Brek Shea Attracting Interest From England, Germany, Holland, and Belgium

His character has nothing to do with his physical skills or "game." A ver.

 

Can't believe I'm responding to this. It's sometimes a good idea to watch a match in which the player plays in order to help yourself form an opinion about his abilities before you go spouting opinions on an internet forum somewhere.

 

Duh, that's my point. But if you also believe that, then why bring up his character in a discussion in which you are ostensibly talking about his skill level and whether or not that is good enough to survive "in Europe"? At least keep your argument consistent.

 

Sorry for the snippy remarks. My beloved Saints were having their hides whooped.

I don't think Edu's abilities defensively really translate all that well to the CB spot. His game also is predicated on freely roaming around and shutting things down. He has his short comings as a CM, but I think he's best served there. I think Bradley finally realized that. Just like I think Juergen will realize that Chandler's abilities are cut in half as a LB.

Shea was being used at CB because of injury shortages for FC Dallas, but I also think he shined at CB during the MLS trip to Spain, which prompted everyone screaming he should move back. This was before the season started, of course, and he's obviously torn the league up in his preferred position. His CB time was therefore a revelation, not desperation.

How you can infer anything about the guy's intelligence from various interviews is beyond me. It's thinking like this that has our world in trouble in my humble opinion. Thankfully neither one of us have much of a say in regards to the guy's future.

 

Because Ugo Ihemelu, George John, Zach Loyd, and Kyle Davies all had injury problems. [Saying Kyle Davies has injury problems is like saying the sky is blue.]

Shea had been played at CB on the GenAd tour of Spain after Ike Opara got injured. They literally didn't have any central defenders.

So Schellas gave Shea a game or two in CB out of necessity. When John and Ihemelu returned from injury, they were the starters again. Shea hasn't played there or at LB since. And why would he? He's an All-Star and USMNT player as a left mid.

Does he have deficiencies? Of course he does. This is really his first year of being a full-time starter in MLS. He's not a finished article. But there's a lot of talent there to be molded by a big Euro club. Maybe a Euro club would put him in defense. Who knows..........

But from everything we're hearing about down in Dallas, he's hot property at the moment. He's in high demand. It's inevitable that FCD will eventually get an offer they can't refuse for him. I don't know if it'll be in January, or next summer..........but it's coming.

 

Genom - I am a hardcore Manchester United fan and USMNT fan. At 21 Ronaldo was just emerging from the ludicrous opinion of many United fans that he wasn't good enough. At 22 he won his first EPL trophy and POTY. At 23 He was WPOTY.

My point isn't that Brek will be that good. Because he won't. But that the tactical understanding of the game comes at different times for different players. Ronaldo's individual ability was never doubted but his reading of the game and decision making was shit. When that changed a monster came out. You don't know how close or far form this understanding Brek is.

 

I agree I see flashes, and agree Shea needs to get out of Dodge I mean Dallas asap. They've done a good job developing him to the point he is at, but if he's an MLS All-Star at his age...he needs to find a new challenge.

Because if we were talking in the other forum, we'd note that for every good move there's a bone-headed move. Which maybe he can get away with in MLS, but not in a top 4 or really, a top 10 league. As his new coaches would point out to him, frequently.

 

For the very reason you mentioned I don't think being at FCD will hurt him. At least not for another 1/2 season to 1 1/2 season. He is advancing fast in Dallas Ferreira is close to being back and there is no way to know if that would continue elsewhere in Yank Abroad roulette. Sure he needs to go someday but he doesn't need to go be on the bench somewhere or loaned to a league worse than MLS.

