SI is starting regularly in Europe now which is good to see. Anyone know where Fernando Pina is nowadays?
Memo Rodriguez confirmed and signed. http://www.houstondynamo.com/news/2014/12/houston-dynamo-sign-memo-rodriguez-homegrown-contract
Good to hear. I was upset because we really could of used him in 2014, but I also understood the 'Europe' thing. Eventually he'll end up here. I've never seen any tape of him in Denmark so anyone who finds any post a link.
What's the deal with Lucatero? Is he going to get a contract, or is he aiming to leave? He seems to be pretty talented, and a good prospect.
He's still pretty young. I think it was Daryll Lovell that tweeted this morning about other Academy prospective signings, and he said of Luca "down the road." Edit: Actually, this is what he tweeted.... Luca trained with the first team last summer too. I didn't see him there this year I don't think, but I doubt that means anything.
Akron's website shows Pina being first team all conference 2013 after being redshirted 2012. But some other guy got all the minutes this season and three different keepers were on the roster. He shows up on a 2014 preview as a player "Lost" to Akron. Transfer? Injury? What's odd to me is he had a USYNT pedigree and was already first team all conference at a decent soccer school, if he wanted to come here we might have signed him pretty quick, GenAdi etc., so why are you switching schools three years in after already being redshirted? Is this going to be another Ibeagha where he waits us out.
I couldn't figure it out either. There was one site that showed he went from Akron in May 2014 to Dynamo Academy and nothing about him returning to Akron. And I don't think he's been back in Houston. His Twitter is current and shows him going to class and training, etc, just regular stuff. I remember him thinking how cool he was, he was still in high school, and played a reserve game against the Monterrey Academy at Robertson. There were old veterans like Eddie playing and he kept yelling at the old guys ordering them around, and they all listened to him. I was impressed. I think Tyler was supposed to play that game but had gotten sick.
Glad to see another local area player get the opportunity to play professionally here in Houston. I hope he does well.
What's his twitter, I'll figure it out. Maybe it's grades. NCAA and Akron have eligibility/ academic probation/suspension guidelines. But usually jocks make bad grades during soccer season and then fix them in the spring, when you have less soccer and more time to study. It would be goofy to miss the cutoff in the spring because you see it coming and don't have 20+ games to worry about. But then many high caliber athletes with that issue just "go pro" and don't waste a sideline year. He's already been redshirted.
I just Googled "Fernando Piña Dynamo Academy" and one of the results was "Fernando Piña on Twitter." It's him, there were lots of tweets but I got bored skimming thru them.
This was all I found on a quick search but not much on here. He is #8 and the only guy with a tan in yellow or the field for that matter! lol
I also meant to post this link for Piña, it doesn't have much but seems to say he's back with the Academy. But I've asked Matt Pederson about him fairly recently and he said last he heard he was still at Akron. http://www.transfermarkt.com/fernando-pina/profil/spieler/172022
I think someone with one of those fancy tweeterz accounts should just tweets Pina and find out from him..maybe.
Lucatero is definitely a 2016 prospect, especially with a USL Pro team Agreed. 2016 signing and probably makes the 1st team 2018 if he really bulks up and keeps at it.