Starts: #FINALE im #Westfalenpokal! So startet die #U19 beim SV Lippstadt! VOOOOOOORWÄERS #SCHALKE!!! #schmiede #s04 pic.twitter.com/BCiwR8icEs— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) May 30, 2017
And he scores: 2.| Blitzstart! @NTaitague mit dem 1:0 gg. Lippstadt!!! #U19 #S04— Knappenschmiede (@knappenschmiede) May 30, 2017
I never know which thread to post the Schalke news lol. Oliver Ruhnert the youth technical director is stepping down. Worth noting that he brought in 3 Americans, and probably a 4th this year with Hanif Wright, so while I don't know if this means they'll end their interest in American youth players, it might not help that the guy who brought them all in is stepping down.
I think this is a big year for Nick. Schalke's U-19 team is loaded this year, maybe even more so than last year. Like half of their starters from last year were 99's and will return, and then they are bringing forth a pretty good '00 year, so I think Nick needs to assert himself as one of the best players on this team, which is what McKennie and Wright did. There should be like 10 99's vying for I can't think more than 4 contract spots, and it might not even be that. Last year was 3, the year before was 2. And right now, I'd probably say he's on the outside looking in from what I read, and the few games I've seen. Wouldn't be catastrophic to his career if he didn't get a first team contract, but I gotta think thats what he wanted to get, and its tough to see his two American buddies get a first team contract when he has a lot of work to do.
Played the first half in a friendly against Hannover. http://knappenschmiede.schalke04.de/de/aktuell/170716_u19_hannover/page/2896--6-6-.html
Schalke played against Real Madrid today (also Monaco, but Nick sat out that match). Here's a link to the match against Real Madrid. https://mycujoo.tv/ch/251?id=7660
Only 40 minute game played 32 of them. #7. Played Right forward in 4-3-3 in first half and left forward in 4-2-2 in 2nd. RMA scored right after he left the game. No causation just correlation? Check out his touches at game minute 9, 14,17, 20, 25 and you'll see why he's highly thought of. Short, stout, very quick feet, great ball control. Gives good defensive effort when the ball is near him. Tends to stand alot away from the ball. Wish he would show for the ball a little sooner. Struggles physically alittle. Offers nothing on headers or if ball is over his head. I'd like to see him as a #10 and see him work his quick close control in the gaps in the center of the park.
I'm stealing this comp (I think it was from Will Parchman), but Nick reminds me of Shinji Kagawa. I don't think he's very effective playing wide, agree that he's a #10. His game isn't really based on beating players off the dribble. He has deceptiveness with his ability to beat defenders, but its not really in 1v1 situations, more in a closed off space using his ball control, footwork, quickness (instead of raw pace) and smarts. What I think is very interesting is a lot of our best young attackers are looking like #10's, instead of wingers. Everyone laments about the lack of #10's in the player pool, but I think between Taitague, Carleton and Pomykal, you have three really high level #10 prospects for the NT, which will likely force Pulisic out wide once these players are playing for the NT. I think we are producing better #10's at the younger age levels right now than wingers.
To say the USMNT outlook is overzealous would be an understatement but agree in Taitague projecting as a more natural fit central. I haven't seen him show the temperament that I'd prefer in a true 10 which i would love to see, but his general profile seems like it makes him a good fit anywhere in the attacking midfield of a 4-2-3-1. Suits him far better than a more traditional 4-3-3 or any structure that ask him to provide a lot of width and isolate defenders. I prefer him in traffic with multiple other teammates and defenders in the picture.
anytime you take your best central playmaking attacker and put him on the the wing for less talented players (two of which arent really #10's), well you gotta do it!!!
I'm not sure Akale really fits into this discussion, despite being a winger. And with Perez, I've always thought that he was more of a #10. He was playing that position with the U-17's until Pulisic started playing it.
What has Taitague done to fit in this discussion if not Akale? Does Taitague have a a first team preseason appearance in the top league in the world? As for Perez, I think he can play as a 10 but his best position, IMO is as an inverted RW.
His status within the realm of American prospects hasn't fallen as much as Akale, although you could say he's getting there. I would not be completely surprised if Taitague is not a starter this season at Schalke. I get your point, but even so, I still think I preferred Taitague at his current age to Akale two years ago, and Taitague wasn't the whole point. I could keep going. I think Gio Reyna is even more of a #10-only than the others I named. Carranza's more of a #10, Efrain Alvarez is more of a #10 (whether he plays for Mexico or not, developed in LA). I don't think we are producing that many good wingers.
I have to admit, there's a part of me that fears that aside from a handful of players, we are completely over estimating our current group of prospects just like we always have. With that being said, I thought Taitague looked pretty good in this game, maybe even the best Schalke player. I could see him as either a 10 or a wing
It completely depends what one is expecting. Are we going to be Germany, Brazil, Spain, Argentina right away? Absolutely not. Could we produce a full XI worth of players playing at high level teams? I don't see why not. I think expecting us to become one of the best teams in the world right away is unrealistic. I don't think its realistic to make the Round of 8 at the 2018 WC, I'd even be surprised if we made the Round of 16. Our next goal as a National Team should be Round of 8 for 2022, and then go from there. Maybe in another 10-15 years we can compete at the top of the sport, but certainly not in the next cycle or two. And some of these players will definitely bust, thats the way it goes for all countries, but I do think our overall level of talent is improving at the youth levels. Could it just be a golden generation? Sure, but we are bordering on like 5 years at this point at some of these lower levels that we can say are more talented than the 90's, 91's, 92's, 93's, 94's, 95's, 96's were in their youth age groups, so I think its realistic to say we are improving, but not to any levels at this point that should have us become a world power, although we could make some improvements, and maybe thats a realistic benchmark for the NT eventually. I think within another few years that US fans will be able to say for sure that improvements are very obvious, and our program is more than trending in the right direction from a talent standpoint. I think we could say that now, but its not as obvious, unless you pay close attention to some of these younger age groups.
He was a sub today against Dortmund. Link to the game here. I'd post a review of how he played and how the match went, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone who might want to watch without knowing what happened. https://mycujoo.tv/ch/251?id=7898
All I will say is it's worth a watch. Also I hate to be that guy, but it looks like hes grown an inch or so since the last time I've seen him or I have bad memory.