Semi-related, but I think FCD might have a real shot at the DC Super Group this Spring if they stack that roster. Something like Salinas/Eyestone Reynolds Grimm Baker Norris McCloud/Aguilar Hernández Ramirez Martinez Torre Scott would be really competitive.
2 Goals vs Fc Monterrey u-19 Diego #6 🥰 @FurmanSoccer @FCDallas pic.twitter.com/5tYlqLn9FL— LHernandez (@LudyHern0229) November 22, 2022
Caleb Swann FCD U17s vs Monterrey U17s https://t.co/rF2zihgPm4— Caleb Swann (@swanncdk) November 23, 2022
Cortalessa started and went the full game at RB in the U16's 2-2 PK shootout loss to Spain. Plays right on the line of what his athleticism can handle, which can maybe get him in trouble as a defender. Lot of Spain's danger in 1H came down his side. Struggles to close access to the space behind him (notable exception holding the offside line at 1:05:32). Not much attacking work in this game. Outman got his training bib off when Santi Morales went down at one point, but never subbed in. Suggests they're using him as the most advanced midfielder.
Outman started, scored (the possession starts at 33:18), and went the full game in the U16s' 4-1 win over Wales. Rang the post at 51:00 too. Noticeably the smallest kid on the field, as at the club level. Doesn't seem like the other kids love passing him the ball (in contrast with Morales in the prior game). Really advanced midfield role to start - more of a "#10" than his club situation - the US really almost defended out of a 4-4-2 with Outman stepping up to the front line. Speaking of Morales, Outman played a more balanced role for 15min or so after Morales subbed in in 2H, and then played LW to the end of the game. Couple instances of him holding the ball too long in a good spot, but those all come off of examples of him receiving between the lines or in the midfield line, and then turning to run at the defense with good technique and speed. Good at finding that space and attacking it. The goal involved a nice bit of quick reaction ball control. Many moments of high-level technique/tight-spaces work. Cortalessa played LB for the 2H. More to do as an attacker in this one and does fine. Did well defending the back post on crosses from the US' right.
Gino Sasso, joueur du FC Dallas Academy sous le maillot du Panama U-16.#DTID pic.twitter.com/M2HqSokf2R— FC_Dallas FR 🇫🇷 (@FCDallasFR1) November 28, 2022
Outman played the final 10min of the US U16s' dramatic 2-1 win over England as a LW/LM. His cross led to the winner, and he had a few other nice moments, but quite a few moments where he got little-brothered too.
Jugador de Honduras Sub-17, Nayrobi Vargas, con un golazo vs Monterrey Rayados Sub-17🔥😳#DTID pic.twitter.com/i2p4N2i8jC— HondurasFútbolTV 📺 (@HNFutbolTV) December 1, 2022
Don't know if he's a permanent addition or just a guest player, but the U19s had '05 Brazilian-American DM Davi Santos playing with them at MLS Next Fest this week. Tall kid - maybe 6'2"? - from the San Diego area that had signed an Academy deal with the Loyal and played a little in one of their US Open Cup games this year. Was named to the MLS Next Best Of match last December.
He has superb technique/finishing. Struggles in other areas. Gael Medrano dans ses œuvres avec le FC Dallas U-17 en qualification de la Generation Adidas Cup.#DTID pic.twitter.com/DI2xbEgbpR— FC_Dallas FR 🇫🇷 (@FCDallasFR1) December 6, 2022
Here's a great team goal from the FC Dallas U-19's. Mikey Morales ('04) with some individual dribbling finds Tarik Scott ('05). Scott plays it to Santi Ferreira ('04). He finds Morales who plays it back to Tarik Scott ('05) for the finish. pic.twitter.com/toFO5soWU0— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) December 8, 2022 Ale Urzua (2006) is one of the kids quite high on my Homegrown list. Made his FCD first team training and NTX PT debuts last season. Currently a U17. #FCDallas #DTID https://t.co/oAQ1tUqHcT— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) December 8, 2022 Caleb Swann FC Dallas U17 MLS vs ST Louis City MLS/ 5-3 Winner https://t.co/Og0LGBRW7D via @YouTube— Caleb Swann (@swanncdk) December 8, 2022
Vargas getting the front and center treatment from Honduras. I think he’s become way more valuable to them since Figueroa went with the US. ☀️Buenos días Honduras 🇭🇳✅ El D.T de la #HU17 @isracanales presenta convocatoria oficial para un nuevo microciclo en la casa de la "H"🏨.🔝Microciclo del 🗓11 al 16 de diciembre 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣.#FelizJueves #FENAFUTH #HONDURAS pic.twitter.com/sOZVswcrWV— Selección Nacional de Honduras (@FenafuthOrg) December 8, 2022 Looks like Witis-Hughes, Swann, and Charles are pretty much full-time with the U17s these days.
