Villafana had the same issue last season. Regardless, I don't see him as the type of player that will perform well against the best wingers in the world, just my opinion. He's fine for CONCACAF. And while I don't disagree about Chandler's performances so far for the NT, we currently have a pretty limited talent pool. I'm not willing to write off one of our best club performers so easily. His punishment is that he's behind Yedlin on the depth chart, but if we lose with Chandler playing badly, I know its not because we had an inferior talent getting outplayed. I'd prefer to lose with talent on the field than with bad players who are physically incapable of playing to a high level, even if they show okay against lower level teams. I'll take Chandler over Zusi, Evans every time.
Villafana started up until the last game the previous season. If he doesn't end up starting this season, even after he's re-acclimated, then he should just transfer ahead of the World Cup. Most teams in the league would employ him as their starting LB. He just wasn't Chepo's guy. He was acquired under the previous manager. You said club manager's opinions shouldn't matter that much. As far as his projectibility against the top teams/in big games, so far he's done disproportionately well in them in CONCACAF, MLS, and LigaMX. He's earned the benefit of the doubt. That's what Chandler has earned the opposite of. He's earned purely doubt. If his punishment is only to employ him as the backup to Yedlin, that means he's the starter when DeAndre isn't available, which has been pretty often the last couple of years. Chandler hasn't earned near that level of trust. You're asking to be failed yet again. Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. To rationally expect different results, he should have to provide them in much less important situations, like friendlies and b-team comps, first. I'm not sure he can provide that before the WC. I have a hunch Bruce agrees too from his roster tendencies and public comments about chemistry + commitment. But it's a false dilemma between him and Zusi, Evans, etc.; of course. Lichaj was a club player of the year at a decent level, and provided a mixed bag in limited opportunities. He's up next to prove he can be trustworthy. Morrow is in there. I thought he deserved a similar evaluation after the GC. Johnson hypothetically could play rb, with Villafana on the left. Cameron is the fallback. We have a lot of versatile guys in midfield who can double as rb's. These alternatives are not bereft of talent. We don't need a true rb backup, let alone to allow Chandler to be a roster albatross.
I can see us going with just 3 true FBs in Russia, especially if Lichaj (who can play either side) wins Bruce's trust. Yedlin/Villafana/Lichaj as dedicated FBs then Johnson, Cameron, Besler, Acosta (in an emergency, but he played well at LB against Real Madrid), and potentially Saief on the roster at other positions.
You might be right be it's somewhat too soon to come up with that conclusion, IMO. It'd be a shame for a new coach to not try to get the most out of the most talented players in the pool... and Chandler, technically speaking, is in that category. If I were Arena, I'd have a heart to heart with Chandler, gauge where that goes, and let him know he needs to start proving trust now not May-June 2017 to make the WC roster.
IMO, Lichaj should be the backup in the upcoming WC qualifiers, although you figure it'll be Zusi because Bruce is being hard-headed and Graham has significant recent experience, even though he proved to be insufficient in those matches. That bumps Lichaj and Chandler down to subsequent friendly trial candidates. I think Lichaj deserves to be priority because he doesn't have the extended track record of sucking for the U.S. If he gets a few more appearances and fails, then you can maybe move on to trying Chandler again I suppose. But what's the date by then? And what about players who can be part of January camp, unlike Chandler, giving them a leg up integration-wise under this manager? What if 1 or more of Morrow, Lima, Hollingshead, Polster, Adams, (Rosenberry), etc.; perform well (Bruce likes Hollingshead, as he tried to trade for him a while back)? Then he'll be behind them on the depth chart as well, and fighting with them for even the opportunities for trials. Things may be hard for him, regardless how he's playing in the BL. And he could improve defensively, where the U.S. will need him more, instead of for offense.
Soon after he was re-hired for the gig, Bruce went to Germany to have the heart-to-heart discussions you're describing................................ https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/20...ermany-pulisic-brooks-johnson-coaching-staff# I don't know what this has to do with breakout youngsters, but I don't reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally see any fullback breakouts for U20s this season. Olosunde's at the wrong club, and I just feel like we have a couple of kids that are maybe more than a year away (Fossey being an example of that.) Maybe Robinson at Bolton, but I don't know what his role there is going to be yet. In MLS it seems that Marco Farfan was on the verge of breakout, and performed well when filling in for injured/suspended players, but really hasn't gotten enough chances this season to do so. Maybe next year for him as well. And of course Reggie Cannon has done well in his limited opportunities with FCD, and I'm high on him. It just seems like we'll also have to wait another year for him.
