as they progress.
I would expect Saints to be concentrating on the East/North-East Coast. For primarily logistical reasons
Hopefully that's true, although Baltimore is not so far away from me. It will be interesting to see how they progress with this plan. I'm also hoping it means Saints come to the US for a pre-season tour !!
I suspect their net will include Tampa and San Antonia where they have already had contact but yes the base will be in Baltimore which is also the base for Under Armour. If they focus on one region they run the risk of another club developing on the west coast and we would be faced with a major competitor in a very lucrative market.
Let's not be greedy here...US is a damn big place, let some of the lesser clubs have a slice of the action. Let's just be the first and the best
There are a few questions that I'd like answered about this venture. If Saints are to send their own people in, who are these people going to be? How many people will be needed to implement this? If the take up is throughout the USA, do we have the personnel and infrastructure to see it through. These are not concerns, so much as curiosities. The answers to them would give a lot of idea as to the size of the venture, the commitment and the potential.
Saints have been recruiting heavily in several areas this last year. Undoubtedly some of that is to ensure we have the personnel and infrastructure to see this through. What I did notice was the promise to send the very top coaches over to advise - not permanently obviously - but it shows the strength of commitment. It will mean others have to step up in their absence here but that I good management as I see it.
Absolutely, just as the club talk of a pathway for the footballers. The same has to be true of all positions off the pitch. The article mentioned someone who has been solely working on this project for the last year.