I think those were the three 07’s that played up at GA Cup. I wonder if those are the three they think are the best or if it’s that team needs based. I think all three of those guys are good players. Would I say those are the three best 07’s? Probably not, but maybe it’s a combination of everything.
Goalscorers at the event listed within. Chris Salazar, Medrano, and Mikey Morales split the club golden boot. After winning all three games at MLS NEXT Fest, the FC Dallas U19s wrapped up an undefeated Fall season.— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) December 9, 2022 The U15s went 0-0-3. Seems like all three games were tight and went the other way. Wraps up a fall season that saw a bunch of those games, all but one of which prior to this tourney was a draw or a win for FCD. Probably a good wake up call that this team is short on talent (esp at GK and among the FW line).
Bless him for uploading as consistently as he does. Doesn't connect enough passes inside the midfield to feet, but he's MLS-ready in playing passes around the defensive block over distance. Better than Tessmann was (and a reminder that Tessmann didn't really break out in the Academy until the spring of his first U19 year).
For the sake of limiting confusion, there is an older Sasso brother, Gabriel, an '06, who also appears to play for the FCD organization. He has been with the Panama U17s a couple of times, most recently in November. Gino, the '07 who joined the Academy from FCD-Premier this offseason, was invited to the Panama U17 national team back in August, but appears to have otherwise been with the Panama U16s, as in the above post. Both are midfielders.
Was a little confused not seeing GK Saul Rios with this group at the time. Per his coach, it’s because he was at the 2008 ID camp. Second time I’m aware of he’s been called up an age group (also camped with the ‘08s in March). Joined the Academy a year and a half ago from El Paso.
Canizalez going with the US-based contingent to El Salvador U17 camp. Henry Canizalez called into El Salvador U17s #FCDallas #DTID https://t.co/YzXb0alSMg— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) December 14, 2022
Former FCD kid. Sean Albritton (‘07) from Dallas Texans U-16’s has been called into the Costa Rica U-17’s.Couldn’t find any “proof” from the Costa Rica federation, but I’ve heard it from a few different people now.— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) December 16, 2022 Can someone who was watching this closely the last few cycles comment on whether this happens every U17 cycle in the last camps before the CONCACAF championships? Feels like there’s a hundred US-based kids getting their first callups to various other CONCACAF YNTs. Makes sense they’d wait until the last minute to see if they can get a spot with the US.
