Five FC Dallas academy products, including four Homegrown signings, will join FC Bayern Munich U19s and U23s for a two-week training stint starting next week, the club announced Monday.
FC Dallas first-team players Edwin Cerrillo, Ricardo Pepi, Bryan Reynolds and Thomas Roberts will be joined by North Texas SC standout David Rodriguez in Germany.
"We think it's just fabulous for them, putting them in a different environment," Dan Hunt told MLSsoccer.com. "It's a great opportunity for these kids."
Cerrillo, 19, made 11 starts for FCD in his first professional season and was named to the United States roster for the U-20 World Cup. Pepi, a 16-year-old forward who started the season with North Texas before signing a Homegrown deal during the season. He made seven appearances off the bench in MLS and represented the US at the U-17 World Cup.
Reynolds and Roberts, both 18, made their MLS debuts this season. Roberts made three starts while Reynolds made 10 appearances.
A year and a half ago, Dallas and Bayern entered a player development partnership, one that would create extra pathways between professional soccer in Germany and America. On top of the player pathway, the clubs have shared ideas, philosophies and scouting.
"We're also talking about partnership ideas, as we want to continue to develop more players and they want to grow their brand here in the United States," Hunt said. "There's a lot of things in play, it's frankly as good as it's ever been."
