the wing isn't closer to goal. he's fine where he is. right next to hold up guy jozy with a bee line to goal and on the inside of the winger. my feeling is that pomykal just behind him intercepting balls, pressing then passing to pulisic or jozy or arriola or boyd will be just the ticket.
For those of us who haven't been paying close attention and might look to this thread for Pomykal info and not yet another Michael Bradley discussion: Is there a reason Pomykal wasn't starting or even in the 18 last night?
I don't think it fits Pomykal that well at all. He does some of the things that are supposedly important, but it limit him from running with the ball which is one of his strengths. Plus he plays too much defense to be compared to MB90/WTF. I think he is perfect fit to be paired with a very attack minded amid, while he moves the ball and provides extra defensive work. If we just consider the three starters from the GC and Adam's instead of Bradley like most of us want, this is how I see the u20 mids as replacements in order. CP - RL, PP/AM... I think PP and AM are really close, but would play it differently. WM - PP, AM, RL MB - AM, PP, RL TA - WM, PP, NOPE I think PPs versatility is a much better argument for him to be included than a half season of "first team minutes".
Mendez at the 6? Does anyone anywhere think that’s a good idea? Seems like a straw man to me (though perhaps I missed the posts). Mendez seems like a 10 who lacks the work rate and willingness to help the defense at all to be an option for now. He seemed to play a bit like Pulisic at the U20 WC in terms of a winger that roams but doesn’t help much on D.
I think Pomykal will become a starter or very useful rotational player for the national team but I agree with you that he absolutely has to show it. I think most of us feel this way though without having to state it with every new player. It's sort of implied that we think "X" has it but reserve the right to change our mind if they get a shot and it doesn't translate at the next level like we thought.
This is where I bring up Mexico doing the same exact thing with a player at a similar position who was even older. He'd also occasionally do something smart or good but overall seemed lacking.
He's like an off-brand Ozil who, at the highest level, will be successful playing with a lot of possession, talented and smart forwards ahead of him, and rangy midfielders behind him unless he develops his weaknesses. I don't know if this is a good thing or not.
In a sport where goals are at a premium he will likely get a lot of chances because of how good his left foot is. Does that make up for his deficiencies? Teams will have to decide. If he can overcome or advance what he isn't good at his pluses will be more than his minuses. Fitness and strength shouldn't be that hard. Defensive effort he can improve on himself. He's got a real chance if he works hard.
BTW, I'd like to point out that a big difference between LAG academy players and FCD academy players is the FCD players are a lot more two players. The LAG players seem to all need to work on their defense. I imagine de Kloese will change that.
It had more to do with the opposition. Pomykal is soooo important defensively and is still really good in possession. That doesn't show against weak opposition. Even Mexico was weak and that showed in the U20 WC.
Yeah.............to me Mendez isn't a 6. I don't see it. Now, he did have some really nice games at the U20 World Cup. Let's not get too negative. Given time and space he's a wonderful passer. Really nice vision. And he can finish from distance as well. Really nice set piece delivery and free-kick taker. Many games at the CONCACAF Championships and World Cup he had an IMPACT on the outcome of games. WHAT. A. RIP. 😱Alex Mendez fires from 30 yards away to give the 🇺🇸 a 1-0 lead vs. 🇨🇷! pic.twitter.com/BKgoXTFlvT— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) November 17, 2018 W🤯W. Alex Mendez. Filthy free kick.🇺🇸 1-0 🇸🇷 | #CU20 pic.twitter.com/5EZhYdCMX5— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) November 9, 2018 In order to become a USMNTer he some things to work on, and hopefully he'll be doing just that at Freiburg. He needs to become a better two-way player to develop into the kind of "free 8" that's so prevelant in world soccer these days. Can he do it? Yes. I will just say that from the beginning Paxton Pomykal was a two-way player. That kid has the Tyler Adams or Michael Bradley in-his-prime type of engine. It could just come down to who can partner with Mendez in the midfield. Pomykal and Adams can cover the space that Mendez can't get to.
I believe AM is Alex Mendez and RL is definitely Richie Ledezma but both have a long way to go before they're actually on a USMNT depth chart.
Out of the two, Ledezma is the one that I have the highest hopes for. So smooth on the ball. He has that rare ability to separate himself from defenders without breaking stride at all...looks so fluid and effortless. That assist he had to Soto at the U20 WC is etched on my brain.
He kind of reminds me of Mix. Hopefully he becomes better but all these kids have minor to major things to work on to take the next step. A lot of times defensive intensity type stuff keeps them from advancing. Like Klopp says a full press beats a #10 every time over a game.
Yeah, Mendez is a guy who seems like he’s either going to be ridiculous or he’s going to become some nobody. His long passing and long range shooting are otherworldly but the rest of his game is still incomplete.
Of course, no player is perfect. If we expect them to be perfect before giving them a shot, then we are still playing: Zardes: Horrendous first touch, poor finisher, poor passer Arriola: Poor finisher, below average around the 18 Morris: Extremely one footed, below average first touch, poor 1 v 1 defender Roldan: Below average first touch, poor with back to goal Djorde: Lacks physicality, easily pushed around, poor defender Lovitz: Poor vision, wayward passer, lacks pace, poor crosser So, while the kids might have something to work on to get to Real Madrid, they are probably better than many of the players we brought to the Gold Cup. I really can't see Pomykal, or even Mendez and Ledezma, being any worse than Djorde or Roldan. I'm sure Sargent could've been as useless as Zardes. I'm sure Dest could do whatever it was that Lovitz was doing. Weah could certainly have been as effective as Morris.