Juan Pablo Torres at KSC Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen (Belgium)

Interview: https://walowblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/27/player-interview-juan-pablo-torres/

 

Torres has been playing with the reserves lately. Lokeren bought a couple of CMs and Torres was pushed out of the first team. I hope he can regain his spot on the first team because Belgium is a high level. As talented as Juan is, the other players are better. If he ever becomes a regular with the first team, he should be considered for the USMNT.

 

Relevant Quote from that article that may quell some fears about him bolting for Colombia.

 

I think the big challenge for Torres will be just making the US U-20 team. That won’t be easy

 

Why do you think that?

 

He didn’t do that well in the game against France?

 

One bad game and now he isn't part of the team? He wasn't the only one who played poorly.

 

Because the position is pretty deep right now in the U-20 pool

 

Who do you see as his primary competition within the u20's?

 

Just off the top of my head? Adams, Durkin, Ledezma, Sands, Goslin

 

Torres has mostly been coming on as a sub in the last 10-20 minutes of Lokeren's preseason games. He did start on July 1, when Lokeren beat KVV Zelzate 0-6.

 

Starts 2nd half in friendly against AZ:

👀 Quiz:

❓Wie ziet de voormalig AZ’er bij Lokeren?#azlok pic.twitter.com/RGg4LtpYWQ

— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) July 14, 2018

 

On the bench:

#TEAMSHEET Nieuwkomer Anton Saroka start meteen in de basis! #LokZag pic.twitter.com/SnwkT833LB

— KSC Lokeren - Temse (@KSCLokeren) July 22, 2018

 

I'll admit I'm surprised he made the US U20 WCQ squad, because he hasn't been making 1st team appearances in Belgium. Perhaps he has done well with the reserve squad.

MIDFIELDERS (6): 6-Brandon Servania (FC Dallas; Birmingham, Ala.), 7-Juan Pablo Torres (K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen/BEL; Lilburn, Ga.), 8-Alex Mendez (SC Frieburg/GER; Los Angeles, Calif.), 10-Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; Highland Village, Tex.), 15-Anthony Fontana (Philadelphia Union; Newark, Del.), 18-Isaac Angking (New England Revolution; Providence, R.I.)

https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...yer-roster-for-2018-concacaf-u20-championship

 

Remember callups are dependent on club permission. Anyone whose getting any regular playing time isn't going to get permission.

 

He is not that strong but he is good defensively and good on the ball.

 

He wasn't getting *any* 1st team appearances, which is different than last season, where he at least made the squad and some appearances. I was starting to wonder if he might be injured. He just disappeared compared to his previous season.

 

Slightly OT for this thread, but I'm surprised that the Union let 3 players be called up, especially McKenzie, who has 17 starts this season, including their last 4 games.

I get that he's important to the U-20s, but that decision is going to get some heavy criticism if they lose early in the playoffs.

 

OTOH whats the point of even having a U20 tourney if the only players who participate are the ones who never play for their clubs or don't even have clubs to play for??

besides, "heavy" criticism aint happening anytime for curtin and co....otherwise he wouldnt still be coach in the first place

 

Turns out that he won't be released until the international break or until Philly gets knocked out, whichever comes first, so kind of a moot point.

Though this 34-team expanded U-20 tournament really doesn't have much of a point.

 

If a guy is fading out of the picture, clubs are usually more than happy to release him for NT games and doubly so for YNT matches. At least he has a shot at PT and is in the shop window if he does.

If he succeeds at the tourney, he'll have his mojo back. If he doesn't, they're no worse off than they were before the callup.

 

On the bench

Dit is het wedstrijdblad voor de Wase derby! #wbelok #jpl pic.twitter.com/dqVVB5dvbd

— SK Beveren (@SKBeveren) December 22, 2018

 

Headed to NYCFC:

1088753781326602240 is not a valid tweet id

 

That NYCFC is now bringing all this fringe American talent in is a turn of events I didn't foresee. Parks and now Torres. Almost like they put them on a transfer want list in the Spring of 2018 and the City Group just got around to buying them. Not realizing that they haven't done much since.

As MLS sells guys like Adams and Durkin and Richards, being a fall back or relaunch pad for Americans that went to Europe young is a perfectly great thing. Maybe NYCFC can turn these guys around and sell them back like Columbus with Steffan.

Canouse is an obvious example too. Josh Perez another not so successful one. Lots of guys that have not broken into a Top 4 league that could use a change of scenery. With the rules on non-EU players, it is not easy to move from Germany to anywhere except Scandinavia.