ASN: With debut in Orlando, De Vries goals to affix Philly’s sturdy youth pipeline

The Philadelphia Union have been on the ascent in recent times and a powerful youth pipeline has performed a big function within the newfound success. Final yr the membership signed U.S. youth worldwide Jack de Vries, 18, to a homegrown deal and the previous U.S. U-17 worldwide made his first staff debut in Orlando. Now he needs to affix Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie because the membership’s subsequent youth contributor. ASN’s Justin Sousa spoke with de Vries in Orlando.

BY

Justin Sousa

Posted
July 28, 2020
7:05 AM

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A CAREER IN PROFESSIONAL soccer all the time appeared to be the top objective for Jack de Vries. As a toddler, he lived in Belgium together with his dad and mom the place he additionally skilled with one of many nation’s most prestigious youth academies at RSC Anderlecht. On the time, the membership was a well-liked identify amongst a number of the greater golf equipment in Europe as all of them sought to signal their promising, 17-year-old ahead Romelu Lukaku.

Having moved to Belgium at such a younger age, the cultural adjustment didn’t hit as laborious as it might have been for older children. He discovered Flemish and a little bit of French whereas dwelling there and received in contact together with his Dutch roots being only a two-hour commute away from Amsterdam. It was in Belgium the place de Vries fell in love with soccer and determined to observe within the footsteps of his father – former Colorado Rapids midfielder Raimo de Vries – in turning into an expert.

De Vries and his household returned to the US when he was 10 years outdated for his father’s work, nevertheless it rapidly turned clear that the alternatives to go to the skilled degree in Virginia had been restricted. After three years, the de Vries household was on the transfer once more – this time to Philadelphia – as Raimo took up a job for a special financial institution firm and Jack earned a spot within the Philadelphia Union’s academy.

Over his four-year stint with the academy, de Vries earned common invites to youth nationwide staff call-ups on the under-15 and under-17 ranges. He made a verbal dedication to play for the College of Virginia on the finish of 2018 earlier than making his skilled debut within the Bethlehem Metal’s 2019 season opener three months later. Regardless of an absence of recreation time for Bethlehem all through 2019, de Vries was provided a homegrown deal by the Union in August.

“I’d been wanting to be a pro for as long as I could remember,” mentioned de Vries. “Living in Europe, that’s all people talked about and that’s all people cared about. None of the players cared about playing in college, and I didn’t even know about the opportunity to play in college until I moved back to the United States. That drive to become a professional soccer player has been with me for as long as I can remember.”

The contract additionally got here at a time the place de Vries was attracting the eye of European suitors as effectively. Each PSV and FC Copenhagen had been closely invested in de Vries, carry the teen in on trials within the Netherlands and Denmark, respectively. Copenhagen had been ready to supply him a deal on the spot whereas a brand new teaching workers at PSV provided de Vries a second alternative to trial with them earlier than they selected whether or not to supply him a deal.

“When Union offered me [a contract], I knew everything about the Union,” mentioned de Vries. “I knew I was going to be happy because I was going to be with my family. It was the safe option, but it was the option I was most confident in.”

Along with his first skilled contract signed, de Vries instantly set his sights on breaking into the primary staff. It wasn’t going to be a straightforward job particularly when contemplating the depth in assault the Union had been starting so as to add, however the integration of homegrown gamers earlier than him like Mark McKenzie and Brenden Aaronson had been optimistic indicators for his future.

Nevertheless, his 2020 season didn’t begin with the Union. As an alternative, he was a starter for Philadelphia Union II of their USL Championship season opener. Although it wasn’t the primary staff, it was an enchancment upon the restricted skilled minutes he picked up all through 2019. A possible debut within the U.S. Open Cup or throughout a run of congested fixtures appeared like essentially the most possible likelihood of him getting his first staff debut, however no person was relying on a worldwide pandemic.

Since arriving within the bubble in Orlando for the MLS is Again match, de Vries has simply taken every day of coaching and matches day-to-day. The chance to be rostered with the primary staff and even approaching as an alternative choice to his debut in opposition to NYCFC have been unbelievable experiences for him throughout this unprecedented MLS season.

“Obviously, the main goal was to break into the Union team,” mentioned de Vries. “I wanted to set my goals high and see where it went from there. I knew going into it that I would spend some time with Union II, but obviously the end goal was to try to break into the first team and make the 18. It hasn’t paid off yet, but I made my debut and it’s a really cool experience to be rostered for these games.”

Maybe essentially the most intriguing side of his debut was to see him donning the quantity 14. Gamers comparable to Thierry Henry and Xabi Alonso have all beforehand been related to the jersey quantity, however de Vries’ ties with the quantity are instantly linked together with his Dutch heritage.

“My dad was really pushing for me to get 14 because of Johan Cruyff obviously,” mentioned de Vries. “I was number 30 in the academy for most of my time there, but 14 was special to me because my family back in the Netherlands can go ‘oh, he’s 14 because of Johan Cruyff.’”

The late Dutch legend has all the time been somebody de Vries seemed as much as whereas enjoying soccer, and he hopes to change into as synonymous with the Union as Cruyff was with Ajax, FC Barcelona and the Dutch nationwide staff. With a spot within the MLS is Again match quarter finals secured, successful this match with the Union could possibly be his first step to taking the membership to the subsequent degree amongst their MLS friends.

The hope is that his membership performances may also result in extra consideration from the youth and senior nationwide staff staffs. He admires the breakthrough Aaronson had over the course of 2019 in turning into an undisputed starter for the Union after which incomes his first call-up and cap for the US males’s nationwide staff in January’s pleasant in opposition to Costa Rica.

“I guess the nearest thing would be the next Under-20 World Cup,” mentioned de Vries. “That’s something that I would definitely want to be going to but at the same time, the Union is something I need to be really focused on. If you look at Brendon [Aaronson], he started playing well for the Union and then the national team came for him. If I do well for the Union, then the national team will come calling and not the other way around.”

Curtin and the Union are pushing a wonderful crop of younger abilities by the Union’s pipelines and into the USL and MLS first groups. Aaronson, McKenzie, Anthony Fontana and Matt Actual are all examples of gamers to transition by this pipeline and into the primary staff, however de Vries may quickly change into to first out-and-out ahead to progress by the academy and succeed with the primary staff.