The 2021 U-20 Qualifying Thread

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

  1. David Kerr

    David Kerr Member+

    United States
    Oct 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Other good ones are Travis Clark and JR Erikson. Their work at top drawer soccer has taken a hit over the last two years but they also have had a lot more on their plates than they should covering way too many different facets at once.
     
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  2. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You mean JR Eskilson, right? I actually run into him here in CA quite a bit at DA games/playoffs. He does a good job and has always been friendly. I don’t agree with all his takes, but he definitely puts in the work.
     
  3. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    When you’re covering a team you quickly learn there are the things you report and stories you write and then there are the things that happen that you know about but can’t talk about. Doyle kind of fits that profile. I think people would be surprised how many current and former players and coaches he talks to. A lot of information about US soccer comes from him, but there are things and stories that happen that he can’t tell. Some of it gets released to other people, some of it is deemed better left unsaid.

    For breaking news and rumors, I’m not sure anyone has been better recently than @charlie kennan . He’s especially been fantastic with breaking youth info
     
  4. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    I believe most people in American soccer media regard Straus as the best. Though he doesn’t write as often anymore, and SI is in the toilet with their ownership.

    But he writes more about news than analysis.
     
  5. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    This is all hypothetical but is an example of how a biased source can still seem independent.

    Let's say Strauss has, as everyone in media has, sources on the USMNT. His source is Bocanegra. Bocanegra is being replaced on the team by the new coach, Klinsman, and, of course, is not happy. After a bad result, Boca tells Strauss how Klinsman is bringing in Germans to replace real Americans (like him) on the team. The team has cliques and is unhappy in the dressing room. None of that is false really, at least not to Carlos.

    The article is published and looks independent because it is attacking the coach. But it is written in service to the source, Bocanegra.

    Again, hypothetical.

    The team wins the next game. Bocanegra is phased out and the team goes on a winning streak and wins the Hex. But if the team had lost, maybe JK gets fired and Boca stays on as Captain or at least as a key player.

    Doyle will write or say things critical of coaches or players in MLS in an MLS context. He will never say or write anything critical of an MLS player outside that context unless it is so obvious or another MLS player would benefit. For instance, he can say Will Trapp was bad for the USMNT after Jackson Yueill emerged as his replacement.
     
  6. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Straus seems like a guy with a huge axe to grind.
     
  7. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Doyle has a job. He can’t just come out and say “this MLS player is garbage and Sargent is light years ahead of him as a 20 year old” because that garbage player’s owner will call and complain about it, and MLS won’t take Doyle’s side. Sadly, the way American sports work, GMs and owners whine and complain about negativity about their teams all the time.
     
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  8. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Doyle is plenty critical of MLS, MLS players, MLS coaches, MLS policies, etc.

    I read basically everything he puts out and listen to Extratime all the time. He has his favorites, like every person ever. But he's actually one of the more critical analysts out there. He spent most of the year ranting against Berhalter's passive low block and midfield set-ups that lost the possession battle over and over.

    His blue sky daydreaming 2022 USMNT roster -- released a month ago -- included McKennie, Brooks, Dest, Pulisic, Sargent, Weah, Reyna, Ledezma, Richards, Antonee Robinson on it ... all of whom either have had nothing to do with MLS or have "spurned" it, by your definition.

    Bradley's not on it, despite the clear media conspiracy to raise him up. Neither is Trapp, despite the conspiracy to name him #2. Zimmerman isn't anywhere to be found. No Arriola. No Lletget. No Roldan. Jozy Altidore isn't on it... despite him being, you know, still our best #9.

    Are there places where Doyle might lean MLS more here or there on his 23? Sure. I think Aaronson is probably a bit borderline, I think Sam Vines is, I think Matt Turner and David Ochoa are a stretch to have both. But those are the most arguable of a bunch of pretty reasonable names: Steffen, Pomykal, Morris, Long, M. Robinson, Yueill, Pepi (okay, maybe young, but no one is denying the talent).

    BTW, this is what he wrote about McKennie in the article:

    It's an incredibly balanced, but positive view of McKennie. Has anyone here even said that he was playing at a level earlier this year that Schalke would build team around him?

    People don't need to balance their tweets to justify to crazy conspiracy theorists that they aren't paid to criticize people. This is Doyle's opinion of McKennie from April, in full format, laid out. Not a momentary reaction to a specific item.

    And it doesn't seem like someone paid to criticize someone who spurned MLS.
     
  9. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Except Doyle pushed Sargent for the USMNT for a long time and has pushed him over Zardes for a long time.

    He's never going to say Zardes is garbage, but that's shit that people say when they are dicks and anonymous. But he's more than pointed out his limitations and pimped Sargent much more than you'd suspect for a guy who apparently told him opinions by MLS.
     
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  10. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Huh? I said he watches what he says about MLS players, which he does. But that doesn’t mean he thinks every MLS player is good.
     
  11. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    I mean, he's polite mostly, but he's never really been afraid to criticize players or ownership. I'm mostly agreeing.

    At some point, though, people are mistaking basic civility for bias. I swear, from most of the complaints about the media on here, they expect someone to run screaming at Berhalter and shout a profanity laced tirade about how bad Roldan is... this is something people do on the internet, not something a normal and respectful human being does ever, but certainly not in person.
     
