The #NERevs U-17 team finishes up 11 Generation adidas Cup matches (qualifiers, round robin, playoffs) with an 0-11 record. Negative 37 goal differential overall. Worst run of all #MLS academies by far.— Jonathan Sigal (@JonathanSigal) March 31, 2018
I always say that results are then't most important aspect of youth play at this level. Developing youngsters to be adult professionals is. HOWEVER, the Revs seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel. All you need to know about them is that they're behind the Boston Bolts at the U19 and U16 levels.
Yeah, winning is much more a symptom of good development than anything else. So for the Revs, it ain't a pretty picture.
For those that didn't see the result, it was Tigres U19s that won the Dallas Cup Supergroup. They beat Arsenal 1-0 in the final. I was asked yesterday if Hector Montalvo, the former FCD academy centerback, was on that team. He wasn't. I think he just turned 20, so perhaps is a little too old. Still at Tigres as far as I know, though. Congratulations to 2018 Dallas Cup Super Group winner Tigres UANL.They had a wonderful tournament But today, the defense was spectacular.@dallascup pic.twitter.com/7Vsy6IkoFZ— Douglas Fejer (@dougfejer) April 1, 2018 Here are the Champions across all divisions and tournaments this weekend. Dallas Cup U13: FC Dallas U14 Supergroup: Tigres U14: Angeles Soccer elite ( Mexico) U15: Chicago Fire U16: Queretaro (beat Solar on penalties in the final.) U17: Maebashi Ikuei (Japan; beat Necaxa in the final) U18: Sporting Santa Clara (California) U19: FC Golden State (California) U19 Supergroup: Tigres GenAd Cup U12: Sporting Kansas City (beat LAFC in the final) U17 Premier Division: Seattle Sounders U17 Champions Division: Flamengo (Brazil) Iber Cup (also in DFW this past week for the young'uns): Cat A (2009s)- São Paulo Texas FC (beat FCD in the final) Cat B (2008s) - Manchester City FC (beat Dallas Texans in the final) Cat C (2007s) - Dallas Texans Stavrou (beat Dinamo Zagreb in the final. Nice) Cat D (2006s) - Arsenal FC (beat Oklahoma Energy in the final.) Cat E (2005s) - Intercups (beat Atletico Madrid in the final. Nice) Cat G (2004s) - SL Benfica (beat Sockers FC Chicago in the final.) LA Galaxy Cup U14 International Bracket: Porto Full Time in the #LAGalaxyCup Final. Congratulations to the inaugural Champions of the boys 2004 International bracket @FCPorto. pic.twitter.com/mrHktUTnjC— LA Galaxy Cup (@LAGalaxyCup) April 1, 2018 [There were a bunch of other age brackets at this event, but this was seemingly the glory division. I don't know if somebody else wants to review this competition.] Lots of interesting teams competed. It looks to me like SKC beat Swansea on their way to this U14 final.
By the way, nice showing by the USLPro clubs that participated in the Dallas Cup this past week. Hopefully these academies can continue to advance. Out of 7 #USLacademy teams selected to participate as a part of the new partnership w/@DallasCup #DC39, @USL clubs exceed expectations w/3 semifinalists & 1 finalist. A fantastic first showing on a national stage! Well done to the players & staff involved 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/sFkxJw9Dcu— Gordon Bengtson (@GRBengtson) April 1, 2018
Montalvo played sparingly for Tigres U20 when he first joined the club and has played sparingly for their Liga Premier club this season. He's still there but isn't exactly on the fast track. He's the sort of player that MLS teams should target for their USL squads, I think.
