Yeah, I had forgotten about the Italian passport. No reason not get one the books somewhere over there if he can.
The fact of the matter is that most youth and reserve players don't make it with their club. If Cervi were to sign with Portsmouth and not make the grade, he'll probably end up with a Scunthorpe-sized club anyway. It's good to aim high for the improved training and coaching. Jonathan Spector and Frank Simek washed out of top Prem clubs and they've turned out OK. When you watch players trial at successively smaller clubs and ultimately end up in at a place that is remarkably less impressive than where the player started (Let's call this the Greg Dalby Experience), posters on BS can spin it as "oh, he'll get the playing time, it will be good for his development". In reality, the most important message from these events is "X, Y, and Z clubs didn't think he was good enough".
It's not like that's been entirely unexpected. The kid's only experience has been college ball. Most all of 'em (college players) come out looking like deer in headlights. The point being that he's cheap, likely won't take a foreigner roster spot (EU passport), and has all the physical tools to be at least good at the position. He just needs a lot of work on the mental aspect of the game (positioning, timing, communication, confidence) which should be the easiest of things to settle about his game.
If I were Cervi's agent (hi, Ron), I'd be sending out Brad Guzan's videos from Brad's first year in the league.
He's a few years away from balding IMO, so obviously he's gonna need some work. Every game ive seen him play he has been really, really shaky. A gig at Celtic would be awesome though, would give us another YA to watch across the pond.
Apparently had too much hair for Portsmouth: American goalkeeper Dominic Cervi has finished a trial at Premiership club and FA Cup champions Portsmouth without a contract offer. Link: http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=content&id=3948
Dom needs to find himself a Milwall-type club to make a name for himself. Even with a Euro passport, he needs to improve his game before a big club will take a chance. Unless his goal is to get paid for not playing. There's nothing wrong with that, but you do need to fool the club into thinking you can play if necessary.
Heh It doesn't hurt, unless you're Jon Conway and stumble every time someone goes low to the far post.
So back to my last question about this kid... is it that this kid has his sights set too high or is it that his agent is pushing him too much? This kid is not trialing at the correct level.
IMO...I think you are correct. He isn't better than top level teams 3rd GK and not good enough to start at CCC level. He may need to go to the Irish/Welsh/NI level and expect to be the 2nd GK for at least a year or two, then aim higher.
He was the subject of much hype right before, during and after the MLS combine, and it was the strength of that performance and his subsequent participation with the national teams that is carrying him forward. He has great potential; but it is unwise to say that he is number three or four on the US depth chart. Not having a club does free you up to go to all the training camps; but if Cervi wants to improve his game, then finding a professional club is imperative. He can of course go to a bigger club and just train; but he can expect to fall off the US depth chart for the time being. Then again the opportunity to sit on the US bench behind Howard and Guzan isn't exactly a glamour position, either.
Can't say that I've ever seen so much generated by a prospect that you all call average. So, you are agreeing with a blog entry that is incorrect?? Great job, you'd think that as much as people follow Cervi they could get their info correct. But, I think that just goes to show the credibility that "Ben" brings to any discussion. Ben said, "Okay so apparently Dominic Cervi’s trial with Portsmouth has ended..." he then proceeds to say, "His only claim to fame right now is that he had a tial with Celtic." Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that if he trialed at Portsmouth, then he trialed Portsmouth. Good job moron. As for the brilliant insight offered on this forum, I'm pretty sure that Celtic said they were interested. And the words offered from the Portsmouth FO speak for themselves: "They like the look of him."; "We have a lot of prospects through to have a look, but he's done well."; "He did well and we'll be keeping tabs on him." I don't know about the rest, but the professional ANALYSIS offered by both Celtic and Portsmouth carry much more weight than any OPINION offered by any BS critic. http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=content&id=3948 http://www.setantasports.com/en/Spo...ts/sport-space/great-britain-locale/football/
Well, that's sort of crap. The kid was good enough that the staff at Celtic had some very good things to say about him. Every time a kid shows some ambition around here, people kick him for "not knowing his level." Then the same set of people turn right around and bash Landon Donovan for not showing any ambition........... If I was a 22 year old keeper, and Celtic and Portsmouth offered me a trial I sure as hell would go try out for them. Or perhaps Dominic should have told them, "sorry, I don't think I'm good enough for you. I'm going slink back to MLS and appear in reserve matches with guys from the accounting department for 3 years. Celtic, come check on me then." The kid wants to play in Europe. That's fine. He doesn't need to play in MLS or the the USL (ha!!!) as the author mentions. He's not going to start anywhere right now. Perhaps Dominic sees that the most highly rated young goalkeeper in MLS right now, Chris Seitz, has only gotten 3 appearances for RLS in a year and a half. He'll be fine. Everybody settle down. What's the worst that happens? He doesn't get an offer from a team he likes in Europe? Then I'm sure MLS would welcome him back. Perhaps ChivasUSA would work out a deal to bring him in now that el Guzano has wandered off to be a back-up keeper with Villa.
No. But he wouldn't get playing time in MLS right now either. He'd be sitting on the bench behind Busch in Chicago, who's been playing very well. The best American goalkeeping prospect, Seitz, has barely seen the field for RLS. Three appearances in 1.5 years I think. As he waits behind Rimando, of all people. So what would be better? Sitting on the bench and training with RLS, or sitting on the bench and training at a European club. Depends which club. If it's Celtic, I'd pick that option every single time. If it's Charlton, I'd pick that option every single time. If it's Hartlepool? Well, then I'm not so keen. Cervi can get a Euro passport, if he doesn't already have one, which means he has many, many, many more options than other MLS keepers. If he didn't have that, he would be in Chicago as we speak.
Grrreat! http://ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_8323081.html .... Of the four players named as alternates to the U.S. team, only goalkeeper Dominic Cervi will travel with the team throughout their stay in China .... ********** Do we think that this will help or hurt his chances of catching on somewhere (in August)?
Can't hurt if there's nowhere to go. Cervi's kind of like a globetrotting young keeper in training. Even though he doesn't have a club, he's pretty much been trialing with clubs (like Celtic for 3 weeks) or training with US youth teams or the full USMNT since he graduated. Nice gig. He's sort of been the beneficiary over and over again of the MLS policy of playing on FIFA dates. No MLS manager would want their keeper to be sent anywhere to sit on the bench. Cervi's available, so he was brought in as the 3rd keeper to all of these USMNT friendlies, etc. I'm sure if Cervi gets word from his agent that a big club wants him to come over, he'd be on the next plane outta there. He'll find a club. Hell, most MLS clubs are one injury to a keeper away from being in deeeeeeeeep @@@@. So if the worst thing that happens is Cervi comes back to the states, then its all OK with me. (I know they'd have to acquire his rights from Chicago, blah, blah, blah, which is really lame)