Earning his stripes: Timothy Weah at Juventus

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad' started by Dave Marino-Nachison, Aug 8, 2014.

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What should we name the thread?

Poll closed Jul 6, 2019.
  1. Where there’s a Lille, there’s a Weah! Tim at LOSC

    71 vote(s)
    56.8%
  2. Say hello to my Lille friend! Tim Weah at LOSC

    54 vote(s)
    43.2%
  1. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i think he could do well in france but it could be hit or miss and there havent been many yank successes there lately - look at weah at psg and miazga at nantes...idk...[/QUOTE]
    Slow down and read your posts. They make no sense unless youve been hitting the bong.[/QUOTE]
    well then pack it up and leter rip
     
  2. The Irish Rover

    The Irish Rover Member+

    Aug 1, 2010
    Dublin
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    #3002 The Irish Rover, May 15, 2019
    Last edited: May 15, 2019
    How? Seriously. His non-American father was a Ballon d'Or winner and he's been in France at the PSG youth system since he was 13/14. As a footballer, he's got "Produit de France" stamped on him. Pulisic is very similar, and McKennie is "manufactured in the USA, detailing in Germany."

    Adams is/could be the real trailblazer. He moved to Leipzig as a finished product (does anyone doubt there'd have been a serious transfer fee if he'd moved to, say, Bremen instead of Leipzig?) and got starts within three weeks of signing.
     
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  3. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Well put. Adams is the first elite player that MLS deserves full credit for developing. Hopefully, he is the first of many.
     
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  4. bshredder

    bshredder BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 23, 1999
    Club:
    Millwall FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am not sure how McKennie got brushed over in the posts above. 8 years at the FC Dallas academy throughout all of his most formative years was absolutely critical.

    We will see about Alphonso Davies. He's not there yet but could get there. He was with the Caps academy since he was 13. Still, he was playing for Bayern within weeks of arriving in Germany. That is nothing to sneeze at .
     
  5. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    #3005 DHC1, May 15, 2019
    Last edited: May 15, 2019
    I think that McKennie was more of high potential raw material that needed additional polishing at the U17s for a year (even though he was very quickly named captain for that team) while Adams simply stepped into the first team of a Big 4 UCL team.

    That's not to discredit what FCD has done - they've got a fine program that churns out talent.

    I haven't been following Davies but I see that he is a squad player for Bayern like Sargent and Weah for their teams. I think that he's another one that MLS gets credit for, assuming he stays with the first team or get loaned and gets time at another Big 4 team!

    Almiron was able to step into Newcastle but I don't think Atlanta United deserves full credit for his development (not zero either).
     
  6. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    Not sneezing, but ...

    "Weston McKennie grew up in Texas but spent 3 years in Kaiserslautern, Germany between the ages of 6 and 9 and started playing soccer for the local club FC Phönix Otterbach in 2004 before moving back to the United States."
     
  7. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    I'd hold a verdict on the success of Wes and Ty until they have a solid second season. Got burned too many times with Yanks who looked good the first season, and inexplicably got 'disappeared' for the second.
     
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  8. bshredder

    bshredder BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 23, 1999
    Club:
    Millwall FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am well aware of this (I have even spoke with Weston about it) but I don't think what a player does from 6-9 is comparable to what he does from 9-18.
     
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  9. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    Not comparable, perhaps, but significant. Those early years are important years.

    "Pulisic lived in England for a year at the age of seven, playing for the youth team of Brackley Town."

    One year only, and at the tender age of seven, but still a significant part of his trajectory.
     
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  10. kruck

    kruck Member+

    Jan 12, 2008
    Houston, TX
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    I agree that even the very young ages are still very important but that still leaves ages 1 - 6 and 8 - 17 in the USA right? So, you can put whatever stock you want into that those 12 months in England but obviously the vast majority of his youth was spent in the United States. That is where I think the lions share of the credit for his development has to go.

    Same with McKennie. Ages 1 - 6 and 10 - 18 in the United States. The vast majority of his youth development occurred in the United States.
     
