Herrera might be the most undervalued USMNT-eligible player in MLS. I remember when Kreis selected him for the Olympic qualifying team (over a guy like Kyle Duncan), and folks were incredulous. Turns out that was one personnel decision he probably got right. There are a bunch of MLS fullbacks that I like quite a bit that just aren't going to get a look. Watched that Austin/Houston game this weekend...................and Nick LIma is really good. He's 26 now. Just entering his prime. Played over 100 MLS games. 9 USMNT caps. In a pinch would I call up Nick Lima over one of these more discussed youngsters like Bryan Reynolds? Yes. If I need to win a game today. He's just too far down the pecking order and then there's the next generation of U20 fullbacks coming thru that the USMNT will call up over him. Not just Scally, but the young ones in MLS. Which is fine. That's the way it works. Herrera might end up being the same. A really, really good MLS level fullback that isn't going to get a USMNT chance. Is Herrera still eligible to switch to Guatemala. I guess so.............. As far as Servania and Cerrillo go, I'm glad that the FCD staff is giving them a shot. Most of the foreign central midfielders are out of contract at the end of the year (Acosta, Ricuarte, etc.) With FCD eliminated from the playoffs, they're giving Servania and Cerrillo a chance to show that they can continue with FCD. Servania must have only one more option year on his contract. Cerrillo is probably entering his first option year. So FCD must decide whether to trigger those options. FCD has a ton of intriguing midfield prospects in their academy, but the best are probably a year or two away from first team impact (if they can even sign them).
Herrera and Duncan have both been excellent this year. Herrera has that added versatility, however. Beyond Dest and Scally, there are no sure things at RB. Lima Plateaued.
Still................a pretty good plateau. Do I think players like Moore, Yedlin, Cannon, etc. are THAT much better than Herrera, Lima, Duncan, Lennon, and other MLSers at the moment? No. All in that same band for me. We did hear rumors about some Euro interest in Herrera during the last window. Who knows how real that was......... After Dest, and Scally when we are able to incorporate him, its basically "coach's choice."
Indeed. Although he's ancient. The average age of our starters against Costa Rica was 22. And we have a ton of young talent on the way. I have a sneaking suspension that if you're 28 (or older) and uncapped, then the USMNT has passed you by. That'll be Gressel when he's eligible.
If Gressel was left sided player, he would be a shoe-in. But he’s very comparable to Paul Arriola...except slower, although much better passer.
Araujo's form's really dipped. In the metrics, he hasn't had a good game in the last 8. Before that it was like every other match. The drop-off coincides with when he made the decision. Possibly some regret on his part. Regardless, he shouldn't be called up by Mexico any time soon. While Mexican-Americans don't have a storied history w/ the USNT, at least we have Pepi and Herc. What's their biggest success story, Ponce? Not much of a selling point. And if this next wave doesn't work out, it's slipping further.
Omar Gonzalez. A few more a bit below that level. I think Gomez will soon have a real shot at left back.
Dejuan Jones cross to assist for the late equalizer for the Revs last night, I hope he gets a NT look sooner rather then later hes earned it 46': Subbed on at halftime. 🔁81': Bring one back. 90'+3': Score the equalizer. Just another day in the office for Adam Buksa. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PY8ZsdSeT0— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 25, 2021 He's also underpaid, if he doesn't get a Euro move this winter, he should get a new contract, again, hes earned it. #NERevs guaranteed comp per minute played to date. Mostly just more proof DeJuan Jones has been an incredible value this season. pic.twitter.com/XmXFuP00bR— Sean Donahue (@SeanLDonahue) October 20, 2021
Despite the endless hand-wringing, the USMNT has never lost a "difference-making" player to Mexico. Even Araujo, if he turns out to be great, may not be. Our right back started for Barcelona in El Clasico this past weekend. And we've got a lot of depth there, including young and developing depth. I think the most capped USMNTer that could have become eligible for Mexico is...................Omar Gonzalez? Maybe? There's been debate about whether he was actually Mexico-eligible. [I don't think Carlos Bocanegra was eligible. His father was of Mexican descent] After those two you go to Paul Arriola, and I don't believe he was eligible. So then you have to travel down to Michael Orozco at 29 caps, who we know was eligible for Mexico. Its possible that none of Boca, Omar, and Arriola were actually eligible for Mexico (all three were involved in our youth teams anyway)...................so Michael Orozco might be our most capped Mexico-eligible player. [Edit: I missed one. Johnathan Bornstein at 38 caps. His mother is Mexican, so he could have become eligible. My cool fact about Johnathan Bornstein is he played with Benny Feilhaber at the youth level with Irvine Strikers, in college at UCLA, and with the USMNT.]
