Tyler Adams - the best non-Christian Pulisic prospect in the USMNT pipeline

How good is Dax McCarty? Ask Sacha.....

 

Dax wouldn't solve the lack of productivity up top. Veron is a problem. Grella being injured is a problem. The list goes on.

Adams really wasn't supposed to be the starter this year, right? It was supposed to be Sean Davis.

Folks are really making prognostications on Adams' potential way too soon. They whine all the time that MLS coaches don't give young players opportunities. Then when they play the young players and they make the inevitable mistakes that young and inexperienced players make..................they start criticizing their games. Everybody needs to calm down. Just as a point of comparison I can report as a Dallas fan that Dax McCarty wasn't Dax McCarty on Day 1 of this MLS career. In fact, during his first year in MLS he played in three games. That was when he was 19 (he left UNC after his sophomore season I believe); older than Adams is now.

 

Dax does solve the problem because he frees up Sacha so Sacha can create. There is no creativity right now because of the extra work Sacha is doing

 

I'm sorry I don't think you are being very clear. It sounds a bit ambiguous. Can you please say how you really feel?

 

Or your vets aren't playing well because they are doing extra work covering for the inexperience of the younger players......

 

Agree with @kokoplus10. While Adams made some understandable positional mistakes versus Orlando, he rebounded with an excellent game versus DC. His technique/touch is fine. His poise and passing is good and his ability to cover an extraordinary amount of ground is extremely impressive. There will be ups and downs but he has played well enough to keep the otherwise promising Sean Davis (who filled in admirably for Dax during a 6-7 game stretch last year without any drop off in team performance) on the bench with little in the way of controversy. Some of the issues seem to be rust-related as well.

At this point last year the Red Bulls were 1-6, sitting on 3 points and dead last in the entire league and of course they went on to win the East. They are 3 points off the lead at present. Dax was my favorite player not named Henry throughout his tenture and while I was bummed and remain bummed that he was traded (though I also understand it), he is hardly the issue. I am fully in favor of the young guys getting plenty of PT even it it means ups and downs along the way.

Sacha's issues have nothing to do with having to cover for other players or drop deeper. Quite the contrary. His issues IMO have more to do with (a) Marsch's 4-2-2-2 experiment forcing him off to one side and not underneath BWP, and (b) rust/lack of general team cohesion. Grella's absence is a pretty big loss. Though he isn't beloved by everyone, he is fluid within the system and a calm, confident presence on the ball. When RBNY had Grella and Sam on opposite flanks, they served as skilled, creative hubs who helped maintain possession enabling SK to roam in ways underneath BWP which created different gaps and passing lanes. While Royer is a fine player in many ways and while Muyl/Etienne bring different strengths, none bring what Sam and Grella did in terms of the ability to hold the ball, beat guys off the dribble and open up different lanes for teammates.

I still don't get the Sam trade.

 

I have only seen Adams in a few minutes of highlights, but since this thread is about developing MLS players either here or elsewhere, here are my thoughts.

ANSWER 1. 20th seems right to me, but the top in Europe are not the best for USMNT players to develop either.
1. Spain - Has there ever been a USMNT player developed out of Spain? (maybe Jozy is it)
2. Germany - Good for development with many examples of young US players developing and becoming contributors
3. England - Mixed bag of success. It seems currently most of the young US prospects are loaned out. Is this good or bad for the USMNT? We will find out.
4. Italy - Again, have we ever had a US player developed in Italy? I can't think of one.
5. France - Same as Spain & Italy
6. Russia - Same as Italy, Spain & France
7. Portugal - Same as Italy, Spain, France & Russia (except for Freddy Adu)
8. Ukraine - I have no idea
9. Belgium - I think it helped Klejstan (he was 24) anyone else?
10. Turkey - See Portugal
11. Czech Republic - Same as Italy, Spain, France, Russia & Portugal
12. Netherlands - Miazga currently here and others have spent time here.
13. Greece - Adu & Johnson (26, not a youth) spent time here, anyone else?
#? - Mexico - lots of guys in LigaMX
Skip to Sweden (21), Scotland (23) & Norway (25) - these are the leagues that most of our youth spent time in Europe, and some still are (Emo).

Any way my point is, until most of the leagues show progress in developing US players, the only leagues we are talking about are: Germany 1 & 2, England 1 & 2, Netherlands, Mexico, Sweden, Scotland & Norway. And the last 3 are arguably on par with MLS now or worse.

ANSWER 2. Yes. It's still a work in progress, but all MLS teams have a youth team now that plays in the USL. There is competition for spots even for elite prospects... see Carelton in Atlanta or even Adams who has Davis to compete with. Also, a lot of our MLS developed youth are signing overseas now after they become 18. This to me shows progress... MLS just needs to find a way to keep more of the youth prospects.

