MLS academies are very well-represented on the invitation list for U.S. Soccer's inaugural National Combine, a five-day camp for the country's top 15- to 17-year-old players which kicks off in Portland, Ore., on Friday. A new initiative intended to help US coaches build the player pool for the next Under-18 national team, the combine gathers 64 prospects from across the country who have been identified by the federation's scouting network via seven local combines, “Training Center” events (one-day player ID sessions held 200 times a year at dozens of locations nationwide), Development Academy competitions and other showcases. In Oregon, they will experience a pro-level environment structured to resemble a national-team camp. Nearly half of the group called in by U.S. Soccer director of scouting Tony Lepore this week hail from MLS and MLS-affiliated academies across the country. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ented-new-us-soccer-national-combine-event-po
