CARSON, Calif. - Of the 12 teams in Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Galaxy were hit especially hard this summer by international absences.
Kevin Hartman, Tyrone Marshall, Chris Albright, Michael Umana, Guillermo Ramirez and Landon Donovan all missed some time with club while playing for their respective countries.
But there's another international player on the Galaxy roster though that many people might not have heard of - Quavas Kirk. Kirk was the Galaxy's third-round choice this past year in the MLS SuperDraft and at age 17, Kirk will represent the United States at the U-17 World Championships in Peru starting this weekend.
Kirk has been a standout with the U-17 national team, leading the team in scoring over the past two seasons. But he has been somewhat overshadowed by Nikolas Besagno, who was selected first overall in this year's draft by expansion Real Salt Lake. The two are the only players under MLS contracts on the U.S. team.
Besagno has also gotten a couple of tastes of the big time with Real, starting one game earlier this season. But the Galaxy decided to let Kirk remain in the residency program in Bradenton, Fla., for the year as the USA built up toward the world championship.
"He'll be here in January and be a part of the preseason all next year," said Doug Hamilton, Galaxy president and general manager. "I think we've taken the right approach by letting him finish his academic career and letting him concentrate on the U-17 tournament."
Standing at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, it's hard to believe at times that Kirk is only 17. His frame coupled with his raw talent has the Galaxy, and head coach Steve Sampson, very excited about Kirk's future.
"He's a great goal scorer. I think he has deceptive speed. Technically I think he's gifted. He's got the complete package," said Sampson. "He just lacks the experience at this level. We don't want to rush the situation."
When Kirk does finally land in Los Angeles, he'll have former U-17 hero and current national team star Landon Donovan to help guide him. When Donovan played in the U-17 tournament in New Zealand in 1999, he won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goal scorer, and has a simple bit of advice for his young teammate as he enters his own U-17 championship.
"Have fun. It's an incredible experience. It was one of the most fun times of my life and I would just enjoy it," Donovan said.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
