There are two ways to look at the release of the TFC Academy graduates that got the axe today.
You could suggest that the players were released because current management is turning away from an academy focused strategy in favour of using middling, American players that can run up and down the pitch in a skill-less kick and boot system.
Or, you could suggest that both Oscar Cordon and Keith Makubuya weren’t good enough to play in MLS and should not have been signed to homegrown contracts in the first place.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
There is only one way to look at the release of Nicholas Lindsay – football players should stay off snowmobiles. The story of Lindsay is a tragic one that demonstrates how fragile a soccer dream can be. Hopefully, he finds a way back into the game, but the odds are against him.
That said, most of the focus today is on the two players that were released who didn’t destroy their knee in an off-season accident. There, fans are inclined to view the move through the lens that they view everything through right now – Paul Mariner.
There has been a persistent rumour in TFC circles that Mariner does not favour a model that builds through the academy. As such, he will favour older players that are more athletic, if not as technically skilled.
Thus, the decision of today -- Cordon and Makubuya’s development cut-off without ever getting a shot is the opinion of many critics.
To those critics there is little use suggesting that they simply weren’t good enough because they will argue that they never had a chance under Mariner to demonstrate that they were.
Is that a fair assessment? To determine that it’s important that it’s understood that both players were signed by Aron Winter on March 17, 2011 (the eve of the 2011 season) and played for the club in 2011. It’s also important to understand that Makubuya was also hurt and we can’t know how much his injuries stalled his development.
So, we will restrict our look to Cordon. Did Winter give him more of a chance than Mariner? Is it likely that he would have stuck around longer if Mariner weren’t running the club?
Let’s look.
Actually, there isn’t much to look at. He played just 144 minutes, all in 2011. So, he really didn’t play very much under either man and didn’t play at all under either in 2012. It’s hard to suggest that Cordon’s release is the fault of anyone other than Cordon.
Not that Cordon appears to see it that way. His reaction to being released was to Tweet “Thank God.” He didn’t expand on the thought (and CSN invited him to), which has lead to all sorts of speculation as to what that might mean. As said, we invited Cordon to respond. Until he does we won't guess.
Regardless, there is a lot to suggest that he shouldn’t have been signed in the first place. By taking a (very) little bit of money to sit on TFC’s bench for two years, Cordon gave up a chance at playing in the NCAA. Although he may have options to play college soccer in Canada still – in the CIS you must sit out a year, and lose a year of eligibility, for each year of pro you play. So, Cordon would have three years of CIS eligibility available for him in 2015. -- his soccer career took a hit today.
The homegrown rule is new and every MLS team is still feeling out how to best use it. An argument can be made that the clubs have a responsibility to use the rule responsibly – signing a kid to a HG contract that is a borderline pro might not be fair to anyone. If the player isn’t ready to jump in and contribute immediately it’s probably best that he be directed to college soccer for further development. That’s a win-win – The MLS clubs maintain the rights, the player gets more time to develop and gets an education as well.
The release also illustrate the need for MLS to find opportunities for young players to play. If the league is going to move to an academy focused development structure it needs to give clubs more options to keep and use players like Cordon. The reserve league is a joke and it remains a black eye for the league.
It also illustrates a flaw in TFC’s academy set-up. Many MLS teams run a u-23 PDL side to give older prospects a chance to become late bloomers. Why doesn’t TFC have a u-23 program? Would it have not been better for Cordon to have been playing for a u-23 TFC Academy team while getting an education?
Ultimately, it’s a bit pointless to look too hard for blame – the harsh truth is that players get cut the world over, even young players. If TFC has truly made a judgment error by cutting Cordon he will resurface quickly at a level equal or better.
What’s most important is that TFC, other MLS teams and young players use examples like this to gain a greater understanding of how to best use the homegrown rule.