Amon amongst boys: Jonathan at Lynbgy BK (Denmark)Nordsjælland (Denmark)

When do they start back up and can he come to camp cupcake?

 

In theory he could although Nordsjaelland can always deny him from playing in January camp.

Tab is also running a U.S. U-20 January camp where I think he is more likely to be on.

 

Next Superliga game for FCN is on 11. February 2018 ... and considering that he did not have a very long tiring first ½ season, I'm pretty sure FCN would let him play for the US in January ...

 

I think the most interesting part of this is that the club admits that they were going to extraordinary lengths to hide the player. It might be the lawyer in me but there has to be some malfeasance in there somewhere.

 

I have already answered this before ... FCN did not bring Amon to Denmark, he was invited by the technical director at Global Football School, Kenn Schmidt Nielsen, to visit Denmark, go through a few trials and then study at KIES (Copenhagen Sports Academy (boarding school) :

We do not have sport affiliated university colleges, unlike in the USA, where sports are an integrated part of going to college. KIES Sports Academy is for all kinds of students who are more into dancing or sports than the average student ..they are inspired by and follow much the same principles as the 'Folk high school' so they are not really suppose to be for a small elite of top prospects, they would rather join a club Academy ..

Never the less, the FCN assistant coach Søren Krogh, who was then working both at KIES as a teacher and as U19 coach at FCN, discovered Amon and probably asked him if he would like to be a member of the club so he could attend school at Kies, while also training with FCN’s U-17 and later U-19 team..

When they then discovered how good he really was, inspite the little training he had, they found it best not to let him play too many games in the U-19 league, because it's heavliy scouted by foreign clubs and they then also send him away 4 months to their 'Right to Dream' Academy in Ghana... but yes ... I have never seen them go to such extraordinary lengths to hide a player before.

 

Amon seem to be getting a new team-mate ... and yet another U-21 international.. This time the Norwegian left back/CB/DM Ulrik Yttergård Jenssen, who is a regular starter for the Norwegian U-21 NT ... The transfer fee is said to be €500k (which is the maximum limit FCN want to pay for any player they sign).
https://www.transfermarkt.com/ulrik-jenssen/nationalmannschaft/spieler/239044/verein_id/16854

 

Danish winter vacation commercial break, starring Mads Mikkelsen :

 

Called up to the United States U-20 national team January camp

 

Really excited to see FC Nordsjaelland winger Jonathan Amon getting a call-up for the U-20 January camp. He's had a terrific start to his pro career in Denmark the past two months.

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) December 29, 2017

Thanks Brian

 

Obviously it is great to see Amon back in the US fold after the start he's had to his pro career.

It does make me wonder why Nordsjaelland would allow him to play for the U.S. U-20 team in a camp like this (I would understand if it was the U-20 WC or U-20 WC qualifying but meaningful games for the YNT are still at least a year out). FCN can block it as clubs are never required to let a player go for any YNT event.

I get why Lokeren would allow someone like Juan Pablo Torres to play for the US U-20s here since he needs games and isn't a key part of the team yet.

But to Nordsjaelland, Amon is both a prized asset for a future sale and a starter who is producing. There is always an injury/fatigue risk playing in these sorts of things. Why take it?

I understand that if it was a full national team call-up on a FIFA date, they would have to let him go. I also understand that having a player on a full NT is a resume booster that helps increase a pricetag. The same can be said for having a player participate at a major YNT event like a U-20 WC.

But a relatively minor U-20 call-up? What's in it for FCN to allow him to play? I only see a downside

 

It doesn’t interfere with their season, so possible upsides...

• success with our u20s and ultimately USMNT would increase his value?
• They could also see it as a positive of training in a different environment with players his own age might build his confidence?
• Ensures he comes back after break in shape?
• Makes sure to keep their player happy?
• Build a reputation as a club that alllows this and puts them in a good spot to land other young American players?

