The U17 residency academy is in a precarious place. Abiding rumors that the program could shutter in the coming years run alongside its seeming inability to produce a top class since the 1999 U17 team finished fourth at the World Cup that year. Quality continues to filter through its ranks - Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore were both residency kids - but is it enough?
Today, Homegrown Watch takes a look at some of the top MLS Homegrown prospects currently in the pipeline in residency this semester. All three of these players are holdovers from the fall semester, and all three should be getting looks from their respective MLS parent sides in the coming years.
George Braima, Columbus Crew
If any academy knows how to develop a solid holding midfielder, it’s the Crew. Between Wil Trapp and Benjamin Swanson, Columbus has produced two top quality Homegrowns with the ability to impact the senior team in future years. Trapp in particular has turned into one of MLS’ most stable presences in the midfield before his 23rd birthday, and much of that maturation had to do with the fact that he turned pro after just two college seasons. He’s appeared more than 40 times at the professional level, and the evidence is in his performance.
