Honestly, how strapped for resources do you think the USSF is? It's been a month and a half since the DA Select game rosters were chosen, and in all that time, Richie Williams apparently hasn't come up with a single new player worth a look. This is his full-time job, so what exactly has he been doing with his time? Was he re-watching that one game over and over again?
How many actual games have been played since then? Do you think the USSF gives him exclusive use of his private plane? Could one of those weekends been spent in Colorado, interviewing for a job? If he found a kid last weekend you think all the arrangements could be made my today (aren't these invites out weeks before)?
But they've played well during the DA season, and have both shown decently in the minutes they've gotten with Chivas reserves.
A great many. Do you realize how many matches were played at that DA showcase alone? Yet Williams only chose players from one single game. What's more relevant is that the USSF gives him access to lots and lots of video. Hell, UCLA discovered Chandler Hoffman by watching him on YouTube, and they weren't crying about a lack of resources.
Weren't all these players chosen because of their play, wouldn't you then think because of this play they would be invited to the next camp (this one)... Not to mention the fact that there has only been 1 full week of DA games since showcase...
This sounds like the same logic that gets applied over and over again, with the end product being that we call up the same guys over and over from the time they're first selected around age 14. As a new coach, Williams should be making a fresh assessment of our player pool and trying out different options. But nobody cares about our U18s, so he clearly can't be bothered.
What are you talking about? How aren't these fresh assessments? How many have been called in before? You said they were based on the select games, so clearly it was a fresh assessment from the beginning of this DA season...
The DA select game (note singular) was largely the usual suspects from the 95 age group. At the time its rosters were selected, this wasn't too surprising, since lots of players had barely even started their DA season. The one big change between Williams' roster and the lower age groups is the preference for MLS affiliates. As you probably saw, LatinLover questioned whether Kevin De La Torre was cut for leaving an MLS DA, and Williams cut all the non-DA kids from the pool. Politics, politics.
Pateadores http://ussda.demosphere.com/teams/37416866/37417319-37416959/39500249.html http://ussda.demosphere.com/teams/37416866/37417319-37416959/TEAM.html
Pateadores. Looks like they suspended him four games and won't let him play against Chivas USA. http://ussda.demosphere.com/teams/37416866/37417319-37416959/39500249.html Not sure how it would've been humanly possible to commute from his home address to Chivas practices.
Heard that. It's been a while for me since I drove from LA to Joshua Tree, but that's what, 100 miles or so from Carson to Winchester, right?
No green card. Has to get it, tack on another 5 years, then tack on a couple more. Best case scenario. Absolute best is 7 to 8 years. All he has to do is play for Uruguay once in an official youth comp and we can never have him. He isn't a citizen of the US now so he can never switch to us. He would be done. Uruguay is aware of him, and if he shows he has real positive attributes over these next few years he will more than likely be looked at...or wait at bare minimum, at absolute best 8 years to play for us. He would be 23/24 years old. Think about it. If Uruguay doesn't call him it's probably because he doesn't blossom. What kind ofplayer would he be for us then? Just look at it reasonably.
In particular.............I'd say his chances of playing for any USYNT are virtually zero. Maybe if we're REALLY lucky he'll manage to squeeeeeeeeeek in for an Olympic team. There was no chance he'd be on this U18 roster. None.
i would have to agree with this roster doesn't really look anything different than just the best 95's picked from that DA all star game. Got to believe these aren't the best the U.S. has to offer at this point. Again this could be just his camp targeting DA prospects. He could have another camp targeting kids in europe and one targeting kids playing in Mexico. I could be wrong.
Forget it people Fagundez is a smart kid. He WILL play for Uruguay bc he is that talented and it's a better team opportunity no doubt.
The best case scenario is that Fagundez gets his citizenship prior to the 2018 World Cup, which is what ought to be foremost in his ambitions. If he has his residency requirement completed by then, then everything else can be taken care of. Personally, I think playing for the US is a great opportunity. How many countries can say that they've advanced beyond the group stage in three of the last five World Cups?
Knowing what I do about the chip process now, not what they publish, personal experience through a close work associate and an adopted child, it says 6 would be best case, but that's not reality. Hey, I hope it happens, but I'm not a big fan of long shots and monster projections. 7 to 8 years is the much more realistic, real number.
If there's a World Cup on the horizon, then these delays get thrown out the window. Everything post-residency can be pushed through very quickly. Also, there is a real chance that he marries an American, which cuts two years from his required residence. In the world of national team development, what 16-year-old isn't a longshot? The route to a reward is still the same. Treat every situation as a winnable fight, and you'll win some of them.
I don't disagree with any of this......well some of it. You do what you can for all situations, but you sure as heck don't count on them either. If something works out down the road then it's gravy, but I need to concentrate on the meat and potatoes to give me my best chance. If some gravy comes in then enjoy. I also haven't seen anything post 9/11 that suggests the process get's sped up, or is out the window for anyone. Those days are long gone. It's made it longer and more scrutinized. If you are a politician who has the will to try and push a soccer player you better be ready for a ton of pushback. Marriage? He would be young. Fact is, it is possible, but it's a lot longer shot than quite a few players we have out there.
In the peak of the post-9/11 obstacles, Freddy Adu's citizenship came through in advance of u17 qualifiers. They're not going to sidestep the residency requirement, but the other red tape is easier.
Could be wrong, but didn't his family win a lottery? If I recall their chip had nothing to do with soccer or the regular process. Hell, I'm 99.9% certain it didn't. He was found by a coaches son playing pick up after school and he already was at the end of the process. That's why his easier. Soccer had nothing to do with it. Diego will have to go throught the regular process, which means he is a monstrous long shot. I'm sure one of the old timers will have the real answer, but Adu and DF's situation aren't similar in any way I believe. Again, really hope I'm wrong, but I don't believe I am.
OK, but wasn't he already here for 4 years when he started club all, then he played club ball for a year, then he went to Bton. Then he went through the chip process, which wasn't as backed up as it is now. He was miles ahead of where DF is now.
