Last season the team got the "breaks" and was able to poach points they shouldn't have, and with that we had Robbo in discussion for league COTY as well as rumored to be the successor to Coleman as Welsh NT gaffer. Now, the breaks aren't going their way (missing sitters, brain farts on defence) and they aren't getting the points they need to take. Go figure. Is anybody really that surprised? I don't see this side as a "weak" team; it's an underachieving one. But they fight hard, you can see that. There's pride there. They just need better coaching acumen and communication to get the most (or more) out of the sum of their individual parts. Robbo is a big fan of the "magic bullet" in solving a problem. For him, it's getting a key player. For me, it's getting a better coach. He has positives as a motivator and should get credit for creating a culture of determination on the pitch. But apart from some road performances where they can sit back and counter as the road underdog, he has flatlined in tactics, communication/teaching in coaching, and personnel assessment.
No they haven't. They have benefited from players returning to Canada from other countries. Please name consistent MLS level players from those 2 teams who have been through their academy. Over at the11.ca they post weekly minutes and Opta Index stats for Canadian players. It is a serious eye opener or "rose coloured glasses remover" if you want to see how the young Canadian players rate via impartial ratings. Osorio, Kaye & Davies are the only consistent MLS level performers for young players. Piette is doing okay but not as good as the other 3. The rest are hit and miss at best. TFC have Osorio whom they did NOT develop (Nacional in Uruguay). Montreal have Piette whom they did NOT develop (Spain). Vancouver has Davies whom they did NOT develop (Edmonton Internationals & Strikers) ). Kaye was with the TFC academy AFTER he was in college for 2 years (youth at Wexford SC) so they did NOT develop him. Notice a pattern? It isn't a 100% failure rate but not impressive either. Maybe it is way more complicated than a lot of us thought? That last step of the pyramid is the killer. Originally I thought the 3 MLS academies would render the draft and NCAA irrelevant. A decade later I've realised how wrong I was. At some point you HAVE to put the onus on the player and that is first team minutes. They are not going to get many chances and if they can't cut it they are not going to get more. It is that ruthless and simple at the top level in any club in any league anywhere in the world. The CPL will provide a place to play for the players who can't make it at the MLS level. Do not expect it to make a huge difference in development.
Plenty/most MLS teams struggle with bringing homegrown players up to the first team and especially to contribute.
This is a great article about the MLS homegrown program that goes beyond just signing them. Pretty much what we are saying. To quote: "But if prospects sign and don’t play, the academy isn’t reaching its goal. It has to be able identify talents at a young age, develop them and play them quickly to gain either a competitive edge or financial profit.". https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/mls-top-academies-and-the-players-who-make-them/ - the impact of an academy isn’t immediate - It also comes out of the owner’s pocket - NYRB have 33% of their playing time played by homegrown players, Philly 24%, RSL 18%,
Davies turns 18 this November. How long does his deal go for? If he has the option, should he stay here for the next two years or should he go?
Davies contract is up at the end of the year but the club has options for two years beyond. Can't imagine the club optioning him at $65k/yr as you would wind up with a very unhappy camper. Robbo and the front office expect him to go to Europe but maybe not for the kind of $ they first envisioned. Come to think of it, they may have to extend as he doesn't turn 18 until November and maybe can't be sold until winter transfer window (not sure). It is clear he has tons of ability but still has a rawness about his game that will be tested at higher levels. Sooner he can leave and start the grind of playing and competing for a spot in Europe/England, the better for his career, imo.
The greedy side of me wants him to stay because I love to watch him play. He has made good progress this year and last. I can see him resigning for 2 more years at triple his current salary. How many 18 year olds can say they earn 200k a year? It is as much as he'd make in Europe and at the end he would be 20 and a true free transfer.
sorry-- but i think you are a bit naive on this one- i think we both can agree that the Whitecap owners are all about MONEY- they will want to cash out on the KID- maybe in the millions- and not let him go as a free agent- its all about the MONEY davies will be gone after this season is over, probably by early october as i am not expecting the Caps to make the playoffs; i wouldnt be surprised if euro teams are still knocking on the Caps door and offers have/will be coming as a side comment, alphonso is the most exciting young Whitecap player i have seen since the heady days of 1982-83 with peter beardsley who went onto play for liverpool, newcastle, everton and england/WC... and peter was 21-22 in his time in vancouver- peter was a very deceptive, quick dribbler of the ball and could score some great goals and, in fact, scored the first 2 goals at BC Place Stadium in 1983 vs seattle (YUP, i was there!!) - davies has lightening quickness and is improving his passing, defensive work, but, as yet, hasnt a nose for scoring- i think that will come when he is playing at a higher level with better coaching/players
In the end it comes down to what Alphonso wants. If he wants to stay 2 more years he will stay. If they give him a serious raise (triple+ his salary to 200k) he might just want to stay and be close to his family etc. I'm always curious about what agents think. They have a huge impact on a player's decision. Some people think Davies should go immediately to Europe but I doubt he would get the playing time he would get in Vancouver over the next 2 years. It would be a challenge and a higher level but which team would he land in and at what level would they put him are the crucial elements. It is similar to some fans criticising Teibert for not going to some USL/NASL team to get more playing time. Maybe he is making more money and likes the level of competition for a spot at the MLS level. Some 18 year olds want to leave home and see the world others are in no rush. We'll see how Davies decides.