  12. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    No, I think the criticism is that nobody would do that.

    1. Many in the media cannot analyze what is happening on a soccer field enough to have a conversation with Gregg where they could intelligently ask what Roldan is doing to keep getting minutes. Many in the soccer media in this country got into it in a back door way. They were working somewhere that needed someone to cover some soccer and they were the only ones not busy on baseball or football or other major sports.
    2. The few that could ask that question are too small to be noticed, feel to small to make waves.
    3. Many others make their living off access and don't want to piss anyone off.
     
  13. Lookingforleftbacks

    Galaxy
    United States
    Dec 17, 2016
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This isn’t unique to soccer. It’s not different in any other sport. I know a lot of baseball writers and most of them have no clue what they are talking about.

    But I think Doyle knows more than you give him credit for
     
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  14. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I wasn't saying Doyle was in Pot #1. He is definitely in Pot #3.

    You are generally right about sports writers in general. Also, journalism in general. If you ever know a topic very in depth, you will find most media reporting on it will be filled with inaccuracy.
     
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  15. soccersubjectively

    soccersubjectively BigSoccer Supporter

    Jan 17, 2012
    Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Forgot I subbed to the US soccer journo thread lol
     
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  16. Dave Marino-Nachison

    Jun 9, 1999
    WE

    NEED

    GAMES

    (Or at least camp rosters, so this thread can be about SNUBS!!!)
     
  17. Soccerfan12435

    Apr 22, 2019
    United States
    I feel like this forced break has definitely benefited no specific group of players, least of all the MLS kids who haven't been able to play a game since December basically. Did anyone come out of this as a "winner"?
     
  18. Dave Marino-Nachison

    Jun 9, 1999
    I don't think we'll know until CONCACAF reschedules qualifying, though I guess (and this is a pretty obvious statement) anybody who comes out of the gate firing should logically stand to benefit no matter what, especially if they weren't seen as core pool players beforehand.
     
  19. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member+

    Apr 20, 1999
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Maybe if someone had a growth spurt but otherwise it’s no help for anyone.
     
  20. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    No winners. Only losers from a developmental perspective.

    But ya know......................the minor league baseball season seems like its going to be cancelled altogether. Most of our young and professional soccer prospects (foreign and domestic) look like they're going to have some sort of season. It seems like there are people at least thinking about what to do on the academy levels as well in the US. At least to get back to training.

    The biggest losers to me are the NCAA players, who are seemingly not going to have any type of training for quite a long time. Most of these are "second tier" prospects, but there are always a bunch that make the leap to the USMNT pool after they become professionals. The Reggie Cannon and Brandon Servania types. If you're Julian Hinojosa at UNC right now (a capped Mexico and US youth international), when is the next time you think you're going to get back to training? Will there be a fall season? Can you figure out a way to train in the FCD facility in the meantime?
     
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  21. Runhard

    Runhard Member+

    Barcelona
    United States
    Jul 5, 2018
    Probably too early to tell on any of that. With the Covid numbers going up again in a lot of places and talks of lockdowns again (See Houston Today) I would not be surprised if the MLS tournament season doesn't take place or gets postponed some more. Local Dallas youth teams are practicing but it is my understanding the MLS FCD DA teams have yet to meet since March. If they don't get together soon, they may miss a window if we go back to lockdown ( very possible).

    As of right now, Colleges are still having players show up in August for college preseason so figure they will be fine in terms of training and games ( to the extent anyone plays) (also looks like some California schools may have pulled the plug on soccer for fall already) I don't see a situation where youth teams ( particularly MLS DA teams ), USL and MLS have a season yet colleges don't. If we get locked down again, it all stops, which is good for no one.
     
  22. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    Both the MLS and USL DAs are scheduled to begin in the spring.
     
  23. Runhard

    Runhard Member+

    Barcelona
    United States
    Jul 5, 2018
    So no plans to plans to play this fall even with no Covid restrictions? Where will all the kids from last years teams plays this fall? I know some parent at Solar whose kids are on the MLS DA league team and they may have a shock if told they aren't playing any games until Spring 2021. They have been trying out for the last few weeks.

    My understanding they were starting up in August for games. If not, they are going to have a really long lay off.

    More to my point, no one has any idea what this fall will look like yet. The Trends are not reassuring:

    https://www.aol.com/article/news/20...riencing-spike-in-coronavirus-cases/24520805/
     
  24. Arantes

    Arantes Member

    Fluminense
    Brazil
    Dec 4, 2018
    I wouldn't worry much about Julian. He gets more meaningful "training" when he's home. As was the case when he was with the academy, most of his training was influenced by playing with older players in independent leagues. He has been doing that all summer. Also, FC Dallas academy alumni -including current first team players- scrimmage several times a week in Frisco. All is cool except the risk for infection.
     
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  25. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    My understanding is that the MLS Academy league would start in the spring, but now, in looking at it, I cannot find confirmation online. I guess the tryouts could be for fall MLS academy season, but they could also be for scrimmages, tournaments or another league for the fall (some USL clubs are participating in ECNL during the fall and USL during the spring).

    I have to admit that I don’t know as much as I thought I did, so if you aren’t sure yourself, join the club!

    The easiest solution is to wing it in the fall and then formally begin the season in the spring. This would give the league the time to think it through, but I do have to admit that I cannot find online what I thought I heard.
     

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