The 2021 U-20 Qualifying Thread

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Peretz48, Mar 18, 2019.

  1. don Lamb

    don Lamb Member+

    mine
    United States
    Aug 31, 2017
    Seems like huge potential in that market, and a blank slate/opportunity to shape the culture and infrastructure has to be appealing.
     
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  2. TarHeels17

    TarHeels17 Member+

    Jan 10, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hopefully he fixes Houston before Houston beats down Tab. Hopefully this signals a change at Houston. If he manages to convert Houston to being a youthful place it'll be huge for the USMNT. That's a huge metro. Imagine if they become a second version of the Union - it'll be sunshine and daisies around here.
     
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  3. Peretz48

    Peretz48 Member+

    Nov 9, 2003
    Los Angeles
    So, does this mean Wicky will move up to the U20s after the U17 WC?
     
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  4. bshredder

    bshredder BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 23, 1999
    Club:
    Millwall FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is my guess. I also think Wicky becomes the feds Youth TD and pretty much is in charge of filling the vacancies. Then it's up to him if he takes the U-20 gig or stays with the U-17s. Either way, I think he's more powerful on a visible level after the U-17 WC
     
  5. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    That’s been the presumption. And if that happens, is Pilkington being groomed to be the next U17 coach?
     
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  6. butters59

    butters59 Member+

    Feb 22, 2013
    Looks like a desperation move by Tab. He isn't gonna get promoted no matter how good his U-20 teams are.
     
  7. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    How is moving to manage an MLS club and make some good money a desperation move?
     
  8. Dave Marino-Nachison

    Jun 9, 1999
    I guess. But it seems to me like common sense, more or less. Surely first-division managerial experience is a prequisite for the MNT job, unless I suppose a caretaker is needed.
     
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  9. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nowhere close to desperation.
    He moves to an international job with sporadic camps to a full time MLS job.
    I imagine the pay is much better as well.

    Would love to see a coach go in there and try to guild up the academy structure.
     
  10. bshredder

    bshredder BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 23, 1999
    Club:
    Millwall FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #85 bshredder, Oct 24, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2019
    I am as big of a Tab admirer as there is. His teams always play hard. But the is something to be said about the skill of coaching adults as opposed to kids.

    But the U-20 gig was part time. 4-5 camps per year, meaningful games every 2 years.

    The U-20 NT is important to get the country's most promising prospects of a particular age group together and intergrated into the international arena. But the U-20 teams don't really develop players. We all know this.

    Tab is now going have a chance to develop players. Hiring Tab (and Omid) is a sign that Houston wants to go younger and have a bigger footprint in the Houston area. Why else would hiring Tab make sense?

    Houston is one of the biggest cities in the country and it has underproduced. Tab is going to provide an avenue to help change that. If Tab can come close to Luchi's success in Dallas, he will have a greater impact on development than he was having as the U-20 head coach.
     
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  11. butters59

    butters59 Member+

    Feb 22, 2013
    He supposedely declined MLS offers previously. Houston isn't the most attractive team, it seems that he was looking to move up on NT ladder, but finally realized that there is no place for him over there.
     
  12. bshredder

    bshredder BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 23, 1999
    Club:
    Millwall FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He has actively been looking for an MLS gig for quite some time. He's been passed over.

    A few years ago he interviewed for Orlando. He was in consideration for FCD but they went with Luchi. He interviewed for Cincinnati but the Dutch GM went with a Dutch coach.

    I think proving you can be an effective coach at the adult level is a better resume booster, TBH.
     
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  13. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    Tab has always been a talented guy and he has always shown political savvy, but he has also shown a tendency in the past to play it safe - most recently staying too long in a job where the talent cycle was always going to make him look good in comparison to those who came before him.

    Now That he has finally made the leap to the professional level, he has a lot of tough lessons ahead of him. The toughest lesson? - that often, at the professional level, coaches don’t have a good choice available to them and, rather than make the best possible decision, they have to make the least bad decision. Fans will blame you no matter what you decide. I believe that Tab has been avoiding this level for that very reason.

    I applaud him for finally taking on the same level of challenge that many of his peers have already lived with for years.

    When you don’t get suckered into Tab’s narrative, he comes across as exactly what he is - a talented guy who needs to learn that you can’t talk yourself out of every problem when you are truly challenging yourself - a condition that often infects those who stay too long in the safe nest of coaching youth national teams.

