The Kansas City Wizards 2 Generation Adidas players will be making their way over to South Africa with the rest of an MLS Generation Adidas team. Roger Espinoza and Chance Myers were both named to the team that will leave later this month for a 10 day tour of the World Cup hosting country. Espinoza and Myers will be competing in 3 games against Premier Soccer League reserve teams, including Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates. Click to continue reading...

Photo via FC Dallas

I guess once one club does it they all decide to take part in the fun that is signing home grown talent. Just last week New York signed their first academy player and now FC Dallas is doing the same. Today the club announced the signing of Bryan Leyva of the FC Dallas Juniors Program to a Generation adidas contract.

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When I posted my expansion draft preview recently, the subject that stirred up the most debate was this one. Anyone who's followed MLS for a number of years knows that it's a bit of a mystery. When exactly do Generation Adidas players graduate, and what are the criteria?
Basically, players are supposed to graduate when they no longer need the roster protection that it provides. Click to continue reading...

Earlier today, I took a quick dash through the current United roster, and I mentioned a couple of times how critical those Generation Adidas players are going to be. They'll give you a player that (ostensibly) is ready to pick up some minutes, but won't count against either the cap or the twenty-player senior roster. Click to continue reading...

Earlier today, I took a quick dash through the current United roster, and I mentioned a couple of times how critical those Generation Adidas players are going to be. They'll give you a player that (ostensibly) is ready to pick up some minutes, but won't count against either the cap or the twenty-player senior roster. Click to continue reading...

At long last, Namoff is officially back in the fold for the 2009 campaign. And while we're raiding Goff's cupboard, let's take a look at some DCU dirt he dug up from Dave Kasper. The big news? (1) We're getting close to landing Walter Martinez and bringing Doe back. They'd both be on loan, but that's pretty close to filling out our forward depth chart. Click to continue reading...

At long last, Namoff is officially back in the fold for the 2009 campaign. And while we're raiding Goff's cupboard, let's take a look at some DCU dirt he dug up from Dave Kasper. The big news? (1) We're getting close to landing Walter Martinez and bringing Doe back. They'd both be on loan, but that's pretty close to filling out our forward depth chart. Click to continue reading...

Word floating around the MLS Combine are some impressive number... at least contractually. Click to continue reading...

Coming up next week is the MLS Draft, which will take place this year in St. Louis, MO. The Wizards have the 8th pick in draft after being the lowest ranked team to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. With that pick, there are plenty of ways the Wizards will be able to go with that pick, if they choose to keep it. Click to continue reading...

We've all had a day to digest the Generation Adidas class. I've had some thoughts and I've corresponded with an MLS insider who gave me their thoughts. My thoughts aren't as insightful as my MLS insider, so we'll go there first.
on Alston...

I like Kevin Alston - D - University of Indiana very much - he is ready to go now

Alston is listed as 5' 8" so it would seem if he is in fact ready to go now it will be as a full back or perhaps some kind of winger. Click to continue reading...

We've all had a day to digest the Generation Adidas class. I've had some thoughts and I've corresponded with an MLS insider who gave me their thoughts. My thoughts aren't as insightful as my MLS insider, so we'll go there first.
on Alston...

I like Kevin Alston - D - University of Indiana very much - he is ready to go now

Alston is listed as 5' 8" so it would seem if he is in fact ready to go now it will be as a full back or perhaps some kind of winger. Click to continue reading...

Diego Gutierrez from his KC days.
MLS put out the list of Generation adidas players today. The nine players represent seven different schools and are broken down into three forwards, three defenders, two midfielders and one goalkeeper. Read the MLS release and the complete list of 2009 adidas Player Combine teams here. Click to continue reading...

Here are the young guys who will be leaving college early, getting paid more than most (if not all) seniors who finished school, attending the combine and entering the MLS SuperDraft.
Kevin Alston - D - University of Indiana
Danny Cruz - M - University of Nevada Las Vegas
Stefan Frei - GK- University of California
Omar Gonzalez - D - University of Maryland
Jeremy Hall - M - University of Maryland
Baggio Husidic - M - University of Illinois – Chicago
Peri Marosevic - F - University of Michigan
Rodney Wallace - M - University of Maryland
Steve Zakuani - F - University of Akron
Maryland fans are going to be bummed to see this amount of talent bolting after the national championship in addition to their graduating seniors, right? Click to continue reading...

Here are the young guys who will be leaving college early, getting paid more than most (if not all) seniors who finished school, attending the combine and entering the MLS SuperDraft.
Kevin Alston - D - University of Indiana
Danny Cruz - M - University of Nevada Las Vegas
Stefan Frei - GK- University of California
Omar Gonzalez - D - University of Maryland
Jeremy Hall - M - University of Maryland
Baggio Husidic - M - University of Illinois – Chicago
Peri Marosevic - F - University of Michigan
Rodney Wallace - M - University of Maryland
Steve Zakuani - F - University of Akron
Maryland fans are going to be bummed to see this amount of talent bolting after the national championship in addition to their graduating seniors, right? Click to continue reading...

So I wrote an apology post on the Arsenal Offside yesterday and figured that I would also have to come over here to revive things. I'm still in the loop here, just haven't made the time for MLS Offside. I guess I could use the holiday season excuse for posting around 0.0025 posts per day, [...] Click to continue reading...

UNLV and U.S. Under-20 striker Daniel Cruz has become the ninth player to sign a Generation adidas contract, making him available for the 2009 MLS Draft on Jan. 15, sources confirmed to SBI on Tuesday

a sophomore at UNLV, Cruz has emerged as one of the most highly-regarded players in the U.

