Juan Agudelo/America's next soccer star theads merged [R]

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by JBOBO, Nov 4, 2010.

  1. soccerusa517

    soccerusa517 Member+

    Jun 23, 2009
    Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He needs a full year or two in MLS. Spain would be bueno, but playing time is key. We don't want another Jozy-type situation.
     
  2. Arisrules

    Arisrules Member

    Feb 19, 2000
    Washington, DC
    Agudelo is great because...

    Of his high soccer IQ. The only other American 18 year old who I've seen recently with such a high understanding of the game was when Bradley started every single game as an 18 year old for the Metrostars.

    Agudelo has a better understanding of the game than Jozy does. that is insane considering how much more experienced Jozy is. Agudelo makes smart runs. he holds and distributes the ball. He looks to pull his defender into different directions. It's tough to do all that.

    Similarly Bradley really understood the basics of the game, and started everygame in a very difficult d-mid position, with a very poor backline. Of course he was then sold for a sack of balls by Lalals to Europe, but that is another story.
     
  3. cthomer5000

    cthomer5000 Member+

    Apr 23, 2007
    Raleigh NC
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Yeah this blew me away live. To get up, hold off the defender, and pass the ball successfully to a teammate was nuts.
     
  4. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Agudelo is great because...

    Welcome to the club buddy. :)
     
  5. kokoplus10

    kokoplus10 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 5, 2008
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    After that goal he was locked in. Guy probably felt invincible. Maybe he is? ;)

    Every goal he bags is making him more confident. I'll be curious to see how he handles himself when he hits a dry spell.
     
  6. BirdsonFire

    BirdsonFire Member

    May 9, 2008
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Re: Agudelo is great because...

    This is the first time I have ever heard of Lalas' ball sack in a positive manner of any kind.
     
  7. fingersave

    fingersave Member

    Sep 28, 2009
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He's still not up to the speed of La Liga. It would be better to see him in Holland for a couple seasons and then to move on from there.
     
  8. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    Holland would be a good choice also. Good call.
     
  9. ielag

    ielag Member+

    Jul 20, 2010
    Would be nice, but also money will be a huge factor depending how much MLS wants for him. I imagine around Jozy money and that will probably be too much for almost all Eredivisie teams.
     
  10. usry723

    usry723 Member+

    Aug 14, 2008
    Georgia, USA
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He needs to take the JAVIER HERNANDEZ (i don't do nicknames) route and wait until he's 21 or 22. Stay under Backe and Henry as long as he can. Hell give him DP status when Marquez leaves.
     
  11. gmonn

    gmonn Member+

    Dec 8, 2005
    As I understand it, Chicharito didn't wait. He wasn't scoring any goals and nobody wanted him until he was 21.
     
  12. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    Grant Wahl joins the parade ...

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...ina.juan.agudelo/index.html?eref=twitter_feed

     
  13. beto010

    beto010 New Member

    Jul 3, 2007
    NYC
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Juan should stay in MLS for another 3-4 years..The team could give him DP status and he can develop as a player. It doesn't behoove him to take the Adu/Jozy route. He should stay here until he is able to fight for a sppot in Europe. Someone mentioned Chicharito Hernandez, he developed in Mexico and is finishing his development in England now, but he had a foundation to go over to Europe. The Mexican players are developed earlier than ours because of better coaching and infrastructure so it would only benefit Americans to wait a little longer to go to Europe...
     
  14. Bruce S

    Bruce S Member+

    Sep 10, 1999
    Re: Agudelo is great because...

    Do you know Mrs. Lalas? Rumor has it that she can tolerate them.
     
  15. Arisrules

    Arisrules Member

    Feb 19, 2000
    Washington, DC
    Re: Agudelo is great because...

    Umm not in a positive manner. Metros should have received something, of course they didn't, because Lalas was trying to settle scores.
     
  16. bobunbury

    bobunbury Member

    Aug 16, 2004
    Why should he stay that amount of time? If you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best. People who are saying there is too much hype, just don't get it. Juan shouldn't be handle like he is going to break under pressure because others have failed. In life, people fail, it shouldn't be any different in professional sports. Jaun's agent would be doing a dis-service to him if he is not entertaining all offers.

    The problem is not with Jozy, Adu, and others. Unlike other sports, specifically basketball, the US is not producing enough Juan's and Jozy's fast enough. So, when one comes along, we want to proceed with caution. Let the kid get as many offers as possible. By the way, how much is he being paid right now? He should be able to maximize he current value and prove that he belongs in the big leagues. If he fails, so be it.

    How many failures do we see yearly in professional sports?
     
  17. BirdsonFire

    BirdsonFire Member

    May 9, 2008
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Re: Agudelo is great because...

    That entirely depends on who you are talking to.

    I don't care if the MetroStars/Metros/RedBulls got screwed in the deal.
     
  18. giffenbone

    giffenbone Member

    Jan 22, 2006
    Raleigh, NC
    Re: Agudelo is great because...

