It's light on true cb's, but there are 4 players with recent experience there and can double sufficiently. Plenty of versatility in that back line. Gray can also play a destroyer. We frequently see the more gifted dm's or fb's switch over and play cb's at this level. CB is a later-developing position on average. Quickness and skill comes before size and awareness usually. And to wit smaller, non-traditional cb options don't have serious trouble matching up. I do think one less fb should have been taken. 7 backs could have covered the 4 spots. Pynadath would be very useful as a creative wide option. That regional tourney squad was lacking in the area. Busio should be in cm.
Verbatim quote from Wicky's conference call yesterday when he was asked whether the inclusion of Dietz means he wants to play with a double pivot in the midfield: “Maxi I think is a player who deserves to be in the roster because he has, I think, very interesting potential going forward. So do others, but in the midfield, he’s an additional player who can help us in the possession side but he’s very, very smart in his positioning defensively. On top of that, I only took three central defenders for this tournament, knowing that, let’s say, at one moment we may want to play out with a back three. Maxi Dietz is for sure a player who can fulfill this role because he is, like I said, very intelligent on the field. In regards to the system...if we have two No. 6s in front of the defense or only one, I’m not so fixed on system, I more want to have an animation and shape in possession, and a different shape probably when we don’t have the ball. Then again, it depends in which zone, in which third of the field you are. If you are very deep in the field, yes, probably we will have a double pivot. But if we go very high to press, then we probably won’t have a double pivot, because one of those guys will have to release and go higher up. So I’m not so focused on the system, more on organization and shape. But Maxi is next to Saldana. Leyva I consider him as well a central midfielder who is a box to box. Busio can play there but I want him a little bit higher up. So there are interesting players in these positions. Bryang Kayo is still there, who is a box to box. So there are a lot of talented players in that area of the field, which is good to have this competition, and different solutions for me as a coach.”
I watched some of the Denmark-US game at the Four Nations tournament, by the way. And Dietz struck me as competent and safe on the ball for the most part, not as ambitious on the half-turn as Leyva but certainly capable working in the middle of the field. He was, however, directly responsible for two of Denmark's goals in a 4-1 loss. He scored an own goal and conceded a penalty. Edit: I'll add that even though Wicky said Dietz has "very interesting potential going forward" I'm not sure if that means attacking ability, and I didn't see that in the footage I watched. He seemed competent, but not attack-minded, as a midfielder.
It would be nice if we kept bullshit posts like this to the News and Analysis forum. You're a little late to the party, but who else has made an appearance for the first team of a Champion's League semifinalist and not made it onto a US U17 roster? If you have something to add to the conversation, go for it.
Here's some video of the unknown member of the U-17 WC team. Dietz looks like a big holding mid who can win some defensive duels, combine at an adequate level and cover adequately for the back line. I'd usually say that lets see how he does against better competition, but beating out Saldana for a spot in this midfield isn't a difficult task. Give him the starting position, and see how he does. 1182772672519987201 is not a valid tweet id
Regardless of Pynadath’s quality, but playing in a midweek friendly when the squad is away on international break does not constitute as a 1st team appearance.
Can Kayo play there? This Dietz kid seems very clumsy. He wins those duels and losing the ball with bad passing after that.
Without taking much from this fact alone, I think it's impressive for a U17 to play with Ajax's first team no matter the circumstances. Ditto playing games with Jong Ajax that actually matter.
i think pynadath probably has top league ability to take people on 1v1 and ajax is hoping the rest of it catches up. he’s clearly one of the best on the field in that capacity, but the game is much bigger than that with the added caveat that he doesn’t seem to have much final product. hope like hell it all develops but he is limited in a way that you can understand why he wouldn’t be a great fit at a world cup
In the last week I heard that Pynadath: 1. Slow 2. Weak 3. Limited 4. Can't shoot 5. Can't pass 6. Has no final product That Euro Ajax club does suck. I'm happy that our U-17 team doesn't need players like him. As Arena said "If we have 23 guys better than Donovan we sure will win WC". Now I feel good about us winning U-17 WC.
I think Kayo is a bit underrated here. He was good in the USL games he played in this summer. I do think that he is a very "downhill" player, as a couple have described him here, but he is really smooth on the ball and never seems out of control with his play.
I think some of the criticism of Pynadath is tied to the hyperbolic support of him. I mean, someone said his being left off the U17 team was the biggest snub is USYNT history ... which, I mean, I don't even know how you measure that. He has talent, but people are also taking this call-up to the Ajax first team a little more seriously than it likely means. Ajax obviously sees something in Pynadath, but a call-up to a friendly in an international break is not the same as a call-up in a meaningful game or even regular training with the first team. He's young, so he may become a very good player. But post-call-up, people are acting like he's suddenly a can't miss superstar prospect. A lot of the criticism is valid, if you've seen him, but it's also probably presented in a manner that is also more certain, simply in reaction to the hype.
All of the support that I have seen for Pynadath has been pretty tempered, and I don't think anyone has said anything about Pynadath being a can't miss prospect. That doesn't mean we can't have a fun conversation about whether a player with his status has ever been left off a U17 national team roster.
Wicky said that Leyva and Kayo are both box to box mids, so I think they’re competing for a place in the lineup, while the same is said for Dietz and Saldana.
He didn't come across as very clumsy to me. I'd say maybe he isn't great in the air though. One thing that's lost in the video is he seems to always know where to be. But I was probably influenced into seeing that by Wicky having complimented his defensive positioning.
He isn't on Ajax first team, but neither is Mendez who starts for U-23 NT. They are on the same team and it doesn't seem that Mendez gets more playing time. And negative shit about Pynadath started way before he played for the first team and all the overreaction.We don't have can't miss superstar prospects period. The only one we ever had was Donovan and despite all my love to him he missed superstar level as well.