IMHO, Davies is the real deal but he is also a guy who could get derailed in his development if not in the right situation. The worst scenario would be a big money transfer now where he comes in under the weight of expectations but the less developed parts of his game let him down and his confidence and form takes a hit.
having seen a lot of players come and go over 50 years of watching professional soccer in canada- and seeing some never reaching their potential due to an attitude/ego- i havent seen even a hint of that in phonsie- beyond his considerable skills, he has shown maturity, poise, self-control and most of all professional integrity by choosing to play for his new home of canada (to me, that spoke most about his inner self which is often just as important as the outer stuff, especially with such a young talent that has euro scouts having serious looks at him- it could go to one's head, but i dont think it will with him) besides the money the owners will make, IMO, the KID is ready to move for bigger fields in order to develop further; the coaches have done some good things with him over the past year and he is embracing the challenges and often is exceeding most- if not all- much older players on the same field- sometimes he is worth the price of admission and time to go to some very poor games at BC Place- he is more like an 21-22 year old while i will be sad to see him go, i think the stars are lining up for him to do so- spending 2 more years with the Caps and its mediocre goals will only stifle his development, especially on the offensive side because he is being asked to be a more defensive-minded MF/forward- its a rare thing to have a player bring me to to the edge of my seat everytime he gets on the ball
Ain't that the truth. I'm almost disappointed when passes the ball back when it is the obvious correct thing to do. Every time he gets the ball I'm in the "DO IT" mode of thought.
English clubs bringing in teenage prospects they paid a million or more for is common. He won't be walking in there touted as the next superstar and would likely be pretty anonymous to the casual fan until he got minutes with the first team. (most fans don't follow youth players unless they are prospects for the national team). I don't think there will be huge pressure on him outside of what coaches and his established fans would do already. People say a lot about worrying about a young player's confidence. I understand this. But if a young player's career is trashed over losing confidence then they likely didn't have what it takes to be a star player in the first place. Also . often a player's "confidence" is the excuse when the reality is, the kid was just not going to be good enough (Caps examples of Salgado and Manneh ; both had people going on about their form being shoddy due to confidence, when really, they just were not good enough and didn't work hard enough). Let's look at Adu. Did he flame out because he was over hyped and lost confidence, or was he just not good enough to be a first team player in any league that was of B level or better. I would say, MLS promotional materials or not, he ended up with the career he would have had either way.
^ I agree with above. Alphonso has the talent and physical ability to make it in Europe but he needs the competition and training environment to ensure it happens. He seems pretty level headed and motivated. It is a grind over there with lots of talented kids that are looking for the same job so no guarantees. He would certainly make more than $200k/yr if he is signed by a Europe/England team. Probably closer to $500k or more. I got to see Adu in DC when he first came out. Freddy dominated at youth levels but never at senior levels. He had foot skills and vision but never achieved the endurance, strength and burst of speed to legitimately compete with the big boys. He would only play his game as well so was a tactical nightmare for a coach. He couldn't compete in the middle so was placed out on the wing but he never had the speed or work rate to play it appropriately. He is only 28 now playing mostly as a sub for Las Vegas in USL but looks quite a bit older. Some of this might be laziness but I think he just lacked the overall engine to compete at the highest levels. Not everybody has it and hard work won't necessarily get you there. If he went to Europe as a youth, he may have been weeded out sooner.
I am very relived to get 3 points. We need them and it should not have been this close but on the road, at altitude I'm happy for any win. But god do the Vapids suck! Let's face it the Vapids are dreadful. 6 losses in a row (now 7) and so one dimensional it is painful to watch. Down the sides and cross it in. Wash, rinse, repeat. My god they are bad.
Rapids are bad. Whitecaps didn't look all that hot but it is a win. Reyna is becoming influential. Shea is not great at LB but I guess better than sticking Davies back there.
We really needed Davies in midfield. He was dominant. In the second half they dropped off instantly every time he got the ball. 528 on the Opta index. But damn are Colorado bad. Have I mentioned that yet?
3 years ago, when the Rapids invested in the $2.6 mill / year range to sign goalie, tim howard, i said its not what the team needed- colorado already had a good goalie in zac mcmath and a pretty solid defence; the team needed some goal scoring help in MF and striker in order to win and attract fans and i am still right today- lots of empty seats and the team is loosing- such a waste of money for a struggling team with little footprint in the community or MLS- will this be the next columbus?? MLS is at a stage of its growth that teams like colorado, dallas and chicago need to go beyond the 13 000-16 000 attendance and NE need to get a stadium done i just dont see columbus being the only franchise that might be moved
Four years ago Howard almost singlehandedly beat Belgium at the World Cup with his shot stopping and the US were a very late (bad) miss by Wondo in stoppage time from going through. Now, this is a guy who's rooted too deep in his net/on his line (a significant contributing factor on the opening goal) with no little confidence and very dodgy form. Sad to see such a decline not caused by injury.
I think a huge part is the coach playing the 3-5-2 with 3 mediocre CBs. If you play 3 at the back then all 3 need to be great starter level. That would make me lose confidence too. I don't like 3 at the back. Even with Waston, Henry & Aja I would be wary and I rate all 3 higher than any of Colorado's CBs. Have I mentioned how bad the Vapids suck lately?
Yeah, Colorado's 3 in the back was a disaster. Caps were finding all sorts of room. With 3 in the back, the CB's do need to be good and the wing backs have to be willing to work their butts off. Also, the DM's have to be spot on screening in front. In short, everybody has to understand their job and execute properly. Caps might have the players to do it, but it takes practice and time to do three in the back well or it becomes too easy for the opponent to exploit.
The underrated foundation of good keeping is footwork/agility/quickness and he has lost a fair bit of that in a relatively short period of time. He's still a good leaper on reflex saves but you need much more foot quickness to reposition for sudden changes. You need to be more of a sweeper, even with good back lines in front of you. He's not it and he'd be struggling even with a better defensive side, imo.