YNT-eligible MLS players: 2019/2020 Offseason thread

I saw that tweet from Tenorio, and came here to post it. I'd rep your post for beating me to it, but I don't want to lend credence to the content of the tweet being good. Parks transferring from Benfica to NYCFC permanently is bad news, IMO.

 

I doubt he had many options in Europe. MLS seems like his level currently.

 

There are plenty of teams in Europe. I think it's a lot easier to advance in football when you are already playing in Europe. It didn't have to be at Benfica. I suspect his European career is now likely over. I doubt he ever goes back. Most of these players his age are still considered young, but European teams like Americans for cheap. They don't want to compete with MLS teams to pay them. They are punts to teams in Europe. If that punt is also expensive, thats why so few of them ever move to Europe anymore once they have more than a minimum-level MLS salary.

 

He could probably go to a lot of lower/mid level teams in pretty good leagues and get minutes. Benfica is above his level. He’s fine for now at NYCFC where he could get a pretty pivotal role for them before going back to Europe (Germany).

 

I like Parks, no reason not to like Parks, but he isn't so young. He's soon to be 23. He's 2-3 years older than Paxton Pomykal, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, etc. So he's a soon-to-be 23 year old that's at best played well in the Portuguese 2nd division.

The European market tends to move on to the next band of young guys. It wouldn't surprise me if the most lucrative deal that Parks had on the table was from NYCFC and MLS. It'll be interesting to see what kind of deal he's on.

Keaton Parks...………...another central midfielder from DFW. He played at the Liverpool academy. Just as an aside, that academy has apparently been taken over by Borussia Dortmund. Where Bayern goes, Dortmund is sure to follow.

 

I think it's probably the right move for Parks to stick with NYC. As I've said before, I thought he looked pretty decent with them last season, but not dominant in the way a guy would look when he's ready to go to a big Euro team. He can probably still improve a bit, since he doesn't have that many minutes at a first team level, but he's probably pretty close to his ceiling at this age and was unlikely to become good enough for Benfica or another team on that level.

So, I think it makes more sense to be a starter for one of the top tier MLS teams, improve your game a bit, and potentially work your way into being a Lletget-level USMNT player (a good backup or stopgap starters) than to go back to Benfica and potentially get stuck in the Akale zone or move to a 2nd- or 3rd-tier Euro team and decrease your chances of international call-ups.

I could write up pretty much the same rationale for Hyndman's permanent move to Atlanta.

 

i really like keatons game and it sucks knowing i will have to watch it on that abomination of a field half the time

 

I'm told the Columbus Crew have signed Indiana University freshman standout Aidan Morris to a homegrown player deal, continuing a busy offseason as they revamp their roster: https://t.co/MVdEZ5UPEZ

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) January 3, 2020

 

Unless the team adds another central midfielder he will have a chance to push for minutes.

 

One thing that I have noticed...(doesn't' mean I'm right of course).....

It seems that players in Europe tend to either advance in big jumps by skipping a level or two (thses tend to be primarily players with big reps which can be earned in various ways...usually by being a top young prospect and or by being a top scoring attacking player that kills it in a 2nd tier or at least not top 5 league)

Others seem to advance in single or even half steps from lower level team to higher level team in same league or from a lower 2nd tier league to a middle or higher 2nd tier league etc.

My point being that you may very well be right that the odds of a transfer might be better but I am not necessarily convinced that the path to a higher level is much, if any faster and there is even the possibility tthat it could be slower.

Bottom line is that if Parks is intent on playing at a high level in Europe, he needs to play very well....not just pretty good or "fit in" with NYFC (or a smaller club in Scandanavia/Europe if he had chosen that route).

 

When do most teams begin training? I’m assuming the CCL teams start soon.

Any predictions on which HG signings since Nov end up breaking through?

 

I think the point was that, Parks signing with NYCFC is a marker that he will never be anything much more than an MLS player. Some here had big dreams for him, he was mentioned with Adams and McKennie. The point was, that if that was important to him, he would have stayed in Europe.

Staying in Europe probably meant more hard work, competition and less money. MLS always overpays these players to come back and it has to be hard to resist.

In fact, shows it is still better to "fail" in Europe and come back to MLS financially than to sign an HG deal and play in the league from an early age. Compare what Hyndman and Parks will be making to a guy like Roldan.

 

Sounds like the Crew have another HG signing on its way. No speculation on who it might be.

 

I suspect its Chifamba or Sarver. I don't know how those guys aren't signed yet, unless they are set on Europe.