Che working with the Hoffenheim first team in their winter camp. 🔹 LINE-UP 🔹How we missed it: Hoffe back in Action! #TSGM60 pic.twitter.com/UbpMQdSDOd— TSG Hoffenheim EN (@tsghoffenheimEN) December 17, 2022
FCD v Total Football Club U16, 10/29/22, W 5-0 Lineup (L-R where applicable): Wheeler (?); Dozier, Guzman, Nicholes, Sasso; Hickman; Luccin, Swann; Arboleda, Conteras, Witis-Hughes Subs: Charles, Salazar, Munson, and Cortalessa on at half for Swann, Witis-Hughes, Guzman, and Sasso – Contreras bumps out to RW, and we get Charles as an 8. Halfway through the 2H, Outman on for Arboleda. Bazaldua for Contreras soon after that. Goals · 7:47 – TFC carrying out of their end after an FCD set piece. It’s bouncing around before Nicholes swoops in and collects, turns, and tries to play forward. That pass is blocked to Luccin who goes back to Hickman. Hickman does well to play forward quickly to Swann, who has a nice one touch layoff to Luccin, who quickly plays wide left to Arboleda. Arboleda cuts back and crosses to the PK spot and a late-arriving Swann, who gets a head on it, collects the resulting loose ball, and slides it to Witis-Hughes, waiting at the back post. W-H finishes first time. · 12:15 – Sasso takes a CK from FCD’s right. If he’s going for the Olympico, he gets close. Bonks it off the crossbar, and it falls right to W-H who finishes from close range. · 37:05 – FCD in possession near their goal. GK to LCB to Swann inside (behind the TFC ST and in front of their midfield). He plays Hickman into a little space, the TFC DM doesn’t get there fast enough to close down the next pass, and all of a sudden Luccin’s on the ball near midfield with no TFC defenders within 10 yards. He turns, carries to about 25 yards from goal, and hits a screamer into the top corner. Plays into the theme of the TFC midfield being porous against pass-and-move play. · 1:24:15 – TFC ST gets on the ball near the kickoff spot. He turns and tries to play to his DM but gets it wrong. The ball rolls past and into the path of Contreras who has reacted a step faster than the TFC LB. Contreras picks it up in the right halfspace 40 yards from goal. He drives into the box and hits a heck of a shot into the far side netting. · 1:37:57 – Throw-in for TFC in their defensive 3rd on FCD’s left. Immediately headed to Luccin, who disguises a ball back wide to Outman. Ball goes backwards then in before it’s semi-cleared to Outman’s corner of the box. He does some very nice work to keep the ball, create space, and then find Luccin at the top of the box. Luccin taps it forward to Dozier, who can’t hold it. Ball's again semi-cleared, this time to Charles 27 yards out in the middle of the field. He laces a skipping shot at the GK, who spills it, and Salazar pounces to poke it home. Other Key Chances · 9:47 – FCD swinging the ball around their defensive line in their own half. Sasso plays back left to Guzman, who slides it forward into Swann, who’s taken space. Nicely done to see Luccin over his shoulder – Luccin and Swann play a 1:2 that gets Swann running on the ball behind the TFC midfield. He plays Contreras through and Contreras’ touch kind of lets him down. Squib of a shot. · 23:06 – Hickman hits a FK from the center of the field 32 yards from goal into the wall. He collects the rebound in the right channel, then dribbles past three defenders to get the end line and chip in a cross. Chaos ensues. Luccin, Arboleda, and Contreras all have decent opportunities to score and don’t. · 1:09:17 – FCD CBs passing between themselves near halfway. Munson plays wide to Dozier, who slips a ball inside to Arboleda. He receives very well between two defenders to burst inside, and hits a nicely disguised ball between the TFC LCB and LB for an onrushing Contreras, who hits the resulting 1v1 shot right at the GK. · 1:11:30 – TFC goalkick that they try to hit over Arboleda, but he rushes back and heads forward to Salazar outside the box. Salazar pops it laterally to Luccin, who hits a first-touch through ball into the box that Salazar runs onto, but his shot from 7 yards is well saved. · 1:13:38 – Munson’s on the ball entering the middle third. He carries forward and left to midfield before sliding a ball into Luccin who had run into a pocket of space 15 yards forward. Arboleda is making a lateral run from the outside in front of him, and Luccin lays it off over his left shoulder into the space in the middle where Arboleda is going. Crazy spatial awareness to think of that option. I gasped. Arboleda collects and again slips in Contreras on the right, but his square layoff to Salazar is cut out before Salazar can finish into an empty net. · 1:51:20 – FCD CK on their right. Outman plays short, gets it back, and