Well.....................that didn't take long. Congratulations @torontofc @TheJulianDunn! The 1st 2018 @drpepper #Dallascup alumnus to make their 1st team debut. #DC39 pic.twitter.com/k4EvYAUpUy— Dallas Cup ⚽️ (@dallascup) April 15, 2018
I finally got around to watching these games. I watched all the American MLS teams, except for Orlando, Colorado and Portland. I couldn't find any streams for Portland games, so thats why I didn't watch them. There were streams for Orlando and Colorado games, but the lack of talent on both teams is why I didn't bother. Some teams I watched twice, I think I might've even watched three games of one or two teams, but I don't remember exactly. Here were my impressions: DC United: They were pretty bad, but Moses Nyeman carried them. I've already given opinions on his game, so I won't waste space on his play. I also liked how Nelson Martinez ('01) played. He was playing in a holding mid role, and he was one of the better players on the field against a Bundesliga team's academy. It should be a surprise because he's a USYNT regular, very versatile, can play many positions (full-back, all throughout CM), but he played well, and has shown well almost every game I've seen him play. I think if DC had a more proactive approach, he might be in line for a pro contract with them. But I suspect he'll go the way of Carranza. Not much else here in terms of real prospects, IMO. Atlanta United: I didn't see George Bello ('02) play this tournament. I don't know if I watched a game he didn't play in, but maybe he was at the tournament. Either way, he's a top level prospect in the YNT system. One of the best '02 prospects and one of the best full-back prospects. Natnael MacDonald ('01) played out of position at LB and RW from what I saw, but he's a RB. I've seen him play many times, and he always does a good job. Fast up the right flank, smart defender, and not awful technically. Deserving of a YNT call up, as far as I'm concerned. Deedson Viximar ('01) wasn't at this tournament, but he was playing at the Dallas Cup, and I saw some of that. He's pretty dynamic. Very fast, and left-footed. Looks to cut inside on his left from the right wing. He's polished enough with passing and his football IQ, but neither are better than good enough. From what I've seen, he looks more like a very fast goal-scoring winger who is competent in the other parts of the game. He looks like a left-footed and faster Llanez. He's likely one of the best 01's in the player pool if he becomes eligible for the USA. Diego Lopez ('02) didn't play well in the game I saw, but I've seen him play better, so I'm not worried. Big target forward who can score goals. Kind of reminds me of one of their first team players, Vazquez. Jackson Conway ('01) is another striker at the club. He has an excellent strike rate, but I've just never been impressed. Decent height, works hard and can finish, but looks more like the product of a system that produces goals for the CF. Takuma Suzuki ('01) is a quality holding mid. Decent size, shields the back line, good in tight spaces and can also pass the ball. According to USSDA, his nationality is listed as Japan. If he's eligible for the USA, might not be a bad candidate for a YNT call up. Wasswa Robbins ('02) is a blazing fast winger who can dribble, but little else. Still, he's fast enough that he's a prospect in some regard. Might be similar to former Atlanta academy player, Zyen Jones. NYCFC: I've already talked a lot about Joe Scally ('02), so I won't repeat myself, but I thought he played decent in the match I saw him play. Gio Reyna ('02), similar situation, I've given my opinion on his game many times. I thought he was less influential than Scally in the game I saw him play (neither of them played in the other NYCFC game televised against FCD), but he showed some good sequences, and is another top player in his age group. Alex Rando ('01) was excellent. He made numerous nice saves both matches. One of the best keepers I saw play at this tournament, IMO. I believe he's gotten YNT call ups, and might be in line for more. Tavyon Gray ('02) was brilliant against FCD. He didn't really play against Real Madrid. I think he subbed in at the end, but the FCD match is where he played a lot. He played CB, and he shut FCD down very well. He's not the tallest CB, but I don't think his height is a problem. He's very mobile, and a smart defender. Passing was decent, although not anything great. I don't understand why he was third in their CB pecking order. Nico Benalcazar ('01) was first in their CB pecking order. He was the captain of their team. He's a generic player. Good for this level, but no real standout skills. I've