That is the likely conclusion. One of the reasons Tata gave for him not playing more last year was that there was no continuity with the first team due to his ynt commitments. He played for ATL2 last night, so hopefully he has a chance to get more first team minutes at the tail end of the season and could ideally play a role in the playoffs, which would be huge.
U19s beat U20s 1-0 with a Llanez winner. I can see why they put Llanez with u19s so he could start and see how he does. While other guys get a chance to start for the u20s and show what they got.
Manuel Lopez Terrazas got the assist, his second of the camp. He's a forward who could possibly be promoted to the U20s if some others aren't released by their clubs for qualifying.
Check out @dallascup’s Tweet: U-19 MNT Defeats 10-Man U-20 MNT 1-0 at 2018 U-20 Men's Invitational https://t.co/EIwrPy0DHU— Dallas Cup ⚽️ (@dallascup) September 10, 2018
From https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cuadrangular?src=hash The Venezuelan U20 team that tied our U19's 2-2 on September 7: ... and the team that defeated Jamaica's U20 1-0 on September 9:
^ Just throwing this in as an example of what could be done if even a modicum of interest in providing information existed on our (federation's) part.
Regardless of how the U.S. U20s vs. Venezuela finishes (that will determine if the U19s win the "tournament"), I'm impressed with the U19 results. It appears that the players are hungry for an opportunity to make the U20 qualifying roster, and I'm interested to see how many of them push their way onto the U20 roster.
Just to give some perspective, Venezuela completely outplayed our U-20's last cycle at the U-20 WC, and ended up knocking us out. They are not an untalented footballing country. Beating them 3-1 is an impressive fete.
Not really a feat, for the US u20 squad. In reality, the VEN FA refers to its current u19 squad as *Sub-20*, b/c that group will compete at the 2019 u20 qualifiers. The VEN u19 squad consists of u19+u18 players. None of them played at the 2017 u20 World Cup, except for 1 defender who is currently u18 level. u18+u19 Venezuelan roster which US u20 beat today 3-1: #Convocatoria | La #VinotintoSub20 disputará un cuadrangular internacional en Estados Unidos https://t.co/Q7SbCpkxUs #SomosDeTallaMundial #RumboAPolonia2019 pic.twitter.com/mpCRO45bu0— La Vinotinto (@SeleVinotinto) September 4, 2018
As noted earlier, I believe Venezuela may have gone with a kind of split squad for this tournament as they sent another team to the Middle East. Obviously this is not our "theoretical first choice" lineup across the pool either. Don't know if we need to make a lot of this, but have at it if you like. Are we no longer miffed about Carleton not being there? He wasn't replaced, so it wasn't crazy that they might bring him in after he played for AUFC2 over the weekend. If he's healthy, he's almost surely a big part of the qualifying roster. He got pro minutes, still made it into camp, and freed up some minutes for the other guys. I do hope the speech to the U19s was "go and take their spots." And the speech to the U20s should've been "they are trying to take your spots." Nobody playing for U.S. Soccer at any level right now should feel like their spot is safe.
3-5-2? Maybe we played a 4-4-2 diamond midfield with Dest in midfield? http://www.federacionvenezolanadefu...r-lugar-en-el-cuadrangular-de-estados-unidos/
U-19 MNT Captures 2018 U-20 Men's Invitational Title with 4-1 Win vs. Jamaica https://t.co/D3lxHpDfjm— Dallas Cup ⚽️ (@dallascup) September 12, 2018 - "U.S. U-19 MNT 4, Jamaica 1: The U-19 MNT got off on the right track, scoring first for the third consecutive game of the tournament as Angking converted a penalty kick in the 24th minute. The New England Revolution midfielder’s conversion was equalized five minutes into first half stoppage time by Jamaica’s Tyreek Magee. Two minutes into the second half, 2017-2018 U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-16/17 West Conference Player of the Year Llanez won the ball off an ill-timed back pass from Jamaica, and immediately played a pass into the path of McGlynn who finished into the bottom right corner of the net. In the 74th minute, Llanez was back in on the action, this time on the goal scoring end of the USA’s attack. Receiving the ball from LA Galaxy teammate Julian Araujo, Llanez fired from 25 yards out and into the right upper corner of the goal. Three minutes later, the USA put the game away for good. Receiving a pass inside the Jamaica penalty box, forward Manuel Terrazas played a cross back through the box to the feet of Penn, who finished into the net." - "U.S. U-20 MNT 3, Venezuela 1: In the later match on the final day of competition, the U.S. U-20 MNT got off to a quick start with a goal from AFC Ajax speedster Sergino Dest. The strike, coming in the second minute, was assisted by Dest’s fellow 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup teammate Jaylin Lindsey. A half hour later, Venezuela evened the score line from the penalty spot. Entering the second half tied 1-1, LA Galaxy midfielder Alex Mendez sparked the USA to victory with assists in the 63rd and 64thminutes. In the 63rd, Mendez found Atlanta United Homegrown playmaker Andrew Carleton for a score and a minute later connected with Toronto FC Homegrown forward Ayo Akinola, who cemented the 3-1 win. The victory vaulted the U-20 MNT to a second place finish at the tournament."
The youth teams play 433 almost exclusively. My guess is Gloster, Richards, Mckenzie, Lindsey in the back, Mendez, Servania, Torres midfield, and Carleton and Dest on the wings with Akinola as the striker.