Nick Taitague at Schalke

Wasn't sure, my mistake.

 

Can't really tell, but is that Weston in that picture?

 

Yes

 

All 3 Yanks start:

#U19-Start11 beim @FCBayern. Um 16 Uhr rollt der Ball.
➡️ LIVE-Ticker: https://t.co/m1YbtOry64#DM2017 #schmiede #s04 #JungeMeister2017 pic.twitter.com/riqskL85RR

— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) May 10, 2017

 

Just drew a penalty

 

So we are using this thread today? lol

Its 2-1 at the half. A Felix Götze own goal, and then the goalie fouled Taitague, so Kubler scored the PK. Not sure it was a foul, but if the ref calls it, it counts.

I would say all three Schalke Americans have been above-average, no more. Its a really disjointed game.

 

I thought Nick had a decent match. Whether he dove or not, he drew his team a penalty in the first half. He also had some nice moments on the ball. You can tell his feet are excellent, very quick, complete control of the ball. In the second half, he was a very un-selfish play to lay the ball off to Haji for a shot at the top of the box, and that was a goal. So you could say he actually had two assists, since the drawn penalty+ conversion will count as an assist. He's not completely all the way there with his play at this level. I thought the other two Americans had a bigger impact on the game, but Nick's also a year younger, and showed some nice elements, along with contributing to some goals. He was subbed off in minute 68.

 

Tab Ramos said Schalke was uncooperative when it came to releasing Taitague (and McKennie) for the U-20 WC:

https://www.socceramerica.com/article/73334/tab-ramos-looks-for-improved-offense-at-u-20-world.html

 

More here with comments from Schalke.

 

Schalke's statements don't really contradict what Ramos said in terms of release.

Schalke said that the U.S. U-20 team could have Weston "at the earliest possible moment" - which means after Schalke's U-19 season.

Schalke have the semifinal 2nd leg next Tuesday and should advance after winning the first leg 3-1 on the road. Then the final is on May 22 which is after the start of the U-20 World Cup

I am not sure what Schalke means when they say Tab could have called him up

 

It might mean "The guys are so good that even coming late they would help more than the bunch of mediocre attacking players that you called. Do you really needed all of them?". Or not.

 

They'd miss the first match. They could technically be available for the second match. Maybe off the bench, would be similar to playing an international match on a Tuesday and then having a club match the next Friday when you return. Obviously a tough situation traveling over different continents, but that fact alone should not completely rule a player out for three days later.

And if you feel like these guys are good enough, I don't see the point in not taking them, if you feel they deserve to be on the team. You don't use up all 21 spots the first game. Even if you make three subs, and subs at their positions, you can probably go without a few players the first match.

 

Starts:

Die Aufstellungen für das Halbfinal-Rückspiel #S04FCB. #FCBU19 #packmas #JungeMeister2017 pic.twitter.com/3J0sFyzcdz

— FC Bayern Campus (@fcbayerncampus) May 16, 2017

 

This was the first full game I've watched of the trio. Taitague usually comes off around the 70-75th minute and now it kind of makes sense why. Schalke presses hard and often, and Nick was the workhorse of it. Really flies around the other team's end and still has to get back quickly when they break midfield.

 

I don't see a big presence from Nick right now at this level, and thats what I read is often the case for him. He has some flashes of really nice skill, but seems to be a little less active than the other two Americans. He's in the younger age group of the two for this U-19 team, so its fine, nothing to really worry about. Give him another year. I'd like to see him play centrally next year, I think playing on the wing hurts his game.

 

I'll post this in one thread, I really wish we could just combine the threads.

http://www.goal.com/de/news/3643/ex...igsblau?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

Watched the entire game, he was good but not great in the way that some of his moves or passes didn't come off. It's close enough that you can feel that's it's almost there.

Good dribbler, good passer, turns with the ball very easily, defensive work rate is A+ and he is decent defensively.

 

3 Yanks starting in cup match today:

#U19-Start11 gg. #BVB! VOOOOOORWÄRTS, #Schalke! #Westfalenpokal #Halbfinale #S04 #schmiede pic.twitter.com/bzQwP080tD

— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) May 26, 2017

 

18. | TOOOOR! @NTaitague trifft zum 2:0! #schmiede

— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) May 26, 2017

Nick added to the scoreline!

 

And another:

69. | #U19 6:0 #BVB U19 #Schmiede Torschütze: @NTaitague #S04

— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) May 26, 2017

 

I'm not too familiar with U-19 Bundesliga action, but is Schalke beating BVB 6-0 something expected? I'd think BVB would have a strong academy too, no?

 

They do have a strong academy. This result is kind of unexpected, but maybe BVB is not playing their best XI for whatever reason.

 

They probably rested a good number of players after the U19 final on Monday.

 

So, Wright had 3 and Taitague had 2? That's pretty impressive: 5 goals for our boys today!

 

On the shitty end of that shelling appears to be Will Pulisic. Sucks for him.

https://mobile.twitter.com/BVBJugend