Yanks Abroad Flavors of the Week: 2022-2023 Thread

A Sebastian Soto sighting!!!

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🇸🇮 ND Beltinci🆚🇦🇹 SK Austria Klagenfurt

🧐🇺🇸 Sebastian Soto hat trick!
⚽️⚽️⚽️🎩#USMNT https://t.co/EJxVpBLObM

— 🇺🇸 ⚽ east (@eastdeflection) January 24, 2023

 

Sources‼️ Joshua Wynder has trained with #Benfica and the Portuguese giants are now expected to make a USL transfer record bid.

Louisville received & rejected multiple MLS bids in the past for #USMNT talent. Philadelphia & #stlcitysc were among the clubs interested. #DOOP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DN0oNwlvwj

— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) January 25, 2023

 

after first confirming that yes, my point is wes is too "good" for leeds, ill be a little more specific on a few things i dont like about this from all sides...

does wes directly address leeds' two primary problems (in ability to score/defend)? no. do yall really think roca is who will be displaced by this move? i think it very likely moves brendan into the wing rotation (and spoiler alert- not at the top of it) at best/the bench period most likely. does it help or hurt marsch? i think it shortens his leash considerably.

im trying to find upside in the (potential) move, though. adding exceptional-for-leeds quality depth allows them to rotate more among their central mids- both in terms of day-to-day and within individual matches- which could be a very big factor. their being gassed is a big factor in a lot of their losses. thats the biggest direct effect i can see.

i do think wes can contribute to scoring marginally- but leeds dont have marginal scoring problems.

it still comes back to not being a smart move, imo, for wes. he has allegedly turned down bournemouth, someone else and most notably (security in the table-wise) fulham- and i think its safe to say he has plenty of interest to find a spot in the league if money was a primary consideration. so i dont think "epl payday" is a factor here. i dont think the epl is so magical it completely overrides champions league play, but i dont think thats a complete deal breaker, but that is one less guy getting varied games at the highest levels.

but mostly i dont like that stability of what he would be moving to. weve seen more than a few guys completely derailed making a move based on a manager and when that manager is gone the entire equation changes. we can say wes is good enough to play wherever for whoever but ill just remind you that dempsey had to win his spot from some welsh journeyman every damn season, and he was regularly fulhams leading scorer from the midfield. dont think of it as anti-american bias, think of it as brits have their heads up their asses.

marsh is hanging on tooth and nail, and with every addition his spot gets more tenuous. wes shouldnt factor him in at all, and if he werent ill ask again- how does this move to a relegation battler make any sense at all? how does this put wes in a better position than juve, much less any of a dozen other prem sides/dortmund/etc?

 

Didn't Wes play Centerback at times for Schalke? Just saying.....

 

Will this myth ever die??? This just simply isn't true.

 

🇳🇱 Eredivisie

🧐🇺🇸 Djordje Mihailovic starting!

🖥️--> 12:45 pm eastern ESPN+#USMNT https://t.co/ZHnxAa3R9Z

— 🇺🇸 ⚽ east (@eastdeflection) January 25, 2023

 

Reyna taking up his usual position on the bench. Fire everybody!!!

🇩🇪 Bundesliga

🧐🇺🇸 Gio on the bench

🖥️--> 12:30 pm eastern, ESPN+#USMNT https://t.co/08R81m214Y

— 🇺🇸 ⚽ east (@eastdeflection) January 25, 2023

 

in 06/07 he moved in the winter transfer window, starting the last of his 10 matches. season openers after that:

07/08 45 off bench
08/09 9 off bench
09/10 90
10/11 17 off bench
11/12 90
12/13 not in squad (tottenham)

 

we played this game a ton back in the day with Fulham and it was a bunch of fun. Let’s embrace it

 

you want to embrace the days when fulham was basically the highest level we had players at?

 

If he replaces Brenden at the same spot, then they will get an offensive boost from that. If he replaces Roca, I wonder if his ability to find penetrating passes is as good. It was during the WC, but it hasn't always been in the past.

 

Copied from a couple old posts of mine.

"The myth that's often repeated here is that every time a new manager came to Fulham Clint had been regularly starting prior to the coaching change, but found himself undeservedly benched immediately (or very quickly) upon the new man's arrival. There have been many reasons offered for the supposed benchings, a common one being Clint's country of origin. The myth goes on to state that Clint worked hard each time to overcome this unfair treatment and earn his rightful spot in the starting 11.

