Player Spotlight
Top Prospect Cyle Larin Hopes to Delay Decision
At least two Major League Soccer teams are interested in securing the services of Univ. of Connecticut forward Cyle Larin, but the 19-year-old is hoping he can keep his suitors waiting a bit longer.
CYLE LARIN HAS SOME difficult career decisions coming up and he wants to delay making them as long as possible.
Larin’s not a procrastinator, mind you. It's just that the longer he goes without having to make any decisions means the longer he’s extended his college soccer season. And for now, that’s all he’s focused on.
A powerfully built sophomore target forward from Ontario who has already been capped three times by the Canadian national team – that’s the senior team, not a youth national team—Larin is considered one of the best, if not the best, pro prospects in college soccer this season.
“He’s just a cut above the rest,” said a scout for an MLS team. “He’s got all the physical attributes you want—strength, size, speed—but he’s also got good feet for a big guy, he’s strong in the air, and he finishes very well. He’s the best forward prospect in college right now.”
Larin stands six-foot-two and has great pace and athleticism “but his best attribute are his feet,” said Bobby Smyrniotis, his youth coach at Sigma FC. “He has great skill for someone his size and he’s a very good finisher.”
As a freshman, the Brampton, Ont., native scored 14 goals and registered three assists in 23 games, making multiple websites' all-freshman teams as he helped the Huskies reach the quarterfinals of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
“Cyle is a fabulous player and a constant threat,” said Syracuse coach Ian McIntyre, who recruits heavily in Ontario. “He is a lovely young man as well as a dynamic player. He has the combination of power and pace that always makes life tough for defenders and he has added more goals to his game these past two years. We would have loved to have had him here.”
Larin's freshman showing caught the attention of the Canadian soccer federation and in May, less than a month after turning 19, he debuted for Canada in a friendly against Bulgaria.
“It was a really good experience, getting to play against top players, see how they play and watch how they play. It’s definitely the highest level I have played at but it showed me I can play at that level,” said Larin. “After that game, I thought this is what I want to do for a living.”
Between his scoring as a freshman and being one of the few full internationals playing college soccer, he’s been a marked man.
“I told him after last season how it was going to be, how teams would be keying on him,” said Connecticut coach Ray Reid, who guided the Huskies to the 2000 NCAA championship. “We have a lot of good players but (opposing teams) are very concerned with stopping Cyle.”
The Huskies were much more experienced last year, led by goalkeeper Andre Blake, who became the top pick in January’s MLS SuperDraft, and forward Mamadou Diouf, who was picked by Vancouver. This season opponents are clearly focusing on Larin.
Despite the attention, Larin has still managed nine goals and three assists in 15 games. Connecticut, however, got off to an uncharacteristically slow start, beginning the season with a 4-6-2 record before winning its past six games. As such, the team enters tonight’s American Athletic Association semifinal with South Florida in a must-win situation. The team's RPI – the computer-generated ranking system the NCAA heavily relies upon to determine tournament seedings and at-large bids—is in the low 50s and likely not good enough for an at-large bid.
A win tonight and the Huskies advance to the conference final Sunday with a shot to win the AAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. But a loss, either to South Florida or on Sunday, and the club's season is likely over.
And that would make it decision time for Larin.
“When the time comes I’ll make that decision,” said Larin. “But hopefully I’m not making it until December because we’re in the Final Four.”
While many observers expect him to turn pro, that’s no guarantee. MLS reportedly courted him for a Generation Adidas offer last year, though a source close to Larin says talks never got serious because Larin expressed an interest in staying in school.
“I really like it here at UConn—the team, the coaches, and the campus, it’s very nice,” said Larin. “We have great facilities and great fans.”
And his returning for another season would not be without precedent: Reid has had two players win the Hermann Award, given to the top player in college soccer, as juniors. Chris Gbandi won it in 2000 as did O’Brian White in 2007, and both returned for their senior years.
Such is Larin’s commitment to extending his college season that he turned down a call-up to the Canadian national team for its upcoming friendly with Panama.
“I was called in but this is an important time for our season so it was an easy call,” Larin said. “We’re just hitting our stride as a team and we want to get further than last year.”
Reid said turning down a chance for a full national team cap “shows what kind of person Cyle is, what kind of character he has. He’s very mature and always does the right thing. He’s a great player but a wonderful kid.”
Because of that combination of character and skill—OK, mostly it’s the skill—there’s no lack of interest in Larin from Major League Soccer. Several sources told American Soccer Now that expansion club New York City FC, which holds the second pick in January’s SuperDraft, is very high on Larin and that his hometown Toronto FC, which currently holds the sixth pick, has had talks with expansion Orlando City to move up to the top pick overall with an eye on using it to select Larin.
However, it may not matter. First of all, there’s no guarantee he leaves school. And if he does, “because he’s played for Canada already, he’s going to have interest from teams in Europe,” said the same MLS scout. “Even if he goes pro, the league may not be able to sign him.”