It makes sense for clubs to cooperate when they can. This seems like about as opportune time for the club. It lets the ynt coaches get a look early on and get an understanding of where our coaches see their player with the team. They can not let him go any other time they want. I’m not aware of any higher probability of injury... it is something you always risk.

 

Sorry if already posted but a video from earlier this month where his teammates appear to say some nice things:

 

Reminds Charlie Davies somewhat. Hopefully just the good part of Davies.

 

He’s a lot trickier than Charlie. Charlie in 2008-2009 was pure speed and power, a physical beast.

I actually think he’s a little bit like a young, Chicago Fire/PSV era Beasley. Not perfect technique but courageous with speed and quickness for days.

 

This one is also a physical beast. And Beasley was 120 lb kid with high center of gravity and soccer IQ of a genius to compensate for that.

 

Beasley always out-performed his skill set somehow. You’re right that Amon has a low center of gravity. He shields the ball well. That’s always a good sign when a kid can do that against men.

 

New US portrait: https://isiphotos.photoshelter.com/...T_tOxkTxO1eEfnENvi1MSi5Aw1Z5AKAAsvJ2E-&GI_ID=

 

Well .. the owner of Lyngby, Hellerup Finans, has just declared bankruptcy, and with no money left, Lyngby only have 11 days to find a new owner or a sponsor to be able to pay their players monthly wages ... So I doubt they will be much of a challenge for FCN all considering ... already before the start of this season they had financial problems and so had trouble getting the Danish FA to renew their Superliga license... and they only got it due to a financial guarantee made by the owner who has now gone bankrupt ...

It's not the first time Lyngby may suffer releagtion due to financial trouble, because they also went bankrupt in 2001, but back then they were allowed to finish the season fielding amateur players, or players who were either willing to stay or sign up to work for free .. In 2001 they went bankrupt just before the winter break and had to field a mixed team of youth and 2nd team player plus some players from their old boys team in the last game that they lost 0-7 to AGF Aarhus .. all their players were automatically released from their contracts, but in the winter break they then held an audition where almost 120 players came to show their worth and sign up to play the last half season for free, if they got selected ... and though they obviously finished dead last in the Superliga, they put up a fairly good fight, even though they had nothing really to play for, because they were getting bumped all the way down to the Denmark Series (the 4th tier) by the Danish FA.

This time around they will also get bumped several levels if they are declared bankrupt, but due to the last time it happened, the rules were changed, so they will not be allowed to finish the season, but are just going to lose all their remaining games by 0-3 ... should they escape going bankrupt and be saved by a financial reconstruction within the next few days or so, they will still get punished by the Danish FA ... according to the rules, they should suffer a 6 points deduction, though we will have to see .. but I'm sure Randers are getting their hopes up now ...

 

So you’re saying this will be a good game to watch if we want to see some goals?

 

I'm saying that the Lyngby players surely have more important things to worry about right now ... like if they still got a job 11 days from now ... so difficult to say how they will perform in a friendly like this...

 

The good thing is they will all be free agents and can be picked up by any team at any time correct? Not just during transfer windows?

 

Yes, they will all become free agents ... but lets see what happens ... last season the Lyngby management and the owners behind Brighton were having serious talks over forming a professional partnership with the plan of Brighton sending DKK 75 million = € 10 m = around £ 9 m (or $12.3 million) to Lyngby in return of being the majority shareholder... but then Brighton surprisingly won promotion to the English PL and the plan was dropped and the offer withdrawn ... it will take around £ 1 million to save Lyngby from going bankrupt, so an offer in that range to buy the club will do the job ...
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/feature...king-buy-danish-top-tier-club-lyngby-boldklub

.Lyngby finished 3rd in the Superliga last season after they had won promotion :
https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/danmark/superligaen/2016-2017/

... and they are kind of a smaller verison of FCN, known to produce highly talented players for export and for the top teams in the Superliga (not least FCN), but just selling them much too cheaply due to their financial problems ... so unlike FCN, they are in a kind of vicious circle, where they are forced to sell their young players too cheaply as a short-term solutions which will not help them in the long run...