MLS NEXT, the top organization in developing youth soccer talent in North America, will be holding five Talent ID events across five cities in the United States including New York to help discover new prospects for the country’s top clubs.
In an attempt to make opportunities for exposure to top-tier programs more available for young soccer players and to eliminate imposing barriers such as geography, cost, and time commitment, MLS NEXT has partnered with ai.io which will allow talent to be assessed through a smartphone.
Soccer hopefuls born between 2011 to 2014 or their family members can download the aiScout app and will be tasked with completing a series of drills. The app will analyze, rate, and score each player and the top performers will receive invitations to their nearest Talent ID Event, whether that is in New York (Sept. 13), Denver (Aug. 21), San Diego (Oct. 4), San Antonio (Oct. 25), or Orlando (Nov. 4).
Talent ID camps have created a pipeline of talent to join the academies and reserve teams of clubs in Major League Soccer. In total, 51 different players have joined 15 different MLS NEXT clubs with 25 going on to their respective team’s academy.
“All players should have the opportunity to achieve their dreams in soccer regardless of location or
socioeconomic background and these Talent ID events are integral in accomplishing this,” a statement from MLS vice president of player youth and development Fred Lipka and MLS NEXT technical director Luis Robles read.
An exact location for where the New York portion of the Talent ID event on Sept. 13 has not been disclosed as of yet, but an MLS NEXT spokesperson told amNewYork that, “the players invited will all receive that information well ahead of time.”
