USMNT Eligible Players in UEFA Champions League

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by Patrick167, Mar 30, 2018.

  1. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    hmmmmm, I should have read this before posting. Ok, I'm officially less sanguine than before I read that. Color me (red, white, &) blue.
     
  2. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    That is the impression I get for 2016-17. And the few there were injured quite a bit.
     
  3. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    If Frankfurt win the DFB Pokal, Chandler would be in the Europa League (if still with the team, hasn't played much). If they lose, Julian Green would have a chance to make it if he can catch on with his club, Stuttgart.
     
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  4. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Chandler was injured early in their W3-0 against Wood's Hamburg and has been out since.
     
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  5. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Roman Gall has an outside chance of being in the UCL if rumors turn true.

    UCL players per World Cup Finalist:

    France: 16 (I think everyone else on the 23 is in the Europa league and missed the UCL by one in the standings).

    Croatia: 12 (2 more could qualify)

    Current USA count: 2

    The following USA players would add to the count if they could start and their team qualified for the group stage: Hamid, Weah, CCV, Parks, Horvath. Probably not this year...
     
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  6. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    England: 15
    Belgium: 11 (1 more could qualify)
     
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  7. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Gall has been transfered to Malmo. Now, we just need him to get into the first team and for Malmo to make it through three more rounds of Qualifying...
     
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  8. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Malmo could beat CFR Cluj, but I doubt they will reach the Group Stage. The draw for Qualifying Round 3 is on Monday.
     
  9. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Yes, the competition gets much harder. They would basically have to beat the runners up in Holland, Belgium, Portugal, and teams like RB Salzburg, Fenerbace. Hamid's team has a slightly better chance, but I haven't seen anything where Hamid is going to win that job.

    But if Malmo could get by Cluj, and they probably are not favored, they might drop into the Europa League. We have two Americans qualified (Saief, Chandler) for the Europa League and maybe Miazga transfers in as that would be a good move up for him. Tyler Adams might transfer into the Europa League, but it sounds like it would be in the next window if Leipzig survives.
     
  10. smokarz

    smokarz Member+

    Aug 9, 2006
    Hartford, CT
    Can't wait to see McKennie and Pulisic in the CL.
     
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  11. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Champions don't face runners up in Champions League qualifying. All of Malmo's Champions League qualifying possible opponents are the champions at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018–19_UEFA_Champions_League#Second_qualifying_round and four champions starting later, Red Bull Salzburg, AEK Athens, PSV Eindhoven, and Young Boys.
     
  12. Mantis Toboggan M.D.

    Philadelphia Union
    United States
    Jul 8, 2017
    Weah seems to have a legit shot to stick at PSG this year, especially if they sell one or more of Mbappe/Cavani/di Maria/Draxler. He won't be a first team starter, but could get significant minutes off the bench.
     
  13. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    It doesn’t seem like Mbappé or Neymar are leaving. Why would Cavani leave? It would be nice if they sell di Maria or Draxler, but they aren’t selling both and maybe not even one. I think Nkunku’s minutes will come before Weah. They also have Guedes, so let’s hope he leaves again this season.

    I think going out on loan and playing every week is the better option.
     
  14. mattjo

    mattjo Member+

    Feb 3, 2001
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, two Yanks on the bench for two CL matches today: Hamid and Gall.
     
  15. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Current US-Eligible players on books of CL clubs:
    AJAX: Josh Pyandath (youth)
    AS ROMA: Ginnaro Nigro (youth)
    ATLETICO Madrid: Federico Oliva (youth)
    Bayern MUNICH: Timothy Tillman (loaned to Nurnburg), Chris Richards (loan from MLS), Justin Butler (youth), Malik Tillman (youth) Sebastian Burke (youth)
    Benfica: Keaton Parks
    Borussia Dortmund: Christian Pulisic, Jeremy Toljan (uninterested in USMNT but US-eligible),
    Legia Warsaw: Brian Iloski (transfer listed)
    Manchester City: EPB (on loan in netherlands)
    FC BARCELONA: konrad de la fuente (youth)
    FC MIDJYTLLAND: Bill Hamid, Jens Cajuste (youth)
    SCHALKE: Weston Mckennie, Haji Wright (youth), Nick Taitigue (youth), Zyen Jones (youth), Carl Hartmann (youth)
    Manchester United: Will Vint (youth), Matthew Olusunde (youth)
    PSG: Tim Weah
    MALMO: Romain Gall
    ClUB Brugge: Ethan Horvath
    Tottenham: CCV


    USMNT ELIGIBLE EUROPA LEAGUE:
    Chelsea: Matt Miazga (loan?), Kyle Scott (loaned to Telstar)
    EINTRACHT FRANKFURT - Timothy Chandler
    ANDERLECHT - Kenny Saief
    ARSENAL: Gedion Zelelam
    RENNES: Siebetacheu
    Villareal: Mukwelle Akale (youth), Jack Imperato (youth)
    Feyenoord: Jamie dunning (youth), levi skyum (youth)
    FC NORDSJAELLAND: Jonathon Amon

    Bolded players = players with a decent shot of playing in CL/EL

    Probably missing a few players but my count that's 36 us-eligible players on the books of CL/UEFA league clubs...not bad. Bet that # is a lot higher than most would guess!

    Unfortunately most are youth players, are on-loan or have only a slight chance of featuring for the their parent club.

