YNT post-mortem: U.S. players born '93-'96

I'm sure he got a lawyer who was smart enough to know the assault charge was garbage. I'm sure he got something in the end but it was never going to be assault with a deadly weapon.

 

They're getting the (2013 U-20) band back together!

 

Also mentioned were two LAG DA players- Jake Arteaga D ('00) had one of the goals; Zico Bailey ('00) had an assist. Also, Eric Lopez GK of Los Dos, is a '99.

 

It's bad, but I think it's a partial sacrifice of the DP/allocation era in MLS. Ariel Lassiter, Jack McBean, Jalen Robinson, Justin Bilyeu, etc.; might be able to play. Look how late Sean Davis and Patty Mullins are emerging. DePuy and Dunk are hopes.

For under the radar overseas guys, I like Brendan Hines-Ike, who has started at Orebro from pretty much the outset. But it's not good overseas either.

 

Even so, maybe it adds another two or three okay MLS players, but does that team really have more than 1 NT level player? Even if those players you name become good MLS players, I really just don't see much NT potential from that year. Morris is good, but besides him, maybe Hairston, maybe Vincent, maybe Bono? Everyone else probably doesn't have a NT level ceiling, at least thats my opinion.

 

Hines-Ike is versatile, has ball skills, is pretty mobile.
For Dunk, it helps we always need fullbacks.
DePuy is huge and pretty productive. We'll see.
Jalen Robinson has talent. Maybe this is the year he breaks through with Boswell aging and Franklin maybe not the answer.
Lassiter has talent too, but that ship sailed anyway.
Vincent underachieved last year.

I'd bet it has a few nt level guys by the end. Time tends to shift the narrative somewhat. Look at the 2013 NBA draft. It was pegged as about the worst ever. Then it back doored Giannis, Gobert, McCollum, Schroder, and Adams. Porter, Zeller, Noel, Muhammad, Nogueira, Plumlee, Hardaway Jr., etc.; kind of came around. At the end it was just sort of mediocre and the production came from unconventional places. We shant jump the gun too much. All we shall say is that it will almost inevitably be underwhelming.

 

I wonder if we have a development bottle neck for even birth years? The 2014 WC squad had 15 odd vs 8 even. The 1982s were our greatest year ever but since then when have we had a really good group from an even year?

 

Yeah, it is pretty strange, but it just doesn't make sense that there would be any reason for it.

 

Not necessarily any one reason. However, a series of reasons related to development path would do the trick. This is of course conjecture but it's my way of having fun.

Path A - teen prodigy (Adu, Agudelo, Altidore)
1) U17 YNT
2) Hyped by media
3) Europe, GA or HGP by 18
4) Stuck on the bench but still believes the hype. Upset, unbalanced.

Path B - relative late bloomer (Bradley, Yedlin, Morris)
1) GA or HGP by 18
2) Works hard to become a starter.
3) U20 YNT
4) Hyped by media
5) Ready to get pro minutes. Satisfaction because of results from hard work.

U17 YNT favors even year recruits and as we know doesn't have a very high translation to NT success. U20 YNT favors odd year recruits and has a higher correlation to NT success.

Anyhoo, I think that the U18 and U19 setup plus USL clubs will make this less of a case later on.

 

After 2015, Memo Rodriguez was bumped to a USL deal with RGVFC, but he is back on Houston's roster.

Jaime Villarreal signed a HG contract today after three years with Los Dos.

 

Zack Steffen gets his first MLS start today, could be a big year for the kid.

 

So did Cody Cropper. I watched that Revs-Rapids game, and he did a good job.
Also nice to see Dillon Serna get back on the field as a substitute in that game. Hairston and Miller were also quite solid for Colorado.

Actually, a lot of the players in this particular age group got playing time yesterday from around the league.

For instance, the best two players on the field yesterday in the LA-Dallas game..........in my humble opinion:

All smiles (and 👍) for @FCDallas as they take all three points. #LAvDAL pic.twitter.com/BdFhvmhoQP

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 4, 2017

Tommy Thompson got the start for San Jose, and by all accounts had a very nice game.

What a way to start the season!! Congrats to @nick__lima for killing it on his debut. 👏🏻 https://t.co/OqgcUKwfn1 pic.twitter.com/UaV4n0J56B

— Tommy Thompson (@tomthom11) March 5, 2017

 

Tommy Thompson is allowed to start??

 

Kinnear must be really afraid of losing his gig.

 

By the way....................Nick Lima is example 9869826352 of a kid we never talked about as a youngster that looks like a pretty intruiging pro player. Pretty impressed with his play in his MLS debut. Capable of playing either fullback spot, but pretty good as a right back last night. Remember when we talked about a lack of depth at right back after Yedlin with this group? Eric Miller is playing well, and hopefully Nick Lima can push on after last night.

Couldn't be happier to have made my MLS debut in San Jose. What a night! It truly was something special! #ForwardAsOne

— Nick Lima (@nick__lima) March 5, 2017

 

Both Lima and Thompson did very well. I'm really excited about Lima, he looks like he could be an outstanding player. I mean he essentially shut down Piatti last night. And as a former forward, he knows how to get forward and isn't afraid to take a shot.

TT has improved significantly since early last season and now looks like he fits in on an MLS field. I think he'll turn out to be at least a valuable MLS contributor. He seems to have a mental block in front of the net though. I hope he can fix that. He had two very good opportunities and put them both directly at the keeper. I think most know that is ball skills are very good. And he's learned how to body up and not get pushed off the ball as easily as he was last year. I think he's bulked up a bit.

 

LAG have signed Jon Kempin.
https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2017/03/03/la-galaxy-sign-goalkeeper-jon-kempin

 

If Nick Lima turns out to be a good player, it will be a big win for the awful 1994 age cohort.

 

Lima got more good reviews for his performance with SJ last night.

Watching this Old Firm game that Hyndman started. He didn't do much in the first 75 minutes, but was heavily involved in the equalizer just now. Hit a great strike at goal that was saved nicely by the keeper. Rebounded to another Rangers player (Hill) that knocked it home.