One for the future: Columbus Crew add US Under-20 attacking midfielder Romain Gall http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/08/07/columbus-crew-add-us-u-20-international-romain-gall FC Lorient, US U-20s mid Romain Gall signs with MLS http://theoffsiderules.com/#FC-Lorient-US-U-20s-mid-Romain-Gall-signs-with-MLS
Odds are Lorient was going to either dump him or loan him out and a top 5/6/7 league club doesn't just dump prospects with potential ... but all clubs shed players of approximately that age as they winnow down their teams.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...pleasantly-surprised-early-returns-new-midfie I have never seen Gall play but Berhalter has some glowing remarks about him after just 2 full training sessions. Call me intrigued. I'm now eager to see how fast Gall can get on the field for the Crew.
I'd like to see a lot more guys with Gall's generic profile (youth experience at a club above MLS level & possible YNT experience) fall back on MLS seamlessly like this. You see it from time to time, but with all the young guys we have at good clubs abroad now, many will reach junctures of their career where they can (& may need) to come to MLS, including maybe USL pro affiliates, to continue their development. It's a good alternative to college and its much-discussed drawbacks from a player development standpoint (not to mention not all guys have the option) & it can prevent guys from falling into an extended limbo, which can be prematurely deadly to a player's career. Also, as Berhalter pointed out, it's a virtually no-risk experiment for the MLS club & with more teams coming in, it's another potential source of talent. Like a free extra draft pick. Ditto for NASL & independent USL Pro clubs, for guys MLS doesn't want. You do see a fair amount of it in these minor leagues. The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers have done a lot of this in particular. I feel like Arizona United filled out their roster with a fair number of young returning YAs, too. Also Dallas City in NPSL. It's also interesting & good to see a largely foreign-raised dual national youth player come here at 19 to continue developing. Germany alone could provide a steady flow of "failed" prospects who might yet have something to contribute at the MLS level or below & you really don't see much of that ... yet. Of course many will continue failing because they never had the talent or due to lack of effort or other circumstances, but you don't want to see guys give up if they don't have to. You never know how it could turn out in the end. If they are Real Americans they will never say die
He has transferred to the Columbus Crew. Wouldn't that constitute closing this thread? @bungadiri, @Friedel'sAccent, @dark knight
Did you actually follow Lorient youth teams last season? I did, and Romain was one of the most touted prospects throughout their youth system. He was expected to make the jump to sporadically getting into the first team 18 next season, but would have definitely been placed on the Reserves for this season. A player who starts playing for the reserves of a Top-5/6/7 league at 18 doesn't get dumped the following season, especially who had 1 goal and 3 assists in 6 games in 2014.
According to this article from a few days ago Romain Gall is currently trialing with swedish third tier club Nyköpings BIS who have a history of signing american players. He played 30 minutes in a preseason game for them but the coach comments that it would not be fair to judge him by that performance since he was jetlagged and tired. Another article from today says that he has passed his medical at the club and that a final decision will be made today on whether or not to sign him.
I am told he did sign from sources here. I am also told that Nyköpings BIS have an American Coach on staff - Brian Clarhaut who has been at Temple and Uconn who was responsible for bringing Romain over.
Clarhaut was even the (partial) subject of an ancient YA thread, through it certainly seemed to get a bit off track at times. http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/us-youth-trials-in-europe.120233/
We will need a thread name change and a promotion to the big boy forum as he had three appearances in MLS.
He has signed: http://www.svenskalag.se/bissarnaherr/nyheter/793607/romain-gall-klar-for-nykopings-bis @bungadiri @Friedel'sAccent Let's move to YA and rename: Romain Gall at Nykopings BIS
Cut in preseason, Berhalter vaguely citing "salary cap implications" http://www.massivereport.com/2016/2...ake-roster-moves-after-first-leg-of-preseason
Interview on the Nyköping website on Clarhaut...it is in both Swedish and English http://www.svenskalag.se/bissarnaherr/nyheter/795026/brian-clarhaut-forstarker-ledarsidan
Since it's not posted here anywhere, I will add that he did trial with NYCFC in the preseason. He didn't look particularly effective in his minutes, but it was hard to make much of it because he only played with other subs.
Saw in the paper here that Romain was mentioned in the paper along with an interview with Clarhaut. Speaks about his relationship with current Nyköping Head Coach John Wall who is also on staff with the Finland National Team with former NY Red Bulls Head Coach Hans Backe. Clarhaut mentions that Romain is in need of games based on his lack of playing time at Columbus. He says he is exciting, technical, creative and has knack for scoring goals and has a lot of potential. See link below : http://www.sn.se/sport/1.3974989