NYRB II signs first player: Tyler Adams

New York Red Bulls II, RBNY's hypothetical USL "team" has signed a player! And a good one, too.

Tyler Adams turned 16 in February (Happy belated etc. etc.) and just got back from helping the US U-17 team qualify for FIFA's U-17 World Cup (in Chile, running from October 17 to November 8). Per the club's release, he has signed a USL contract: so he's turned pro.

Big congrats to @JGSportsLtd client @tyler_adams14 on signing with @NYRBII #NYRBII #RBNY pic.twitter.com/KubJLJ8pUR

— Lyle Yorks (@Lyle_Yorks) March 19, 2015

RBNY has announced that Adams, who joined the club's Regional Development School program at age 10, is the first player to progress from child to professional entirely within its US development structure: RDS, academy, pro team. (Incidentally, the RDS U-11s won NYCFC's inaugural Coliseum Cup last weekend and will parade the trophy on the blue team's pitch in May.)

Youth soccer watchers rate Adams highly: Top Drawer Soccer gives him a five star rating and the IMG Academy has him ranked third overall and second by position for his age group.

And YOU, lucky RBNY fans, get to watch him fulfill his potential in the red and white of NYRB II. Possibly alone. The USL team's season kicks off on March 28 at Red Bull Arena, against the Rochester Rhinos. That is to say, RBNY II (do we need to stick with the unloved NYRB acronym?) has nine days to find some teammates for Tyler.

RBNY II head coach John Wolyniec reportedly expects Adams to join his team's "training camp", which sounds like a fancy way of saying there will be at least one practice session before Rochester turns up looking for a game in Harrison.

Nonetheless, signing a top-rated youth prospect to the USL team is exactly what we've been hoping RBNY would do - and there are few better prospects out there than Adams.

Welcome, Tyler. We sincerely hope you have some teammates soon, and look forward to watching you play.