will NEVER play collegiate soccer. Instead they will sign at young age with a pro club and join that pro club's academy. Now the next group of players may opt to play collegiate soccer. However, it is unlikely that those group of players will ever play (or even be considered) for the national team because they will have to wait until after college to compete against quality competition that will improve their skills enough to even get on the national team radar.

For most of the top national teams once a field player reaches the age of 27 or 28, then the odds of him making the national team is reduced significantly. If he does make the team, then most likely he will be a reserve player instead of in the starting 11. It is why it isn't uncommon to see the top European or South American players announce their "retirement" from the national team somewhere between the ages of 27-29. Although you will see some wait until their early 30s to do it. GK tends to be the only position you will see players play for their national team into their 30s (sometimes even early 40s).

Where I was comparing soccer with basketball, football, ice hockey, and baseball was in this regard. If the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB allowed their teams to have an academy, then those teams would be signing the top players to their academy at a young age (maybe as young as 9 or 10). Instead of VT signing Michael Vick, Tyrod Taylor, Bucky Hodges, Bruce Smith, Deron Washington, or whoever else you want to throw in there, those athletes would have signed with a pro team and developed their skills through that pro team's academy. Instead of DI teams signing the recruits they are able to sign today, they would sign DII, DIII, and even NAIA caliber players. As a result the product would become just as watered down as college soccer is today.

[Post edited by VTHokie2000 at 03/07/2017 12:27PM]