Duke Men’s Soccer 2024

TheTrain said:
The men’s soccer world has changed dramatically since John Rennie was in charge. The rapid rise of international players over the past decade has leveled the playing field. You now have teams like Marshall that are over 80% international. Also factor in that the best 25 +/- high school age American players never play in college…. They go straight to the pros. And then you have an entire other set that leaves for Europe as early as 12 years old and never comes back.

Thus the parity that John Rennie never had to deal with.
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And, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Marshall make the transition to a competitive program with a single recruiting class comprised of a gaggle of those international players? I recall reading an article in the Athletic or elsewhere along those lines, but perhaps my recollection is off...
 
They certainly snuck up on a lot of people when they won the national championship.

Their overreliance on international players has certainly not sat well with many people
 
TheTrain said:
The men’s soccer world has changed dramatically since John Rennie was in charge. The rapid rise of international players over the past decade has leveled the playing field. You now have teams like Marshall that are over 80% international. Also factor in that the best 25 +/- high school age American players never play in college…. They go straight to the pros. And then you have an entire other set that leaves for Europe as early as 12 years old and never comes back.

Thus the parity that John Rennie never had to deal with.
Click to expand...
Are international players really a new thing? I remember in our day seeing a Seton Hall team whose entire squad was from either New Jersey or Ireland. I’d need to check, but I think the Akron team Duke beat in the final (DUKE WON, AKRON ZIP) was mostly international.

Rennie also had to go up against Virginia and NC State teams that were absolutely loaded. Tony Meola. John Harkes. Tab Ramos.
 
6 kids on Akron’s roster were international (roughly 1/3). Today you have team’s like Marshall where that number is 80%.

Not saying that international players did not exist; merely that you have top teams today whose rosters are majority international. It is far more common. Back in our day, it was truly an exception.

You are right about UVA though. Those teams were stacked. Today though all of those star players would be professional and never would have set foot on the Klockner pitch.
 
Aren't international players showing up in all sports these days? The Duke women's golf team has certainly taken advantage.

-jk
 
King of Defense said:
Are international players really a new thing? I remember in our day seeing a Seton Hall team whose entire squad was from either New Jersey or Ireland. I’d need to check, but I think the Akron team Duke beat in the final (DUKE WON, AKRON ZIP) was mostly international.

Rennie also had to go up against Virginia and NC State teams that were absolutely loaded. Tony Meola. John Harkes. Tab Ramos.
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Please do not bring up "Seton Hall" and "international players." Still too soon. Not talking about soccer.
 
-jk said:
Aren't international players showing up in all sports these days? The Duke women's golf team has certainly taken advantage.

-jk
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I wouldn’t say all sports
Golf only has a handful of players much like tennis
Again, not saying that there haven’t been international players in sports….that has been in play since the 1980s

For a true team sport with a large roster, men’s soccer right now is unique

I would crack up though if some school with a dormant basketball program just said the he’ll with it…I’ll bring in 8 24 year old freshmen from Serbia….honestly shocked nobody has really done it
 
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What a random Final 4: Ohio State, Denver, Vermont and Marshall

ACC was dominant all year and is completely shut outIMG_2805.jpeg
 
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