I'm perplexed at the European interest some of our players are starting to get. It tells me that we are starting to improve and I haven't made an adjustment for the caliber of interest each level of player should be getting.
We have been good before as well. There are plenty of good club coaches. We just had an artificial bottleneck in Bradenton.
The reality is that you are not alone. When change happens there is generally a lag in reaction to that change. First the level of play changes but European interest lags. When European interest begins to increase, it is not obvious at first and there is a lag in our (fans) understanding of the depth/magnitude of change. We know there is change...just as the Europeans knew our players were improving but there is still a lag. It happens on both ends...at the beginning of growth and at the end of growth into plateau or decline. I believe that we are in a period of accelerated change in the US and for a period of time, historical trends are not valid. We can't look at historical trends in terms of European or domestic soccer and use them to accurately predict by extrapolation. I think your instincts are pretty good but, as you said, you will have to make adjustments and reevaluate your standards more frequently than in the past.
He needed it. The pressure was building after all the missed opportunities. That touch out of bounds when he was in on goal a few minutes earlier was brutal. He missed an open net earlier this year too. He certainly hasn't lacked spunk and he's displayed some skill we knew he had. But needs more poise and anticipation, including on defense, because it's leading to some breakdowns and his play being erratic. Maybe tonight is a performance to build on. He's been decent, w/ LAFC not shockingly creating a ton of chances, albeit maybe surprisingly on the counter mostly.
Admittedly, haven’t seen much of him this season, and have been just sporadically watching this match, but he did well on the goal...though San Jose is that imploding as it’s now 5
The good: 1164392569033375744 is not a valid tweet id The bad and ugly: 1164391386881449986 is not a valid tweet id
Another factor is probably representation. If I understand the history, most American agents had very little connection to clubs in Europe. They just took superdraft picks and worked deals with MLS. Just like they do in the NFL. But the agents have become more global in their connections. Plus, the players have become more cognizant of what agents can do for them. The agent Pulisic uses (I think his Dad was his agent but a real agent advised) was one of the few who even thought of Europe for players tfour years ago. A guy like Cory Gibbs is new, but has moved a whole bunch of kids to Germany now. Now their must be entire agencies looking for kids to move to clubs in Germany alone. But I also agree the talent must be better. Guys who score in the DA at 17, score in the U19 Bundesliga at the same clip (Hoppe, Soto, Sargent). Clubs notice that and you would expect strikers in the DA will have many German clubs vying for their signature going forward. Llanez, Pulisic, Taitague also had success right from the DA to the U19 Bund.
The major difference is that our kids have caught up to other nations' kids but ours don't cost money to bring over. European clubs aren't paying fees or if they are they're minimal unlike SA clubs who sell their kids. Free talent will always be attractive to clubs. It also really helps that our kids are making waves and showing they belong over there. The combo is hard to pass up for any team that can make it work.
Tannenwald characterized it bit more strongly: There were offers from European clubs including Dutch power PSV Eindhoven — home of elite American prospects Richie Ledezma and Chris Gloster — and Denmark’s FC Copenhagen. https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/jac...jD-zntg7swekvxz2ZXzjOK34fvy5kHaxIsdpoMJ92wieQ
Toye and Dotson start for Minnesota away to Sporting KC. Game begins at 9:30 eastern on ESPN2 currently (ESPN after the Little League World Series end).
Aaronson and McKenzie start for Philly. If Mckenzie can lock things down despite his rust then maybe he keeps his spot. Not sure where Trusty and Colin are.
🚨 Rumor 🚨21-year-old Argentinian-American midfielder Ignacio Poplawski is traveling to the U.S. to trail with Orlando City ahead of a potential future loan move.Nacho briefly played in South Florida before signing with Estudiantes in Argentinahttps://t.co/AxDVNeGlIS— The Roar (@TheRoarPod) August 24, 2019
Brenden Aaronson doubles the lead for #DOOP!#PHIvDC // Heineken #RivalryWeek pic.twitter.com/q8OR8uOgVJ— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 24, 2019
Pomykal, Cerillo, Reynolds, and Pepi on the bench. Let’s hope Pomykal can get his mojo back in the 2nd half. Although he really just probably needs a 1-2 game break.
Ferreira had several mazy runs on the ball around defenders. He didn't even used to try. And he makes good decisions at the end. That evolution is a major development because now we're talking about him being potentially useful at every position across the attacking line. I wasn't the highest on him as a cf by itself because of lack of physical tools. Pomykal needed time off to rest his legs. Shouldn't react any way to it. It's a neutral event.
Doesn’t make sense. If you’re going to rest him, rest him. I understand having him on the bench if the game is close, but it’s 4-0