ANSWER 3. It's not, but the highest level possible does not always work out in your favor.
- Zelalem playing in Netherlands 2nd division.
- EMO tearing it up in Scotland, but can he do it at a higher level? We wont know until he does.
- Gouch in Sunderland played at the beginning of the season, but does not play much anymore.
- Miazga's loan seems to be success, at least he is in a top 15 league.

ANSWER 4. More money for youth contracts... until this happens MLS will continue to lose it's youth prospects. And, I disagree on the LD comment. One LD level player isn't enough to contend, but maybe 3, 4 or 5 LD level players will be enough.

 

Not sure about other teams but Rapids at most loan 4-5 guys out to USL sides (Charlotte and recently Colorado Springs). When every MLS side supporting a full team at USL level, will be a huge plus.

 

You are correct, I should of said "but all MLS teams have a youth team (or are affiliated with a USL team) in the USL."

Here is the full list...
USL "MLS 2 teams"
LA Galaxy – LA Galaxy II
New York Red Bulls – New York Red Bulls II
Orlando City – Orlando City B
Philadelphia Union – Bethlehem Steel FC
Portland Timbers – Portland Timbers 2
Real Salt Lake – Real Monarchs SLC
Seattle Sounders FC – Seattle Sounders FC 2
Sporting Kansas City – Swope Park Rangers
Toronto FC – Toronto FC II
Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2

USL Affiliates
Atlanta United FC – Charleston Battery
Chicago Fire – Tulsa Roughnecks FC
Colorado Rapids – Charlotte Independence
Columbus Crew SC – Pittsburgh Riverhounds
D.C. United – Richmond Kickers
FC Dallas – OKC Energy FC
Houston Dynamo – Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
LAFC – Orange County SC (in 2018)
Montreal Impact – Ottawa Fury FC
New York City FC – San Antonio FC
San Jose Earthquakes – Reno 1868 FC

TBD
Minnesota United FC
New England Revolution

 

Both this year and last year was a matter of players preferred not being available.

Though this year was very much a self-inflicted wound. Besides trying to play a new formation and introducing Davis into the First XI, it would have been easier to move him in to the same formation he was familiar with. Not only he, but the entire midfield and second forward were trying to figure it all out (BWP basically played his same spot, though it is worthwhile to ask if he was supposed to do more/different in the new shape).

If anything, I'd prefer to see Jesse's 4-2-2-2 turned to a 4-1-2-1-2 skinny diamond if he is hell bent on two strikers. At least let Taxi and Zizzo utilize their attacking ability.

 

Off the top of my head Tab Ramos played in Spain (don't forget Adu ) and Lalas in Italy. Can't say for certain whether that qualifies as developed but considering the US soccer landscape at the time I would guess that yes it helped a lot.

 

The only player in US history to spend significant time developing is Mukwelle Akale.... his future has yet to be determined. Jozy should have stayed longer at Villarreal and earned minutes he'd be a better player for it.

 

Ramos - back in 1991 was 24
Lalas - back in 1994 was 23 (spent 1 year in Italy)
Adu - he has been a lot of places, but I don't think he played in Spain.

Even if you want to count these guys, it's not saying much for the development of US talent in these 2 or 3 leagues.

 

Agreed. Now and historically Germany seems to have done the most. England would seem to be the most natural fit but while there have been some big successes there hasn't been a lot of numbers.

 

He was booted out of Villareal--there was no staying longer there.

 

Pellegrini, the manager who signed him and gave him some game time right away, left after his first season.

 

Yet I'm sure many other players convinced the subsequent coach of their worth.

 

Jozy was a 19 year old American project and without managerial buy-in he was just a balance sheet liability the next guy needed to get off the books to pay for his signings. Victor Ulloa was going to be released by Dallas and then his old youth coach becomes manager and he turns into a solid MLS player. Stuff like this happens all the time in a business.

 

Also he never been good enough to succeed in La Liga. We've seen the sample size. But this isn't the right thread to rehash that point.

 

I suspect the point of buying an 18 year old is guiding them along the path to being good enough. When Jozy got to AZ Verbeek made it sound like he hadn't learned a damn thing. But you're right, we needn't bring up your traumatic memories.

 

Isn't Joshua Perez (US Youth) currently with Florentina (Italy)?

Edit: Yes

https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/11/28/josh-perez-us-soccer-fiorentina-debut

 

I'm very interested in how he fares but so far we don't know if being in Italy has helped him. I'd like more of our players to go there as it seems to be a very tactically defensive environment.