Another one that happened on deadline day: So happy to be joining such a great and historical club like @NFFC can't wait to get going! #NFFC pic.twitter.com/PzB4jhDAV5— Gboly Ariyibi (@GbolyAriyibi) February 1, 2017
Hey now................. Another game, another goal for American abroad Emerson Hyndman at Glasgow Rangers. And this one is 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/AnScBI49fO— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) February 1, 2017
Seems like we're about to add another capped player from this age group: Arena confirms FC Dallas central defender Walker Zimmerman will play vs Jamaica to earn his first #USMNT cap. Well deserved— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 3, 2017 John Anthony Brooks Matt Miazga DeAndre Yedlin Kellyn Acosta Jordan Morris Christian Pulisic (so young he's not really part of this age group, but we'll include him anyway) Emerson Hyndman Julian Green Jerome Kiesewetter Luis Gil Will Trapp Caleb Stanko Paul Arriola Rubio Rubin Brandon Vincent Ethan Horvath Lynden Gooch
I brought this up elsewhere, but thought I should bring it up here. I think this generation is really feeling the effects of just how bad the 1994 American born year was. Take a look at that year. Try to make a top five list. Here's mine 1. Jordan Morris 2. Brandon Vincent 3. Marlon Hairston 4. Alex Bono 5. Dillon Serna/Alonso Hernandez/Marc Pelosi/Alejandro Guido The year is 4 deep in good MLS level professionals, and has 1 NT level player. Absolutely dreadful. How is it possible that one year could be so bad?
There could be some pretty decent kids in the draft. I mean Rosenberry came from this years draft and ended up being a NT prospect, but still this will still be a lack luster class even if it could produce a NT prospect. I think Bileyu could have a pretty good year with NYRB with how often their wing backs get hurt, and Jessie is a coach who would like to play kids. I mean Manneh is a 94 if you count him.
That's my point, Rosenberry wasn't a thought in a lot of people's minds, now he's a top 93. The 94s are one year younger (obviously) so they could have Rosenberry-esq years. Nick Lima is a guy a lot of people could be a difference maker on day one same with Crogale. Both of them are 94s but plenty of 94s came into the league this year.
Wood was part of the 2011 cycle, not the 2009 one, which was for 89/90 birth years. With that said, I should've noted that several of the guys I mentioned before were playing up with the '09s.
Check out @Soccer_News_USA's Tweet: Corona, Orozco, and Arriola all start for Tijuana, with Arriola scoring as they beat Club Leon 4-2 #Xolos #USMNT— Leon (@usmntsoccerguy) February 5, 2017
Check out @LIGABancomerMX's Tweet: #PorSiNoLoViste G⚽⚽⚽L de Paul Arriola@clubleonfc 1-4 @Xolos#J5CL2017 #LIGABancomerMX⚽ #SienteTuLiga ⚽ #PorLaEducación pic.twitter.com/r6HslSpXAy— Liga BBVA MX (@LigaBBVAMX) February 5, 2017
Here for references are all the '94s who got U20 callups in the 2013 cycle: Hernandez Alonso McIntosh Kendall Rodriguez Mario Sorto Oscar Akinyonde Bolu Duarte Christian Dunn Matt Guido Alejandro Hairston Marlon Koroma Alfred Madison Darius Martin Collin McBean Jack Morris Jordan Pelosi Marc Potts Daniel Robinson Jalen Serna Dillon Decker Ethan Fender Holden McGuire Jake Oliver Andrew It's probably reasonable to give the group at least one more year (this is basically the the "rookie season" for college players) but it's obviously still not packed with clear future stars. Pelosi and Martin stand out as guys slowed by injury. Potts turned out to be ineligible.
He played three seasons at Indiana (2012-14) then left school and hasn't been heard from since. He never scored more than four goals in an NCAA season.
Here's the Nike Friendlies roster from that group (this is just one game's roster but I believe it captures all or most of the guys who were available at the time): USA: 1-Fernando Piña, 4-Andrew Chang, 2-Nathan Smith, 6-Andrew Souders (capt.), 21-Ive Burnett (16-Holden Fender, 58); 7-Andrew Oliver (20-Nicholas Melo, 46), 5-Atsou Ayah (17-Tarek Beckles, 71), 3-Marc Pelosi, 10-Irvin Gijon (14-Oscar Ortega, 71), 11-Alfred Koroma (9-Mario Rodriguez, 80); 15-Kellen Gulley (19-Mikhail Doholis, 46) Subs: 8-Tarik Salkicic, 12-Eric Gonzalez, 13-Sebastian Velasquez, 18-Kendall McIntosh, 22-Jerome Cristobal http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...lands-in-nike-international-friendlies-finale
Just off the top of my head- McIntosh is a backup GK for the Timbers, Nathan Smith is with Los Dos, M.Rodriguez is on loan in the German 3rd division, Marc Pelosi is with the Earthquakes, but unfortunately injuries have taken their toll. I think that Atsou Ayah is now coaching with Chargers (Tampa Bay). Probably most of the other names on the Nike Friendlies roster are not involved with soccer. This was by far the weakest group we've had in the last 10-15 years. The good news is that we're making progress (really), and from this point forward every U17 group will have multiple players who will wind up in MLS, or with other 1st div. clubs abroad.
And some of those guys just completed their collegiate careers. Beckles, whose name I did not recall, just finished up at Manhattan after playing JuCo.
So first Andre Oliver got kicked out of the residency program at Bradenton, and then he left Indiana University early to never be heard from again... probably best to pencil in "character issues" next to his name.
A lack of focus/drive/maturity/grades/most-or-all-of-the-above seems like a possibility. As far as we know, though, he's doing better than Kellen Gulley...
2015 Toulon Tournament participant Sam Strong spotted playing with Ventura County Fusion in a friendly match vs. Colorado Rapids. "Former UCSB" player is not surprising given his incident last October. For this '93-'96 age group, he's second behind Kellen Gulley for worst ending. Also playing with Fusion today: Former UCSB/US youth int defender Sam Strong, Edgar Gonzalez, Javier Castro, Michael Mercado. @VCFusion— VCSSoccer (@VCSSoccer) February 4, 2017
That's interesting. I'd seen reports of the arrest, but missed the follow-ups reporting his formal charging. I'm still not sure the disposition of the case. In November, he was charged, and pleaded not guilty. https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2016/11/news-in-brief-nov-2-to-nov-8
Here's my periodic contrasting look at the Freddy Adu generation (1989-90) and how they have fared in the last twelve months of MNT callups. Remember, these guys are in their prime 28 to 26 years old. YNT members that have been capped in the last 12 months: Altidore Villafana Called to CA or Jan preliminary squads: Mix Hamid Notable YNT members that have not been capped: Adu Shea Johnson