I am disinterested in being your spectacle (you asked about a haircut) but I am going to point out that in the same page of threads where you are proclaiming "ignore Juve" you are also like "Juve get shaved bald," so please decide whether you want to engage or put your head in the sand. Comes down to it the people tossing bricks at me are bigger drama queens than I could possibly ever be. "I can't deal with words or long posts in a format which is basically words and youtube links.......waaaaaaaaaaaaaah." You want to be on a bulletin board and.....not.....read? FWIW I am fine with "consider the source" but the "ignore Juve" stuff is political BS coming from people who wouldn't know a playoff season coming if they saw one (TX Bill, who didn't think we had it in us last year) or people who think that if Barrett just puts more effort behind Manotas he keeps his job. Indeed, consider the source.
Bornstein put one team in and one out in 2010 cycle, AJ did the same in 2014 cycle, and some other teams did it to us for a rare instance in 2018 cycle. You are not going to get people half-doing it at the end of a cycle, even as the clock runs out, because while our advancement may be secured, the B and C team we run out is playing for a roster slot. The basic problem with the US team is the obvious pool candidates had some flaws in basic ways, age, inconsistent quality or outright lack of form. Keeper fell off but a Howard alternative never emerged. The defense never got patched. Central midfield fell off. And then you had this inertia where even seeing we had problems, the coaches acted as if constrained and basically kept iteratively working the same short lists. So it's like these backs can't play and yet we're going over and over the same 8 guys. No one was like take a risk and go down to 9, 10, etc. This odd paradox of "this isn't going to get us to Russia" and yet "I am going to tie my fate to the same people already sending me over the falls." We needed to take risks and didn't. Also, Arena came in emphasizing team defense and numbers back and then for reasons I will never understand we came back in the post-summer games reverted to throwing numbers forward. As such, look at the table stats, we led the Hex in GF but also allowed a ton of GA. If you want to change our fortunes, go back to historical USA strengths, organization and team defense combined with counter-punching through the solid attack we already have.
Couple things, we have something of an identity crisis and some issues at several positions, and I think the coaching choice will be hugely important re whether the program finds focus and picks a goal that suits the personnel. At the end of the Klinsmann era he seemed to have lost the plot both idealistically (I will commit to playing an open way, and run out the players suited to that) and cynically (I will play 3 DM, who are young and mobile enough to clog...), and the team thus ended up in between, capable of both scoring and allowing a lot. Arena initially committed to defense but he also was dealing with injuries, and so he felt pressure to incorporate the players who missed his initial wins, and to me muddled his whole approach. And then, get down to it, TnT didn't belong on the field with us, he didn't put out fresh enough players, like I was saying about the inability to take risk, he saw the risk in abandoning the Panama slate and not in running out people too tired to do the job, on a heavy field. We have for decades benefitted from the continuity allowed by consistent winning. Teams like Mexico have been the ones who spin their wheels and run through coaches. I'm a little peeved we wasted the end of this cycle in coach hiring and will be getting going next cycle no faster than teams that did make it. But it will be very important whether we find a new identity and then ruthlessly and with whatever risk is needed find the people to execute the identity. Right now we are just adrift, no coach, can't decide if we want to become more slick or what we have been, holes all over the formation. Our talent level is such that we should be top 3 every time. But the region is catching up, and we have lost the plot.
So does the Dynamo get to claim him as a success story for the academy? http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Former-Dynamo-Sebastien-Ibeagha-signs-with-NYCFC-12714450.php
Why on earth would we claim him? Stayed in college rather than sign here, played for Carolina Dynamo rather than here, family was on the self-defeating anti-MLS warpath, would rather play in the Icelandic Beer League than sign here, and let's be real, the description of him as being here a season is not quite accurate. Signed, loaned down from the get go, and then I believe by summer we washed our hands of him with a nominal loan outside our system. That being said, the Academy page lists all the pros including people with even shorter cups of coffee here. Irony, since his family's whole MLS Hater thing is how you're stuck in a long term deal. Less flip, I'd have to see him play. It sounds like he rebounded last season somewhat, but at a minor league level, so we'll see. All the bouncing around means he's already 26.
I could get into a whole discussion of how just because Ford watches what Chevy does, doesn't mean Ford wants to be Chevy, but let me come at this a different way. What if, together with the free agent and loan veterans we specialize in, we could mix in a few guys off a list like Fagundez, Adams, Gonzalez, Acosta, Morris, or Glad. So you keep the free agents plus the academicians, and instead of needing MLS debris just to fill out an XI, maybe I have to resort to that for the bench. And instead of having to buy or trade for everyone, or wait and hope I can pick them in a draft, I sign them, and sometimes it's a minimum salary signing to boot. I guess it hurts your feelings to discuss this in association with Dallas, but the principle is general, and the value is obvious. And many teams do it better than we do. Maybe if I don't list which ones have better academies you'll consider the idea instead of going all "rivalry" on the discussion. To be more pointed, we already have the academy anyway, have had the same feckless head of academy since roughly when it started, and are presumably dumping $x into this already, why not ditch the ineffective dude and ponder whether money we are already going to spend can be more productive. I mean, we pinch pennies like no one's business, and yet is anyone policing how much we spend on the academy for what end product? I could be forgiven for seeing it as expensive advertising while other teams can use it as a player creator. And that's not even getting to, Montreal just sold Tabla to Barca, this is a process that could actually make money. I mean, it's not like it's Ajax's business model.
https://www.deseretnews.com/article...-dream-come-true-with-RSLs-soccer-campus.html why can't we have nice things?
