I just kinda have this feeling some folks might be wondering whether we've got any good young players in the pipeline right about now.
I haven't fully compiled the data to back up my ideas but here it goes. IMO the 97s/98s will be the core team to qualify and compete for 2022. 24 to 28 are the usual peak pro age range. Pulisic, Sargent, CCV etc.. project 01s' is what I call the benchmark of the new era in U.S. development program. Typically if you are on a path to be an elite WC player (IMO), you debut with your pro club around 18/19. I'll give you a couple of years afterwards to carve a starting XI spot. That makes you 21ish. If the U.S. can produce a starting XI player on a UEFA Champions league team, I consider you elite level player, age and team.. by my train of thought the 21 year olds in 2022 are 01s/02s now, 15 and 14 year old. Who are on my radar now: Ulysses Llanez Taylor Booth Konrad de la Fuente Julian Araujo George Bello Gianluca Busio Giovanni Reyna Joshua Pynadath
This is the group where we should start to see the results of the USSF youth initiative. I'm not sure there will be many Champions League-caliber players, but I suspect there will be a lot more Europa League-caliber players than we have now. At any rate, they and your 97/98 core should be a far sight more entertaining (and less maddening) to watch than what we saw this qualifying cycle. Hopefully results follow. Even then, it will be the current crop of U13s, if my memory and math is right, that will truly tell the tale of how well the USSF youth mandate is working. That is the first group to start in the DA as U12 players AND is one of the earliest groups to play in single-year age brackets rather than the combined teams that are getting phased out. Not that I expect the US to be world-beaters with these kids---that will take probably at least one more generation---but it will be USSF's initiative fully fleshed out.
Favorite forum by far, and has been for some time. It's fun watching the increased investment in youth initiatives pay dividends at the YNT level, which in turn bodes well for the future.
It's weird before we lost I always thought of myself as someone who cared more about YNTs anyways and that the senior team missing out on WC wouldn't bother me too mch, but now that it happened I'm kinda shocked.
I thought the players would be able to overcome poor coaching thru sheer will but now that it's happened it feels like it was inevitable. The damage will be unquantifiable, so many kids won't get exposed to the sport. Just hoping the short term damage won't be too bad and long term will be controlled by re examining our infrastructure etc. Following the YNT and how much progress is happening has taken the edge off of missing the WC and I'm ready for fresh faces
w I think the players just aren't very good. Going forward for the next two years I'm hoping Miazga, Glad, Carter Vickers, McKennie, Gonzalez and Adams are in every squad since those positions killed us this year.
Damian Las ('02) Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez ('02) Joe Scally ('02) Axel Alejandro ('02) And while we're at it, two 03's who's games I like Moses Nyeman('03)-He is seriously good for a player his age. Gotta watch it to believe it. Dante Sealy ('03)
No, they weren't Nyeman and Sealy both are players I'm most hoping to see play this year. Sealy had 30 goals in 24 games last season, obviously not every game FCD plays is gonna be competitive but those are great numbers. I've only seen bits and pieces of Nyeman, really intelligent from what I can tell. Oscar Rincon is another name to watch, really exciting player
Yes watching the U17s was a nice departure for the show in T&T. Of course that was part of the same group that destroyed Honduras and Panama at home. While the often country club environment of DA in terms of facilities has created a generation of much more technical players, it seems the downside has been the loss of grit found in the older generation the came up playing on cow pastures and fighting for recognition.
Wow, how much everything has changed since we were last posting in this thread 19 months ago. Who knew that by this time we would have so many legitimate prospects that we couldn’t even name them all? Most of them are still a ways away from the senior team, and may or may not get there, but at least it’s not like it usedtawas when our only prospects were the few that came through Bradenton.