"The style Hudson used was similar to the way Gregg Berhalter is using with the full national team. While he is used to playing a more direct way in Germany, he was interested in the U.S. team’s approach." So encouraging.
Spoke w/ Matko Miljevic about his experience at U.S. Under-20 camp. A couple notable points. Was impressed by quality of other players, Busio an example. Really enjoyed experience. Also went to Miami to see the hospital where he was born: https://t.co/AHyGBdFVpl— Arch Bell (@ArchBell) January 24, 2020
If anyone has any crazy ideas about seeing these games let me know. I’ve back packed Central America a few times and I would love an excuse to do it again during the time frame. I haven’t done Honduras yet, but a few of the people I met on the way made it seem safer than I had thought. Edit: I’m a pretty decent cheap flight finder and I’ve found flights in the 200s from DC to San Pedro Sula in June.
I sat down with new U.S. U-20 men's coach Anthony Hudson to discuss his new job, working with the #USMNT , his disastrous stint with Colorado #rapids96 , and the lessons he learned from the mistakes he acknowledges that he made: https://t.co/mkwdZ6TZlR— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) January 23, 2020
My current preferred team for qualifying: GK: Ochoa, Las DF: Scally, Akanyirige, Araujo, Sousa, Bello MF: Booth, Bassett, Tessman, Otasowie, Atencio, Llanez, de la Fuente, Harper, Nyeman, Milijevic FW: Reyna, AOC, Hoppe Not much to add for the keepers. Ochoa will be there because he was there last cycle. Las is the best keeper in the cycle. Seth Wilson would be next call up, IMO, but another keeper probably won't be needed. I only listed five defenders, but there's some versatility there with some of these defenders. Scally, Akanyirige and Araujo can all play RB/CB, and two of the listed CM's can play CB, so those positions have more than enough cover. The next RB would be Hoffmann, who can also play in midfield, but I believe there are better options. The next CB would be Campbell, but I slightly preferred the extra defensive midfielder in Atencio over the extra CB, as Atencio and Otasowie can both play CB in reserve of the starters. LB is a little trickier to figure out. I think Gomez and KHF are the two best options, but KHF is out of contention IMO because he won't be playing until qualifying. Gomez is still playing for now, but I think whether he will be in lead up to qualifying is questionable, so I'll list Sousa and Bello over him for now. They are more than capable, although Gomez could definitely find himself in contention for a spot by June, if he's playing regularly. I think CM is pretty settled, but I was almost tempted to not include either Otasowie or Bassett. I think their roles in reserve to Tessman are redundant. They add a lot of the same things. Otasowie can be viewed as a back up CB, so that's a way to justify his spot here. I didn't feel like another player at any other position was definitely needed, so I'll include both for now. Booth and Tessman are the starters. Atencio gives the team a back up #6. Llanez, KDLF are locks. I think Harper has moved ahead of Milijevic. The team needs a CAM. I'm not sure that the best formation for this group of players includes a #10, so I opted for only one instead of two, but Nyeman looks like the best option in that role. Palomino would likely be the top alternative. I went back and forth between adding Milijevic and another striker, but didn't feel like adding another striker was a pressing need, so Milijevic is included for now, although he's the 4th winger, and his role is redundant. The striker options aren't great. I'm going to include Reyna as a striker because he can play any front four position, and this team needs strikers. I also think AOC deserves a place on this team. This team needs more of a target striker alternative to those two strikers. I think the two best options are probably Hoppe and Pepi. I don't think either is a great option. Hoppe has struggled with injuries and form this season, while Pepi often struggles playing in older age groups. I'd probably go with Hoppe over Pepi because I think his contribution would be a little more reliable, but I don't think either is a great option right now. The top alternative to Reyna and AOC is Kelman, IMO, but I think AOC makes him redundant, and I don't think that type of smaller striker is a role on the team where we can afford to be redundant. It seems like a wasted roster spot to have two of them.
I'd disagree, of course. But what is great, that except for non existing forwards there is another team that is arguably as good as this one.
He didn't quit soccer. He's still playing in the DA this season for FC Dallas. When he gets to Clemson, we'll see if he plays soccer or football. It's possible he could also play both. I suspect the football thing is a gimmick, and until then, he's still playing soccer until June (or later).
It is likely he will play both at Clemson. Unless he does one semester at Clemson this fall he will likely fall out of u20 consideration during his time in college. At this point for ynt's college players don't cut it anymore when you have so many players going to higher levels in the USA or to Europe.
I've seen some fake accounts on Instagram saying that he's quitting soccer, he did not even post about his commitment to Clemson on his real account, I am assuming he's going to try to jump to Europe this summer if Dallas doesn't give him a good deal.
If Tessmann does quit soccer completely to play football full time, it may put his spot on the U20 team in jeopardy.
He won't bounce on Clemson for this fall. He has way too big of a personal connection with Dabo but he could very well leave after one season. His spot on the u20 team was already in jeopardy before this due to their CM depth but going to college should kill his chances in my opinion.
It’s kind of a joke to play both. Maybe he can get away with it and carve out a career still in MLS. But if he can, that’s an extremely negative mark on the quality of MLS.
Not necessarily. He would go back to Dallas who would plug and play him pretty quickly like they have recently with other players who went to college (Reggie Cannon and Brandon Servenia).
If he's one and done like Cannon and Servania then it's not a big deal. If he stays then the possibility of a good/great pro career is on a negative sliding scale depending on how long he stays.
I think people are putting way too much stock into how much work a football kicker does on a daily basis. It's not like they can spend hours upon hours kicking a ball thousands of times per day - their leg would fall off. If he can get his technique down, he won't have to put a ton of time into football. He is in the XI for me for the U20s and I don't think a season of college is going to hurt him. Last regular season MLS game is October 4 and USL is October 3. He basically is missing out on 2 months of the pro season by being at Clemson. People are injured for more time than that and come back just fine.
I'm not downgrading the kid until it starts effecting his soccer career. He's still one of the best players in his age group for now. It's not as if he doesn't play weekly for the best academy in the USA. It's not effecting him yet.
I know speculating is fun - and basically the raison d'etre of this website - but why don't we just wait and see how the Tessman situation unfolds. Could still go a lot of different ways. A few of them are even good.
Daniel Hernandez did both at SMU and had a very long career where he was on the fringes of the national team. Conversely Josh Lambo started out in MLS and fizzled and went to college late and now has a career as a NFL place kicker.
I've just decided it would be awesome if threatening to be a star at another major sport was the new dual-national bargaining chip. "Call me up for World Cup qualifiers or I'm playing in the NBA!"
This is a bit of an outgrowth from the ridiculous "kids need to specialize" and "don't play high school" BS that is pushed by coaches who want a year-round gravy train. The number of first round NFL and MLB draft choices that played multiple sports well into high school is legion. Some of the most famous athletes of all time were drafted in more than one sport! It's fairly absurd and insulting to think soccer players couldn't do the same...