 

After only seeing him in the Costa Rica and Belgium games, I think for a 21 yo, he has tremendous upside. Physically outstanding. If he was overseas and embraced the learning aspect, which I personally think he will, he could make a lot of noise. For me, Dempsey is our best success story in Europe. The reasons he made his way was his tenacity and learning what was expected of him in Fulhams scheme. He embraced the style and scheme of the league and his team. This boy has a little more physical presence and a boat load of b***s, for lack of a better term. Same as Dempsey. If he goes in the winter, has a few apperances for the team and a full summer of training, I think he moves into the rotation. I just hope Klinsi doesn't call him all the time. When he goes, he will have to show a little loyalty to the club. They don't want their new guy all burned out from the summer.

 

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/style-points/201109/rising-american-soccer-star-brek-shea-blends-pitch-palette

Interesting article on some of Brek's outside interests. Perhaps he would prefer a move to Spain given his style of painting.

 

Sorry guys, I find the "he'll slowly ease into the rotation" line of thinking to be wrong. He'll be an impact player abroad. I mean, look at Arsenal. Which Arsenal winger would you start over Shea?

 

Arshavin and Van Persie are both at a much higher level than Shea. He is not yet in their class.

 

...all of them?

 

Based on these quotes from Schellas Hyndman at the beginning of the season, I think there may have been more to it than mere necessity or desperation:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mo...as-fd-dallas-cruises-to-preseason-shutout.ece

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/hyndman-shea-could-excel-center-back

 

Arshavin is awful. Reputation is off his play in the Euros and his first season there, he's half the player now that he was then. On top of that he looks completely disinterested in playing most of the time, no passion whatsoever.

 

Those quotes from Hyndman are disturbing.

If Shea is moved off the wing I'm going to be very upset. He has a chance to be very very good over there with some seasoning.

He is just too talented to waste in the back.

 

those quotes are from preseason and came before Brek had a few calamitous appearances at CB for FCD and the reserves.

 

I wish the USA had some awful players like Arshavin.

 

Winnnaaaar.

 

From two-three years ago I'd agree but I'd rather have Dempsey now; rarely if ever can you question if Dempsey was interested in the game or was giving his best effort. Those are traits that are everything our players are not. I'll concede that it would be nice if Dempsey was as good technically as Arshavin can occasionally be though.

 

At this time, Arshavin and Walcott are productive grinders. Arsenal entirely lacks dynamism. Whatever shortcomings Brek might have, he'll make things happen. He's the sort of player that Arsenal could use, actually.

 

"For Brek to continue to improve to the point where he’s an international player and maybe a national team starter, playing the center back position is really a great position for him,” Hyndman said...

“I think he’s starting now to realize that he can be a left-side player and a very good left-sided player in this league, or he can be an exceptional center back.”

HYNDMAN IS NOT A GREAT COACH OR JUDGE OF TALENT. HE HAD SMU AND ALL THE TALENT IN TEXAS WITH SMU THE ONLY MAJOR D-1 PROGRAM AND THE TALENT AT FC DALLAS NOW.

HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A POWERHOUSE LIKE INDIANA IN THE 90s OR IN THE FINAL 4 LIKE MARYLAND, WAKE AND UNC OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS AT SMU.

LEFT SIDED PLAYERS ARE WHAT APPOX. 12% OF THE POPULATION. THERE IS A REASON THE USMNT WEAKEST POSITION IS LEFT MID AND LEFT BACK

 

I used to be right with you. Should have had all the best Texas talent. Never won a title. Came to FCD and ran off good players and his mouth in the paper. He's changed my mind since then. Saturday Ferreira last year's MVP was still out. Ugo was out on cards, Chavez was injured. Shea came out at half obviously exhausted from all his minutes and games recently. So they were missing their three best attacking mids and a starting defender and still out possessed NE. Back in the old days missing that many starters would have led to an ass kicking for Dallas but backups stepped up and were competitive. They played attractive soccer and created chances (they were horrible and unlucky in the finishing department). Hyndman is a good coach despite whatever happened at SMU.

 

Arshavin set a high standard in his final years with Zenit, plus he's an odd guy. Some of things he says and does are really out there. But, he also was an EPL leader in assists last season. You can quibble with the stat all you want, but I don't think the word "awful" is accurate.