I believe... What an incredible night. Many thanks to our supporters who made the trip down! We’ll see you in Philly!!! #AkronMade #2ndStar pic.twitter.com/5mQp2Xv67X— Akron Zips M Soccer (@ZipsMSoc) December 2, 2017
Lundt, Moutinho and Strachan Earn https://t.co/ZeSIbiKI5n National Team of the Week Honors. @ZipsMSoc https://t.co/g12k4Rr9yW pic.twitter.com/Ts1vUK5fPR— Akron Zips M Soccer (@ZipsMSoc) December 5, 2017
All fans of Akron Zips should read this excellent article. https://www.ohio.com/akron/editoria...ouglas-thats-four-college-cups-in-eight-years
I remember seeing that goal of Nagbe's on highlight clips. It was incredible. Good luck to Nagbe at Atlanta United. With a kid starting school at Emory soon, perhaps I can catch a game when I'm in Atlanta. Brazil's Maicon is one of my all time favorite defenders. When I originally saw the clip of Nagbe's goal I recall that it reminded me of a goal Maicon had vs Juve when he played for Inter. I dug up a clip of that:
5. Where can Joao Moutinho play? The Portuguese defender/midfielder already possesses the best headshot in the league. Just look at this: He also maybe already possesses the best left foot in the league. Right now, in my mind, he's a cross between Michael Parkhurst and Haris Medunjanin. He is a beautiful, cerebral player and passer of the ball, and his pedigree – he was blooded in the famed Sporting CP academy – speaks to his education in the game. But the fact is that if he had a clear position he'd still be in Portugal. His a little bit undersized and under-athletic to be a center back; he's a little bit slow to be a left back; he lacks just a little bit of vision and skill to be a defensive midfielder. He might be able to play all of those spots, but he might not be able to play any of those spots. He's a 'tweener. On the right team, with the right partner, he's a steal. On the wrong team, he's an albatross. Regardless, he's my favorite player in the draft. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/01/12/armchair-analyst-five-big-questions-answer-2018-combine
He needs competence around him. He was a damn revelation when he played a few in the midfield, IMO, so I don't get the "vision" knock. He does need some experience, though, because he was occasionally prone to some silly giveaways that are usually a product of inexperience.
Not entirely. I challenge the assertion that Moutinho lacks the speed to play LB. His straightaway speed may not be elite, but his first three steps are freakishly quick. And I wholeheartedly disagree with the writer's comment regarding Vision. Vision and Tactical Awareness are aspects of Moutinho's game which set him apart from others in this draft. But overall, I agree with the analysis that Moutinho lacks a true position. Of the writer's three suggested positions, CB is Moutinho's least likely in MLS. He is simply too small.
While watching the MLS Combine matches, I am reminded of how good Moutinho is at tackling 1 v 1, that time when no other players are involved. That is why Joao must play defense. As last line of defense, Joao is money.