KHF’s athleticism is plenty fine and he reads the game extremely well. Knows when to get forward, dynamite 1st touch, and is maybe the best pure ball striker of any youth talent we have regardless of position. If people have only seen him play CB, him at LB is a completely different animal. There’s a reason he had juggernaut clubs after him.
Juggernaut clubs buy their LBc for $20M, and if from MLS than that kid happened to be the most talented winger in the league, whom the'll turn into FB. Wolfsburg U-19 isn't exactly a juggernaut. It's a youth team where promising kids are paid around $1.5K per month. The best ball striker is probably Efra who so far isn't able to get starting spot in LA.
I wonder if they are free to be taken to Wolfsburg, and whether MLS teams can get training compensations from them.
From what te Kloese was telling it sounded like free, but with some equivalent of training compensation.
Hearing rumors Nica Carrerra is about to sign with a second division Bundesliga team. Not sure if with their U19 team, their second team or first team. Good for Nico to get to Europe. Hopefully some of these kids going young pay off and form the backbone of a US Senior team in a few years.
If Nico can learn how to play patiently then he’ll quickly get to USMNT level. I think he has the most potential out of the 2002 CB’s but CB is a position where random 25 year olds play their way into the USMNT so we’ll see what happens
"where random 25 year olds deservingly play their way into the USMNT". The guys that are signing with U-19 BL2 haven't shaken the world with their abilities, and USL is way more probable in their future than MNT.
I am cheering for Nico to break out in Europe but I agree. I haven't seen too much from him yet, but maybe he can learn when he gets over there. For me, he turns the ball over too easy, makes too many runs into nowhere with the ball when the defense drops back, and has a few WTF moments during games. But he does have tools and size and hopefully the atmosphere in Europe brings out the best in him.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Carrera, but can also admit there are tools to work with. This move should be very good for him. He will learn some German discipline and accountability, which are the parts of his game that need work. I look for him to succeed in this type of environment and with that, he is the type we could see take steps upward.
Didn't somebody mention Holstein Kiel in another thread? They're mid-table BundII, kinda like Greuther Furth. Rep coming to the person who can name Americans that have played for Holstein Kiel. Here's one hint.
Everyone can take steps upwards. Even if he fixes mental mistakes, is he fast enough to be high potential prospect?
His speed is adequate if/when he learns to read the game at a higher level. High potential prospect? I’m not sure what that is, but he could be a solid 2.Bundesliga player or even a fringe Bundesliga player. Do I think he’s a USMNT player? Probably not, but stranger things have happened.
Kenneth Kronholm. Gottem. I thought there was also an American who played in the German 3rd and 4th divisions for a long time that also played there. Like, Andrew Taylor or something like that? Found him. Marc Heider. That's 2 Americans for you, can't think of any other ones without doing research. "Andrew Taylor" is actually Tony Taylor that I'm thinking of, sparse playing time, got a cup of coffee in the Portuguese 2nd division IIRC. Plays for Panama these days.
I think there have been some very good points about Carrera's game. How he plays at Dallas in the academy league would never work in a top level pro league for a player of his caliber. I think he has a chance to make it in a top level pro league, but positional discipline, passing decisions and decisions when to carry the ball out of the back will be important. He doesn't have great pace, so he needs to minimize the amount of foot races he puts himself in. He doesn't have the speed to recover from his own errors.
I’m not 100% convinced he will end up MLS level. However, he also has the tools to be more than MLS level. The decision he made to put himself in Germany is the only way we will see if he’s above MLS level. This kid has probability never had to compete for a spot on the field. These types of situations sometimes bring the best out in players. The biggest thing Carrera has going for him is his mentality. He comes across as a fighter and a winner. He’s has a much better chance of making it with those characteristics.
You make a good point, but he was a back up in the FC Dallas U-17’s in his U-16 season when the starters were Toledo and Burns.
Understandably so at the time. Both Toledo and Burns were playing exceptionally well for Dallas that season. I thought Nathan Toledo should’ve gotten more USYNT looks after the 2016-17 season
I completely agree. He's fallen off a little since. I thought when Carrera got into the lineup that season it was clear why he wasn't playing, and those other two were. There has always been talent, but he was so error-prone. To be fair, he's gotten better since then.
I think Norwich is a terrible club. HOWEVA, they've spoken openly about having financial difficulties and needing to sell a bunch of first team players. This may not be a club looking to sign veterans in order to jump right back to the Premier League. Its going to be a rebuild. There may be an opportunity for playing time relatively soon. https://t.co/yeogvf0fy6— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) July 17, 2020
https://www.oncediario.com/notas/24...ico-estadounidense-alemania-borussia-dortmund I have no idea how but maybe Angel Martinez to Dortmund?
I don't think it would matter. He's 15, so he couldn't join even with an EU passport, unless his parents were moving with him to Germany for work. That must be it, if this is true. It would seem to be a flimsy rumor, but I found it telling of something when he wasn't among the players Seattle announced on academy contracts for their USL team for this season. @David Kerr made a good point recently that they only gave academy contracts for their USL team to two 05's, RBW and Josh Hardin. It's not telling of much that RBW gets a contract before Martinez, but Hardin is not that good. If Martinez was in favor at Seattle (or still at the club), he should be joining Hardin in getting a contract or being the second of two players getting one altogether. He's the better prospect pretty clearly IMO.
Players who stand out in a Florida ynt tournament generally start to get Dortmund looks. Angel didn’t exactly stand out for the u15’s at the Concacaf championships but as a CB playing a year up he didn’t look like a weak link which may end up being good enough to get some looks. Outside of that tournament or the Torneo Del Nazionale (i think that’s how you spell that Italy tournament? Correct me if I’m wrong) is where they would have identified Angel. For me, Angel is the 4th or 5th option at the 6 for the 2005’s and the 5th option at CB for the 2005’s as well. I don’t think he is good enough for a club of Dortmund’s caliber