YNT-Eligible MLS Players: 2018 In-Season Thread

You have a link for that?

 

If he does have option years, it’s doubtful he goes at all. The recent policy of MLS is don’t let your players leave the league. Ever.

 

I can't find a link.

I could be wrong. I am pretty sure I read it, but could have just heard it.

Standard MLS deals are 3 with 2 year team options. I am also positive that Durkins deal allowed him to opt out quicker than typical and that his deal was more player friendly than Carleton, which was a typical deal.

Durkins deal ends at age 19 and was hailed as a more player friendly deal than typically given to HGP. Details of that deal are online. I am pretty sure that I heard that Carleton's deal ended at age 20, which is more standard for a HGP deal.

Again I could be wrong, but if his deal really ended this year and didn't have team options that lengthened it then we would all already be well aware of it.

 

Very lame regarding MLS’s clandestine player contract info

 

Tata on Carleton, who was training with AU2 today:

“We’re still deciding if he’ll play with the first team or the reserves this weekend. Why? Are you worried about him? He’s 17!”

— Dirty South Soccer (@DirtySouthSoc) April 18, 2018

Pretty backwards statement to make when you just bought a “star” $15 million 18 year old midfielder who was getting opportunities in his league when he was 16..

It’s obvious this guy doesn’t give a sh*t about developing the club’s prospects.

 

Evidently that means he's not playing with the first team this weekend, so I'm hoping he's in USL this week.

 

So he actually is trolling bigsoccer.

 

I’m pretty sure Josh Sargent has more minutes played in actual competitive games than Carleton does since MLS preseason/USL started, and he’s not even allowed to play official matches. They’ve been u19 matches but at least it’s something.

But keep practicing super hard Andrew! 1 one more year of really hard practice and maybe he’ll be allowed more than 7 minutes in game.

 

Its not even development.

Carleton is a good (or better) MLS player right now. He doesn't want Carleton to get a chance to outplay his preferred players because if he does, it might put pressure on him to play Carleton more than he does.

 

I must be tired or my mind must be busy with work because I just tried to retweet this.

Either way, it expresses how I feel about the situation pretty accurately.

 

Well..............we do have to admit that Barco isn't a schlub.
He did lead his team to the Copa Sudamericana final this past season. In fact, scored in the final. That's why Atlanta had to shell out the highest transfer fee in the history of MLS for him.

There should be enough playing time to go around. This doesn't need to be Barco versus Carleton. The guy I'd sit more often is Villalba. He's like Asad. Fine, but nothing special. The games I've watched this season I thought even Gressel was more impactful than Villalba.

 

Barco missed five games, Carleton played 15 minutes. Barco didn't start last week, Villalba wasn't available last week, Carleton didn't make the 18. This is beyond that.

If I was coaching Atlanta, I'd play Barco on the right, Almiron on the left, and Carleton central. I'd bring Villalba off the bench.

 

Tata, in his own words, doesn't even know if Carleton will be with the 1st team or not. That's not something a coach says about a player he's high on and sees as part of the plan.

And while it's not simply Carleton vs Barco, the day Barco was deemed fit enough for a game Carleton was dropped from the 18. Now he might be with ATL2.

I generally wouldn't care about this with most Americans here but this is an elite YNTer for us who is good enough for regular MLS mins. Carleton isn't just some random MLS prospect we're talking about.

 

Carleton should be getting a new contract offer later this year. If he doesn't then he is as good as gone.

 

If he signs it; it will show he is not ambitious and will never reach the ceiling many have suggested for him.

The latest Paul Tenorio piece shows that TAM has simply made domestic players even more valuable (not to play, necessarily, but to fill out a roster so foreigners can play). No Americans will be sold with more than 6 months left on a contract. If you are American in MLS, you will have to play out your contract and move on a free. I think Durkin and Adams will do it and we will see if their clubs sell them before losing them (the only smart move but can be a dumb move in MLS). We will see what Carleton wants to do. Hopefully, he has good representation and is not just leaving it in God's hands.

 

Why does nobody in MLS ever seem to consider intra-league loans? Carleton is frankly too good for USL and, in Tata's mind at least, not good enough for Atlanta United. There must be a dozen teams that could use Carleton in some meaningful capacity, and I'm sure some of them don't compete directly with Atlanta.

Not sure why you'd want a top prospect languishing in USL when you could have him getting better coaching and playing against better competition in MLS. For all Atlanta is doing right, their handling of him is a head scratcher.

 

I’d like to see it used more, and maybe we will with the rise of “super teams” and decent academies. But if I was team loaning a player I’d want my finger on the kill switch. It sounds great in theory, but I can just imagine a player like Carleton sitting on the bench in Colorado instead of Atlanta.

 

Lack of incentives.

 

This is going to sound crazy, but Carleton is actually in the 18 for Atlanta most weeks. He's too important to loan out. I know that sounds ridiculous, but its true. Same with somebody like Paxton Pomykal, You don't loan out some of your key depth pieces to an MLS competitor. If they need Carleton to get games they can have him play with ATL2. That's what ATL2 is supposed to be for. How many 90 minute games has Andrew Carleton played at the USL level? I don't know if he ever has. I think he's played one 90 minute game in his pro career and that was with ATL in the USOC last year.against Miami FC of the NASL. I think its obvious that he could get something out of a 90 minute game for ATL2.

 

Teams need to look out for themselves, but they should also look out for the best interests of their prospects too. Tottenham could’ve easily kept CCV on their roster all year as backup for a rash of CB injuries. Real could’ve done that with Ascensio a few years ago too. Miazga with Chelsea, the list goes on.

Carleton clearly isn’t in Tata’s plans. Barco has been injured, he barely played. Villalba injured last week, didn’t even make the bench. Logic would assume that ATL would require 2-3 injuries for attackers for Carleton to even have a chance, is it better to loan Andrew to play in USL on baseball fields or a potential full season loan to Colorado all season?

 

Yup it’s a super dick move. I am starting to dislike Tata. What are the loan rules in MLS, a number of teams need a dynamic creative spark. Kid can’t get better with splinters in his ass. Ridiculous.

 

McKennie got his offer later than Carleton.

 

Tis the point. So did Sargent.

Both remained free agents. Carleton signed much earlier and hence, negated the opportunity to find something better at 18 which would be this summer.

In a parallel universe Carleton is closing a deal to a Bund club right now and will spend the full preseason with them.

 

I would love for Carleton to start going 90 in ATL2 games. At least he could make a case with his play there (or not).

Right now he’s in the uncomfortable middle ground where he’s option D on the bench. It makes sense from a first team head coach perspective because it allows maximum flexibility, but it’s understandably short sighted.

I still like what ATL is doing overall. Goslin, Bello, Kunga, etc are getting consistent run in games. I’d just like to see a more defined path for the most promising American prospect in the league that’s beyond “he’s young he’ll be fine”. It’s still early-ish in the season so I’m hopeful that things will turn around, but I just hate to see stagnation at this point in a career.