chips in a cross from the corner of the box. Nicholes heads it back across to Charles, who heads it back across to Luccin, whose point-blank diving header is saved. Notes · Mostly second-choice starting lineup for FCD. The U16s played this TFC side twice this fall and won by an aggregate scoreline of 11-0. Maybe take all this with a grain of salt. · As a team, FCD gets REAL loose for the 5min or so following the third goal. Super sloppy. · Swann has several good traits, but maybe the most exceptional is his ability to draw fouls. Pomykal-esque. Lots of FCD’s best moves center around him cantering up the middle of the field playing combos. (needs to improve the consistency of his ball control, imo) · Dozier is a strong kid. Scrappy and hard to move if he doesn’t want to. Bursty too. · Fair amount of sloppiness from FCD playing in their end in the 1H, imo. · Luccin loves him a lofted pass. Remains a very fun player. Few think the game at his level. · Contreras does a lot of dropping off the FW line into the left half-space in the 1H. Many times in possession, looks like a 4-2-4 with Swann and Contreras inside and the wingers higher outside - Luccin drops in next to Hickman. Later, it’s Swann dropping next to Hickman, leaving Luccin as a lone #10 in the hole. · More impressed by Hickman each time I see him. Was surprised Zertuche seemed to immediately drop to 3rd on the depth chart at DM this season behind Hickman and Charles, but it’s starting to make a lot of sense. · Maybe shouldn’t be a surprise given the run he’s been getting with the U17s, but Witis-Hughes displays very good athleticism for the level. Consistently bursting by defenders (and their help defenders) with the ball. Would like to see a little more effort tracking back from him. Feels like he gets to plays late. · Neither of FCD’s starting CBs has a very good game. Munson shows well once he gets in, tho – great passing in to feet inside the TFC block. · A number of FCD possessions end with an uncontested shot from 20-25 yards in the middle of the field. In many of those cases, it was 3v2 in the middle and the ball carrier had runners on both sides in addition to the option to carry the ball up the middle. Would like to see a little more composure in those moments to seek a better shot. · Sasso is, to my knowledge, not a RB, and it shows a few times in this one. TFC targeting long balls over his head. That said, some nice 1v1 defending moments too. · Cortalessa with two great recovery runs necessitated by his own mistakes early in the second half. Too many unforced errors (especially considering the competition). · Some really nice possession soccer in the first handful of minutes in the second half. Back to front with pace. Frankly, many aesthetically pleasing moves throughout this game. · Charles walks so much. Combine that with some naïve positional tendencies and I have no idea how the coaches are comfortable putting him out there. Nevertheless, he plays a lot. Unusual to see that phenotype fit in with FCD’s demands on its players. · Started getting really rainy and cold by the end of the game.
Che played the final 30min period of four against 1860 Munich as a RWB in looked like a 3-5-2. Several nice moments including 2:14:15 and 2:31:43. Also played 45min a few days earlier against Elversberg (though I'm not finding tape of that game).
First let me say that I didn't watch this full game because its too late in the season for me to start looking into new games I didn't already put on the schedule, but I do try to make sure I look at all game film that I encounter of the players I deem the best prospects, so I fast-forwarded through this to watch Nicholes every touch. I usually agree with nearly all your descriptions, but I'd slightly disagree with your suggestion about how the CB's played (in Nicholes case). I thought he was pretty good. He maybe had one instance where he gave it away too cheaply (led to nothing), and then a few other little small moments that happen in youth soccer (for all players) but ideally shouldn't be happening against pros. Aside from that, which is not a lot of negative, he had a very clean game. Competition wasn't great and he didn't dominate (not that there were many moments for a CB to do that), but he was solid with his distribution, really didn't make any big errors, and then he also had a few of those superior athleticism moments that he shows every game. Given that he's on the raw side for a CB (compared to players like Scabin, Munson, Guzman), this was an encouraging performance. Didn't do anything bad that got his team in big trouble and kind of just played with the flow of the game. Wasn't a game to be a big standout, but I was encouraged with what I saw.