Anton Peterlin at Walsall

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

DMN I don't know how you do it but it is really amazing how you find all these YA's. If there was money to be made in it you would be a millionare, possibly a billionare.

The fusion are a pdl team right? Is Anton going to Everton now or in the summer?

It's one to keep track of. Maybe start checking reserve games in the next couple of weeks to see if he is there yet.

“I’m Danish and proud of it!” says his cal poly profile. He should be able to get a passport through his father it sounds like.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

I'd be very surprised if a guy from a decent but not high-end college program who wasn't All America and began his career at a DIII school and wasn't invited to the MLS combine and not taken in the draft was good enough to make the roster of an EPL team - and one doing pretty well this year - even if it's just to be fodder for the reserve team roster.

Granted, he wouldn't be the first player to be completely missed by our system of scouts and coaches who went on to the big time but I'd still be surprised.

Plus, the guy has no eligibility left and he's signed on to play PDL ball this summer? If he's good enough for an EPL team, even to tryout, I'd like to think he'd be spending the summer playing at a higher level than the PDL.

Consider me very skeptical.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Sandon makes a good point. Perhaps if Everton pass maybe they can give him a recommendation. I'm a little surprised he didn't start out lower in terms of leagues. Maybe he wants to start at the top and work his way down the ladder?

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Ah yes. The "Jovan Kirovski approach".

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Anton has several MLS teams chasing him. Everyone was very surprised he didn't get called into the MLS Combine, even with some top MLS coaches requesting him to be there. Then again, there were several players missing from the combine.

He just shut down RSL in a friendly and is looking forward towards Everton. They know who he is and have requested him to get a look! But having Graham Smith does help as him and DM are good friends!

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

KEYT in Santa Barbara just reported on their 11:00 news that Peterlin has signed a full contract with Everton.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/apr/30/a-life-changing-trip/

There were plenty of signs that Anton Peterlin had arrived at a Mecca of the game.

Like the soccer-mad taxi driver who gave him a tour of Liverpool, regaling him with stories of one of the greatest intracity rivalries in world sport.

Like the 40,000 singing supporters who piled into 117-year-old Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon for the F.A. Cup quarterfinal win over Middlesbrough. And then there was the parking lot at Finch Farm, Everton Football Club’s sparkling new training facility, which was chocked full of Range Rovers, Bentleys and Audi R8s.

“All the nice cars,” said Peterlin. “They’re there. It’s tough not to notice them.”

Especially for a college senior on the spring break of a lifetime.

Peterlin, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s senior captain, has been offered a contract by Everton of the English Premier League after spending 10 days in March on trial in Liverpool.

After previous trials with the San Jose Earthquakes and Chicago Fire, the San Francisco native will go from the Big West to the big time this summer.

All that’s missing the movie deal.

“It’s cliché to say, but it really is dream come true,” said Peterlin.

“I’ve always aspired to play at the highest level.”

Peterlin earned the tryout with a spectacularly steady season last summer for the Ventura County Fusion, the local entry in the Premier Development League, the fourth tier of American soccer. He was recommended to Everton manager David Moyes by Fusion coach Graham Smith.

“I felt he had a chance,” said Smith. “He’s a very intelligent young boy. He will go into medicine if he doesn’t make it as a soccer player. He has the mental capacity as well as the physical capacity to succeed.”

Smith first saw Peterlin playing for Cal Poly while the coach was sitting alongside Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid, the former UCLA and Los Angeles Galaxy coach.

“I’d never seem him and he’d never seen him,” said Smith. “But we both looked at each other and we knew who was running the game.”

Although his initial goal on his first day at Finch Farm, training with Everton reserves, was not to look out of place.

“I was more nervous Monday, the first time out,” said Peterlin, who was joined in on the trip by Smith and Wake Forest striker Cody Arnoux.

“But we had a good training sesson in front of Moyes and spoke to him at lunch.”

By the time he joined the first team, and international stars like Australian attacker Tim Cahill, Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta and American goalkeeper Tim Howard, the nerves were gone.

“It was different than American training,” said Peterlin. “It was very directed at pressure, pressure, pressure. Very concentrated. Very organized. We did some technical work.

“It was a good mix. The two hours flew by.”

As the week went on, he settled right into the high-caliber of play.

“I was so in love with it,” said Peterlin. “I enjoyed the level on which they played. I thought I played pretty well throughout.”

Said Smith: “Moyes put him immediately with the first team and Anton did not look out of place. For eight days, he applied himself tremendously well.”

