YNT-Eligible MLS Players: 2018 In-Season Thread

How much is it that lower level coaches put the biggest, fastest kid up top and launch the ball towards him? Then when that kid is 17, he has no technical skills to take his game to the next level. I referee U10-U14 games, the strategy almost always beats more technical, passing teams. Especially on artificial turf. The only incentives are to win and get more people to pay to send kids to that team. There is no incentive to develop players that could bring solidarity money later.

 

Is that what you’re still seeing? Cuz the teams with decent talent that I’ve been seeing recently are more technical than in years past. I’ve seen nycfc vs Real Madrid at the GA Cup a few times the last few days and just about every one of those players was at least capable technically.

It seems like the teams with less talent are maybe still playing the athletic players but the good teams are going for the more technical and talented players. Teams like nycfc, fc dallas, la Galaxy, etc appear to be favoring the technical over the athletic.

 

Another thing I've noticed is that often some of the high goal-scorers in the DA are system players. Meaning, they play for a very good team that gives them a lot of good opportunities, so they have more opportunities and better opportunities to score than players on other teams who might be better but don't get the same opportunities because their team isn't as good.

Its easier to compile more saves for the Yankees than the Marlins, regardless of who is actually the better closer.

 

Ok I totally get what @ussoccer97531 and @Lookingforleftbacks are implying but should the disparity in forwards making the grade be that much less than other positions on the field? LB is about the only other position I can think of that's been so difficult for us to field players but it boggles my mind that with over 100 DA and non-DA clubs we only find one legit striker or two per cycle, if that.

Sargent and Weah appear to be unicorns and not many people are raving about what's behind them. The overall growth of the game here and the academy system by definition should be improving our pool and yet for this position it doesn't seem to be happening. It's disappointing to say the least.

 

I'm not sure its as much of a problem as you are implying. I think it is true for the players who are in their mid 20's. And I think we actually struggled more in that age group at striker than some others, so it looks like an overall issue for the program when I think its more just a senior NT issue right now.

I think a lot mention how starting from around '97 on, the talent is better. If we use that as a barometer, I think the striker position in those age groups isn't so bad. You mention Sargent and Weah, and I'd agree they are both top-tier level prospects. Wright is another I'd put in the top tier. If he hits his ceiling, I think he's better than either of them. Then there are guys like Ebobisse, Vazquez (and Toye to a lesser extent) who could certainly become NT contributors. The issue here is the lack of first team minutes. A '97, a '98 and a '98. They've combined for 214 MLS minutes between the three of them halfway through the season. Thats extremely problematic for their development, and speaks to the issue there is with young American attackers getting a chance in MLS.

And I'm not so sure the striker talent in young age groups is bad either. Perez, Ferreira, Soto, Stojanovic, Butler, Reynolds, Ocampo-Chavez, Toure, along with the aforementioned Weah and Sargent. There are some good players here. I don't think its our most talented position, but should it be? Its not like we have a long history of producing good CF's. Is our CF depth in talent in the younger age groups really any worse than our #10 depth in talent? I think we are producing even less good #10's than #9's.

 

there are people raving about some guys. But until they start showing up in meaningful games, most people don’t notice.

I'm high on Soto, think there's a strong chance he emerges as the 9 for the U.S. U-20s before they head to the World Cup in 11 months.https://t.co/M9lnOAA0ra

— scuffed (@scuffedpod) June 6, 2018

@ussoccer97531 is really high on Ocampo-Chavez. Gio Reyna has also apparently moved to the #9.

Tbh, I probably haven’t seen enough of any of those guys to make much of a decision. Reyna for sure has some talent, but I haven’t seen him play as a 9.

I think the issue is we have to wait for these kids to mature. We have a long way to go before many of these prospects turn into anything. But I think some of our best DA teams now are far ahead of where our best teams were 5-10 years ago

 

Good news for Orlando youngsters.
A coach we thought would "buy in" to the development of American youngsters who never seemed to bother. He's spent his career living off of one MLS Cup win that he won after his team finished 5th in the Western Conference.

NEWS: Orlando City SC Agrees to Part Ways with Head Coach Jason Kreis.

Details | https://t.co/hMHP3LHOgm pic.twitter.com/ahNDJlyhNm

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) June 15, 2018

 

I just got a notification of this too.

Amazing, isnt it? How far the mighty has fallen. This guy went from toast of the town and likely next US coach 5 or 6 years ago, to being fired twice in 3 years.

