Youth Yanks Abroad, '97-'00 YOBs: 2018/19 Thread

MLS teams can make money on their investment just by having HG kids start. They don't need to even sell them or get Training Compensation. HG's are paid by the league, so just having Glad and company in the first team is saving a bunch of salary.

 

Wahl is saying that Soto will be at the Hannover first team winter training camp.

 

Saw him at the RSL-LAG match at Stubhub yesterday visiting with RSL boys. Sorry can’t confirm or deny the above, just good to see him catching up with former teammates.

 

‼️ RICHIE LEDEZMA IS HOLLAND BOUND. ‼️ pic.twitter.com/nhrI3m6bHe

— Arthur Kogan (@artur_kogan) December 17, 2018

 

One month after taking home the #CU20 Golden Ball, @aleexm21 caps off 2018 as the #USMNT Young Player of the Year! 👏

— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) December 18, 2018

Joining elite #USMNT company.

👀 the moment when U-20 HC @RamosTab broke the news to our 2018 Young Male Player of the Year, @aleexm21. pic.twitter.com/ZUjfZu6qr6

— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) December 18, 2018

 

I think this is the right thread since they are both 98s, but Haji and Weston started for Schalke today!

Only one half in so far, but Haji scored a good reaction tap-in from a weston knock down!

Overall they have been meh. Haji hasn't looked great when pulled out of the middle, but his combination and hold-up play is almost there.

Weston is playing forward which seems really weird, really a second forward. He has looked better, but still looks out of place so high up the field. Schalke is a weird team to watch tactically.

Haji Wright with the wonderful finish off the world-class assist by Weston McKennie.pic.twitter.com/saSymF3ooy

— Sanjiv (@USMNTvideos) December 19, 2018

 

Unfortunately schalke appear to be complete and utter shit this year. They’ll be in a relegation fight st this point.

 

I think McKennie played very well. Not so much a forward as in the last game but more of a #10. He was very good at one touch passing and had a few nice dribbles. He was aerially dominant in the opposition box, getting to at least three. One was behind him, one he got on frame with a header, and the third he knocked it down for Wright to finish.

Haji was also good after about 10 minutes. He held up the ball well and then hit the nice outlet to the open player. The game didn't seem to fast for him and he scored.

Great stuff.

Schalke played pretty well in the first half and were kind of unlucky to be down 1-2. The normally great Fahrmann let in two he should have done better with. Both were reviewed by VAR for a close offsides and a possible hand ball but allowed to stand.

 

Manny Perez (@mannyP113) has signed with @CelticFC, the deal will be official as of January 1st per an inside source! Perez has spent the past 2 years playing for @PackMensSoccer, previously playing for @NorthCarolinaFC’s Academy & is a consistent US U20 callup! pic.twitter.com/ozWEToRHPw

— DMV Soccer (@DMVSoccer96) December 20, 2018

 

Wonder if he can get onto their Europa League roster. Seems like Scotland has rediscovered Americans again.

 

Wow impressive if true. A lot of depth developing at RB... nooice

 

A lot of Americans have played in Scotland. It's done zilch for their development.

 

While it's true that nobody other than Bjorn Maars Johnsen has gone from Scotland to bigger and better things (since...maybe Claudio Reyna, in a very different era), it's hard to separate causation and correlation here.

It's not like our best prospects go to Scotland — perhaps part of the reason few progress beyond the level of the SPFL is that the better players never end up there in the first place.

 

Scotland has done very little development for anybody, American or not. Van Dijk is a recent exception. It's possible that they are in the midst of changes and that they will become a great place. Until I see it I will be very tepid about any move to Scotland. Denmark and Belgium are much better destinations.

 

Victor Wanyama, Odsonne Edouard are two off the top of my head. Both Celtic IIRC.

Boca and Edu both went to Rangers, and Boca was a USMNT mainstay during his time at Rangers.

 

Did he have Bundesliga/Eredivisie offers? Or is this tongue-in-cheek?

 

Well, we know it's much harder at least for Eredivisie teams to sign Americans. They're entitled to the non-EU minimum salary, which is a lot.

 

They all went to EPL, right? Do you think Manny has much of a chance to qualify for work permitT? There are a good half dozen small European leagues that I think would have been better. I am very doubtful of this move. But if you or anybody else think it's ok that's fine.

 

Well, if he's not going to get into the Bundesliga, and he's not going to get paid the EU minimum, I see little problem with a 20-y.o. college player going to a Celtic team that's probably better than most MLS teams, as a springboard perhaps to another European league on the Continent.

 

Just saying that there are better springboards out there than Celtic. Denmark and Belgium are much better. Norway and Sweden have been better, particularly for YAs. Austria and Switzerland have not really used YAs but they have a better record. Portugal has a better record but hasn't been good for YAs. Netherlands and France are better but out of the question. Scotland is certainly better than Greece or Turkey so I'm not saying it's the worst. Also, Celtic is the best team to go to in Scotland and tons better than Rangers but even so it just seems off to me.

 

Moussa Dembele

 

AHA! I knew there was a Dembele that I couldn't place.

 

Check out @richydezma’s Tweet:

1076090372059738112 is not a valid tweet id