Major League Soccer youth development academies will expand to absorb players from the U.S. Soccer Development Academy which folded in mid-April. And the increased international development of United States youth will represent a major selling point for MLS youth development academies filling the void when the U.S. Soccer program shut down.
The Liga MX juniors have set the highest standards for youth development. They won two FIFA U-17 World Cups, finished runners-up in two, and won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics. MLS has paid attention to the details of Liga MX youth development, hoping to glean what worked in Mexico and attributing it to the U.