YNT-Eligible MLS Players: 2018 In-Season Thread

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Dave Marino-Nachison, Feb 20, 2018.

  1. butters59

    butters59 Member+

    Feb 22, 2013
    Forwards aren't coming from MLS.
     
  2. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Yup. And it used to be the opposite. There used to be plenty of the Jozy Altidore-style teens getting playing time. Now its switched to the defenders and central midfielders.

    When you look at that list there, how many potential USMNTers do you see there?
    I see a few, but that pool isn't as deep as it should be.

    And yes, we have some elite youngsters abroad. But the strength of the USMNT program needs to come from depth of talent being developed in MLS. So that behind CCV and EPB we have Glad, Trusty, and company developing.

    A forward I like that's stuck on the bench is Ebobisse. His floor should be Gyasi Zardes...………………………...just my opinion.
     
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  3. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I feel like it’s worth mentioning that some of our top YNT attackers the last few years have gone to Europe. Weah, Pulisic, Sargent, Akale, Perez, and even De La Torre could all be getting minutes in MLS if they had stayed. Maybe I’m drawing a blank, but I remember a stretch there where we didn’t have a lot of attackers going to Europe.
     
  4. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Doesn’t that go hand in hand with the idea that we had a general gap in talent among players currently in the 23-27 age range?

    I think it will be much better in a few years.
     
  5. TarHeels17

    TarHeels17 Member+

    Jan 10, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Your issue is you're not creeping enough. His snapchat story has him with ATL2 today.

    Fagundez 45, Zardes 44, Agudelo 38 (according to transfermarkt, at least). Next closest is Morris at 15. I have a spreadsheet that I haven't updated in a few weeks, but the links in the last column are direct links to career stats by league on transfermarkt. You can use those if you want stats as of today.

    I pasted it into a google sheet here:

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wtEZAl6hTmdsVn5nzHS3d-hsHYUWhfDbk_oECGrnIzA/edit?usp=sharing
     
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  6. WheezingUSASupport

    Dortmund
    United States
    Aug 28, 2017
    Very concerning. The only other two I can think of who are fairly young but not HGs are:
    1. Baird who seems promising
    2. Mueller who looked promising but has been fairly invisible the last several games.
     
  7. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    Durkin starts against Toronto
     
  8. TxEx

    TxEx Member+

    Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, FC Dallas
    Aug 19, 2016
    DFW
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Where are all the former and current DA scoring champs? What's happened to the top 10 scorers for the last five years? Someone is playing forward for every age group at every DA and non-DA club. What happens to them? Why aren't they good enough to get looks?
     
  9. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    17th minute Kissiedou gets the ball 35 yards from goal. Carleton making a run towards the 18 to his left. Kissiedou dribbles right at him and tries to pass through the defense to another player making a run on the far side. The defense steals the ball.

    21st minute Sandoval receives the ball 35 yards from goal with his back to goal. Kissiedou is coming towards him. Nice one touch pass from Sandoval to Kissiedou. Carleton makes a run to the top of the box. Kissiedou passes it 3 yards behind him.

    These are the types of things that are common with Atl Utd 2. The rest of the first half, they would gain the offensive zone and then have 5 guys stand around at the edge of the 18 and pass the ball around until they lost it or send a long hopeful cross in. For anyone doubting the effectiveness of Carleton, I still see the same player who looked good in the open cup last week.
     
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  10. ShaftBrewer

    ShaftBrewer Member+

    Jul 18, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  11. TarHeels17

    TarHeels17 Member+

    Jan 10, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's amazing how Atlanta is probably the most aesthetically pleasing professional team in the United States, while the second team is arguably the least.
     
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  12. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    From just watching this 2nd half of this ATL 2 game, I can say they are really bad and that Carleton is too good for this level.
     
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  13. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    I know people get excited for Carleton, but are people really focusing on him play in the USL over watching Durkin vs. Giovinco/Vazquez/Bradley?
     
  14. Anderson11

    Anderson11 Member

    Nov 23, 2012
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Durkin does not make many mistakes.
     
  15. ShaftBrewer

    ShaftBrewer Member+

    Jul 18, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He has been so good. He's occupying space and starting attacks with good passes. Huge part of the 3-0 lead over TFC.
     