    Merged another Agudelo thread into this one.
     
  19. SpencerNY

    SpencerNY Member+

    Dec 1, 2001
    Up in the skyway
    I don't see anything wrong with staying in the MLS a few years. Tons of playing time, a decent squad with some great mentors, building his reputation and asking price--and what, he'll be 21?
    Dempsey, Donovan, Holden, Bradley, Beasley don't seem to have been hindered by hanging around in MLS for a bit.
     
  20. beto010

    beto010 New Member

    Jul 3, 2007
    NYC
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    who the hell cares about the hype???? I'm talking about skill..The problem is that you don't get it. No one thinks he's going to break, he's simply not good enough to compete in good European teams right now. He spent all of last year on the reserve team, how much would you like to pay him??? He can get as many offers as teams are willing to put out, the point is he should be aware that the odds are against him flourishing if he leaves too early. And he doesn't belong in the "big leagues" as you put it, not now, no way. If he's smart, he will stay with the red bulls for a few years and if his development continues, the red bulls will no doubt put a DP tag on him. The problem with him wont be the money, just how long he'll choose to stay away from Europe. Hell, Neymar is still in Brazil...He's not Ronaldo or Ronaldinho that he can go to Europe and start at this age, he has all the time in the world, he should take advantage of it.....
     
  21. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's still too early to tell if going to Europe now would be a smart move for Juan. We'll have a much better idea after the Gold Cup.

    He only has 3 NT caps. While those games have been very promising, it's not enough to go on. But after Paraguay, Spain, and all the matches in the Gold Cup, we'll have a much better idea, as he'll also be coming up on the halfway point of the MLS season.

    If Juan has a good Gold Cup, and has been consistently scoring goals for NY heading into July, I expect there to be numerous offers from Europe, but it still will be too early. Now if he has a strong Gold Cup, and goes on to have a strong 2nd half to the MLS season, I could see him leaving during the winter transfer window in 2012, and I wouldn't have a problem with that, depending on the situation.

    But I've always agreed with the thought that, to be the best, you have to play with the best. There's a reason our best players all play in Europe, except for Landon, and if Landon went to the EPL years ago, instead of Germany, I think he'd be better then he is right now. Look at a sport like basketball. Would Dirk Nowitzki be Dirk Nowitzki if he decided not to come to the NBA, and instead remained domestically in Germany? No way. Why do the best Japanese and Cuban baseball prospects come to MLB instead of playing at home in their domestic leagues?
     
  22. usry723

    usry723 Member+

    Aug 14, 2008
    Georgia, USA
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Agudelo is great because...

    I think the best solution is just to give Agudelo his own sub forum. It's the smart thing to do at this point. :D
     
  23. bobunbury

    bobunbury Member

    Aug 16, 2004
    Good counter points, but I do get "it." Let's be very clear here. European clubs signs young players on "potential," plain and simple. If they don't develop fast enough, they put them on the reserve team, or loan them out. The top team generally do not sign American players that approaching their prime. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the business.

    Jaun's first European exposure came when he was with the GA team in Spain. A. Madrid wanted to sign him. If the general consensus is we need him here to help build the league, I can relate. If it's he will develop better or faster in the MLS, I respectfully disagree.
     
  24. CopaMundial

    CopaMundial Member

    Sep 11, 2006
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    People are so easily swayed by the latest shiny thing to flash in front of their eyes.
    Sure, he's scored some goals, but it's not like he's dominating people at his current level of competition or anything. There is no way he's ready for a major European league.
    278 minutes with Red Bull (2010+2011)
    106 minutes w/ USMNT (2010+2011)

    If you see a kid play for 384 minutes total (most of that as a sub) and you think you've seen enough to expect him to take that big of a jump in competitive level, then he had better be simply destroying everyone on the field.
    You can't elevate a kid that far simply because he's capitalizing on chances created by others... he needs to be able to pick up the ball below the center circle and go Diego style weaving through the defense.

    Send him to Europe now and he will get zero first team minutes, and then everyone will be complaining that he's not developing at all.
    Leave him be in MLS for a little while at least until he has a realistic chance to compete for a spot in Europe. First team playing time alongside Henry and Marquez is better than reserve team practice w/ Atletico Madrid.
     
  25. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's why it's best to hold off on this talk until after the Gold Cup, and at least the first half of the MLS season. We simply have too small of a sample to judge him on.

    Now if he plays very well throughout the Gold Cup, and is scoring goals consistently for NY, then there's more substance to it come July. And if he follows all that with a strong 2nd half of the MLS season, and is continuously improving, then we'll have much more to judge him on.

    But yes I agree, 3 NT caps, and not even a full season in the MLS isn't enough to judge whethe or not he's ready to leave for Europe. If all goes well, I think the 2012 winter transfer window is when talk of Juan going to Europe might get serious. I would like him to play at least one full season with Henry. He'll learn a lot, and that's an understatement.
     

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