When the U.S. Soccer Development Academy was founded 13 years ago, it was heralded as the major change American soccer needed to take a step forward.



The U.S. Soccer-led academies would provide one league through which all of the top players and clubs would be funneled. A disjointed and disconnected youth soccer scene would no longer be so fragmented, enhancing the ability for players to develop. With every MLS team fielding an academy team, a legitimate pathway to the professional ranks would exist for the first time.



On Wednesday, U.S. Soccer is expected to announce that it is shutting down the Development Academy (DA) permanently.



The decision, reported by The Athletic on Tuesday, removes the federation from the administration of a youth soccer league while maintaining governance power over the sport. It also throws into flux the future of the hundreds of clubs and thousands of players who existed within the DA system. It was a financial...