I think there's a difference between Dest and someone like Rossi, who was born and raised here and basically admitted that he felt American in every way except on the field. Also, I think, personally I'm more okay with mercenaries these days than I used to be, since all of the news and revelations from the past 10 years or so have really taken the shine off international football and de-romanticized it for me. (Not saying Dest is one, but speaking more generally now.)
It helps that the Olympics are earlier this year. However, it's definitely going to interfere with club's preseasons.
Alvarez - player from Mexican born parents who himself was born and raised in SoCa ... very clearly someone our program should be busting their butt to bring onboard .. the fact that we are not getting more players of Hispanic heritage into our system at a younger age and who stay there .. that IMO is a big USSF problem. Rossi - player from Italian born family who himself was raised in Joooosey and developed there ... very clearly someone our program should have tried to bring aboard .. he is the one I am actually most pissed off about .... a US soccer traitor in my view ... but water under the bridge .. Dest - player born and raised abroad who just happens to have dual citizenship but really is not American culturally - just saying ... yes we picked him up at the youth level - but compared to Rossi and Alvarez I don't see him the same way - I would like to see him with the US .. but that is just the mercenary side of me. I don't see why he would not go with Oranje. It makes perfect sense. I wish the best for him. The only guy that truly pissed me off was Rossi.
FWIW, N'lands going with Veltman at RB v. Belarus today. Suggest the RB slot is still a bit unsettled. (Veltman has been starting for Ajax at RCD inside of Dest and has only started a few of Oranje's games this year at RB - was an unused sub v NI.)
I do t think that it’s a problem. If a player and their parents choose Mexico, then so be it. I’d love for them to be here, but I’d hate to cap tie someone when it closes doors in their careers. Integrity should be a big component of US Soccer.
"Unsettled" as in "Koeman is not all that settled on Dumfries at RB" - despite him having the majority of the starts there for Koeman. Veltman was available v. NI - indeed was on the bench. I don't think this is just a rest for Dumfries, I think Koeman didn't love what he's seeing out of Dumfries. Koeman has used Dumfries (Bel [Tete subbed in due to injury] NI, GerX2, ), Veltman (Estonia, Bel). So 3 RBs n the Qualies. Not that it means a ton for Dest, as there's still a lot of bodies even behind those 3, but it's not like he has to hope to unseat van Dijk or something...
subotic probably used the ussf more as I don’t think he has a high level career without the youth national team exposure. Rossi never played once for us IIRC.....
It might seem "unsettled " for those not following the Orange team close, but the matter of fact is that Koeman started the last 6 matches with the same crew and this evening things changed because of Depay being injured, thus also throwing off balance the composition of the team as a whole. Otherwise it would be the same crew for the 7th time at the start. Changes only occurred in the matches itself the last 6 times. So if Koeman doubts about Dumfries it would have shown at the starting lists already. Nope, Dumfries is fine until Karsdorp is 120 minutes match fit and healthy. In the Dutch forum I listed a couple of competitors for the RB position. Dest is about 10cm/4inches+ smaller than the rest. That matters as we face the best teams on earth and their attackers are also 10cm+ bigger and so around 10-15 kg heavier. You will have problems trying to bodycheck Dumfries off the ball.
Height has its place, but is not everything for an outside back. I just took the list of the top 10 right backs ranked by FourFourTwo in 2018 and used Wikipedia to obtain their heights. I also included for fun Paolo Maldini, Carlos Alberto and Roberto Carlos. 10 Pereira 5'9" 9 Meunier 6'3" 8 Vrsaliko 5'11" 7 Lichsteiner 6'0" 6 Sidibe 6'0" 5 Walker 5'10" 4 Valencia 5'11" 3 Alves 5'8" 2 Carvajal 5'8" 1 Kimmich 5'9" Maldini 6'1" A. Carlos 6'2" C. Roberto 5'6" My take is that ability counts a lot more than height or weight at this position, especially if the player has attacking attributes. Go for tall, heavy bulk if you want a lumberjack on the flanks. Dest will be a player who excels with neither height nor weight. Maybe that will keep him out of the Dutch team. We fans of the USMNT can hope.
Uh, my dude, you're just wrong. I mean, I can tell the difference between Dumfries and Veltman, even at my advanced age...
Dest (5' 9") doesnot compete with those, but with the guys available to the Netherlands, who are among the tallest people in the world or according to some research the tallest on average on earth. But you're right, in the end results matter not your size.
He couldnot swap in Dumfries too as we had to bring in de Jong as an arial targetman and de Roon and Babel were more needed than replacing Veltman with Dumfries. So the 3 swaps were used.
Did you sleep through the Estonia game? Anyway, this started as a quip and is now as far from Dest as I still think Dest is far from the Dutch A team RB. But RB is a less settled position (in general) for the Dutch, than some others. But again, there are still a lot of bodies between Dest and starting RB, or even bench RB.
Even worse, the Young Orange team is scaring the fear of God into the rest of Europe's Young teams and in two weeks we will see how the U17 are going to perform against the other WC candidates. Koeman is going to get a headache about who to choose and who to scrap after december for the EC2020. Dest will have a good idea about the competition for a spot in the Orange selection after december. My guess is that Mazraoui will be completely fit again and then will be able to truly compete with Dest within Ajax and the Orange RB wannabees have shown their cards too in international confrontations.
The other question for Ajax is Schuurs. Does he get another chance soon. My guess is for Ajax Veltman stays inside and Dest at RB until there is a reason to make a change. Maz has an uphill battle at this point.
I wouldn't dismiss Dest's "cultural Americanness" the guy has said he's totally embracing it and feels like he's of both nations. I wouldn't be disgusted with Dest picking Netherlands like I was with Rossi. Dest was born and raised there. And, I can't imagine Dest sh*tting his pants and kissing his the badge on his jersey and running around like a dork if he scored against us, the way Rossi did.
Dest choosing Orange is a far easier pill to swallow than a player born and raised here that chooses another country like Mexico... Initially I was a bit miffed because the US gave him his Youth opportunity not the Dutch... but the more I hear his story the more I get it. I still have hopes for him to come to the USMNT in the end... because just like with Mexico... it will be difficult to break into their full squad compared to ours. Alvarez doesn't bother me all that much either because he has been playing for the Mexico Youth Teams.... but if someone like Uly, Ledezema, Mendez or Araujo switched at the last minute I would be super pissed because they were born and raised here AND served on our Youth Squads.
Agree with all of this, except I think the word "served" reverses the relationship. They didn't serve, they were given opportunities that could have been given to someone who wants to play for the U.S. I'm assuming all the guys you named want to play for the U.S.
That's on purpose. FIFA has set up the Olympics with mostly U23 players so that it never becomes competition for the World Cup. The Olympics is the only thing that has the potential to compete so that shot three of the tires.
Dest is being looked at as a LB for the USMNT. Why does everyone keep talking about “RB” when it will take a coaching change for him to even get a look at RB for the USMNT. Dest will play for the Oranje. He would be a moron not to.
Get rid of GGG bring in Tab for the remainder of the cycle. First order of business for Tab is to get on the phone with Dest and tell him "We are Getting the Band Back Together". Probably not going to happen...but one can dream.