Ah..........................I remember some sort of relative of his coming onto the youth boards and mentioning that he's capable of playing CB as well. I don't think I even listed Robinson in my list of potential breakouts earlier in this thread. He was seemingly out injured for quite a while, and we didn't really hear anything about him. Despite a lack of any depth whatsoever at LB with the U20 team, he wasn't really given an opportunity to make that squad (maybe due to those injuries). Hopefully we look back at that U20WC roster in 5-6 years and say, how is it possible that Farfan and Robinson didn't make that squad!!!?
Clint, I think you're remembering Fossey. His Uncle posts all the time but I don't remember any relative of Robinson's.
Jonathan Gonzalez is surprisingly emerging before the likes of Wright, EPB, Perez, Carleton, etc. I don't know if it's because he's better, rather his manager has given him the opportunity unlike the others. His work-rate/versatility helps, as most coaches would develop an affinity on that basis. But EPB possesses these attributes, which makes the decision to marginalize him probably more inexcusable (I think they're all varying degrees of this) than all the others. That, and the amount of time he's been in the picture at SKC. Now back to Gonzalez. I think fans can start to get a little excited here. I've watched him a couple times now, and he plays a very mature game (for 18) tactically, technically, physically, and confidence-wise. He plays with no fear out there. It's evocative of the likes of Stuart Holden, and I'll say Pulisic, in the sense of relative to (a lesser) league and the aforementioned attributes. To clarify, I don't expect him to be the next Pulisic in terms of impact or even caliber relative to a less valued position financially. But a lot of the same things that helped Pulisic continue to overcome challenges at BVB should help Gonzalez do the same with Monterrey. Monterrey is no BVB, but they are no slouches either. Arguably the best LigaMX club the last 5-10 years. Only a small % of LigaMX transfers are to Europe, but somebody should take notice if he impresses there at such a young age and joins the nt.
Tab Ramos was a big fan of this guy, yet he left him off a U-20 midfield that got obliterated at the U-20 WC. What does that say about him or does it say nothing? Looks like he would've been a much better option than a number of those players now, but the coach was obviously a fan, and still didn't think he was ready. At the U-20 level, I tend to trust the coach a little more with player evaluations, especially for the guys who are kind of unknown and the fans can't say they've watched 20-30 times, like fans can say for senior team players. Ramos was clearly right about Brady Scott, someone many of us haven't seen play that often. Gonzalez inclusion on the qualifying roster made it known that he's highly rated, but his lack of minutes during qualifying and his omission on a midfield that was terrible at the U-20 WC at least gets you to pause. Gonzalez is good, but is he as good as his early LigaMX playing time this season would indicate? I'm not sure, really just can't form a decent opinion. I've seen a lot more of those players you named to say for sure what their level is, not so sure about Gonzalez.
It says he was 17, there were good cm options, some were still played due to being vets, and Tab is kind of wacky. His treatment of one of the other players listed, Haji Wright, reinforces that. On paper the cm was more than fine but they struggled physically against the big-boned Venezuelans. Not to mention players can improve rapidly at that age. It's not just LigaMX p.t. That's what you're saying because it's your perspective. I'm saying I've personally watched this guy play a couple times and he appears to belong and then some. Others who've actually tuned in to watch believe the same thing. So far he's provided more of a sample to draw conclusions from than everybody on that list except EPB. Wright hasn't appeared above youth levels. Perez got one bench appearance. Same thing with McKennie, and he sucked in it. I'm not saying all those guys individually can't still be better (although odds are they all aren't better given what he's already shown as a pro at a solid level vs. actual men), but you can only draw so much of an opinion from youth teams (which you seem to acknowledge when it comes to calling up guys for the senior team), and it doesn't matter what you didn't see.
But then you could say that someone like Glad is better than Palmer-Brown due to playing well in MLS, and Palmer-Brown not playing much. I'm just not sure actual playing time qualifies you to be the best over players who you've played with in the past who might've shown higher levels of play or better skill-sets. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say Gonzalez is not a worthy player and isn't someone who could play for the NT, but Alex Zendejas played before Pulisic, McKennie, Wright, Perez, etc, what does that mean now? All these players we talk about should eventually be good enough to play for a team the caliber of Monterrey, and I think eventual statistical data will eventually show that, so I'm not so sure who gets there first means a ton. I've watched Gonzalez play a number of times, watched some of his play in LigaMX, my assessment is that he's good, but not great. I don't actually see anything great in his play that would make me think he's the next Pulisic, for example or the closest thing to the next Pulisic, I think thats more likely one of the guys you originally named. I am way more worried with skill-sets than who gets to a certain level first, given most of the best guys will eventually get to that pro level. 3 of our 5 games at the U-20 WC we lost the possession battle. My opinion might be colored by how badly the midfield was against Venezuela in the last match, but I think yet again we were let down by a midfield that had a poor U-20 WC. I thought the same thing happened in 2015. I don't think its much of a coincidence that in both tournaments our best players were CB's and a CF.
