Youth Yanks Abroad (1997s or later)

Konrad de la fuente & his @fcbarcelona Cadete A teammates captured the Torneo Internacional Al Dhafra championship #usmnt https://t.co/qqOHc0dekY

— Dallas Cup ⚽️ (@dallascup) March 20, 2017

 

#U19 players @HajiWright, @WMckennie, Phil #Halbauer Tobias #Fleckstein, Luke #Hemmerich & @NTaitague joined first team training today! #s04 pic.twitter.com/ZFIc70ATgb

— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) March 22, 2017

 

Progress, but I'm still not gonna get really excited till one of them gets first-team games.

 

First team training during international breaks is par for the course at this age.

 

This is a terrific piece on Weston McKennie:

Check out @BrianSciaretta's Tweet:

As the US U20s move to the World Cup, they'll likely receive a huge boost from Schalke's Weston McKennie. My feature https://t.co/oUHfH3q8uO

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) March 22, 2017

 

#7, and a Ronaldo style penalty, all in a Barca jersey lol.

 

Check out @NatsAbroad's Tweet:

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Check out @NatsAbroad's Tweet:

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Where's Haji?

 

He tweeted he was injured.

 

Hope it's not too serious.

 

Here's the entire Friendly between Hannover and Schalke.
McKennie started and wore #2

 

Anyone know if Hannover team was anywhere close to their first team? They were far superior in height, speed, thought, and skill.

 

They started 6 of their regular starters and 5 of their top reserves.
In their last regular season match, 10 of the 11 players that started in this friendly, were in the 18.

 

Our Schalke trio interviewed.

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1OdKrgvzWNYGX

 

Will Vint to Man U?

Check out @topdrawersoccer's Tweet:

U.S. teen to European power?

Pro Prospects: https://t.co/m2Y6Z66USJ #TopDrawerSoccer pic.twitter.com/j6BUmhJWVW

— TopDrawerSoccer (@TopDrawerSoccer) March 31, 2017

 

Check out @dallascup's Tweet:

Weah bagged a goal for PSG U19s in their 4-1 win https://t.co/aOpDjvCLY0 https://t.co/DfRraGTD53

— Dallas Cup ⚽️ (@dallascup) April 2, 2017

 

Weah is such an enigma. He can't even get into the U-17 starting lineup, but does so well at PSG.

 

I think McKinnie looks the one closer to first team. I like his game, not afraid to look forward, good position as an 8 in a 3-man midfield, just needs to clean up some of those aggressive forward passing options.

 

Another game, another @HajiWright goal! He finished off the U19s' 3-1 win against Viktoria Köln with this strike. Keep 'em coming! #S04US pic.twitter.com/JaUJiLO4fy

— Schalke 04 USA🇺🇸 (@s04_us) April 3, 2017

 

Really nice footwork. Really like how comfortable he was with ball in his right foot before hitting that blast with his left.

Anyone know which is his dominant foot?

 

I'm pretty sure its his right, but he's one of those very two-footed players.

 

Nice powerful shot from that angle, but you gotta admit there's a bit of Kramer Dominates the Dojo to that video.

 

Does that say something about HIM being an enigma, or the US coaching staff being the enigma?

 

Maybe some of both. I think he's been played out of position for the US at times, which doesn't help, but he's shown very little, out of position or in position. There aren't even that many flashes. Occasionally you see something, but you really have to look closely to find any flashes. He's had games where you would think he's just one of these fringe players who won't amount to much, and then you watch him play for PSG, and he's excellent. I watched him play for PSG in the UEFA Youth League earlier this season, and he was terrific. He was also the youngest player on the field, some players were three years older. A few of the players in that game have already played in PSG's first team, and Weah looked like one of their better players. He was so good that I don't think it would be a stretch to say that version of Tim Weah is better than any U-17 other than Carleton.

I'd ultimately like to see him playing in a two striker formation next to Sargent, lets see if Hackworth puts that formation out there in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in a few weeks. No reason to panic long-term, but it is a problem now that he is this talented, yet hasn't produced for the USA yet.

 

Why do we have to make such grand snarky opinions about what is simple logistics. Weah isn't at Bradenton, he doesn't make it to most camps, he doesn't always take every International trip. He stays at PSG. That's a good thing. He's a wide forward so there's two spots. Carlton and Akinola. He's not better than Carlton. He's very similar to Akinola and both are pretty good. Akinola starts right now and that's not a bad decision particularly based on his performance at Nike Friendlies. I personally would have liked Weah to start a game at Nike but he didn't. He played every game, scored twice and looked good.
I don't then have to make snarky comments about the coaching staff or him being an enigma. I personally think he has more up side than Akinola but that's my opinion and the coaching staff isn't stupid or inept for not starting him at Nike.