A referral from Canada’s current coach, Spaniard Benito Floro, who once coached Real Madrid, certainly will open some doors in Europe. “The fact that Benito Floro regards him highly also helps,” said Smyrniotis. “It’s one thing to be doing well in college but when you get a well-respected referral from someone like Floro it really helps.”
Larin, who trained with Belgian club Genk this summer, is coy about his preferences should he leave school. “Playing at home would be nice,” he said. “But everyone wants to play in Europe. Playing in MLS would be fine, but I might want to go somewhere new.”
Larin knows a decision is looming. He just hopes he can put off making it a little longer.
Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.
Larin stands six-foot-two and has great pace and athleticism “but his best attribute are his feet,” said Bobby Smyrniotis, his youth coach at Sigma FC. “He has great skill for someone his size and he’s a very good finisher.”
As a freshman, the Brampton, Ont., native scored 14 goals and registered three assists in 23 games, making multiple websites' all-freshman teams as he helped the Huskies reach the quarterfinals of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
“Cyle is a fabulous player and a constant threat,” said Syracuse coach Ian McIntyre, who recruits heavily in Ontario. “He is a lovely young man as well as a dynamic player. He has the combination of power and pace that always makes life tough for defenders and he has added more goals to his game these past two years. We would have loved to have had him here.”
Larin's freshman showing caught the attention of the Canadian soccer federation and in May, less than a month after turning 19, he debuted for Canada in a friendly against Bulgaria.
“It was a really good experience, getting to play against top players, see how they play and watch how they play. It’s definitely the highest level I have played at but it showed me I can play at that level,” said Larin. “After that game, I thought this is what I want to do for a living.”
Between his scoring as a freshman and being one of the few full internationals playing college soccer, he’s been a marked man.
“I told him after last season how it was going to be, how teams would be keying on him,” said Connecticut coach Ray Reid, who guided the Huskies to the 2000 NCAA championship. “We have a lot of good players but (opposing teams) are very concerned with stopping Cyle.”
The Huskies were much more experienced last year, led by goalkeeper Andre Blake, who became the top pick in January’s MLS SuperDraft, and forward Mamadou Diouf, who was picked by Vancouver. This season opponents are clearly focusing on Larin.
Despite the attention, Larin has still managed nine goals and three assists in 15 games. Connecticut, however, got off to an uncharacteristically slow start, beginning the season with a 4-6-2 record before winning its past six games. As such, the team enters tonight’s American Athletic Association semifinal with South Florida in a must-win situation. The team's RPI – the computer-generated ranking system the NCAA heavily relies upon to determine tournament seedings and at-large bids—is in the low 50s and likely not good enough for an at-large bid.
A win tonight and the Huskies advance to the conference final Sunday with a shot to win the AAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. But a loss, either to South Florida or on Sunday, and the club's season is likely over.
And that would make it decision time for Larin.
“When the time comes I’ll make that decision,” said Larin. “But hopefully I’m not making it until December because we’re in the Final Four.”
While many observers expect him to turn pro, that’s no guarantee. MLS reportedly courted him for a Generation Adidas offer last year, though a source close to Larin says talks never got serious because Larin expressed an interest in staying in school.
“I really like it here at UConn—the team, the coaches, and the campus, it’s very nice,” said Larin. “We have great facilities and great fans.”
And his returning for another season would not be without precedent: Reid has had two players win the Hermann Award, given to the top player in college soccer, as juniors. Chris Gbandi won it in 2000 as did O’Brian White in 2007, and both returned for their senior years.
Such is Larin’s commitment to extending his college season that he turned down a call-up to the Canadian national team for its upcoming friendly with Panama.
“I was called in but this is an important time for our season so it was an easy call,” Larin said. “We’re just hitting our stride as a team and we want to get further than last year.”
Reid said turning down a chance for a full national team cap “shows what kind of person Cyle is, what kind of character he has. He’s very mature and always does the right thing. He’s a great player but a wonderful kid.”
Because of that combination of character and skill—OK, mostly it’s the skill—there’s no lack of interest in Larin from Major League Soccer. Several sources told American Soccer Now that expansion club New York City FC, which holds the second pick in January’s SuperDraft, is very high on Larin and that his hometown Toronto FC, which currently holds the sixth pick, has had talks with expansion Orlando City to move up to the top pick overall with an eye on using it to select Larin.
However, it may not matter. First of all, there’s no guarantee he leaves school. And if he does, “because he’s played for Canada already, he’s going to have interest from teams in Europe,” said the same MLS scout. “Even if he goes pro, the league may not be able to sign him.”
A referral from Canada’s current coach, Spaniard Benito Floro, who once coached Real Madrid, certainly will open some doors in Europe. “The fact that Benito Floro regards him highly also helps,” said Smyrniotis. “It’s one thing to be doing well in college but when you get a well-respected referral from someone like Floro it really helps.”
Larin, who trained with Belgian club Genk this summer, is coy about his preferences should he leave school. “Playing at home would be nice,” he said. “But everyone wants to play in Europe. Playing in MLS would be fine, but I might want to go somewhere new.”
Larin knows a decision is looming. He just hopes he can put off making it a little longer.
Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You can follow him on Twitter.
