I think you're wrong on this one. If he can keep learning how to defend, he brings such a different view/set of skills to outside back.
I'm going to be honest, this sounds like an awful lot of projecting onto him based on pretty limited evidence. Did it occur to you, for instance, that maybe he didn't look you in the eye when you talked to him because he didn't know you? It's not exactly uncommon to be shy around someone you don't know.
He may be one of those guys that's especially shy around women. After years of thinking that he'd ruined his career by coming to San Jose, I now see him evolving into the player he was meant to be.
I watched him talking to guys in the room in the same way. He does the same thing in his TV interviews. I talked to his brother too, who establishes eye contact, so it doesn’t seem to be a family trait. TT doesn’t come across as shy at all. In fact, he can get rolling and rattle off a lot of stuff. I just think there are more than a few reasons why coaches have not given TT much playing time. It’s not just that they are boring coaches or don’t like young players.
You are right. He has been a pro much too long and he is just now getting started. Still , he is 23 going on 24 and is 9 months younger than Nick Lima who went to college , been a pro only two years and already has two USMNT caps. I like Lima a lot and up until this season, I thought he would be the man on the US team but currently, or so far this season, Tommy has been playing much better and is way more consistent. Honestly, I don't see Lima as a full fledged national teamer currently. Especially if he can't even really start and shine at his club which is the criteria for getting picked. Ever since our horrid month of March though, Tommy has been the better player. Final tournament rosters have a limit of 23 players with 3 GK's , 8 defenders , 7-8 mids and 4-5 forwards. When it comes down to numbers, I don't see either TT or Lima getting picked but again, 2022 is still 3 years away and there are a lot of games to be played and much improvement to be made between now and then.
At least he's good at looking directly at the camera to say the Quakes are done sucking and about to kick ass!
My daughter really like TT so we have been able to meet him several times. Generally he has been very kind and receptive but I can tell he is shy on a 1:1 situation. TT shares a lot on Instagram and is probably one of the best ones on the team, he also shares his time a lot on other soccer rendezvous for the community. He seems like a great ambassador the Quakes. Early in the season when he was just starting at RB, I asked how he liked being there, he responded with "I just want to be on the field". I love that attitude and as a youngster is a great for him to want to be this flexible but I also see this as an issue since he really does not have a soccer identity.
Per my previous post, a player can’t know where he fits until he’s (or she’s) challenged with a role they’ve never considered. I think that TT being challenged to succeed in the place where he is at, is a win-win. I’ve seen him playing above the challenge Pelado has put on him. I’m hoping he keeps it up.
So here I am trying to follow through on my decision to get a TT jersey... but sadly I learned that TT isn't a player for the Earthquakes. I went to the store, clicked "View All Players" and learned the truth: Anibal Godoy Chris Wondolowski Danny Hoesen Fatai Alashe Florian Jungwirth Francois Affolter Guram Kashia Harold Cummings Jackson Yueill Magnus Eriksson Nick Lima Shea Salinas Siad Haj Fatai Alashe?!? So I reapproached the page, thinking I did something wrong, and got a new list: Anibal Godoy Chris Wondolowski Danny Hoesen Florian Jungwirth Francois Affolter Guram Kashia Harold Cummings Jackson Yueill Magnus Eriksson Nick Lima Shea Salinas Siad Haji Simon Dawkins Victor Bernardez Bernardez and Dawkins!?!! But no Thompson. Now I realize why they didn't want to start him: they risk a forfeit for playing a non-MLS-store-official-roster-compliant player. But I have a real question for you all. Do you think they have a TT jersey in one of the in-stadium stores? Or do I need to just have them put his name on a jersey as if I was just making him up? I am not sure why I am surprised by this...
Never shop at the online MLS store. Visit the Quakes store and ask about customizing a kit with Tommy Thompson on it. They will do it for you. If they cannot help, PM me and I will have my ticket rep intervene to get you your customized Tommy kit. Back in the day, Brian Holmes would customize out of his soccer shop in Santa Clara, and that's where I would go, but not sure he continues to get the MLS official numbers and letters anymore.
Hah. I figured it out. You just have to pretend to buy someone else's jersey, then there is a drop-down with TT and all the others. And in the process I think I found a loophole to get the Quakes a sponsor! The MLS site says that if I get a jersey it will come with: Heat-sealed sponsor logo on chest I just need to buy the jersey, read the sponsor's name off when it arrives, and send a note to the Quakes folks to let them know who it is. Wish me luck! We might yet have funds to get our Summer '19 DP!!!
I believe the FO has the heat press there in the office, at least they did when they were over on El Camino.
Will do. I was going to write my ticket rep... when I realized I think I don't have one anymore. I'll just wander into the store during the next game, though I had been hoping to have it for next game.
When I got a Wondo shirt for my son, there was none in stock when I went down to the store (not a game day). They had to add the name so I had to come back later in the day to pick it up. So they do have a press on site.
Good times in Oakland ☀️ pic.twitter.com/vZtEdjm9ET— Tommy Thompson (@tomthom11) May 22, 2019 Sorry to jump in here and maybe you’ve all seen this video of TT, but this is literally so awesome.
Also, per the prior discussion, notice how hard it is for him to maintain eye contact with the interviewer, though he doesn't seem to have any problems when he's communicating with the players.
Lima will probably be on the gold cup squad. he had a good run with Berhalter, and Yedlin is hurt. He's in a good spot. I don't think he can co-exist with Esponoza on the right, which is unfortunate, but playing on the left is arguably better training for the inverted right back role that Berhalter prefers. Tommy doesn't have the athleticism required for national team service unless he really becomes a 10, which doesn't appear to be happening at this point in his career. I mean Shea badly outpaces him... He will continue to be a quakes ambassador and possibly serve his full career here...
This is just my opinion, but TT being put into a right back role is half good and half bad. It's good because he's getting 90 minutes consistently under a non-temporary coach for the first time in his career, and it shows that he's versatile and a true all around footballer. It's bad because I think his skillset can and should be used further up the field, and that he's been wasted on the bench this whole time when he should have been getting playing time and developing. I also don't feel like his abilities will be maxed out playing as a RB as opposed to someone like Lima who fits the RB role much better.
I somewhat agree, but on the other hand I think beating guys on the dribble is a very valuable skill in opening up a defense. Having an overlapping guy turn in and beat a guy on the dribble, rather than whipping in a predictable cross to a bunch of guys who aren't goods with their head, seems like a pretty good addition. I think Shea has started angling in more at the top of the box, rather than running to the end line for the cross, and that has served the team well also.
Lima has proven capable of breaking to the inside, and has a much better shot than Tommy does. What I like about Tommy is that his ball control is immediate, not many heavy touches when the ball is played to him. And there is no substitute for speed when having to mark a pacy winger. Lima can run with most of them, Tommy, not so much.