But what exactly is the point of these partnerships, asks Ian Plenderleith of USSoccerPlayers.com? Atletico Paraenense and Atletico Mineiro are hardly renowned global powerhouses, so there’s no cross-marketing appeal for the MLS clubs. However, Plenderleith opines that the appeal for Dallas and United is all about youth development, which is precisely what makes these savvy deals.
“It’s not a reason that will grab any headlines,” he says (indeed, there was very little press coverage about these announcements), “but as far as long-term planning goes for the way U.S. professional teams mold their future stars, D.C. United and FC Dallas may be stealing a march on the rest of the league by looking and learning from the way Brazilian teams run their youth academies.” FC Dallas manager Michael Hitchcock confirmed as much: “There’s arguably nowhere better in the world when it comes to player development than Brazilian soccer,” he said. “For us, just getting into the player development business — we wanted to learn from someone that’s been doing it for 100-plus years.”
D.C. United technical director Dave Kasper agreed, saying the notion that Brazilians hone their skills on the beach is false. “The academies there are very organized and disciplined,” he said, adding that by the age of 12 prospective players “have a regimented structure in place” so they can develop into what big clubs are looking for. Kasper also said United is on the cusp of signing a similar youth development pact with Argentine giant Boca Juniors, which would be even more significant.