 

Keep in mind that last year Roldan was on ~$600k guaranteed and Hyndman was on ~$360k guaranteed. I don't know Hyndman's number on his new contract.

A major difference in MLS from 10 years ago and today is that MLS is paying these young kids a hell of a lot more money to stay. See Pomykal and Ferreira at FCD, who are on really good salaries.

With regards to Parks, we don't know what other clubs were interested. Its hard really to comment one way or another.

What we would say is that Parks is soon-to-be 23...............not an 18 year old prospect with upside. He is what he is.

 

Perhaps they were wrong about his potential. Perhaps they were right about his potential. Potential don't count for ^&%* and far too many people forget that.

Perhaps you are correct. I interpreted it differently. i interpreted it to mean that there would still be hope if he stayed in Europe because he would have a better chance of transferring up the ladder. My feeling is that he may have a smaller chance of a transfer but a better chance of a larger jump in level if he does transfer. He could find a Scandanavian team, for example and then transfer to lower to mid table B2 team, for example....unless he really lit it up.

 

I agree with all of that. It is easier to transfer when in Europe, no doubt. He could have probably been picked up somewhere. But, the money he was being offered from MLS was probably quite a bit more. I think I read $700K average. In Europe, he might have done better if he caught on somewhere then moved to England. But hard to turn down the guaranteed pay day now. Most haven't.

There is also the question of goals. Once a player decides that the Champions League might be beyond them, then why not come back? Certainly, Gregg's 2/3rds MLS rosters suggest you can get a World Cup spot.

 

If we're talking Parks, I think he has plenty of evidence that a) Benfica doesn't see him as a first team player and b) his play for Benfica B wasn't going to garner significant transfer interest unless he's really improved. By the end, he wasn't really playing anywhere in Portugal.

At NYCFC, even with a new coach, he knows he can win a spot. Playing in the US is probably more visible than not playing in Europe, no?

 

Some think it’s going to be Berhalter.

 

Sarver recently got committed to Indiana, would be strange if he signed with Crew but not impossible.

 

My guess is that if he had B1 level interest, than he would be paid significantly more in Europe. It is hard to argue that playing at B2/Championship or similar is a significantly higher standard (I would say it depends more on the team in the league than the league itself). The pay is probably also more competitive. I don't know what he would earn but Championship is probably out due to work permit rules and the other options are probably on par or lower than his NYFC salary. Also, NYFC, given its connection with ManCity probably has a relatively high profile as far as MLS teams go.

 

I'm told U.S. youth national team forward Cameron Dunbar is going to sign a homegrown player deal with the #LAGalaxy

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) January 7, 2020

 

Daryl Dike officially sings a GA deal with MLS. If he isn't looking at apartments in South Florida yet, he should start soon.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020...igns-generation-adidas-contract-eligible-2020

I think he's gonna be a good pro. Physically, we haven't had anyone quite like him in American soccer before, at least as an attacker. Still has a lot to learn and room for growth, but glad that's happening in the pros, now, and glad he's (likely) going to a club with a USL team.

 

Altidore, Sapong? Is he more athletic?

 

Obviously Jozy is the closest comparison and if Dike has half the career Jozy's had, we should all be thrilled.

But Dike is a lot bigger and, I think, he's faster. Jozy may be more skilled; time will tell on that but it's important to note that Dike isn't just a big body. He can run with the ball and is good in tight spaces, too. There's some skill there.

Jozy is listed at 6-1, 175. Dike is 6-2, 215. He's just so strong. The only American player who I think compares to Dike in terms of strength is Oguchi Onyewu.

I think his hold-up play is what is going to separate him. Because of his strength, he is obviously a good target. But once he gets the ball, he's able to distribute it very well and if he's on a team with a good 10 and/or wings who can score, he will rack up the assists. He will also draw a lot of fouls.

The biggest question with Dike is if his body will hold-up. His brother struggled with issues and so have/did Gooch and Jozy. Soccer is tough on players with that kind of a build. That said, Romelu Lukaku seems to be just fine in that regard and they are built very similarly.

The other big question, of course, is if he will choose to play for the US or Nigeria, presuming he is good enough for both. His brother, sister and cousin (Emmanuel Emenike) all played for Nigeria. But Emenike isn't American and his brother and sister were never really targets of the US so that was a factor in their choices.

I suspect if he goes to Miami, where Jason Kreis is on the technical staff, he'll at least get a shot at playing with the US U-23s.