First Congrats U20s on makin the World Cup. A big achievement!!
I read a story today with Vranes talking about guys should go pro instead of play US college ball. I think playing in the pro league will hamper a lot of these guys ability to get scholarships. I personally went the college route and think that is a bad statement. Now if paul, bateau etc. go to the world cup and blow it up and get a big money contract in Europe then they should run with it but jus cause they make the WC aint no guarantee they goin an get a contract. Common let's be real.
I look at the last time Jamaica make the U20 WC in 2001
http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=104/edition=4295/teams/team=1889432.html , after they had made the U17 WC 2 years before like the warriors. Of that squad only 4 players went on to play "pro" ball. Keith Kelly, Omar Daley, Shavar Thomas and Khari Stephenson. Keith Kelly had signed with PSG before the WC like Gay so he don't really count and after a few years was a buss and playin for harbour view now. Now both Shavar and Khari went on to play in college in the US and get a degree before going pro. therefore got the best of both worlds. Shavar makin about $150,000 US in MLS and Khari bout the same in Norway. Therefore, only 1 player from the group of 18 get a pro contract straight and even Omar Daley has bounced around from some lower level English clubs and has spent time back in Jamaica so has not really made it big or big money.
The only other name I even recognize from the team is Wolry Wolfe who plays for Joe Public in TT so I aint countin dat as most of our guys could do dat now for small money, none of the other palyers even went on to play for Jamaica Sr. Team and who knows what they doin now.
You can do the same if you look at the TT teams that play in Youth WCs. Not many went on. Yorke had contract before, Nixon get one and Ince kinda bounce around. Jones made it big, Julius went college route before pro. so not a whole lot there either.
Therefore my point is should guys who have guaranteed scholarships jeopardise the $500,000TT+ in scholarship when there is no contract guaranteed. And as stats show most won't even go on to have a career in football and play sr. ball. Even if 1 or 2 do "make it" what about all the others like Grovesnor, Clarence, Walker, Rockford, Bentick, Lougheed, De Silva, Adams etc what will be left for them. Does this also mean that guys like Knox, O'neil, Fullerton not going an have a chance if they don't leave there schools. Most will probably make more money with a University degree than what they get from football.
Also is not like College ball don't develop men for the pros and international ball, juss look how many of the 06 warriors went to the US first.
I hope the TTFF has taught this through and Vranes not only promisin men contract.. Any toughts?