He specifically stated in the interview, those camps put him on the radar. The fact that two other constantly observed FCD midfielders were regular Ramos' guys definitely didn't hurt his selection either. “Honestly, I got called into two camps about two years ago, so I [have] always been under the radar, you can say,” Cerrillo said. To be fair, he may have been playing a different position at those camps.
It's not too troubling to the rest of us, but trying to slip a camp appearance past Dave is normally like trying to slip the sun past a rooster.
You are looking at it from the point of view of stacking up against his fellow peers. There is no gauge how a player will do against top foreign players until the tournament or a friendly prior to the tournament.
A rooster, however, you can depend on. After all, they're compensated, even if it's only chicken feed.
Would you mind clarifying what your point is? I feel like I'm not getting it, which is something anyone who's had a conversation with me can confirm happens all the time. If you're saying it's not noteworthy to you that Cerrillo made the Finals roster without a single U20 callup all cycle because he'd already been scouted previously at some level, you are certainly entitled to that opinion. Ramos seems to think he chose him because of his play this season in Dallas. https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...discusses-his-u-20-world-cup-roster-sele.html
That may have been the case 30-40 years ago when the soccer world was not so globalized. Nowadays these top kids are weaned in the international environment from a tender age. Isn't that why they play friendlies and international youth tournaments? Not to mention the coaching staff who've presumably watched enough high level international youth soccer (to say nothing of scouting) to evaluate their player's ability to perform at the highest level. Then again, sometimes the other guys are just better.
The point was that experienced ideas are all good but the tournament shows truth. There is literally no way to find out who can compete except to compete.
Perhaps our points are similar. I'm stating that Ramos, Hackworth, Van Den Bergh, and other staff members knew about Cerrillo long before he signed with FC Dallas. To me, the more "historically unusual"/"noteworthy" side to all of it is that Cerrillo was playing a completely different position prior to the beginning of the 2017-2018 academy season. Kuddos to whoever moved him to a #6 role.
Fair enough; however, I can't doubt what Cerrillo stated on that interview either. That said, the federation is known for not announcing all camps/trips. Didn't they just do that with the U16s on their most recent trip to Europe a few weeks back?
What are they doing during the years and matches that lead up to a big tournament IF not competing? It's a bigger stage but the field and the rules are the same. It doesn't take that stage to recognize who can "compete". That quality is easy enough to spot if you know what to look for.
Question for the experts here, and apologies if I missed it previously in this thread or others, but was Nick Taitague considered for this team and/or used at all this cycle? What position(s) does he primarily play (i.e. who was he in competition with this cycle), and what do folks think of his talent and potential? I haven't heard much about him recently and have had trouble finding articles or posts on BigSoccer.
He played at one camp this cycle. He would've been on the team had he been fit. Ramos is a big fan of Taitague. He wasn't fit enough to play in this tournament after being shut down by Schalke a few months ago due to back and hamstring injuries. He primarily plays in either winger spot, but has in the past been used as a #10. I think he could've helped, if fit. I don't think that he'd definitely be better than the winger options that have been playing, but he might've been.
Thanks, @ussoccer97531 - this is good insight! If Taitague had been fit, whose spot on the roster do you think he would have taken? And how high are you and others on his long-term potential and prospects for the senior national team? It seems like 2019/20 will be a critical season for him to get his club career going.
I know you didn't ask me but for me, he would have originally taken Rennicks' spot. Tab probably thinks different. And, I used to be very high on Taitague's prospects but he literally cannot stay healthy for a month. I pretty much have no expectations due to his injury history which really sucks for the kid.
I think if he was healthy he would’ve taken Llanez spot or Akinola’s spot (the spot that Araujo filled). If I was picking the roster and he was healthy this season, he might’ve occupied the last spot or two on the roster. I can’t say for sure he’d be on the team, but he’d be in contention to make it. I’m not all too high on his potential. I’m not penciling him into being a senior NT player, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he was. He has talent, but has struggled a lot with injuries. He also struggled to produce end product at the youth levels for Schalke, so he wasn’t a definite star had he not sustained these injuries.
Healthy Taitague could be in the first 3 players selected with Richards and Weah, the rest of the team might have been built around them. Unfortunately inability to stay healthy for a month, as ShaftBrewer pointed, isn't exaggeration at all.
I know what he's doing right now instead of playing at the U20 World Cup. On vacation with Pulisic!!! Taitague is one of these kids that always looks good when he's match fit and healthy. He's just had so many injury problems. Not catastrophic injuries (of say the Marc Pelosi, Will Packwood variety), but still serious injuries. He just can't seem to gain momentum. 1134545431348809730 is not a valid tweet id
Who do we think from this tournament has earned their first USMNT call-ups? Mine: Pomykal, Richards, Soto, Gloster Which Americans should earn consideration for Tournament 11? Pomykal Soto Richards Weah Gloster Dest