With the U.S. out of the tournament, here's a place to collect news and rumors on where the guys are or may be headed. Here or some whose next steps are either known or have been speculated about off the top of my head: GK Josh Lambo possibly headed to Everton, pending passport issues. Abdus Ibrahim finally joining FC Dallas. Ellis McLoughlin Brian Dominguez Brek Shea Gregory Garza Kirk Urso Sheanon Williams MacMath (Stuttgart) JJ (Stuttgart) Wenzel (1860 Munich) Nimo Mykell Bates has committed to Santa Clara. Danny Cruz has committed to UNLV. Chris Klute apparently has or had a training opportunity, at the least, with Tigres. As far as Europe goes, I don't know anyone's passport status so I don't know who can go pre-18. I assume Nimo will be an MLS target. Sheanon Williams might also be a nice pick-up for MLS. And Bates may be in a position to re-think his college plans. As usual there is lots I don't know or have forgotten about, so add any thoughts or info here.
I've watched 3 of the US U-17 games and can't say I was terribly impressed with most of the team. Supposedly Ellis McCoughlin and Dan Wenzel were two people to watch. I didn't see them do anything. If there is anyone I liked it was Mykell Bates. You are right that he might want to reconsider college after this tournament. His talent doesn't jump out at you, but against Belgium and Germany he showed a knack for scoring. One was the impressive header against Belgium and another was a gritty, heads-up goal late against Germany. The latter was scored on his back no less. He doesn't have the talent of Nimo, but he has the intangibles. Two years ago, he was a freshman forward who lead his high school to the state championship in California. Now he is a defender and the captain for the U-17 US team. He's got a nice career path going.
I was going to suggest a hardhat and a lunchpail for some, but maybe we should wait until the dust settles. So, it's off to Max & Erma's to mull things over.
Sheanon Williams is committed to UNC i hear, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him go straight to MLS
If ever there was a group that desperately needed to get in a professional environment -- ANY pro environment -- it is this group. Going back to college for these kids would simply be taking even more steps backwards. Watching them play it was clear many lacked the tactical and technical acumen of most teams they faced, especially the Germans. They are not going to close this gap by playing 3 months out of the year against college players.
But that's just where they've been, some for as long as 2 years. Bradenton Residency is free to all players. Daily training. Paid coaches who have no other job but to develop the players. The ambition of turning out adult pros. This is a professional program, without question.
Say that to GersMan's face! Goalkeeper Zac MacMath and midfielder Jared Jeffrey are currently training with new Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart, while defender/midfielder Dan Wenzel is at Bundesliga 2 side 1860 Munich. Link: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/articles.aspx?Article=2393 That was from June.
If some German teams are smart, they'll sign some of those guys off their Euro tour performances, as cheap investments based on size and speed. Then again, their stock may have fallen more than those of sub-prime lenders and, for the majority of these players, it's college and then off to grad school.
But that's not how we assembled this team, no? 1) McGloughlin - Not really fast, that I could see 2) Shuler - Good athlete, but would you take him an an investment? 3) Ibby - FC Dallas property 4) Garza - Nope 5) Nimo - Too small, not explosively fast 6) Jeffreys - Nah 7) Zimmerman - Doubt it 8) Bates - 5' 9" center back without great wheels 9) Klute, Shea, Meyer - No comments there 10) Williams - Yeah, I could see it 11) Dominguez - Nope 12) Urso - Nope 13) King - Think not 14) Sarkodie - See Bates I mean, a raw athlete team, this squad was not.
I meant a true professional environment. One where not only the player's livelihood depends on getting better but so, too, does the club's. One where they are competing not only against players their age, but also older (and younger) players with the same dream as them looking to take their spot. One where the players that excel are promoted to the first team and get to develop with bona fide pros rather than stay with the same group of underachieving players. The Bradenton Residency program, while indeed a professional program, is NOT a true professional environment. At least not the type of environment the German kids who undressed the US today have been playing in the past few years.
Aside from Cruz, are any of the college-bound players going to be playing college ball this fall? Or, are they going to neither be in a pro, nor collegiate, environment?
I would assume virtually every '90 with a standing college commitment will be playing as freshmen this year, but I really don't know.
Size and speed does not mean shite, without very good skill. For one thing Germans are big people, probably bigger than Americans on average..
Don't know much about Bates but I do know that California does not have a high school state championship. Southern California does have its own version of a "state" championship for all schools. Northern California does not have a championship of any kind; the Bay Area high schools play a winter season and the Central Valley schools play a fall season. Nice that you want to hype the kid. When you don't get the facts straight you come off sounding like one of the kids relatives.
I'm interested to see who gets Gen-Ad contracts for the Superdraft in January, Bates and Williams are the most likely, but who knows. It's strange that the three guys who trained in Germany were all pretty poor in this tournament, maybe they'll have to reconsider their options.