You still need to put a competitive team on the field this season. With Ilsinho (and Alberg), Earnie is banking on the tried and true theory that foreign players need a year to acclimate to MLS and will fare much better in their second seasons. Ilsinho has a much higher upside for 2017 than Ayuk does.
The same could be said about any young player. Are we going to look to get rid of Yaro, Rosenberry, Herbers, Jones, and Trusty for the same reason? Players tend to not peak at 19 more often not. I'm far from convinced that Ilsinho is even the best option at the position. He was really bad last year. All his fancy dribbling lead to losing the ball, laying off a poor pass, or dribbling into an isolated space. People focus too much on the dribbling while ignoring the rest of the holes in his game. He's pretty much the new Michael Farfan, and Herbers was far more effective in the role. Ayuk has the higher upside than Ilsinho beyond 17 which is what this team should really focus on. Ilsinho can barely get fit at 31. It's probably not going to get better moving forward.
Earnie would get rid of any of those guys in a heartbeat for the right price. Was it Earnie or Jim who made the comment the other day that it was good to bring in Jones because you don't know how long Keegan will be here? That indicated to me that they would sell him given the chance.
Apples and oranges. Herbers and Yaro take up international slots, but their GA status makes them cost nothing against the Union's budget. Rosenberry, Jones, and Trusty have been brought up and developed through the Union's system. As HG players, two of them are also exempt from the budget. Ayuk and Keegan (in 2016) had the same base salary, while Ayuk had a higher base salary than Jones and Trusty.
Has it been confirmed whether it's a loan or a transfer? I'm all for loaning him out and trying to increase his experience or transfer value. I'm also all for selling him for the right price. Whatevs.
More on Real and his path to signing.... gives a decent overview of how a clear path for these kids makes signing as an HGP a lot more appealing.... http://www.bethlehemsteelfc.com/news_article/show/747470?referrer_id=2449180
Top Drawer Soccer ranks the Union's academy 8th out of all MLS teams. https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/how-they-rank:-the-best-mls-academies_aid41352
Agreed it's fair when you take into consideration the production (or lack thereof) of the homegrowns. I can easily see us moving into the top 5 because the structure is top-notch, it just hasn't produced any impact on the First Team yet.
Another Union youth player heading overseas. Kind of hard to build on youth when our prospects keep leaving. http://www.brotherlygame.com/2017/1...signs-philadelphia-union-academy-isaiah-young
I don't know the circumstances behind this kid's move out of the Union academy system, but it's more disheartening to learn that he initially left the Union academy to go play for PDA instead.
He hasn't done too much in college to really consider at the moment. He had 3 goals and 4 assists in 20 games last year.
Speaking of which...anyone know what's happened to Sean Wilson? He and Elney were our top two prospects in that class and in high school were seemingly on every YNT roster. The best I could find is that he played in just two games his freshman year, and is still listed on their roster for this past year but isn't listed in their statistics page at all
He may have been taking a redshirt year like Will Campbell did his first year. Or he's just not getting playing time, in which case he should transfer.
It doesn't look too promising for Sean Wilson. He is someone who would have benefited from Bethlehem Steel.