YNT-eligible MLS players: 2019/2020 Offseason thread

It's hard to see him pushing into the u20's when their midfield is loaded with guys who are not only on an MLS roster but are actually contributing in games for their teams. The only guy not contributing for an MLS team or a higher level who I see making a full strength u20 team is Jose Gallegos who bullied Dallas two days ago.

 

DC United has a CB shortage. He might've been in line for a starting position had he been able to stay healthy.

D.C. United's Donovan Pines will miss 5-6 weeks with ankle injury #dcu #mls

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) February 13, 2020

I think it's already been mentioned that academy players Rodriguez ('04), Casas ('03) and Monis ('03) were in first team training during this preseason. Now there's news that Brady ('04) and Gutierrez ('03) were also in first team training. What I find surprising is that Justin Reynolds ('04) hasn't joined this group. I suspect he's injured.

Up a level 📈 The next generation is on display at preseason camp.

Read: https://t.co/UDxu4ILbED pic.twitter.com/LeZNxsHUKV

— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) February 13, 2020

 

His dad was just named President of The University of Maryland so apparently he and his family are very smart as well. Let’s hope that he is able to avoid chronic injuries. At the moment, that appears to be the primary challenge that he faces as a professional.

 

Sounds like Ochoa had a good day holding SKC goalless. MacMath did start though.

 

Araujo will grade out as a top 5 RB this season. Even in a preseason match, his confidence is just on a different level than last season.

Going to blow past Cannon on the USMNT RB depth chart soon enough. And that’s nothing against Reggie, but Julian is close to Dest level.

Galaxy will have some nice transfer offers for him come January.

And still eligible for the 2024 Olympics.

 

Sounds like Arriola tore his ACL. Probably gets Yow more minutes.

Sucks for Paul because he’s one of the most likable USMMT players ever.

 

DC United has two versatile midfielders between Arriola and Gressel. I was trying to figure out who will play where, and how each player will effect the young midfielders playing time, and I think it probably ends up being that Arriola and Gressel were lined up to play roles this season where they fill in where needed. These guys have not played set roles in their teams in years. It was unlikely they'd have done so this season either.

This allows for a next best player up strategy as opposed to having to use a player on the depth chart at a specific position. I think that means that this injury to Arriola helps whichever of the young Americans is most ready for MLS minutes between Yow, Nyeman and Paredes. I don't know if Yow wasn't available to play yesterday, but I don't remember seeing him on the list of players who played yesterday. Nyeman was subbed in at halftime to play with mostly the first XI, so that could bode well for playing time or it might not. Paredes had been injured recently.

 

Anyone else over the weekend show some promise? Hoping we see a few new HG faces.

Some of the games were streamed but only shown regionally.

 

I hadn't seen much about which players look like they're taking a step up in preseason so I took a look through the lineups of recent games. I haven't really been following any of this so don't take what I say as a full truth but I'll try to speculate for a little context. I've only included teams where I found anything interesting.

DC:

1228816667511156737 is not a valid tweet id

Looks like Nyeman was the third sub of their last game, and came in before the second wave. I think it might have to do with Arriola getting injured but maybe it's a little indication of him moving up a little.

RBNY: Incredible how uninteresting they are now. Fernandez started on the bench. https://www.newyorkredbulls.com/post/2020/02/15/match-recap-new-york-red-bulls-houston-dynamo-draw

NYCFC: It's a while ago but: https://www.nycfc.com/post/2020/02/04/match-recap-orange-county-1-2-nycfc

Scally, Sands, and Parks all started. Gray played CB. Other guys did what you expect.

Philly:

Underway in our preseason friendly against @InterMiamiCF.

Here's how we're lining up today in FL.#DOOP | @VSPC pic.twitter.com/jRjnfDhNOw

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) February 15, 2020

Aaronsen, McKenzie start. No info on subs.

Revs:

Starting XI vs. @ColoradoRapids: Knighton, Lekressner, Kessler, Farrell, Jones, Rivera, Caldwell, Angking, Rennicks, Buchanan, Bunbury

We’re underway! Live updates here throughout the game. #NERevs

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) February 12, 2020

Angking, Rivera, and Rennicks all start but I have no idea if that's a first team lineup.

Toronto: Ayo was sub #2, Dorsey #4

Columbus: Seb Berhalter subbed in in the 80th. Kinda crazy they don't play more academy guys in these games.

Seattle:

Here is your Starting XI for today’s friendly against Club Atlético Zacatepec! pic.twitter.com/fZ5CgKaWWD

— Sounders Matchday (@LIVESounders) February 12, 2020

Leyva started. Means we could easily see him in CCL.

San Jose:

1’: Today’s second match is underway!

Starting XI: Marcinkowski; Thompson, Beason, Jungwirth, Marie; Salinas, Luis Felipe, Skahan, Fierro, Cowell; Wondolowski. #VamosSJ

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) February 9, 2020

Looks like Cowell is in the second rotation for San Jose on the wing. Unfortunately none of Akanyirige, Walls, or Fuentes were.

