YNT-eligible MLS players: 2020 In-season thread

Most of these Dutch threads are just rehashing rumours from US sources. To be trustworthy you have to have quotes from media with direct access to clubs. For Feyenoord that is AD Sportwereld, for PSV it's Eindhovens Dagblad and for Ajax it is de Telegraaf and for all it's Voetbal International. These are the outlets that get the scoops from the clubs. The others like the one you quoted most of the time create clickbate for Dutch fans.
I havenot heared anything about Busio or Aaronson. Doesnot mean it's not possible.

 

The key being the path. In the past, almost all went to college. You can't even start college until you are 18, which makes it very difficult to breakout at a young age.

We are now seeing 18 as a common breakout year and kids have been professionals for multiple years by that time. Wynalda went to SDSU I think you are right about him breaking out early (20ish)...good call. Of course I think breaking out means something different now than it did then. He certainly did well with Saarbrucken a few years later. In those days, I think just being on a top Euro team gave a legitimate claim to the USMNT. He surpassed that bar pretty handily and met the current bar of being an important member of the team.

 

Tim Howard was one of the P40 players, although I don't think he spent a lot of time with them.

Now there's a designation that only us old-timers recognize.

If folks want a true understanding of how 2020 is night and day from 20-25 years ago, investigate the P40 program. This was basically the very start of an early attempt at MLS youth development. It was a circus!!!

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/04/02/mls-project-40

Love this picture of the 2000 P40 team. Note very young Carlos Bocanegra, Nick Rimado, DaMarcus Beasley, and Kyle Beckerman.

 

Counting Landon as a MF and not a forward, most of the top American forwards, either in MLS or the USMNT, played some (or a lot) of college soccer.

Clint Dempsey, Furman - 3
Eric Wynalda, San Diego State - 3
Brian McBride, Saint Louis - 4
Joe-Max Moore, UCLA - 3
Bruce Murray, Clemson - 4
Clint Mathis, South Carolina - 4
Gyasi Zardes, Cal State Bakersfield - 3
Chris Wondolowski, Chico State - 4
Peter Vermes (mostly a forward with US), Rutgers - 4
Josh Wolff, South Carolina - 3
Brian Ching, Gonzaga - 4
Roy Wegerle, South Florida - 2
Jeff Cunningham, South Florida - 4
Taylor Twellman, Maryland - 2
Jason Kreis, Duke - 4
Edson Buddle, State Fair JC - 1
Jordan Morris, Stanford - 3

Jozy Altidore, Eddie Johnson, Bobby Wood and Frank Klopas DNP college soccer but, really, it's only been the past few years where the majority of the top American forward prospects - Sargent, Weah, Ferreira, Akinola, Novakovich, Soto, Pepi, etc... - skipped college soccer.

 

Tim Howard actually signed his P-40 deal after he turned pro. His first professional gig was with the North Jersey Imperials of the then-called USUSL D-3 Pro League. He spent the 1997 season with them, on their books.

 

Seems like Buzz and Ben agreeing with each other on these dates for the FCD/Nashville series. I can't think of many reasons to be interested in Nashville. Well, Walker Zimmerman. Maybe I'll take an interest in DFW native Alan Winn, although he's a 96. Solar product if I remember correctly.

#NashvilleSC to play at #FCDallas on August 12 (Wednesday) and August 16 (Sunday), per sources. #EveryoneN

— Ben Wright (@benwright) August 6, 2020

 

Televised?

 

By Ebo age Dempsey went to Fulham after been one of the top MLS players, and Altidore was sold for $10M at 18.

 

Young LD was a forward and young CD was a midfielder, but this is irrelevant as it used to be that 90% of either went to college and now 90% of projects don't. Ebo and Williamson approximately where they were expected to be: average to above average MLS players.
As we have a huge hole at strikers Ebo might get some camps/friendlies, Williamson highly doubtfully.

 

I imagine the matches would be on ESPN+ if they’re not on FS1/ESPN.

 

Dotson's been pretty responsible for both Nani goals tonight *thumbs down*

 

Nice movement and goal for Toye

 

Though he should have had a brace as he scuffed an open header that would've tied the game.

Benji Michel got the insurance goal for OCFC. Was wide open and only had to round the 'keeper to score into an open net, but still showed pace and composure.

 

I haven't seen confirmation of television.

But......................It sounds like they're going to get fans in the stands. You'd think that a series of games with teams heavily impacted by COVID-19 in a state heavily impacted by COVID-10 would be played "behind closed doors. But this is Texas we're talking about. [Insert political rant nobody wants to read here.]

Confirming @benwright report that FC Dallas and Nashville will play next Wednesday and Sunday.

One bit of news from @samstejskal and me: the plan is for games to be played in front of fans.https://t.co/6nd6y8oAww pic.twitter.com/kZDIQuMRiN

— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) August 6, 2020

 

I didn't see the game, but two thoughts......

1) Coaching matters. I don't know what magic Oscar Pareja has, but it seems to work wherever he is in MLS.

2) Nani. We never quite know how seriously these players who've won major trophies are going to take MLS. He could easily have taken this tournament off like Carlos Vela did. But no, he's out there fighting for this meaningless trophy. Respect.

