Why US youth national teamers are choosing NASL

Midfielder Miguel Ibarra made his USMNT debut in 2014 while a member of the NASL's Minnesota United.Former U.S. U-17 national team forward Haji Wright found himself in limbo when he was training with German team Schalke last year. The Bundesliga club wanted to offer the LA Galaxy Academy product a professional contract. Wright wanted to sign it. But because FIFA rules stipulate that a player must be 18 years old in order to ink a deal with a foreign club, the Los Angeles native was in a tough spot. He could sign a four-year contract with MLS -- as a matter of policy, America's top-flight league doesn't offer young players short-term deals -- or wait a year-plus to move to overseas, squandering crucial months of development in the process.

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