Folks, I'm usually very...gentle when it comes to encouraging people to leave the national teams discussion for the national team forums, as YA focuses on club performances. The main reason is that--even when they're good natured--the NT topics tend to take over and obliterate YA club-specific discussions when they happen here, leaving no comfortable/predictable place for those club-specific discussions to live. Another reason we try to keep the NT stuff out is because people tend to transplant arguments and even conflicts that have developed in the USA Men forums here, which is particularly annoying to a lot of our YA posters. I find that annoyance entirely understandable. It completes me. It had me at "hello". Therefore: 1. Continued attempts to force feed YA threads with USA Men arguments may result in loss of access to a thread (or more). 2. Thanks for the reported post(s). They've been deleted.
interesting... he was the best player in the u17 cycle. immediately became the starting 9 in the u20 world cup as a 17 year old. etc. i didnt watch him as a 15 year old, so not sure if that is where the opinion originated. But imo, he's always been a standout among his peers for the last 2 years
I probably became aware of him no earlier than the Nike friendlies prior to the two World Cups. While I thought he was good, he certainly didn't stand out as the best in that group (at the time). That group had Carleton, Weah, Durkin, G. Acosta, Dest - who all looked just as good or better and , iirc, Akinola was actually the leading scorer. Josh had a tremendous U-20 World Cup, winning silver boot, but, again, wasn't the best on that squad. His U-17 WC was actually anti-climatic after his U-20 showing. Again, I've thought he looked better and better as I have continued to follow him. I think I was probably a little hesitant to board the train because of the over-the-top hyping US Soccer was engaging in. Seems they may have been right on this one.
sargent voted young player of the year dec 2017 https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...nt-young-male-player-of-the-year-josh-sargent he played 44 times, scoring 25 goals in u17. he at worst was considered the second best player of that team, with carleton. towards the end of that cycle, it was pretty clear who the better player was. imo. weah- wasnt even a regular starter, 14 app acosta- had moments, but never looked like the best player, 12 app durkin- 14 app. always solid akinola- solid scorer at this level, but was clear he has easy to see deficiencies, 12 app dest- came on late, and looked good in the WC saying a 17 year old, who just joined the team, wasn't the best on the squad of players over TWO years older than him seems harsh. he immediately became that teams best forward. I think there's a slight to sargent here. He has always been a clear standout. to say otherwise, is a little peculiar.
I think you deserve some credit for saying this. It seems like everyone is too afraid to be wrong. I actively spoke against Sargent at first but he did improve a lot after his first few games and kept improving. I also wasn’t especially impressed with Alex Mendez and I thought Christian Pulisic was too loose with the ball and not a good passer at first. Both of them also grew a ton, though Pulisic probably still has some of the same issues. We are projecting 15-17 year olds and everyone is going to be wrong sometimes.
I don't know why we are fighting, dude. I just mentioned it took me a while to see his potential -just like the SB author and some others who follow our YNTs. We can't all have the crystal clear vision you must have had on first seeing him play. The POY was after the two WCs and was well deserved. By then most had recognized his potential. As far as playing Weah and Dest, I can't speak to Tab's roster decisions. I agree on Akinola. You'll note I never implied he was as good or better than Sargent.
He doesn't have a long way to go. I can only think of Wynalda, Moore, Mathis, Casey and (now) Wood as Yanks who've scored some goals (for US strikers) in Germany. A few seasons of scoring and he'll be the highest scoring. A decade in Europe and he's highest scoring Yank ever on the continent.
Clint Dempsey has 72 goals in England (all comps, as per wikipedia). There are plenty of mid-level strikers in top divisions who can have a decade long career and not hit 72 goals. It's pretty optimistic, I think, to just assume 1) a decade long career for any player and 2) 72 goals even in a respectable decade long career.
Curly Doyle also said he doubted Sargent could succeed in Europe before he went there. He was looking at the wrong traits in Sargent's game. It'll happen a bit in a similar way to the criticism of Dempsey. Couldn't play football, all he did was score goals.
7 goals a year for 11 years. I think he could manage this. Heck, i'd wager he can hit 100 goals (provided he puts in a decade or more in Europe).
We do like they do with the European Golden Boot. 2 pts for a goal in a top 5 league. 1.5 for leagues beneath.
Could? Sure. He will still have to get better though. For context, counting loan spells and half-seasons as a half a season each, McBride averaged a little over 7 goals per season in Europe...but not for 10.
On the bench: 🔁 SUBS: Kapino, Pizarro, Möhwald, Langkamp, Sargent, J. Eggestein and Friedl.#werder #FCNSVW pic.twitter.com/bnEACleqE9— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) February 2, 2019
Just drew a foul in a dangerous position. He’s had a few rough first touches which have gotten away from him. Intense game. Nürnberg is applying a lot of pressure after going doen 0:1