RSL 2017 In-Season News Thread

Yeah, but when those last place teams are the likes of Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands, it makes good sense.

 

I don't think this rule affects anyone with the current standings, but a third place team lost to one of the supernumeraries (Andorra over Hungary), and a couple first place teams surrendered a draw (France-Luxembourg, Kazakhstan-Poland, and yes, France was the home team), so it was fortunate that it didn't.

The rule is imperfect, but was created to handle groups of differing sizes, and wasn't changed after adding new federations after the official draw which made all groups have six teams.

 

I had forgot about that caveat. The bigger reason I see is to fix the GD that teams bloat in those games.

 

curious what the cost will be on Lennon. With Savarino, it's simply paying the agreed fee to his club and then negotiating a salary, no?

 

Plata's trip doesn't seem to have ended as well as it started.

918862010858856448 is not a valid tweet id

 

I saw this over on soapbox just barely, too. Details are scarce. Anyone have any idea? Is this a Sabo flight all over again?

 

The article linked in the tweets states Plata and 4 other players left the hotel at midnight the day before the game and didn't return until the early morning. This was against the team rules, they were required to confess to the rest of the team, and were disciplined. Seems closer to Charlie Davies fateful night than Sabo's episode.

 

Sometimes you just gotta dance.

 

My initial idle speculation was going to be that he beat the coach's wife in a dance-off, so we all may not be too far wrong.

 

Regardless of RSL's playoff life, I'm going to chalk the second half of this season up as a success considering how badly the team started. I'm heading to the game on Sunday and hoping for a playoff berth but I'm excited for next year as well.

 

Interesting article from Ives about predicting the 22 WC Roster.

In regards to RSL,

• Glad and Acosta (if he chooses US over Honduras) "make the cut"
• Lennon is listed as "other possibilities"

There some interesting names that I'm interested to see progress:

• Olosunde - Man United Reserve
• Jonathan Gonzalez - tearing it up in Mexico - will he choose US?
• Giovanni Reyna - Claudio Jr at NYFC academy

I didn't see Tim Weah on that list, but after his hat-trick at the U-17 worlds, I imagine he'll be an exciting player to watch with PSG.

 

Weah instead of Morris.
Acosta being instantly the LB tells you how shallow that pool is. Not a knock at Danny, but the rest of the RSL players get ignored real quick for names. That means we have nobody in the US youth pool at LB playing anywhere of note.

Also: Glad should be one of the CB's. Had RSL sold him I guarantee he'd be listed next to Brooks. But because RSL ponied up the cash he doesn't get the love. It's bizarre.

I think Jozy is still the CF in 2022. Wood isn't a lone striker type player. At least not currently.
Hey, you know who RSL could go after for our striker issues...

 

Doyle also put Glad (and possibly Acosta) out there, for the November friendly against Portugal.

 

1. ******** that friendly before the federation figuring out their shit
2. I fear/bet we'll see a lot of the guys who just failed to make the WC on the roster for that game

 

Tab Ramos is making an interesting play to be named the adult men's coach and not an "Interim." The way the current contract is, Dave Sarachan is the only other guy on the USSF payroll with the managerial background to be named. No knocks to Noonan or Rice, but I don't see them being named interim. Don't think Kenny Arena has the experience either.

 

I loved Ramos as a midfielder, he seems to have done ok with the youth, would love to see him get a shot.

 

Which is why I totally get Tab's fears. Why take the interim job right before the federation goes through their changes? I'd stay in the youth setup, too, without any guarantee of being under an actual contract for the first team.

 

Yea, any interim manager isn't going to have a chance to prove themselves with only a couple of friendlies next year.