He made an impact as soon as he came on, taking on players, and whipping in well placed crosses, shots, and helping NE take control of the match w/ speed and ball-winning initially. We could use the chutzpah on this team. Either he should be at Dec/Jan camp or in Europe. We're supposedly having a Dec. camp, so maybe he could do both. Same thing goes for an extension and sale. Makes him more valuable. But I fear the players who went to college for years will be stuck in MLS, after initial cheap contracts. That used to be the primary plan to secure cheap, prime-aged, core labor. It's still at least a secondary plan, w/ MLS taking a little cut, and the salary cap. Europe cooperates w/ how they undervalue players who opted for the college route. Does New England part w/ a player who's of value of them that they'd only receive a couple mill for max? Only if they want to do right by players or properly anticipate a stagnation.
He's 22. Jones is 24. Turner 27. Buchanan was a regular int'l 1st. Jones is not. The other 2 are also not attackers. NE got $7m w/ a 10% sell-on for Buchanan. Similar #'s as Philly for Aaronson. NE aren't receiving near that for Jones nor Turner. My point stands. Your little exception/false equivalency doesn't refute it. They'll transfer players at a point, obviously. Everyone has a price. But it's proven difficult for successful domestic MLS players in their mid 20's, especially when they aren't established int'ls.
According to this https://www.ussoccer.com/players/a/paul-arriola Arriola has a Mexican passport so presumably he would have been eligible had he wanted to play for Mexico. Bocanegra is tough to know without knowing more, but Mexico also recently changed their constitution in a way that would make more players eligible who previously were not. Cade Cowell is a good example of someone who falls under this category.
There was some chatter that Jones was getting some European interest at some point, but New England was also pretty clear they weren't selling anyone mid-season. We'll have to wait till January to see if any of that was real or not. Turner has said in the past that he has a very good relationship with Bruce Arena and the Revolution that he's super confident that they would let him go if they got a fair/reasonable offer. We'll see if any are forthcoming in January. He is older but goalies also have a much longer shelf life. More broadly I'm sort of curious if Newcastle is going to come for any MLS guys. Their only goal for now is to avoid relegation and they don't want to blow their $200 million on one or two players. Feels like there's alot of MLS guys who wouldn't cost much who can help with a relegation fight at least.
You know you're in a weak position when you have to rely on straw men of absolutes w/out even applying variables and smilies. BTW, I recall you stating there's little precedent of players, w/out being NT'ers 1st, transferring to Europe well into their 20's. This would apply to Jones at minimum then. That's how insistent you are to be a contrarian/faux voice of reason on subjects. You'll even be a contrarian to yourself.
We may only know if the chatter was real, if they sell him. Which like I said I don't think they do w/out him minimum being an NT reg 1st. That couldn't happen until after next season, at the earliest, if ever. So after this one, he's getting the extension, or he waits until he's on a free. NYRB wouldn't part w/ Long & they had more of a history of sales. Turner's probably in a similar boat of NT regular in mid to later 20's, w/ flaws. I'm sure there will be offers, but there may well be enough impediments to not hit their probable threshold of 5m or so. They aren't selling him to sell him, regardless of rhetoric. Someone will have to pay up. Miles probably receives the best offers, and most teams would sell him, but he plays for Atlanta, one of the least amenable to transfers, regardless of them selling a struggling Pity to a gulf state most don't want to go to for almost 20m or Almiron for 26 to Newcastle. 5m+ isn't moving the needle much for them w/ that in mind and spending 10 on a French champ's regular. I'm pretty pessimistic about many of these moves going down for older domestics in the academy revolution era, because while the restrictions were lessened, they're more compelled to keep some of their domestic and cheaper, impact talent in the form of these players.
I think with Turner he seems to think he has assurances from New England that they'd be willing to let him go for any reasonable offer. It's possible he may have misunderstood and we'll get a better sense in January. If it ever gets to a similar point as it was with Long, I'm sure we'll hear about. I think Miles Robinson will be a good test of just how much MLS wants to be a selling league. He'll definitely have some offers and Atlanta sort of already has his replacement lined up in George Campbell. It's just a question of how much they value him for. I feel like if he doesn't go in January though it's probably never going to happen. I also sort of wonder with some of the mid-career MLS players like Robinson or Acosta, how amenable MLS teams might be to loans with an option to buy. I do think a Miles Robinson could really help a Newcastle avoid relegation, and he probably comes at a cheaper price than some of the other center backs available.
Jones reportedly had the interest from the B1, Greece, and Belgium. The #NERevs are on a tear, and European clubs are taking notice of more and more of their players.You can add DeJuan Jones to that list. I'm told that a pair of Bundesliga clubs have expressed interested in the Revs left back.Here's more over at SBI:https://t.co/BrZW0Exv04— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) August 4, 2021
Mexican-Americans. He came up w/ those guys. Supposedly had to explain to them when he was making the switch. He said from the beginning his criteria would be opportunities, so no, he didn't just want to play for Mexico. W/ our disarray at the position behind Dest, don't even know if Mexico is the better opportunity on paper anymore, like was being sold to him by even our own fans, because we were supposedly stocked at the position. What do you attribute the sudden decline to? This is the worst stretch of his career when he's actually played the right position. And he was a regular since 17. Could be a coincidence, but this is very abnormal, unless he's been carrying a knock the whole way.