Welcome to the Empire United Soccer Academy (EUSA)!

In August 2007, Western New York’s top soccer clubs, the Rochester Junior Rhinos, Syracuse Football Club and Buffalo United Soccer Club joined together to form the Empire United Soccer Academy. The unification of these clubs, acknowledge their strong working relationship and shared vision of the development of youth soccer. This combined organization will enable soccer players at all levels to attain their individual goals and maximize their potential. In fact, the strength of the new club was recognized when Empire USA received one of the sixty-four initial memberships in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.  Click here to learn more about the origins of the US Soccer Development Academy program.

Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeffrey Joseph Gal (Sockers FC), Fernando Piña (Houston Dynamo)
DEFENDERS (4): Jonathan Campbell (North Carolina Fusion), Holden Fender (Concorde Fire), Luis Hernandez (Atlas Merced No Cal), Nico Rittmyer (South Carolina United Battery)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Diego Lopez (Atletico Santa Rosa No Cal), Casey Macias (Pateadores), Stefanos Stamoulacatos (Empire United), Cooper Vandermass-Peeler (North Carolina)
FORWARDS (2): Mario Rodriguez (LA Galaxy), Jonathan Top (FC Dallas)

It could be a true sign that the Syracuse University Men’s Soccer program is on the rise.

The Orange signed local stars Stefanos Stamoulacatos (West Genesee) and Alex Bono (Baldwinsville) who will join the team in the fall.

Both are dynamic enough, that  ESPNU lists them among their top 150 prospects for the Class of 2012.

Bono, a standout goalkeeper for the defending Section III champs from B’Ville hopes to shore up the Orange’s defense. Stamoulacatos, a blue-chip midfielder recently played for Team-USA’s Under-19 team at the World Championships.

Coincidentally, both Stamoulacatos and Bono were honored as CNY Central Athletes during this school year.

Both Stefanos and Alex say they hope they can start a trend of local talent staying home. That, no doubt, would help lead the Orange soccer program to new heights.

The following players have been invited to the callback tryouts on Saturday, July 30th @ 11-1 PM.  Tryouts will be on the stadium field.

Players are listed by number only.

Player #
4
6
7
10
11
12
14
23
25
26
28
29
32
33
34
35
36
37
39
40
43
44
45
46
49
53
59
87
88
89
90
91
93

Now with 14 seasons as the head coach of the Cavaliers under his belt, Gelnovatch has seen his player selection process undergo a major overhaul since the inception of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

“I think the Academy program is still relatively young, but already I think there are some benefits,” said Gelnovatch, who won his first NCAA College Cup championship in 2009. “The standards that have been set by U.S. Soccer for these clubs are good standards, but the biggest change I have seen is in the identification process.”

With Development Academy scouts in attendance at a majority of regular season games and every game during Showcase events, players are identified and tracked more closely and consistently than in the past.

The coaching staff at Virginia takes advantage of both the Richmond Strikers and the Richmond Kickers proximity to Charlottesville. Not only does Gelnovatch keep a close eye on local talent, but he has a full slate of quality teams coming in from across the country on a weekly basis.

Gelnovatch and his staff are also among nearly 300 college coaches in attendance at every Development Academy Showcase.

“For college programs, those Showcase events make it easier to get into a four-day environment and watch all of the Academy teams,” he said. “To come out to three events a year and see all these players shouldn’t be an issue for any major program.”

Keeping a close eye on the Academy talent, Gelnovatch has definitely seen a change in the type of players coming out of the member clubs.

In 2009, the Cavaliers brought in Will Bates from the Richmond Strikers, D.C. United’s Marcus Douglas, Sean Murnane and Shane Cooke, and BW Gottschee NYC’s Ahkeel Rodney, meaning all but one freshman on the team hailed from an Academy club. On Feb. 3, three more Academy players signed National Letters of Intent to play for Virginia as they attempt to defend their national championship.

The 2007 NCAA Champion Wake Forest will add no fewer than six former Academy players to the Demon Deacons squad for 2010. The 2008 and 2005 NCAA Champion University of Maryland also continues to bring Academy players into its highly-regarded program, building on six first-year Academy alums who helped the Terrapins advance to the tournament quarterfinals in 2009.

“The impact of the level of play in the Academy has been tremendous for our program,” said Sasho Cirovski, head coach at Maryland. “Every time you see a game, it’s highly competitive, good spirited and played a very high level with a great deal of accountability. That’s something you want to see as a college coach, how players deal with that kind of environment and it’s more clear when you watch an Academy game than maybe another youth game that isn’t as meaningful.”

In addition, the structure of the program, which includes training at least three times per week and playing games on the weekend, mirrors that of a college season.

“The regimen of playing other Academy teams and traveling with some consistency has definitely added some structure and development that makes the transition from a youth club to a high-level college soccer team a little bit easier,” said Gelnovatch.

As college programs continue spring training in preparation for the 2010 season, Development Academy players continue to train with their respective clubs, hoping for a taste of the NCAA tournament. The current Academy season will conclude at Finals Weeks at The Home Depot Center in July.

-ussoccer.com-

U.S. Soccer Federation
1801 S. Prairie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616

Ball Work

This workout can be completed on all days off and only requires a ball and a 4x4 space.

Individual Work Out

Juggling

1. 50 touches each with feet, thighs, head (if space permits)

2. Set of 15 push ups, 15 sit ups

Footwork Exercises

Do a footwork exercise for 1 minute straight then a set of 15 push ups and 15 sit ups between exercises. Continue this pattern for all four exercises:

1. Triangles - Push ball from 1 foot to the other, second touch is out in front of the first foot, third touch is pulling back and starting all over. The pattern of ball movement is a triangle.

2. Stop and cut - Push ball to one side with the outside of your foot, stop the ball with the same foot, and then explode with a quick touch back the other way with the outside of your opposite foot.

3. Fast feet/Toe Touches - Roll the ball back and forth between both feet at a high speed while keeping your head up.

4. Sole role stop - Roll the ball with the sole of your foot from side to side alternating feet, draw letters of the alphabet with the ball.

Juggling

1. 50 touches each with feet, thighs, head (if space permits)

2. Set of 15 push ups, 15 sit ups

Dribbling

1. 2 Cones 4 yards apart, dribble at cone, 180 degree outside-turn.   (5 times each foot=total of 10 outside turns per)

a. Inside foot chop

b. Outside foot chop

c. Pullback

d. Cryuff

Wall or Partner Work Out

Passing/Receiving

1. 1-touch passing on the floor (10 yards, 2 minutes)

2. 2-touch passing on the floor (10 yards, 2 minutes)

3. Half turns off the wall...turn and play

- receive right, play with right, receive left play with left 15 times each

- receive right, play with left, receive left play with right, 15 times each

US Soccer looks has developed a series of four videos looking at different aspects of the "Everyday Environment".  To view the vidoes, select the links below:

• Individual Training
• Team Training
• Off-Field Lifestyle
• Games