According to Univision commentators Almiron has been sold to Arsenal. And yes, he is injured. Probably hamstring. Something like 4 weeks.
If we assume Almiron is out for the last two games, Almiron, Villalba and Barco will have missed a combined 15 games this season. Some Atlanta fans clam their attacking players are too good for Carleton to get consistent minutes. Even if that was true and Carleton was next in line for minutes after those players, 15 90 minute appearances is 1350 minutes. Martino could still not rotate when his preferred attackers are available, barely use his bench, yet Carleton could have reached about 2000 minutes in all competitions without even being a starter. Instead, he probably won't reach 200 minutes this season. Martino has went out of his way to make sure Carleton does not play. In England, the journalists hound Guardiola about the minutes of the best young 2000 born English player, despite him playing more and facing much tougher competition for minutes. In the USA, the journalists don't question Martino why he goes out of his way to make sure the best young 2000 born American player does not see the field. They marvel that he coached Barcelona. They should stop trying to figure out the mystery of why we missed the World Cup, and start realizing it might be because the best young Americans often can't even get minutes in their own domestic league.
One suspects that what's going to happen to Atlanta is exactly what happened to FCD when Mauro Diaz went down late in their SS-winning season...……………. Of course Diaz' injury was so severe that the next season was basically lost as well. Almiron could be back for the playoffs. POint being that FCD was so gung ho on winning the SS that season……………….that they didn't have a Plan B when Diaz went down. Winning that trophy, particularly for a trophy starved club like FCD at that time, did have a lot of meaning. Don't get me wrong. However, they hadn't spent the year preparing for critical games without Diaz. They paid the price in the resulting playoffs. We should remember that FCD did win that shield WHILE giving the 2nd most minutes in the league to homegrowns (Acosta, Gonzalez, and company). NYRB and FCD showed that it was possible to both win and play homegrowns, and other clubs like RSL and Philly have picked up the baton. [Although I'm worried about RSL making the playoffs now. LAG could/should catch them for the 6 spot. As an FCD fan, I'm of course I don't want LAG to make the playoffs. I'm rooting for RSL in multiple ways.] While Atlanta does have a better Plan B in Barco, they should have been rotating the squad much more. More minutes for Barco and Carleton. More games against the bad teams in the East with Almiron completely taking the day off. I just think the whole structure of Atlanta seems to be just going for this one year. I would put money on Martino, Almiron, and Martinez all being gone for next season. It just seems like a mad dash for trophies with no eye on 2019 & beyond. And Atlanta fans are probably ecstatic with that plan...…………..as long as the trophies come.
2 assists for Carleton - 🗣 Elevate, elevate, elevate @andrewcarleton7 with the cross@iam_pavyrgwvii with the finish pic.twitter.com/x0eokay9Bj— ATL UTD 2 (@atlutd2) October 7, 2018 WHAT. A. PASS. 😱@andrewcarleton7 with the spectacular assist, @iam_pavyrgwvii takes care of the rest! pic.twitter.com/a4kdnY1tMj— ATL UTD 2 (@atlutd2) October 7, 2018
Might need to alert the pundits on Atlanta United Reddit. That second play is exactly why Carleton does better when playing with players who can play attacking football at a similar level.
absolute filth right there. so unique with his ball striking. he passes like nothing we have ever seen.
I just want to say Carleton has at least 20 or so plays like that in USL this season but they hardly converted or even lead to shots on goal. According to the official USL site those are his first two assist of the season( if they have updated there site to account for this game..). People shouldn't wonder why a young attacking mid who seems not be in his clubs plans who playing with a poorly put together 2nd team would have lackadaisical moments.
"Almost assists but teammates blow it." I think Adu's record is "One Hoover Vacuum and 2 Stouffers Frozen Meals," but I'd have to check.
The purpose was that "if only his teammates could finish/play" is not a healthy predictor of either talent or success at a certain point. It seems that the micro-dissection of Carleton has reached a level of Adu proportions that mirrors arguments made during Adu's time in Philly.
MLS is set up a lot like MLB in terms of a minor league and rosters. That is why I've never understood why you don't see prospect trades in MLS. Look at San Jose, why don't they trade for Carleton and Bello? I think the lack of Relegation is actually the cause. It is counter-intuitive as the lack of Relegation means zero pressure to play unproven players. However, I think the lack of pressure to get results this year lets teams hold on to their coaches rather than pay two guys. We have seen several teams get rid of their managers early this year and the media has wondered why. Turns out that they all want or think they other teams want, their new manager. So they have jumped the gun. Otherwise, they would just play the season out and then fire the manager. So, why bring in new players the new manager might not want or get rid of underused talent the new manager might like. So, nobody does anything.
Joel Qwiberg, Andrew Tarbell, and the rights to Innocent Emeghara for the both of them. Boom, done deal! Okay, fine....do clubs still get "You Suck" allocation money? More seriously, I'll hypothesize that clubs seem to be nervous that young players might flourish at another MLS club and make them look bad.
I'd rather have Akanyirige than Bello. Probably not over Carleton, but Akanyirige is very good. I think most don't realize it because of how poorly SJ manages their academy products.
I hope this is because you think Bello won’t be around MLS long (can move in the January 2020 window), because no, no, and no is Akanyirige a better prospect than Bello.
I think Akanyirige is terribly underrated. My opinion is not a slight to Bello and its close, but I'd probably take Akanyirige. He plays a more important position. I've been consistent in this opinion. I had him ranked higher than Bello here about a month ago, although there was no direct comparison between the two. https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/ranking-of-01-and-later-prospects.2086275/
Players should be judged on their impact on the game, and I would not say that Bello at lb inherently impacts the game less than Akanyirige does at cb. A dynamic left back like Bello could easily provide a more tactically important role than a center back. I haven't seen Akanyirige, so I'm not making a call on this one. Just sayin...
I have zero issues with you rating Akanyirige highly. He unfortunately has as bad a bday as a youngster can have for a YNTer. Born a few hours later and he’s starting next to Las, Bello, Judge, and Scally at the U17 WC (goodness that would be filthy). Bello and Akanyirige were born 23 days apart but cruelly can’t play on the U17s together because YNT needs a cutoff date. As of now, I just have Bello on that Pulisic level and since George plays the weakest position in the sport, he’ll have all the chances to prove himself.
Just an example of a bad team and two prospects. Chicago could trade Dax and Vincent for them. Dax would be good backup in midfield and Vincent could be an experienced backup to McCann. Maybe an upgrade. It just isn't done, and not because GMs couldn't come up with something.
The thing is, young American baseball prospects are a dime a dozen. Young soccer prospects are much more rare. I think we would be much more likely to see loans to other MLS teams for these types of players than trades, but who wants to give up something and then go through the growing pains of grooming someone else's prospect? On the trade side of it, who is going to give up a potential future star and asset for one or two years of an upgrade from a lower ceiling player?
Sure. But my point was that for people who are not watching the USL games, that stat lines (which have been sued against Carleton n this thread) can be deceiving.