seen him struggle at the international level against better players. He was actually okay against Real Madrid, but I'm not convinced he's more than a marginal MLS-level prospect. Andres Jasson ('02) was not impressive in either match. He has nice ball control, he tried to make some creative plays, he was playing as the #10, but he wasn't very influential, and if he wasn't a "name", I probably wouldn't even be mentioning him. If you want to stretch for prospects on this team, Sal Rasizzi ('01) might deserve a shout. RW who's influential in the DA, but can only hold his own against Real Madrid. Thats not bad, but against Real Madrid, similar to Benalcazar, his lack of standout skills, was apparent. Sporting Kansas City: The "name" here is Gianluca Busio ('02). I've given my opinion on him many times, so I won't waste much time either describing his game, most probably already know about him. His team was severely outmanned against Real Madrid, he showed he belonged, which was a decent enough contribution. Cameron Duke ('01) is probably the other big name on this team. I thought he really struggled, but he's a talented player. Has some Nagbe to his game. Athletic ball-carying CM who has good ball control and also has good athleticism. Should continue to get YNT call ups, as far as I'm concerned, although he's not more than a middle-tier '01, IMO. Tyler Freeman ('03) was very clearly out of his depth against Real Madrid. He was playing against Real Madrid players two years older than him, so that doesn't mean he's a bad player. It's hard to judge his game. He seems to have some tools (decent size and athleticism, technical enough, gets in good positions), but it might be better to judge him when he's not playing up against a team of this caliber. The only judgement I'd make is that he's not an elite level prospect, but he very well might be a decent regular YNT player within the '03 year. Max Trejo ('02) was very impressive. He had one of the best goalkeeping performances I saw at this tournament. Like Rando, that came against Real Madrid. Might be worth a call up to the U-17 NT. Kaveh Rad ('01) and Javon Rad ('01) were both decent. They are twins, I think if I'm remembering correctly one played CB and the other DM. I thought the CB (I believe thats Kaveh) was better, he was one of the best players in the game. Both were very physical, had good size, and looked like they knew how to defend. Admittedly, I don't remember much else about them. Too many players to remember, I would've remembered them more if they were playing like Nyeman or someone like that, but I'd certainly classify them as prospects, they weren't just making up the numbers. FC Dallas: I already posted my comments about FC Dallas in another thread, so I won't repeat myself. I'll just quote what I said. LA Galaxy: Ulysses Llanez ('01) was very good in the only game he played at this tournament. He constantly created havoc with his typical style of play. He also played more of a playmaking role in this game. But I've given more opinion on his game many times, as well, so I won't say much more about him. Efrain Alvarez ('02) was very good, IMO against Monaco. He was one of the two or three best players on the field. Monaco had a player who I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of these up and coming French youth stars, the kid was absolutely dominant and tormented LAG. Alvarez maybe isn't a Pulisic or Carleton impact type of player, but he's very good, and probably the next step down, in terms of overall impact. He scored LA's only goal in the match against Monaco. Kobe Hernandez Foster ('02) was okay, but not much better. I saw him play CB and LB. His game is wasted at CB. He's probably not tall enough for the position, and his game is more about athleticism and getting up and down the flank. He was below-average defensively at LB, made some bad reads, but he wasn't awful. Above-average technically, but not exactly a creative machine. Could be a solid back up LB option for the U-17's this cycle, but I wouldn't consider him a certainty to make U-17 rosters regularly. Cameron Dunbar ('02) was excellent. One of the biggest surprises at the event. Very good dribbling RW with a quality enough football IQ and can pass the ball. Sometimes he holds onto the ball too much, but he can dribble through many players when he wants to. Should definitely get U-17 call ups. Leo Sepulveda ('01) was really bad. Monaco's best player made him look very bad, he kept running by him, was leading to goals. Thats what I worry about with Sepulveda's game. He's a good defender, but he can be prone to be beat for pace with regularity, and he's not one of these 6'5 CB's