  11. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I already knew this thread was going to be the dumbest one on YA this summer, and boy, are we off to a rip-roaring start.
     
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  12. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I guess the point I was trying to make is that MLS is just starting to develop players who can instantly drop into the best teams in the world.

    Adams and Davies are the first soup to nuts candidates that were fully developed by MLS while Almiron came later and Weston was developed earlier.

    It would be great for both MLS and the USMNT if there were a lot of Adams/Davies as well as Almirons and Westons/Pulisics, etc. Getting caught up in allocating who gets what percentage is besides the point.

    In other words,

     
  13. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    One man's dumbest in another man's most ignorant.

    ++++++++++++++++++++

    "A lot of people don't realise but it really brought on my passion for the game," he said.

    Pulisic added: "After school every day, I was just out for hours in the park, playing with my schoolmates.

    "That's really where my love for the game started to come alive and that was a big part of my development.

    "There were so many players that just showed so much skill and confidence in their games. I just loved the English style.

    "I thought [before] it was just for fun. I just started to love it so much and I said: 'Wow. I'm pretty good! I think I can do something with this game'."

    ++++++++++++++++++++

    A lot of factors came together for Pulisic. If I had to rank them, I would start with having a soccer coach for a father, a father who could conceptualize his son's development. I would certainly not dismiss a year spent free-wheeling in England when he might have been dribbling through cones back in the States.
     
  14. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    #3014 freisland, May 16, 2019
    Last edited: May 16, 2019
    Weah hopes PSG will say "Ouais..."



    also, has Lester been mentioned yet?

    1129047987974475778 is not a valid tweet id
     
  15. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hope Strasbourg throws their hat into the ring. They wanted him on a loan, we'll see if they really want him when he's available to buy.
     
  16. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof
    A smart person might have.
     
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  17. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    Wait. I thought it was you!
     
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  18. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof
    Oh. Yeah. Dammit.

    Anyway - Easy link because of Rodgers - Wouldn't be first choice as a forward. Not sure about the wing either.
     
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  19. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    New chapter: Weahing my options.

    Having options is good, even if there's no guarantee that the right choice is made. I feel relatively confident that Weah will seek out and get good advice, not just from his father and agent but from multiple sources, and that he will make a thoughtful decision that places this next step in the context of a long and successful career.
     
  20. Allende72

    Allende72 Member

    Philadelphia Union
    United States
    Nov 17, 2008
    Wilmington, NC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'd still give a fledgling MLS credit for "developing" this old leftback who I was surprised to see still playing last Wednesday night for Houston. Thought he was a "trailblazer" at the time, 1999, when he joined Chicago Fire at age 17 . . . then transferred to PSV for 2 million euros in 2004. I remember enjoying his many Champions League appearances all the way to the Semis against eventual runner-up Milan in spring 2005. I'd be interested in the influence he might have had on the Mckinnies and Adams, if any. Also, I'll link this Yanks-Abroad article for the fun of it--

    https://web.archive.org/web/2005040...oad.com/content.php?mode=reports&match=000625
     
  21. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
  22. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I love Beasley. To this day, whenever a USMNT game is on, the only question my wife will ask from the other room is “is jitterbug playing?”

    I know that MLS backers are sensitive to any perceived slight but the point I was making is that Adams is the first soup to nuts player where’s there no question that he was developed as a youth by an MLS team and then was able to directly step from MLS into a starting spot for a big 4 UCL team. That huge and hopefully the start of a huge wave of players.

    Who’s next?
     
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  23. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Paxton.

    Maybe at least.
     
  24. Sufjan Guzan

    Sufjan Guzan Member+

    Feb 13, 2016
    I agree with you.

    But there is an argument especially with Pulisic/McKennie/Sargent(let's throw Richards and Davies in there too) spending a good amount of time over here that part of the problem is the perception on the clubs. Red Bull views their entire football operation holistically. They are operating under the idea that developing in Austria, Germany, America, etc is the same club playing the same football. That idea is probably a bigger part of the equation than being solely developed in the USA.

    I think the problem is solving itself.
     
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  25. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    Hard to imagine with so many failed states in the region.
     

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