Apparently, Moyes agreed.

“Anton really impressed myself and the coaching staff with his attitude and undoubted ability,” said Moyes in a statement released by the Fusion. “We are therefore delighted to give him the chance to establish a professional career here at Everton.”

Announced to the team during the Fusion’s preseason campaign, the news of Peterlin’s offer dropped a few jaws.

“There was a bit of gasp around the circle,” said Smith.

Partly because of how far away the Premiership is to young American players. Because of British employment laws and eligibility rules, usually only top U.S. internationals can sign with the top English clubs. Peterlin, born to Danish and Slovenia parents, holds an EU passport as a dual Danish-American citizen.

Partly because Peterlin, as a holding midfielder, plays one of the most important, and most invisible, roles on the pitch.

“It’s not a glamour position,” said Peterlin. “I get my joy when we clean up dirty little messes and get into scraps.”

So he can play with the Fusion this summer, Peterlin will not sign the contract until Everton arrives for its preseason tour of the U.S. in July.

“I have a lot to give back to the Fusion,” said Peterlin. “That’s why I’m playing with them. But whenever Everton calls, I’m going to go.”

As he told the team in Monday’s team meeting ahead of Friday’s season opener against Bakersfield at Buena High, Smith believes Peterlin is just the first Fusion player to make a career in Europe.

“I believe that Anton will be the forerunner,” said Smith. “That is what we are here for."

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

According to the article he won't sign the contract until this summer.

Still, an amazing story. This kid just came out of nowhere.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

A midfielder, you say? Perhaps the US should try him at left back!

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

There's a lot of talent out there.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Holy shit. This guy is the new Jay Demerit!

Anyone else find it slightly weird that he's not signing a contract until July and being allowed to play with Fusion this summer??

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

This is more than unbelievable. I'd be interested to hear Yallop's view on the subject, as apparently the Quakes passed on him. Kid must've had one hell of a week.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

In 2007. Fusion 0-4 Everton, Anichebe, Pienaar, Osman and Beattie scored.

http://venturacountyfusion.com/index.cfm?action=core.menu.page&page_id=5043

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Well, I was wrong about this one!

Congrats to the kid. It's obviously great for him and his check book.

If I'm the president of an MLS team I'd like an explanation from my coaches and GM about how none of our draft picks were used on a player good enough to sign for a Top 10 Premiership team that's in the FA Cup final.

I mean, he can make a team like that but NO team in MLS thought he was worthy of a draft pick?

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

You are correct, unbelievable!!! MLS coached surely look at the wrong stuff in evaluating a player. Probably stuff like, he is not too fast, he is short, he is not physical, instead of checking for way of controlling the ball, passing, vision, and just calming the game. We are way too high on physical attributes, a Lionel Messi playing right now locally could not make an MLS team, no way in hell.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

He's listed at 5'11" and 170 lbs.

I don't know why MLS coaches passed on him but I doubt that it was for being too small.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

English clubs are hardly infallible talent scouts. Hopefully he'll do well, but I'll wait to criticize MLS until he shows he can do the business. He didn't show much ability to get forward in college, only scoring 2 goals and having 3 assists in 60 games or so. Even for a d-mid, that's not very much production for a serious pro prospect. He also only became a recognized player in the conference his senior season. I thought his 1st Team Big West award in 08 had him deserving of a look in the Superdraft, but you would think a Prem level talent could dominate against that level of competition for more than one season.

My guess is that he's tough and athletic and game, allowing him to show well in a short trial. And he had the right recommendations. We'll see if he's a late bloomer, and if he can take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity.

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Goal! The Dream Begins, lol

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Guys, I know its such a cliche on these boards, and I know this kid still hasn't technically proven himself, but i mean, how does pretty much every level of US soccer miss this kid? I mean is he even playing in USL? and to just go to Everton and get offered a contract after a week says alot... still, I doubt this story has the fairy tale ending we all hope

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

I spent a little time perusing the Everton fan boards to see what is being said about this guy. No one has any clue who he is, in fact 2 of the boards post this thread as the source for info. Everyone is surprised that a player from the US 4th division could make a premiership roster, and expect him to play in the reserves for the start of the season at least. Most seem dubious that he could ever reach the 1st team.
The rest of the talk is about how poor scouting and youth development are in the US, ...

 

Re: Everton Trial for Anton Peterlin?

Let's wait too see how he does at Everton first.

In any case, congrats and good luck to him.