LAFC: I think everyone saw Torres scored.

https://twitter.com/LAFC/status/1227755488873304064?s=20

Bryce Duke actually started that game.

https://twitter.com/LAFC/status/1227672544305545217?s=20

The complete list of academy guys that were in their preseason is Torres, Tony Leone, Erik Dueñas, Armando Avila, Diego Rosales, and Mauricio Gutierrez.

Galaxy: Araujo starts, thank god. Besides that, boring.

RSL: MacMath starts over Ochoa. Iloski is an early sub, Garcia late. Rest is what you think.

Colorado: Vines starts, none of the other ones do.

Houston: Palomino is a sub.

Dallas: Visit the other thread.

KC: https://twitter.com/SKCmatchday/status/1228837393010167808?s=20

So yeah. It's not amazing. I'm mostly looking forward to Leyva possibly starting in Honduras on Thursday.

 

DC United:

1228824601242656768 is not a valid tweet id

Final 15 minutes included all three HGP on filed.

Paredes and Yow combined to send the cross to Gamble for lone goal of game.

Watch the build up and the goal from the young guys to deliver the win. pic.twitter.com/f1yNVDh3bL

— D.C. United (@dcunited) February 16, 2020

Despite DCU not being Dallas, Loudon could be interesting. With Nyeman high up in pecking order, he should get Open Cup starts but bulk of 8 or 10 shirt time Loudon. In summer if Flores and Moreno are out on international duty, Nyeman could be time with DC as a 16 year old. With Arriola injury, expect Yow to start year on bench in DC and Paredes starts on wing at Loudon. Add in DCU constantly rotating in academy players, 2 to 4 U17 players should start every game at Loudon in USL C.

 

Umm, no, he's not close to Dest level. Araujo is a good player, no doubt, but he has nowhere near Dest's technical ability. Araujo has MLS level technical ability, which means it's decent but not outstanding. I don't hate on Araujo. I like his pace, his competitiveness, but he's just not good enough technically to play on a top Euro club.

 

Walls, Akanyirige and Fuentes have all gotten run in prior pre-season matches.

 

You’re doing a great service!

 

This is why he never should've been moved from CB.

@ChuckMe92 was mentioning this on twitter the other day. Araujo's attacking skills at RB are slightly above-average. Nothing too great. His defensive play and athleticism is where he'll excel at RB. At CB, his skills are highlighted a lot more. His best skill is his passing, which is extremely good.

This is also part of why I don't think Brian Kleiban is as good of a coach as some think. He took possibly the most talented CB prospect in the country, and made him into a RB. His reasoning was his height. Araujo is 5'10, he has a strong build, he's very good in the air for a player his size, and he's a very physical defensive player. Why can't he play CB? Brian Kleiban thinks he's too short for the position.

At the same time, the kid says he much prefers RB because he likes to attack. He doesn't seem to realize his attacking skills are not top-level, so he has to take some of the blame for this. He didn't have to sign with LAG. He went to a team that is developing him improperly, and now he's a lesser player because of it.

 

If you're going to compare players, then you have to contrast their relative strengths and weaknesses. You can't just list the strengths of one but not the other.

Araujo has the advantage in burst, competitiveness, size, and passing vision. The first 3 are part of what should make him a better defender. That's going to be priority on most teams for a fb.

And as far as their technique goes, it's awfully absolutist for an inexperienced teen. He can improve his technique more than Dest can his burst to get to the end line or match the movement of pacier wingers.

Dest already belongs in the ucl and against top Eredivisie opposition, and can improve somewhat further w/ experience. But Araujo isn't so much of a worse prospect simply because he hasn't gotten opportunities from growing up The States instead of Holland and starting out w/ the integration-averse Gals. Gotta at least see if he breaks out in MLS at 18 ala Tyler Adams.

 

The last few years I was much more in tune with preseason than this year so I was hoping I could pop over here and twitter and see what's going on but it's been pretty dead. It turns out that that's because information seems harder to find this year.

I don't get it why they make the info so hard to access - preseason is my favorite time of the year! All I want to know is which random academy player has stayed in camp a week longer than the other ones, but there's just no resources for that this year.

 

I was thinking something similar. Almost all games this preseason have been closed door games.

 

So, Wolfsburg and the Galaxy have some sort of agreement.

1229792299544203266 is not a valid tweet id

 

For those that don't want to listen to some random Galaxy pod...

"If Kobe succeeds, even at the youth level, there are some contractual obligations that LA Galaxy will benefit."

Whether that's TC, Solidarity, other cash, the pod even mentions players...

 

I really like Williamson and I think if he was at most other MLS organizations he would be a locked in starter.

 

Bryce Duke on for LAFC.

Heck of a setting to make your pro debut.

 

DC United couldn’t find a place for him, but that was before they had Loudoun United. Personally, I think he does better without the unnecessary hype, but that is just my opinion. I remember how fans would take it personally if anyone suggested that Freddy Adu wasn’t the best player on any of the dozens of teams that he was on. It seems that you have developed similar eyes for Williamson, who has really embraced his new role in Portland.

He seems to do better when he is flying under the hype radar. Let’s let him do that and see where it goes.