    Anybody who leaves that nest should be applauded for entering into the world of professional level accountability, even if it is long overdue.
     
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  14. don Lamb

    don Lamb Member+

    mine
    United States
    Aug 31, 2017
    Mightn't it just be that:

    a. he hasn't been offered many positions at the level he wants to be, or

    b. he has been patient to make sure that he selects the best possible situation?

    I don't think Tab has been passing up opportunities so that he can keep it cush with the U20s for an extra couple of cycles, and I don't think it's a coincidence that this job that he accepted has a tantalizing amount of upside (with at least as much work to be done).
     
  15. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Given that Houston recently stole SJ’s youth TD, and now are hiring Tab, it looks like they may be investing in youth.

    That could be a very attractive opportunity for Tab.
     
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  16. jeff_adams

    jeff_adams Member+

    Dec 16, 1999
    Monterey, Ca
    As a Quakes’ fan, I’m quite happy they did. The academy looks much stronger without him.
     
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  17. David Kerr

    David Kerr Member+

    United States
    Oct 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    With Tab moving onto Houston Wicky will most likely become the 20's coach. Expect Matt Pilkington to be the coach of the 17's as he was brought as an assistant for the current WC and has been the most successful DA coach over the last two years.
     
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  18. Runhard

    Runhard Member+

    Barcelona
    United States
    Jul 5, 2018
    Tab leaving is definitely a bad thing for the dual Nationals issue. I know a lot of the current duel Nats like Tab and he is a reason some of them stay with the US. Will see how it plays out.
     
  19. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think Wicky has done fine on that so far. Pepi was in the Mexican camp and returned to the US under Wicky. Coaches want to win so they will always do what is necessary to get the best players. The Fed itself may have other ideas but the coaches are and mostly have been fine on this for years.
     
  20. Runhard

    Runhard Member+

    Barcelona
    United States
    Jul 5, 2018
    I hope you are right but getting a different vibe from some folks. If Kleiban, who apparently is Uly and Mendez agent and I think likes Tab, tells them to now explore Mexico options because Tab is gone, that is no Bueno. Not really anyones fault as this is probably a good career move for Tab, but no good none the less if Dual Nats leave.
     
  21. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was referring to the LAG Academy. Yes, the Kleibans still have some sway among former academy players from there. Hopefully Tab tells Wicky how to handle kids this age.
     
  22. Arantes

    Arantes Member

    Fluminense
    Brazil
    Dec 4, 2018
    It was Tsakiris (not Wicky) who convinced Pepi to permanently switch by calling him to the U16s (2003s) camp back in September of 2018. Tsakiris then called Pepi up again to the 2018 Nike Friendlies with the U17s (2002) about a year ago. After the opening game against Turkey and his goal, there was no hesitation in Pepi's mind he had made the right decision. This is straight out of an interview where he states the Mexican Federation never called him up with their U17s. All Wicky did after that was call him up for CONCACAF qualifying earlier this year.
     
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  23. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Wicky moving to the U20s makes a lot of sense.
    These USYNT coaching gigs are much less interesting than people make them out to be.

    Why on Earth would Matt Pilkington leave NYCFC for the U17 job? He gets to work day-to-day with kids in one of the best youth markets in the country. The U17 job seems like most of the year its scouting and calling kids to keep Mexico (and others) from recruiting the kids. Then a sporadic camp strewn throughout the year.


    Sure, but Tab deserved this opportunity. We should all be happy for him and grateful for the work he's done with the kids.

    Now somebody else gets a chance.

    People say they'll hire one of the good 'ole boys from the USSF stable. But they didn't do that when they hired Wicky, did they? No.

    Maybe Earnie will grab somebody from Holland. That would be interesting...………

    But we'll see.

    Youth coaches change. Tab had interviews in MLS prior to this Houston opportunity. This could have, maybe should have, happened sooner.
     
  24. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    I understand that these jobs are not full time, but how much prestige is involved in being an academy coach at NYCFC? If he wants to advance, taking the U-17 job could be a nice springboard. Ramos used the U-20 job as a springboard.
     
  25. TarHeels17

    TarHeels17 Member+

    Jan 10, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah that's the big thing. You spend all your time talking to different teams and tons of teams are watching how you coach. Coaching a YNT team is easily the fastest and surest way of coaching adults afterwards.
     
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