https://www.pscp.tv/w/1OdKrgvzWNYGX Watched these 14 minutes with Keith Costigan on location. Can't decide who I like more. I like them all. All well-spoken and confident young men. In order of current German-speaking aptitude: Weston McKinnie, 18, Little Elm, TX @WMckinnie Haji Wright, 19, Los Angeles, CA @HajiWright Nick Taitague, 18, Midlothian, VA @NTaitague (tie-TAHG-wee) Schalkemerica 04. Open to new members. Respectful of its history: Hyped about the rivalry: ... Onward to the first team squad...
Every Weston McKennie thread must have this amazing picture. That's him as a kid at a meet & greet with the team at an AFB in Germany.
so what's the story on these guys? German born or simply children of serving personnel who moved there and then moved back to the US?
McKinnie is a military kid who lived in Germany from age 6-9. But he's from Dallas. Hagi Wright is from LA. Nick Taitague is from Richmond, VA. His surname is Guamanian. He's just a Virginia kid. So no this isn't a repeat of 2011.
Yup. These three are all US-based, and had to wait until they were 18 to move to Europe. Its impossible to talk about these three [and recently signed McKinze Gaines of Wolfsburg, Isaiah Young of Bremen, the list goes on] without mentioning Pulisic. The spectacular and rapid success of Pulisic has led to an expanded search by Bundesliga clubs for the "next Pulisic." All three of these prospects have been painted with that brush...................... Grant Wahl: Schalke plan to sign Nick Taitague when he turns 18 next February and liken him to Christian Pulisic https://t.co/5VbGyLd54c— Nats Abroad (@Nats_Abroad) September 9, 2016 Schalke's Weston McKennie dreaming of following Christian Pulisic's path http://www.espnfc.us/club/schalke-0...-of-following-in-christian-pulisics-footsteps Haji Wright put on the Christian Pulisic path, promoted to Schalke first team for January http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/haji-wright-schalke-first-team-usmnt-010617
This was back in January. So he had his looks and is back playing with the U19. I believe all 3 of our boys had first team minutes in a couple of friendlies during the FIFA break.
No, we should shoot for three. Lets not get into this "youth players rarely make the first team" stuff (I even use it myself at times). These are three of our ten best youngsters, we should expect all to play for a team the caliber of Schalke.
Lol and what makes us better than any other nation. No nation gets all ten of their top youth players at a given time to pan out. Especially all at once. Maybe one breaks out now like Pulisic. Another late like Dempsey. I'd be stoked if one breaks through. I hope all do. Realistically we'd be lucky for 1 to break through in time for the World Cup. Doubt any do in that time frame but if 1 sticks long term that's a positive.
These kids are 18 or 19, all three have played pro games, two of the three before they joined Schalke. They aren't that unpredictable at this age. They aren't 13 year olds no one has ever heard that join a big academy, and never progress past U-16 level at that club. They signed pro (note the word pro) contracts with Schalke because they expect these players to play for their first team within a year or two of their signing. Unless we are to operate under the assumption that Pulisic is an anomaly (which I think would be a poor assessment of our youth talent pool), we should start producing some other good players. Schalke's not even that good of a team. They aren't as good as Dortmund. Being able to play for Schalke is not the same as Bayern or Real Madrid or Barcelona, its not even as good as the situation Pulisic is in.
To be perfectly fair, and not to take away from your comment, Pulisic was spotted while BVB were scouting Haji. Also, IIRC, Haji was on the Schalke lay-away plan (Cosmos) before CP's breakthrough.
Their in a down year yes but their still a good team with talent and will most likely bounce back next year. As for the more predictable because their 18... lol. I can tell you've never coached at a high level. I haven't either but I spent a little bit of time around some coaches from Dinamo Zagreb. And for all the young talented kids they have come through most fail to either impress enough to be moved from the youth side to the first team with the next goal being to be sold to the rest of Europe. The reality is 18 is hard to judge. I get your excited... I am too but don't get carried away.
I wonder what is the ration of U19 kids that sign a pro contract and never play for their first team in real games but rather are sold to a lower level teams. I bet you is high.
I don't know the number but I can guarantee it's much higher than those that break through and make it with first team let alone go on to become regulars with the first team.
I just don't get the point of bringing up percentages of players to make the first team. Thats basically saying "I don't have any knowledge about the situation, so why don't I just throw out some numbers." All three of these players are of the caliber to play for a club as good as Schalke in their career, IMO. In each individual case, if they never reach that level, it would have to be considered a failure, I think. Its obviously possible that individually they might not make it out of the academy for a multitude of reasons, but over the course of their careers, these circumstances should even out, and they should all reach that level.
The huge amount of 18 and 19 year old prospects who never make it would suggest unpredictable is exactly what they are. Every 18 year old at Schalke is on a pro contract - they're not walk-ons or amateurs playing for free. And while they have high hopes for these three, they have equally high hopes for the other twenty or so 18-19 year olds in their academy. I applaud your confidence in these three kids, but no need to put down others who express perfectly reasonable caution, in light of the overwhelming numbers of young players who fail to crack the first team - much less make an impact. It'd be like saying every 18 year old kid ever signed to the training squad of an NFL or NBA team is obviously going to be a starting player within a couple years.
I'm just going to leave this conversation, unless someone wants to discuss the actual situations, and doesn't cite irrelevant general facts to these situations.
lol there's nothing irrevant about what's being said. I stated I'd be happy if one of the three break through and become regulars. You said the we shouldn't by into the youth stuff and their their 3 of our top 10 youth. As well as we should EXPECT them to all play for a team of Schalke's level. Then followed up by saying because their 18/19 their career path isn't unpredictable like a 13 year old. All we're saying is it is unpredictable still and when you look at the world even the top teams don't always hit on 3 out of the 10 top prospects for a given year bracket. We get it you get excited about our youth players but what you're suggesting is unrealistic and not true. Look at all 3 situations. Their playing with the youth side. None of them are playing first team league/cup matches regularly. Maybe spot minutes here or there. Their all in a good situation to break but none of them have and if just 1 does I'll be happy. If all 3 do I'll be thrilled. But I'm not foolish enough to believe good situation or not that any of them are close to breaking through let alone expect that all 3 will.
I rather them do this and get on the youth teams than ball out during the WC U-20s, go to Europe expecting first team play only to get loaned out, lose confidence and flop.
That is awesome. And we should play a game in Kaiserslautern (against someone other than Germany, so we can be the home team) every cycle.
This. There's a very small probability that all 3 are going to be difference makers. Anyone remember when Renken and Gyau were going to destroy the Bundesliga? There are countless other examples. Hell, Julian Green was supposed to be Cristiano Messi. He still will probably turn out to be a solid pro, but he's not about to be the love child of Ronaldo and Messi either. I got them on my radar, I'm excited for them as prospects, but they still haven't done shit.