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UNLV and U.S. Under-20 striker Daniel Cruz has become the ninth player to sign a Generation adidas contract, making him available for the 2009 MLS Draft on Jan. 15, sources confirmed to SBI on Tuesday

a sophomore at UNLV, Cruz has emerged as one of the most highly-regarded players in the U.

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I got a hold of the MLS list... Click to continue reading...

Jewsbury with some fans at our Season Ticket Holder event last spring at Dave and Buster's
Versatile Wizards midfielder Jack Jewsbury checks in with fans via sgfsoccer in Springfield about the season and an upcoming clinic he is doing. Read up and, if you're from the area, sign up for his clinic here. Click to continue reading...

The MLS Generation Adidas team went 0-3 on their 3 game tour of London this week, losing their final game today to West Ham United's reserves 3-2. Both GA goals were scored by San Jose forward Davide Somma in the first half. Roger Espinoza entered the game in the 73rd minute for Ciaran O'Brien. The GA's actually held the lead at half time 2-1, but gave up 2 goals in 7 minutes in the second half to lose. Click to continue reading...

Not a whole lot going on out there today, but here's a few quick links to what is going on around the MLS. Word out of Columbus is that Sigi is heading west. +While it isn't official yet, it may as well be. Sigi Schmid declined the latest offer from Columbus and will most likely head [...] Click to continue reading...

Roger Espinoza and the MLS Generation Adidas team suffered another lose today on their 3 game tour of London, losing 4-0 to Chelsea's reserves. Espinoza started and played 45 minutes for the team, subbing out at half time for Tony Beltran. The Chelsea team looked to be made up of a lot of youth players with only 1 player that I actually recognized (hattrick goal scorer, Scott Sinclair). Click to continue reading...

Sinclair.
The Generation adidas side played its second of three matches today, falling to the Chelsea FC reserve team that featured first-team striker Scott Sinclair. Sinclair, 19-years-old and a member of many England youth national squads, scored the hat trick for the Blues as they won the match 4-0 on a pair of goals in each half. Click to continue reading...

As I previously reported last week, a squad of MLSers who were dubbed as Generation Adidas players were heading overseas for a short stint over in England, where soccer is football and people live and breath the darn thing. Roger Espinoza of the KC Wizard emailed a quick update, which I am relaying to you [. Click to continue reading...

Espinoza against the Houston Dynamo in his MLS debut.
Roger Espinoza checked in today via email regarding his trip to London, England so far. Today the Generation adidas players watched Chelsea defeat CFC Cluj (Romania) 2-1 to advance to the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. Needless to say, it was a great moment for the players to watch. Click to continue reading...

Roger Espinoza and the MLS Generation Adidas players had their first game of their 3 game tour while in London today against Reading FC's reserves. The result of the game, though, did not go the way of the MLSers, as they fell 1-0 to the Royals. Espinoza started the game for the team, playing 60 minutes before he was removed for Tim Ward. Click to continue reading...

The Generation adidas youngsters took on Reading FC today, losing 1-0 to the English Championship side's second team. Wizards midfielder Roger Espinoza went the first 60 minutes for the GA team. Hillcrest Road will catch up with Roger in the next couple of days about his trip to England and experiences as part of the GA team. Click to continue reading...

A press release about Generation adidas' tour through England was siphoned into my inbox on Monday. Like many of the other releases that I get, I gave it a quick glance, stewed upon the info, then deleted it. J/k. Anyway, the release heralded the return of GA to England for a mini-series of matches against the reserves from Cheslea, West Ham, and Aston Villa. Click to continue reading...

Given that the MLS Cup was just a little over a week ago, you might think that everybody in the league would be taking a little breather. Not so much. Here are links to a few of the rumors and newsy bits that are floating around this week. (And be sure to [...] Click to continue reading...

Nice trip coming up for Colorado Rapids' midfielder, Ciaran O'Brien. O'Brien, who made his ill-fated debut for the Rapids against the LA Galaxy on opening night this past season, was sent off after coming on as a substitute and then did not play again all season in the first team, is off to the UK with the Generation Adidas team. Click to continue reading...

The latest roster of Generation Adidas players who will head overseas was announced today. The tour/training session has taken place for the last few years with a squad of players who signed GA or Project 40 contracts head overseas for a little bit of European sightseeing and training. The official story is here, but I've [. Click to continue reading...

Wizards midfielder, Roger Espinoza, will be heading over to London on the 6th of this month with 15 other MLS Generation Adidas players for an 8 day tour of London which will include 3 games against EPL reserve sides. The team will also get tickets to an EPL and Champion's League match while training at Chelsea's training facility. Click to continue reading...

Espinoza volunteering for a clinic last summer for Verano MLS.
Our team Rookie of the Year is earning a nice trip to England with a group of 16 Generation adidas players from around MLS. Espinoza stepped in a logged some quality minutes this season on the left side of midfield after being taken with the 11th overall selection in last January's MLS SuperDraft. Click to continue reading...

I have begun tracking the 2009 Generation adidas class. Click to continue reading...

Rudd Gullit's comments last month on the quality of players coming out of the college game got the ball rolling, but Wednesday's 2-0 defeat at the hands of England has added fuel (i.e., more empirical evidence) to the debate. The latest to address the issue of player development (aside from me, of course) is Jeff Carlisle at ESPNsoccernet. Click to continue reading...