 

One of my favorite players, of course.
He is by faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar and away the leading scorer in FCD/Burn history.

..............................he is the kind of coach I can see us hiring as a U23 Olympic coach. A guy with a resume that looks decent enough, but is going to have difficulty finding another gig right away.

 

This last part I absolutely agree with. The expansion of the DA academies has helped tremendously as has the advent and growth of the USL. I'm of the opinion that we could get to 48 MLS teams within a decade or 15 years if MLS wants to.

The addition of those extra academies plus the ones springing up around USL sides is already making a vast difference. That growth begets improved play by our youngsters and focus on coaching. There are a ton of expat players who have turned to coaching youth in America which in turn pushes our native coaches to match them.

While I and everyone wants better now I realize this is a curve and it's trending upwards. Let's just hope MLS/SUM/USSF doesn't shoot itself in the foot to sabotage all this potential exponential growth.

 

I wouldn't go that far. Those RSL teams after they won a fluky-ish MLS Cup were very good and fun to watch. He won a Supporters Shield the year after winning MLS Cup, got to the CCL Final in 2011, and lost MLS Cup 2013 on PK's.

But it's been a disaster for him since leaving RSL.

 

I think that one issue is that there is are other "skills" that don't show up as technical skill or althetic ability that are a part of being a top striker. Top strikers have to have an "attitude" which is part extreme confidence, part swagger and part F&^k You. In addition, there is an innate ability to be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time....except it isn't luck. To me, a few of the US strikers that fit into this category include Dempsey, Mathis and Wynalda.

 

That is a different level to what I'm talking about. I'm more talking the general travel soccer that probably feeds the academy teams who feed the MLS academy teams.

 

So Ebobisse plays well in Portland’s first Open Cup game and scores a nice goal. His reward? On the bench tonight (with Williamson) against LAG.

 

Idk... I kind of think too much is being made of the “we only like athletic players” thing. If they are mid level or lower, does it really matter if they are technical and tactical or if they are just athletic? Most of those players will end up playing in college or doing something else anyway.

I realize it was that way in the past and we passed up on some good players, but nowadays, if a player is good, he gets a chance. If he’s just athletic and doesn’t have or develop the talent and tactical awareness, he will get weeded out eventually. Ayo Akinola comes to mind. But it’s not like we are passing up on an Efrain Alvarez type to give Ayo a shot. The academies just aren’t that deep right now.

 

Except he didn't win the supporter's shield the year after he won MLS Cup. The Galaxy did. RSL did make the playoffs in 2010 where they were knocked out in the first round by FC Dallas. In completely unexpected fashion FCD then curb-stomped the best team in the league (the LA Galaxy) by a good margin. [Sorry to dredge this up for you ] That was the David Ferreira, Brek Shea, Fabian Castillo, Dax McCarty era of FC Dallas.

I know this is coming across as kicking a guy when he's down. But I had really high hopes for Kreis as a guy that would really focus on the development of American youngsters. And he never seemed to be interested. Very Caleb Porter-like in my estimation. Remember when we were excited that Luis Gil was acquired by RSL because he'd have the chance to work with Kreis? Dismal...……………..

 

Latest rumor is that he'll be moving to Borussia Dortmund this summer:

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/gio-reyna-to-europe.2079561/page-2#post-36751859

 

I disagree. Grana was Chookied big time in Pachuca and let a KC attacker get by him very non-chalantly which resulted in the winning goal. That seemed to me to torpedo FCD. Speking of Cannon it's interesting you mention Cafu because he was the type of results and non-flashy back that Cannon seems to be destined to become. Carlos always got more attention because of the hype but Cafu was a beast - solid both offensively and defensively.

 

So you think Pareja was going to start an 18 year old that had never played a first team game against Pachuca in the CCL semifinal.................? There was never even the slightest shred of a chance.

FCD collapsing last year was a team effort.

 

I was disputing your assertion that Grana was not the reason FCD collapsed. I do think he was or a big reason they did. I didn't say that Cannon should have replaced him but that's a different argument. Grana was a flashy skillful player who couldn't defend very well and despite the flash didn't put in goals or assists. Cannon is much better defensively and I think will be better offensively. That doesn't mean I thought he was last year also just that I think he deserved a few games last year just like I think Pax, Servania and Carleton do this year. I am also open minded and if I see evidence the managers have real plans and the players make good I'll give them credit.

 

There’s got to be overseas transfer interest in him, right?!