Andrija Novakovich at Calcio Lecco 1912 (Serie B)

Nice thing is that Stokkers appears to be the only true center-forward of them; all the others are listed in match reports as either wingers or AMs, never CF. Both Telstar and Fortuna used almost exclusively a 4-3-3 last season, and Novakovich was (statistically, at least) more productive than Stokkers despite missing a few more matches due to US international duty vs. Paraguay in late March/early April. Plus, he's five inches taller. I think Nova has a very good chance to start right away. Fortuna's second league match, on 8/18, will be against PSV.

 

I'd imagine the Championship wages have only increased with the huge money influx into English football.

 

So this guy's comparatively unusual path (by U.S. standards) will have him in the Dutch first division by 22. What do we think of that trajectory?

 

Sometimes sidetracks avoid jams in the main road.

 

Go somewhere with realistic access to first team football.

Some places are known to give youth a chance. England is not one of those places anymore.

 

The Eredvisie is similar to Portugal that a oligarchy of top clubs are good European sides, but the rest of the league is no where near the talent of other big European leagues. Its perennial juggernauts of Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord are premier league level clubs. The majority of the rest of the clubs are on par with low Championship level clubs to mid League 1 clubs.

 

Sure but Reading is a bad Championship club. If he scores say at least 10 goals, Reading fans will bemoning his absence.

 

I'd like to fantasize I'd be a successful footballer in Nigeria

 

I love the trajectory. I think the lesson is going to a top developmental league when you're young can be a solid career choice. Just have to find the right team/league fit where playing time is likely. I frankly wish more of our players were able to start out in the Netherlands.

 

If that's not an option, maybe they can start out in England at clubs that will send them to the Netherlands.

 

We have had a number of young alums who performed well in the Netherlands while still considered young players and were able to move on to bigger clubs: DMB, Bradley, Jozy, Bacon, JOB, Miazga, Gibbs (was likely on his way until injury derailed his career)

I can only think of a handful who weren't able to use it to catapult onto something bigger: Nguyen, O'Neill, Robbie Rogers, Agudelo.

 

But Nguyen used it to become the equivalent of a DP in Vietnam, with a pretty good paycheque (very good for an American player in those days) and significant sponsorship income (as a Vietnamese who'd done good in America, and as a Vietnamese who'd played 1st division football in Europe he was very marketable). word had it that he was making a financial sacrifice by coming back to MLS.

Maybe he did use it to catapult to something bigger, just not bigger in sporting terms.

 

Good move. NEW THREAD TITLE: Semper Crescis: Andrija Novaokovich at Fortuna Sittard. @bungadiri - let's do away with this boring thread title and go all gothic!!! ha.

 

Well, Nguyen went to Randers first and was a part timer there. I agree the Vietnam move was lucrative and he was marketable, although frankly his first division time in time Europe around 25 appearances over 3+ seasons.

 

I had one, but it got merged with this one.

 

Good thread title.

I will still present mine though:

Andrija did it and he was a Sittard: Novakovich counts his cards in Eredivisie.

 

His last name is spelled wrong in the title

It's Novakovich

 

Are there any folks of Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian/Slovenian descent who aren't at least 6'2?

what do those folks drink/eat there?

 

It’s genetics.

 

Nope, it's nutrition. Dutch werenot the tallest a century ago, but the improved food and health care made bodies not spending energy on fighting diseases and the better food and saved energy went into growing.

 

Yet the fact that the dutch are now well-fed, and are the tallest group even in comparison with equally well-fed people, creates strong proof that height is largely controlled by genetics.

 

Genetics developed from diet in the past, which has continued as a practice in present day to bolster the "advantage". It takes a lot of time to significantly influence genetics through experience passed down for generations.

I also wouldn't say it's how much you eat rather the type of food consumed and how it's spread out. Look at most African descendants. They are some tall blokes. Wouldn't say they were well-fed, but they consumed a lot of meat and dairy, eating big meals to store until the next serving. Meanwhile, look at Asian cuisine. It's a lot of vegetables, grains, fish, and small portions of each.

 

???? Perhaps you are talking about a diet rich in mutagens that can speed up changes in the genetic make up of a group of people!