Good 'Un on MLS Youth Development

With thanks to du nord, I wanted to pass on a solid article on Major League Soccer's (MLS) youth development programs. There was a lot in this one I either didn't know, or didn't intenalize from previous readings: specifically, things like the "Home Territory" geographic areas - and the situation in two-team Los Angeles is kind of interesting - the means by which players in these systems retain their college eligibility, and things like this passage, the only thing in the piece that didn't make total sense to me:

"Having just finished its 11th season, MLS announced an initiative in November in which every team would be required to have a youth system starting next season, with each team allowed to sign only two players per season."

I'm reading the part in bold to say that each team can only sign two players per season from the youth ranks. If anyone can confirm that's right, I'd appreciate the assist; even more love will flow to those who can explain the rationale behind the policy (I think I've got a pretty good idea, but, assuming I'm correct, it strikes me as a bit stingy).

That one passage aside, though, this article gave me a better handle on the MLS's youth development rules than anything else I had so far come across. And that's a good thing.

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