Nani's first touch. 👀 pic.twitter.com/GBqprM4mF8

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 7, 2020

 

This is where it gets murky. Dempsey was scoring 7 goals in MLS (a much worse MLS) about Ebo's age in his rookie year. He stood out as a rookie, but it is only 7 goals. Ebobisse will score that this year. Dempsey followed that up with seasons between 7-10 goals for the next 6 years, between MLS and Fulham. He was bought by Fulham but they were one goal from relegation that year (Dempsey scored it).

It is not until his 12 goal season in 2010/11 followed by his great year in 11/12 that he became Dempsey. He was 27-28 years old.

My only point is Ebobisse, Sargent, even Wright are at a position where, worldwide, players develop later. That has been the case with American strikers too. Yes, they went to college, but college in the 90s wasn't as bad a development path as it is now.

 

dempsey also played much deeper in midfield in MLS to start and slowly over his career kept moving up the field. Just not a great comparison for me.

 

Worth noting that MLS got transfer offers for Dempsey well before the one they accepted from Fulham.

The spazzing out on these threads when the league turned down an initial offer from Charlton was a sight to behold.

Dempsey also started getting callups, and making contributions to the USMNT in 2004/2005. His first goal for the USMNT was in 2005 in that game against England in Chicago. I attended that one. A fun game. The English fans kept chanting "Are you Scotland in disguise?" at us..........................

That USMNT inclusion was important, because he wouldn't have qualified for a work permit otherwise.

Point being that if Ebobisse can translate his MLS goalscoring to international performance, then yes............Europe can come calling. Why not?

[Should be noted that I saw Clint Dempsey a lot as a teen in Dallas, and didn't see it coming with him.............at all. Sure, he was fine. A kid I saw headed to the NCAAs. Did I or anybody see a future USMNT star? No. And if folks say they did, then they're lying straight to your face. Landon Donovan? Yes, that one was obvious. Clint Dempsey? No.]

 

Even pre-pandemic, FC Dallas crowds were practicing social distancing.

Ba-dump-ta.

I'm not going to any of these games personally, but from the USL crowds I've seen, you absolutely could social distance really well -- like 20+ feet -- in open air.

But people don't. It's the strangest thing. There will be 500 open seats, and there there's 2 groups of unrelated people sitting incredibly close to each other.

They better be on TV. I need my Paxton Pomykal/Jesus Ferreira/Tanner Tessman/Brandon Servania fix.

 

In case people didn't see this................they've expanded the playoffs for this year. Sorta the same thing baseball did. It just gets us some more games for this year, and I'm happy about that.

Sources: MLS has updated playoff plan. Initial plan was to have 9 teams from each conference qualify. Latest calls for 10 teams to qualify from 14-team East, which includes Nashville. 8 teams to qualify from 12-team West.

East will have 2 play-in games to cull to 8-team bracket.

— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) August 7, 2020

 

Was thinking the same thing but it was too easy. Fans at FCD games? When did this happen?

With the open air and a regular FCD crowd of little to no one, it might be a safe venue to attend.

The responses on social media to the thought of fans for FCD and Nashville, two teams that couldn't prevent their players from getting COVD 19 when the rest of the league could, being there in person are not very kind.

Throw in Jessie Gonzalez getting dumped from the team and FCD needs some good news.

 

There is no set timeline. Many of the strikers doing well now, started on the wing. Having them play on the wing is one way to get young players on the field and not have to be in the middle battling the CBs.

If you are arguing that we can expect a lot of teenagers to break in as #9s in the top tiers of world football, then I'm not sure where you are seeing that. There are outliers everywhere and there are Haaland and Greenwood, but it is generally a later age developing position.

 

Again, I was only pointing out, contrary to someone, that Ebobisse isn't "old" for a striker.

Discussing this on this thread has led to noticing many USMNT strikers tend to make a mark with the USMNT before they do anywhere else. Some, never really make a mark anywhere else. We've always had a striker, but below McBride, Dempsey, Altidore (and they span 20 years), there has not been much quality. Or at least, nobody that lasted long for various reasons.

 

I am not positive, but didn't Dempsey play dmid with New England? I know Shalrie Joseph was on the team also, so I may be wrong but I remember him in a more defensive position (at least nominally). One thing about Dempsey is that he always showed an ability to score goals. His big breakthrough in goal scoring, I believe, is in how he was used. It wasn't until the coach really turned him loose in a role that allowed him freedom to find the spaces and reduced his defensive duties etc that he really exploded. Coleman had him playing as the single striker up top, Hodgson had him playing midfield and more disciplined with defensive expectations etc. (I think his time with Hodgson was very good for Dempsey)

The other important thing is that (for the first few years), Dempsey had to first earn a spot and then had to prove himself each year that a new manager took over. It is true that he started off scoring 6 and 7 goals but that was tops on the team in 07 -08 and joint top scorer in 08-09 when he wasn't even a full time starter until 1/3 of the way through the season. the next year, he only got 9 goals but was injured (knee) for part of it. That was also the year he scored that amazing goal in the Europa cup. I remember being amazed at how often Dempsey had to prove himself at Fulham. The point being that 6-7 goals/season was a lot better than it looks at first glance if you put it into context.

 

Yeah you're not wrong, and I didn't really make a great point there.

I was referencing your comparison of goals scored in MLS prior to moves and that Dempsey never played forward in MLS and thus is goal output of 7 was, for all intents and purposes, of a different value relative to position that Ebo's output will/should be.

I agree that Ebo is too old to improve, garner interest, come into his own, etc. More just that I don't see Dempsey as the perfect example to compare him to for a few different reasons.