2017-18 Development Academy

What would you have done? Perhaps fallen into baseless consternation about the fact that, as a dual-national, he could choose France, and that, despite mountains of contrary evidence, in an imaginary world where the US gets prospects poached from European powers, we should be devoting time to thinking about a 13-year-old's national team choice?

You can keep freaking out about it, I just wouldn't recommend it.

 

Okay, I was going to be a dick and just move on, but I guess we are doing this.

This whole condescending “I know more about our youth than you because they have always been bad” is outdated and tired. Have you ever even seen the kid play? Nothing about my point was baseless. I’ve seen him play 2-3 full games, one against a very good Girona team, and he dominated. He has tons of highlight videos on YouTube, and I’ve seen all of those. Hell, I even made one of them.

Yes, he’s 13. I’d also say he’s one of the best 13 year old Americans I’ve ever seen. I’m waiting to say so, but I’m expecting him to be one of the best 3-4 prospects we’ve ever produced, and he has the potential to be the best.

All of my comments were based on the supposition that whoever read them understood that I was assuming his development continued on the trajectory it is already on-especially because the original comment was directed at @ussoccer97531, who I’ve had many conversations with about the kid.

If his trajectory stays the same, then no. It’s not unrealistic to think France would poach him. Especially if he develops in France in front of their eyes.

 

OK, seems I've touched a nerve. The whole "this guy has citizenship, maybe someone will poach him" conversation is absolutely stupid when we're talking about a 13-year-old.

The idea of projecting 4-5 years down the road based on what a 13-year-old is doing is similarly ridiculous. Ben Lederman, Xuxuh Hilton, Freddy Adu are 3 more examples of careers that took wildly different turns and did not follow a consistent upward trajectory.

I'm far from a youth scout, and I'm not even especially active on YNT threads, but the preponderance of evidence from thousands of prospects leans far away from "top guy France will poach".

You've watched him a lot and have high hopes, good for you. And you'd be right in that, if your assessment were correct, France might call him into their youth teams. You're welcome to do so. I'm going to stay here and set my bar lower than "one of the best 3-4 prospects we've ever produced".

 

I know you didn't actually say anything bad about Xuxuh, but if you do, I will hunt you and your family down.

 

If you don’t follow the youth teams, then what makes you qualified to critique the judgement of the people who do? Even the best experts get some wrong. You can just bring up any guy who didn’t pan out and say, “See? I’m right.” But the problem is, I never talked any of those guys up. The only guys I’ve ever talked up at this age were Carleton, Durkin, and Nyeman. Carleton and Durkin seem to be progressing just fine and I stand by my assessment of Nyeman. And fwiw, I never thought Carleton or Durkin were going to be world class players, just good usmnt type of players.

And even if I did talk the Adus and Ledermans up, I’d rather get excited about a kid that I expected to be great and follow his career, even if I was eventually proven wrong, than sit around and criticize anyone who is optimistic about his development. I’m going to have fun watching this kid the next few years believing that he’s going to be wanted by the best clubs and federations in the world. If we ever want to win a World Cup, it will take developing players like that, and I believe we will eventually (if we aren’t already). And if I’m wrong about him? Oh well, I’ll move on to the next kid. Because if we are never going to develop world class players, then what’s the point in even following?

 

Didn't say I didn't follow youth teams. Just that I'm not a scout, nor do I know the most about YNT prospects on this board. You're crying that I'm being smug, and yet I'm constantly reminding you that I'm not an expert, just leaning on my own experience in the YNT threads.

But sure, maybe I'm an idiot. That doesn't change the stats. Millions of kids play this game. Fractions of fractions of those kids ever become professionals. And fractions of those thousands of adults ever reach the pinnacle of the sport. And American players, by and large, even less so. You are free to make grandiose claims about kids, as is your wont.

I also enjoy thinking positively about our pool. It's why I'm even in here at all. And it's why I'm a USMNT fan despite all the evidence that suggests that we won't win a WC any time soon. Despite having a team that just failed to qualify, with a new generation of kids, some of whom will not work out, I'm still a fan holding out hope that we'll win a WC someday.

Certainly, I perked up when Carleton, Durkin, Lindsey, and co won the U15 2015 Torneo Delle Nazioni, looking through highlights and full games to find evidence of increasing skill levels in the pool. But I hold back on grandiose claims about the individual players at that level. It's too far away, and there are still too many variables so as to make such claims consistently.

Can we be done now? You've clearly spent time watching this guy and care deeply. I do not. Think what you want.

 

No, I don’t care deeply. I just don’t want to be reprimanded any time it seems like I’m being optimistic or believe in one of our youth players. Pretty sure we all know that France isn’t calling every George Acosta or Blane Ferri that comes through the system, nor have they ever. We don’t need to be reminded of it. However, that doesn’t mean it will NEVER happen.

And yes, we can be done now.

 

OK good.