    I realize the attrition rate from youth to first team is very, very high...but perhaps a few of the off-the-radar or youth players might breakthrough and play CL or Europa league this year....would be cool. At the very least there are a bunch of players on clubs in the competitions!

    BTW, this team would be fun to watch:

    ----------------------------Siebatcheau------------------

    Weah--------------------Saief-----------------------------------Pulisic

    ---------------------------PArks---------Mckennie-----------------

    Toljan-----------------Miazga-----------CCV----------------Chandler----

    ------------------------------Hamid/Horvath---------------------

    Bench: Amon, EPB, Gall, Tillman, Zelalem etc haha
     
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  16. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    what if we looked at which players have the best talent/drive potential for being a Big 4 UCL player in the 2020-2022 time frame? Unfortunately, it's still a pretty small list even thought we're really only looking at upside (clearly not many of players actually maximize their potential)
    • CP
    • WM
    • Weah
    • Siebatcheau
    • Brooks
    Maybe but ceiling is probably Big 4 UEFA
    • Yedlin
    • Chandler
    • Miazga
    • EPB
    • CCV
    • Sargent
    • Carelton (I don't see it but trust that others do)
    • Robinson
    • Adams
    • Jeremy Toljan
     
  17. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I think Yedlin, Chandler, Brooks, are probably past the point where they move to a perennial UCL team. But they could be in the Europa League any year with their current clubs. Toljan is at a club like that but it is probably over his head and he will drop back to a mid-table or lower club.

    Saief, Parks, Amon, could be in the UCL sooner than most on that list. Gio Reyna could be at Dortmund in two years. One of the dozen Bayern Munich prospects could be in the UCL in 2-4 years. Dest and Pyndeth could be in there with Ajax if they continue to play well.

    Heck, even Lederman, if he can catch on at Genk, could be in the UCL in that time frame.

    Ledezma, Soto, Mendes, Alvarez, Taitague, all these guys could do it. Possibilities are almost endless. Why I think it best to just watch who is actually in it now. But, at the moment, that isn't too fun.
     
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  18. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I know you have a different opinion but I’m focused on big 4 UCL teams as I believe that they’re the elite level that contending teams need to have many pool players at. Id probably add PSG and maybe one/two others but just making the UCL from a minor league isn’t the same thing as being a Big 4 contender IMO
     
  19. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    That is fair. But part of my thinking is that Benfica or Ajax are just as good places to spring board onto those teams as lower table teams in their own league. In style of play, and ability to "catch the eye", I also think playing for Anderlecht or RB Salzburg is a better place to post highlights than Hamburg or Sunderland or Bournemouth.

    Most of the Mexican UCL players are on Porto. While competing with France would be more to your point, competing in CONCACAF, currently, doesn't require a roster full of those players. Competing with France will actually need the next step, having players on the 8 dominant teams that tend to be 3-4 of the UCL Semi-Finalists every year.

    But almost all the leagues are becoming one dominant team and then 7-10 that can finish in a UCL spot with maybe 1-2 favorites to do so. So, anyone in a Top 4 league at a halfway decent club could sneak in the UCL one year. There really aren't 16 teams, 4 in each league, you can point to as definitive UCL teams.

    The next tier of clubs in the top 4 leagues, like Everton, Bayer Leverkusen, Valencia, Roma are harder to quantify and have very few Americans under 25 (those four have none, right? One out on loan). If your point is we need players to get to that level in quantity first, that is probably true. But I'm not sure if a player playing well at these super teams in second tier leagues needs to stop there to get to a top team. But I also don't think those teams wouldn't be exactly the teams scouting those teams for players.

    We are lucky we have had two players rise from Academy to first team at UCL teams. That is almost never done!
     
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  20. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I’d like to see what the consensus is for our players top-end abilities. How many players have world-class potential (which I’m defining as big 4 UCL starter)?
     
  21. manfromgallifrey91

    Swansea City
    United States
    Jul 24, 2015
    Wyoming, USA
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Potential is hard to tap into because players will change so much between 16 and 21. I would say proven players, Pulisic alone. Then we will see over the next 2 years where our young players land and develop.
     
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  22. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Proven makes sense but our list is so small, it’s not fun. Who has raw material and desire? It’s like the NBA/NFL draft!
     
  23. Cubanlix63

    Cubanlix63 Member+

    AFC Ajax
    Feb 19, 2014
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    So it is Christian Pulisic(Dortmund), Weston McKinnie(Schalke), Keaton Parks(Benfica), Timothy Weah(PSG), Ethan Horvath(Brugge) am I missing anyone? And by anyone I mean some one with at least a chance of making a CL appearance this season.
     
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  24. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Those five could be on the UCL rosters, but I only see two as really being players. It is possible that if PSG has the group clinched, Weah could start the last group game.

    Mexico has 3, as Jimenez transferred out of it. Costa Rica has one. Panama has zero. Canada has 1. Honduras has zero.

    FWIW, we only have three players in the Europa League. Honduras has 1. Mexico 3. Costa Rica 3, Panama 2, Canada 3.

    Although, I don't know those teams well enough to know if the players listed as on the squad actually play. In other words, it is hard to tell if they play more than Weah would, who we are not really counting yet for the USA. Canada has several 18 yr olds in their recent squad at UCL teams, but I have to assume they are only in youth teams. If we counted our players at youth teams we would get how many in the UCL? 15?
     
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  25. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
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