who has that towering presence element to his game. I think he's still a YNT caliber player, but I'm not sure he's as good of a pro prospect as some players who aren't as good as him right now. There are going to be many players like that Monaco forward at the pro level. Oscar Cervantes ('01) played in a #6 role. He's good enough at this level, but he plays a pretty generic game, and he's on the smaller side without great athleticism. Maybe a low-level MLS prospect? I've mentioned before that I like what I see from Adam Saldana ('02). But watching him more, I think he might be the most underrated player in the '02 year. He's very influential in a subtle way. He was so in both games I saw. He's not great at anything, but he's very smart, works really hard in a #8 role, has competent skill, and can pass the ball. He can defend because he works hard. He's kind of under-sized and not the most athletic, but not so much so in either category that its a problem. I don't think he's yet an LAG Academy player, looked like he was playing as a guest player, but either way, he's a good player. Mauricio Cuevas ('03) was the best '03 USYNT player I saw play at this event. He was very good at RB. Pretty athletic, smart defender who made numerous good defensive plays, and he's good on the ball, can get forward and combine with teammates. Seattle Sounders: I watched a few Seattle games. I already posted thoughts on some of their players earlier in this thread, so I'll just quote that instead of repeating myself. Only thing I want to add is that I have more appreciation for Robles game after watching him play more. He's pretty creative. Not everything comes off, and he's not "great", but I think the raw talent and creative ideas translates better to a higher level than the other three. He's deserving of a U-17 call up, IMO. Columbus Crew: Logan Kowalczyk ('01) was one of the better keepers I saw at this tournament. He didn't have that many saves to make, but he did his job, and he's a pretty accomplished keeper. He's not the tallest keeper, but I could see a Marcinkowski trajectory, if things go well. Aidan Morris ('01) makes some nice long-passes, but I don't think he defends well enough in CM, and I think his football IQ is pretty low for his type of role. I've not been impressed, at all, with his play for USYNT's either. Maybe a low level pro-prospect? Jose Rivas ('01) was mediocre, but maybe it was just a bad game. I've seen him play better. He's not a great player, but he's a decent '01 creative winger prospect whose deservedly on the '01 USYNT fringe. Sebastian Berhalter ('01) was also mediocre. He played as a #10, made a few plays, but he's not that impactful, he's not very athletic, not that skilled. Tyler Wolff ('03) was a pretty generic winger prospect without standout skills, but he held his own playing up a year, so that was notable. Noah Hall ('03), was very similar at RB. Just about held his own, good athleticism, but pretty bland player, but he was also playing up a year. Elton Chifamba ('03) was one of the better 03's I saw play at this tournament. He's similar in style to Chris Goslin, but I think he's a better passer. He can play as a #6 or #8, but I think he's more of a #8. Not physically imposing in stature, but a good athlete, can make some tackles, and he's able to navigate his way through tight spaces. He wasn't great, but he was good, and most of the 03's YNT players were worse than that. New England Revolution: Eliot Jones ('03) played pretty well in goal. He wasn't dominant, but made a few saves, and was good in catching set pieces, which might sound like a simple thing, but for GK's at this level its not always so. He was playing up a year and played well, another one of the better 03's. Morris Matthews ('03) wasn't good. He was playing RB and constantly got bit defensively. His awareness wasn't good, he looked un-athletic, and if he wasn't an '03 "name", I think I would've considered him as a player making up the numbers. But he was playing up an age group, and maybe its just one bad game. Thamba Mabungu ('01) listed with Tanzania nationality is an athletic CB. He wasn't great, but he was a very good athlete, and there weren't many good players on this NE team, but I thought he showed good talent. Trevor Burns ('01), son of the GM, was their best player. He passed the ball well in CM, and was the key protagonist going forward. He made smart decisions, and was able to create some attacking chances. He wasn't great, but he was very good, and looked like a fringe YNT level player. Philly Union: Kris Shakes ('01) is a good keeper prospect. He didn't have many saves to make in this match, but he now seems established