Yup. Fossey's uncle posts quite a bit. One time a relative of Robinson's did post in the youth forum with an update on him. I'm too lazy to go find it. Anyway, its nice to have another American U20 getting pro playing time. This U20 group (who were eligible for the 2017 U20 World Cup) has the chance to be pretty awesome compared to previous pools. We're three deep with legitimate prospects at each position along the backline. They won't all "make it," but the potential is there. Our list of centerbacks that are 24 years old or younger......................Miazga, Zimmerman, EPB, CCV, Glad, Redding, Parker, Shane O'Neill (who had a really nice season at NAC Breda last year), etc. is really nice looking. Left backs? Lima, Farfan, Vincent, Robinson..............
One of the kids on our "potential breakout" list made his pro first-team debut yesterday. That was McKinze Gaines, who got the start for Darmstadt (Bundesliga 2 team) in the German Cup. Note that he started while Terrence Boyd was on the bench. He's a winger/forward with a lot or raw tools. FOr those that don't know his story, he's out of Lonestar in Austin Texas. Same program that Kekuta Manneh and Khiry Shelton trained with. He moved to Wolfsburg two years ago, and Darmstadt acquired him before this season. I don't know if he'll ever be a USMNTer, but he's another youngster to follow. [BTW...............his younger brother Julian Gaines is perhaps an even better prospect. Recently training with Wolfsburg.]
Side note, but I don't think Julian Gaines is much better, from what I watched. Seems very similar to his brother. Could be slightly better, could be slightly worse, wouldn't be surprised at either.
Time to rename this the Weston McKennie thread already. Came on in the 78th minute today and looked like he belonged. None of these other dudes are as polished, at as good a club and actually breaking through right now. Will be an interesting race for distant second.
Lets be fair for a second, McKennie is doing great, but so is Wright. He scored on his debut on loan in 2. Bundesliga. He played just as well (maybe better) in his preseason minutes at Schalke, but the coach didn't want him in the squad for some reason. Maybe he felt like he had too many options at that position, maybe he didn't like his style of play, maybe something else. McKennie stayed at the club, maybe that was a good decision, maybe not. We'll have to see about his minutes this season. I thought he had made the bench over Stambouli, but it seems like Stambouli was actually suspended. Would McKennie have made the bench if Stambouli wasn't suspended? Regardless, its a different path for the two players, but there is no one path to the NT. McKennie is more polished, but Wright is more talented. Who's better? Hard to tell, its very close, we shouldn't need to distinguish between players of a similar level who are breaking into pro football right now.
McKennie is the favorite, but it's way too early to say this should be his thread and everybody else is playing for runner-up. That's hyperbole and jumping the gun. Gonzalez is doing really good things for Monterrey, Adams may be turning the corner w/ RBNY, Lewis might be starting to break out at a more premium position for NYCFC, Wright has the talent to go bonkers in the 2. BL., etc. McKennie is in the position to have the lowest standard for performance, but if other guys are major standouts, while he just is adequate for a bigger club, they certainly have a case against him.
As far as imminently being capped (as far as U20s go) McKennie has jumped ahead of CCV. [CCV isn't playing and now Spurs just signed that CB from Ajax.] That's partly due to it being a position of need. Acosta did "OK" at the Gold Cup, but didn't grab onto the position. There's definitely incentive to look at other options whether foreign or domestic. I would actually say that in terms of the next callup, we're unlikely to see one until the post-WCQing friendlies. So Novemberish. Wouldn't surprise me if we schedule a Europe based friendly or two in the late fall. In those scenarios the MLS clubs still in the playoffs (which run from roughly late October to early December) won't release players. So one can imagine a scenario in which some combination of Bradley, Acosta, Roldan, McCarty, etc. won't be available. In the past USMNT coaches have used this opportunity to introduce younger players into the team. Its worthwhile even if they don't play. So could McKennie, CCV, Wright, Perez, etc. get a callup then? Maybe......................... And once those November friendlies pass, we may see a few get a chance at January camp. In the January camp prior to the 06 WC Arena brought in teenage Bradley and Adu to be part of the group. So even though they clearly weren't going to make the WC roster, he took the time to work with them. So could Adams, EPB, Glad, etc. get a look then? Maybe? By the way, a guy that's really forced his way into our attention is Jonathan Lewis at NYCFC. He's also eligible for Jamaica. It wouldn't shock me if the USMNT calls him into a camp to keep Jamaica at bay. Lewis is just the type of player that Jamaica should be trying to recruit. In fact, I think they already invited him to a senior national team camp last spring. He's one we need to make a quick decision on.