Talk to the guy who doesn't want us to compare our efforts/outlay to what anyone else does, lest ye be called a closet fan of whatever other team you compare. The difference to me is Hansen is a richer businessman with a history of giving back, whereas our people see this as a side business they want to make a profit. That being said, we are a better soccer team right now than RSL is, but RSL has the perfect concept for the academy and community aspects.
The Varsity coach at my school and I will be working weekends to construct a facility like this one for us in Houston. Completion date TBD.
"It may not be the same quality materials, it may fall over in a strong wind -- and while I am at it, please sign the waiver -- but it's our soccer training shed.....and, yes, the field size is a shed. We aren't exactly Jerry Jones Rich."
He used an automatic complaint letter generator (bottom of post). I think the insinuation was that complaints about me are so rife and rote that you could create an app, check a series of boxes, and have a computer write them for you. My response would be that the people who almost live at the stadium should by now have even more critical thoughts accumulated than I do. I think it's a peculiarly American thing, in imitation of some cardboard cutout version of England, to act like supporters are supposed to support their teams at all times. The reality is they are more like Texans fans, played it since 5, watched it since 5, and while they are excited for the winning years they know rubbish when they see it. Weaker team fans know in their bones a Leicester miracle is their only chance, and that the more monied teams are trotting out more expensive talent. The better teams know they are in for a chance but in England there is no postseason, you're #1 or not, and if it's not you the rest are grumbling at the coach the players the board you name it. Ironically the people who tend to be the most ferverently loyal without criticism tend to be hooligans who identify with the team almost more at the symbolic level of Raiders caps. More to the point, for me, naranja and I were having a conversation and generally of a mind on the academy, and rey jumps in with a "who listens to Juve" type post. I abhor that kind of political, why the evidence is right there staring you in the face, rubbish. I remember TXBill going on a similar campaign last offseason right after he said we wouldn't make the playoffs, and see such campaigns as drenched in such fallibility. I could understand if some soccer genius was giving me stick but often enough it's people who either get things wrong or avoid risky or pointed opinions.
Who says the Dynamo can’t sign and develop homegrown talent!!!! http://www.houstondynamo.com/post/2018/03/08/dynamo-sign-homegrown-talent-first-ever-emls-competitor
Leave it to the Dynamo to turn a futuristic pseudoevent with fun potential into "forward-thinking initiative in an effort to continue to grow our brand" corporate cliche. And of course he talks about signing "Memo" -- like we don't have one of those already -- when he could say we brought in "HOU Kid M3Mito." If you sign a gamer talk about the gamer name.
The Dynamo U-17 team is playing in the GA Cup in Frisco over the next few days. March 23, 2018 Monterrey vs. Houston Dynamo 9:00 AM CT March 25, 2018 Real Salt Lake vs. Houston Dynamo 9:00 AM CT March 27, 2018 Orlando City vs. Houston Dynamo 9:00 AM CT Their first game is streaming on YouTube right now:
Houston loses 3-1 in a 70minute game Brief take HOU not much possession - couldn't pass out of the back due to all the pressure all over the field Monterrey had more speed every where
Dynamo U-17 finished last in their group at the GA Cup. Houston drew RSL U-17 on Sunday, 2-2, and then won the shootout, 8-7. Some of the games originally scheduled for Tuesday were moved to Monday. They are trying to get the tournament finished before the rough weather moves into Texas on Wednesday. In the re-scheduled game Houston lost to Orlando U-17, 1-0. Group D final standings: x - Monterrey 6 pts +2 Orlando City SC 6 pts +0 Real Salt Lake 4 pts +1 Houston Dynamo 2 pts -3 NOTE: teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 1 point for a shootout win. Monterrey advances to play the winner of Group C in the semis of the Premier Division. The other semi is Seattle v. Montreal.
They are also the worst of the U-18/19 academy teams, though midtable, in the US Soccer Development league. People think I grumble for the sake of grumbling. They are marginally better than traditional club teams and trailing the pack of academy teams. If they showed up here looking amazing, wow, we forget about winning and make players. But at the rate and minutes we see, it's like they aren't doing either task well. My one hope on it is there was an article where they hired a former Serie A Sierra Leonean named Kallon. I think they need more high quality coach hires plus a new man at the top. The reality is the only time the HGP system looked effective was the cherry pick period that produced Dixon and Deric.
https://www.rgvfc.com/news_article/show/905361?referrer_id=2591541 i don't know if they are any good -- though semis at Dallas Cup is nothing to shake a stick at -- but I am curious if they come within our dibs rights as HGP.
I find this telling: http://events.gotsport.com/events/s...391&FieldID=0&applicationID=4475798&action=Go So these exist (and their academy almost looks better than ours)? http://events.gotsport.com/events/s...391&FieldID=0&applicationID=4457019&action=Go http://events.gotsport.com/events/s...391&FieldID=0&applicationID=4313932&action=Go What is this? http://events.gotsport.com/events/s...391&FieldID=0&applicationID=4460242&action=Go These did OK: http://events.gotsport.com/events/results.aspx?EventID=61391&GroupID=661969&Gender=Boys&Age=19 But then they weren't in this: http://events.gotsport.com/events/results.aspx?EventID=61391&GroupID=661968&Gender=Boys&Age=19