within the '01 YNT pool, and I'd say deservedly so. Best keeper in the '01 year, IMO. Julian Anderson ('02) showcases nice footwork as a #10. He's not that influential, but there's some creative and ball-possession potential there. I think he's somewhere on the outside looking in for the U-17 NT, but not that far off the team on merit, IMO. Axel Picazo ('01) played a bad match, but he's a very talented player. I think he's very underrated. He's a winger who isolates wide, has nice ball control, and can really run with the ball. He's also capable of combining with teammates, but he's more of a dribbler looking to score than a playmaker. Shaynder Borgelin ('01) is a big target forward who is mobile. I'm not sure he's a great pro prospect, but at his size and his mobility, he could have a pro career. New York Red Bulls: Amir Daley ('02) didn't play much in the game I watched, but he looked like a generic YNT RB we see nowadays. He's athletic, he can defend some, but he wasn't incredibly influential, and only about average on the ball. He looked like a fringe U-17 NT player, from the brief amount I saw. Hamza Shehata ('02) started out at RB, very athletic player who powers forward. He was average defensively and average technically. He switched to CB later in the game when Daley entered. I hadn't previously heard of him, so while he wasn't great, I think he did enough to get himself on the radar. Maybe a U-17 call up? But he wasn't so great that I thought he must get one. Jose Escandon ('01) was the most creative player on the NYRB team. He's listed with Ecuadorian Nationality. He was creative and influenced the game, but not the best creative player at the tournament or anything like that. If he's eligible, maybe call him up to the YNT? But like Shehata, he wasn't so good that I thought he must get a YNT call up. Scott Taylor ('01) had good movement at CF, he has good ball control for a CF, deceptively good athlete, and can finish. He's incredibly frail, needs to put on weight. In terms of a YNT call up, same situation as Shehata and Escandon, IMO. John Tolkin ('02) played a LCM shuttler role. He's played LB for the U-17's, and I think he can also play as a left-sided winger. He's a very accurate passer, but the rest of his game is very average. Not bad, but average across the board. His versatility (especially ability to play LB) though could see him regularly make U-17 rosters, although he's no lock for those rosters, IMO. San Jose: Jacob Akanyirige ('01) was excellent, best CB I saw at this tournament. He looked taller and stronger than the last time I saw him play, and still had the same athletic ability. Exceptional reader of the game defensively. He's good, not great technically and he tends to carry the ball too far up the field, but thats nitpicking, as the rest of his game is very good. Might be ready for MLS minutes next season, and might be ready for a U-20 call up. Gilbert Fuentes ('02) scored a very nice goal, but I'm wary of his game. He can hold onto the ball with the best of them, he has brilliant ball control, and I think he has pretty good technique striking the ball, but I just don't see much else at a high level. He's not a good athlete, he's not all that creative, not a great playmaker, doesn't have great vision. I think he's a decent pro prospect, but I absolutely do not agree that he's one of the better 02's. Diego Luna ('03) seems similar to Fuentes in playing style, but he needs to get in better shape. He's only a kid and its not a long-term concern about his game IMO, much easier to do that than gain footballing skill. He was playing wide left, and seems more like a #10, the spot Fuentes occupied, so it's hard to judge much about his game. He had some ability though, and I can understand why he gets YNT call ups, but he didn't do much more than hold his own. Ricardo Ibarra ('01) was excellent at RB. Defended really well, showed good technical ability and combination play going forward, looked like a good enough athlete. Could be deserving of a YNT call up. Chicago Fire: I could describe the play of the teams, but I steered clear of doing that. I will say though that Chicago was the worst MLS team I saw play at this tournament. They were dreadful, very few prospects on this team. The best prospect is Damian Las ('02), who was their keeper. I've talked about his game a lot, no point in wasting space talking more about his game. I will say that he nearly pulled off one of the best saves I've seen, but couldn't get enough on it to steer it away. The wind directed the ball in from a shot he'd probably save without the wind, but he nearly fought off the wind, which pulled the ball across the way he was