  16. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They looked much better tonight than the last time I saw them, which was a few weeks ago. Still, they’re just awful
     
  17. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was going to make some clips of Durkin tonight but it was my awakening that you can’t do that on ESPN+. Which sucks. But Durkin carved TFC apart in the first half. Not sure if Toronto was sitting back or just lethargic, but Durkin was all over shipping the ball back and forth and creating space for his teammates to get the ball upfield.

    I know some people think Vanney is an inexperienced coach and needs some seasoning, but I’m still a big fan. TFC looked like a completely different team in the second half. They pushed everyone forward and didn’t give DC time to pass the ball around in the back. Another thing they did is they specifically pressured Durkin in his own end and tried to deny him the ball. It worked because DC couldn’t get the ball out of their own end and blew a 3 goal lead.

    There are some things Durkin really needs to work on. He’s too loose to his mark defensively outside the 18. He’s not a destroyer or the best at tackling for a DM. He doesn’t fly around the field creating havoc. Sometimes, he doesnt hustle to step into passing lanes. But man can that kid pass. Give him the ball and he practically never makes a mistake.
     
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  18. Balerion

    Balerion Member+

    Aug 5, 2006
    Roslindale, MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Often they've been guys like Brandon Allen or guys who had okay NCAA careers but never stood out post-DA.
     
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  19. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    This happens every game. This is not a one game thing. Other than keeping match fitness, playing games for this team doesn't help him.

    But as to the point about the discrepancy between attacker and defensive player minutes in MLS, I think the trend is clear. MLS teams bring in foreigners for the attacking spots. There are some (albeit not many) foreigner restrictions in place, so they think they'll get more value from using foreigners in the attacking lineup positions, and therefore use more young American defensive players. It really is a big indictment on MLS that Carleton, Pomykal, Ebobisse, Lewis, Vazquez have combined for 92 minutes almost halfway through the season. Look at our NT. We were a one man attack all during the hex. Why is that? When young American attackers get no chance in their own domestic league to play, how are we supposed to develop American attackers?
     
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  20. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree. He looks like the same player we’ve been watching for a few years now. It’s nice to see he can be successful, but if he’s going to improve he needs a bigger challenge.

    And yes, I agree. Far too many teams are bringing in players and leaving American attackers on the bench.
     
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  21. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    Yep, he definitely needs to improve his defensive awareness.

    He sometimes puts DC in trouble because he makes a good pass in his own end, but either his teammate isn't expecting the pass and/or they're not technically good enough to handle the pass.

    His ability to turn out of pressure and not panic in his own end is outstanding. Perhaps already best ever seen from an American CM.

    Durkin and Ledezma are a CM pair that could absolutely help control possession for the U20s at a high level, even against Mexico.
     
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  22. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Poor DC. You can see the makings of a Nyeman-Durkin midfield that would own mls for a decade or more, but there’s no way they will be able to hold onto both of them. Maybe not even one of them.
     
  23. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Not really.

    If they plan this out properly then they can sell these youngsters at their peak value. That money can then be re-invested in the squad, the academy, the coaching staff, the facilities etc.

    Keep the assembly line moving...........................
     
  24. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah I realize that’s the way this is supposed to work. But it’s not always that easy. Sometimes, you buy the wrong player. Sometimes, you invest in player development but the next wave of players just doesn’t have the top end talent.

    Of course, this goes back to my ongoing point that it’s a fallacy to believe that the right coach can take any somewhat talented 11 year old and turn him into a superstar. I’m of the opinion that elite players have a higher level of commitment, desire, and ability that they develop at a young age and it starts to set them apart about the time academies can grab them.

    The only way to really foster those types of players imo is to start youth programs for very young kids to get them playing every day. Getting them to love the sport so they want to play and get better every day on their own is imperative for developing great players.

    But that’s all just my very unpopular opinion.
     
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  25. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    My sense, and I could be completely wrong, is that being a leading scorer in the DA is like leading in Saves in Single A baseball or being the career MLS goal leader. The best players are called away to YNT camps or play up in USL and don't put in the minutes to lead in goals scored. Soto seems to be the exception as someone who is called to YNT camps and bangs in a bunch at the DA level.

    Also, not everyone in the DA is American. When you look at Goals/Game to take out the above you find kids from Nigeria and Ghana.
     
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