It's a nice story, but unfortunately the facts don't support it. Coleman buys him for what I believe was a record fee from MLS and it's clear from day one he needs time to settle in the English game. He never starts for Chris, and I believe in his last match in charge, Clint was an unused sub. Sanchez comes in and Clint has a few matches as an unused sub, a few more where he gets sub minutes before getting his first start in the last match of the season (meaningless, as Fulham had guaranteed their safety). After a few matches the following season, he settles into a starting role for Sanchez, one he keeps (for 15/18 matches) after Hodgson takes over around Christmas (leading Fulham to their famous great escape).

Now Hodgson's first full season in charge is what a lot of folks point to when making claims 1) of anti-American bias or 2) that Clint had to do more than other players to earn playing time. Roy always seemed a bit unsure how to use Clint (and to be fair Clint hadn't exactly had a 07-08 season that should have guaranteed him a starting role in the next). He brought in some new players in his first summer with the club. Clint initially started on the bench. He earned back a spot. The next season (the Europa Cup final year) an injury knocked Clint out of his first choice eleven (and when he returned, Roy preferred to use him as a sub in the final few matches of that Cup run...and I think the results speak for themselves, Fulham did pretty damn well with Clint in a sub role).

Mark Hughes took over a few weeks before the start of the 10-11 season and used his first few matches as basically his preseason. Unsurprisingly, he started his first match with the team that got Fulham to the Europa Cup final. Clint got the start in the 2nd match of the season against Manchester United. Big money signing Dembele then got his chance the next match before Clint returned for good to the starting line up against Wolves. And of course he started immediately under Jol."

Anyhow, there's no question Clint worked hard at Fulham and dramatically improved his game, I just tire a bit of the repeated claims that he was somehow unfairly treated by a succession of managers at Craven Cottage. On the occasion or two he was benched, he could have had no complaints. Clint had done nothing over his first two PL seasons (in some really poor Fulham squads) to merit being an unquestioned starter.

 

Is this the start of the Jon Brooks redemption arc?

❗️X News #Brooks: He is in Hoffenheim NOW to pass his medical. Deal is close to be done. Contract termination with @SLBenfica. He will sign a contract until 2024! He will return in the Bundesliga. @SkySportDE 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lsAVO4Dqn8

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) January 25, 2023

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url...ved=0CA8QjRxqFwoTCJj1vuiv4_wCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

 

it was fun watching them grow into a Europa finalist the hard way yeah I admit I enjoyed it . And why are people panicking Leeds are for sure going down? Have you guys seen Bournemouth, Southampton, Everton, or wolves? It gets worse. Leeds are building into a mid table side

Reyna subbed on dortmund 62nd minute 1-1 against Mainz

 

Djordie scores diving header, proves himself a danger to Eredivisie keepers and worms alike.

 

Hopefully it's a return from the wilderness and leads to some actual playing time.

He's probably not going to be around next World Cup, but he's young enough to play in the Copa America or Olympics if he gets things back on track.

 

He's young enough to be there.

But he has to become a much more consistent player, I think.

 

He turns 25 this year, so his next contract will take him into the prime of his career. It's a little disappointing in the sense that, in the best part of his career, he won't be playing in meaningful games against top teams for titles. I mean, relegation battles are high-stakes matches, but no one ever built a legacy off playing in those.

 

Hoffenheim is in terrible form.
Definitely trending towards a relegation fight.

THey're kind of in a Leedsy situation in which they are sitting in 13th in the table, which looks OK. Squint closer and the gap between them and relegation is minimal.

Hopefully JAB can help them steer clear of it. Conceding goals wasn't really their problem. But hell...............free transfer. Go for it!

 

The stratification of club soccer means that there are just very few teams that can make that claim, and those teams stockpile more and more talent. I mean, Pulisic made it to Chelsea, but wasn't a consistent starter in his years there, and did Chelsea ever truly contend for the title? Maybe right at the beginning?

And they are one of those BIG clubs!

I'm not sure I ever had those expectations for Wes.

 

aw nuts, berhalters vindication takes a hit...

 

Good things happen when you get to the back post.

 

Reyna in injury time ftw!!!!! 2-1 over Mainz

 

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