moving. His reflexes are absolutely absurd. He gets to shots most goalkeepers can't physically get to. Javier Casas ('03) passed the ball well, he has good size, and he's competent defensively, but I didn't see much else. He held his own, not much better, but he was in the top half of 03's I watched. Alex Monis ('03) was much better as winger than center forward. He was invisible as a CF, and part of that was his teammates. As a winger, he combined well and got forward some. Not much better than generic skills though, but he was another playing up a year and just about held his own, so not all too bad, all things considered. Roberto Alonzo ('01) listed with Mexico nationality was the best field player for Chicago. He was a creative attacking mid. He was slightly better than average. Not a player I think deserves YNT call ups, if he's eligible, but maybe he's a low-level pro prospect? Chicago was that bad. They didn't have more than 2 players I thought played "well" in the games I watched. Real Salt Lake: David Ochoa ('01) had some saves to make, although not that many. He did his job, about what you'd expect. He's one of the better '01 keepers, and should likely remain within the best roster for the '01 player pool, IMO. Luis Arriaga ('01) played as a #10. I was not impressed. He's played for YNT's before, but I'm not sure I'd call him up to the next camp. Just didn't make much happen, bland game. I wouldn't dismiss his prospects as a pro because he has a good pedigree, but I wasn't particularly impressed. Ben Ortiz ('01) scored two goals, but he's another player I wasn't impressed with. He finishes very well and he has good movement, quick player who gets himself into good positions, but he doesn't do much target work for a CF, he's not particularly athletic and he's undersized. Technical skills are decent, but not great. He takes a lot of shots, doesn't pass the ball much. Zackery Farnsworth ('02) was pretty generic at LB. He has decent athleticism as he has decent height, speed and long strides, he can pass the ball some, but he's not dynamic going forward, made some bad defensive decisions. He was slightly better than average, but not that good. Fringe U-17 NT player, IMO. Noah Beck ('01) played as a #8, and was impressive. He had composure in CM, passed the ball well, and was capable defensively. Not great, but one of the better RSL players, and I hadn't heard of him before. I don't think he's good enough for YNT's, but might be a pro prospect. Houston Dynamo: Marcelo Palomino ('01) showcases nice ideas centrally. He was playing as a #9, and he's obviously not that, but in the middle third of the field he's able to advance the ball because he has good ideas how to beat players without using athleticism. In some ways, he's similar to Carleton's ability to bypass defenders and his possession game, although he lacks Carleton's ability to influence goals and soccer IQ. I think Palomino should continue to be an '01 YNT regular, although he's not quite among the best 01's. Heriberto Soto ('01) didn't get many touches, so its hard to judge his game, but he looked good technically, had some nice combination play, had a creative play or two, and was a better athlete than you'd think. He played as a LW. I'd need to see more to judge if he should get a YNT call up. Jalen Anderson ('01) played at RW, and was a pretty good dribbler. Fast player, competent technically. Not great and I don't think he's YNT level, but a pro prospect. Osmar Chavero ('01) made some good saves as the GK, he's been called into YNT's before. The '01 keeping pool isn't good, so he might be able to find his way onto a YNT roster or two, IMO.
Just fyi, Vixamar and Bello were with the U-19s at the Dallas Cup and supposedly played all the games there with the team.
Rep for the comprehensive report...watched many of the same games, nothing more to really add...could really only expand on your RSL observations since I've seen them play throughout the year (son is Noah Beck, thanks for the complimentary comments, by the way)...
Ah you're right about Bello being at the GenAd Cup, but according to this: https://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/20...dallas-cup-and-generation-adidas-cup-showings he left early to play for AUFC2 not due to injury. But I honestly have no clue, I just misread this article originally.
Bello did very little at the GA Cup. He's looked better with ATL 2, so maybe he just had a bad tournament. I was impressed with McDonald from ATL's academy and Villatoro, an '01 RB from DC's academy.
Was also impressed with Villatoro, it's just that Nyeman is so off the charts that the rest of his teammates are getting less attention.