YNT-eligible MLS players: 2021 In-season thread

Most likely in my opinion are Pepi, Che, Bello, Paredes, and Tolkin. I think non YNT player but still interesting to us transfers could be Sands, Dike, Miles Robinson, and Ferreira.

 

It's honestly surprising how little we've heard on the rumor front regarding Ferreira, though I guess his age and year-to-year inconsistency has tempered the hype a bit. I'm not sure if Dallas will want to sell this offseason, especially since Pepi's transfer is a given at this point and bc of Jara's struggles. I'd wager that we'll hear about interest (and possibly even offers) from Serie A and BuLi teams in the winter though.

 

According to Buzz, there is about as much interest in Ferreira as in Pepi, but his agents are more expierenced, and don't want to start premature rumors.

 

Can you provide a link to where he said this?

 

No, that was one of the podcasts. Don't remember which, but I heard it myself.

 

A podcast.

Pepi's agency is Starting XI Player Management, who has very few clients. Try finding information on them. Not easy.

Ferreira is a Wasserman client; global leaders at this point. [As is Pomykal]

I fear the Pepi saga will resemble the Reynolds one. Kind of amateur hour in terms of leaks and rumors and silliness. We're already seeing that. Why do we know that Wolfsburg and Pepi agreed salary terms?

Ferreira's will be close to the vest.

 

I agree that Clark has talent, but in terms of impact Adams had a stronger impact more consistently than Clark has had.

My worry is Clark goes to Leipzig as planned and finds himself playing with the U20’s or U23’s. Or Marsch recognizes the gap in talent and gets him a loan.

 

I think they'd find him a loan. MLS is a higher level than their U19 team, I suspect, and RB has Salzburg, Bragantino, back to NY as better internal options.

 

I think Clark will be consistently getting some minutes before the end of the season.

 

Atlanta United President Darren Eales says Champions League and Europa League clubs are making inquiries about 19-year-old George Bello.

(via @DougRobersonAJC) pic.twitter.com/99SKyYz7m4

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) November 9, 2021

 

Aaronson a surprise starter in the playoffs due to Monteiro being out for covid protocols. Now would be a good time for him to get a few goals.

 

He’s not quite old enough for a whiskey drink or a cider drink, but 19 year-old homegrown Andres “Danny Boy” Jasson led MLS in fouls drawn per 90 minutes in 2021, often times getting absolutely obliterated. This season’s greatest hits: https://t.co/iHy1QR315O

— Chris Campbell (@SoupInNYC27) November 24, 2021

 

Clark is the kind of player that makes me distrust clips-based reporters, writers, and posters. Some great clips. Weak 90 minute impact, unless he's scoring bangers.

 

The mentality the Union are developing in their academy players is also top notch.

Curtin on Jack McGlynn: "When a young kid says I want one, you reward him with it. For him to step up in that moment, there’s a word for it, but I won’t say it in the press conference. But he has brass ones."

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) November 29, 2021

 

It's definitely an organizational commitment top to bottom, but man Curtin really deserves kudos for his willingness to play youth

 

I’ve soured a little on Curtin’s management the last few months. It’s good that the best academy in the country wins games at the first team level, but they’ve won two playoffs games without playing too well. I’m not understanding how Curtin has completely went away from using Sullivan the last few months. They need more goals and I’m not sure the solution involves not rostering one of your best offensive threats towards the end of this season.

 

Philly's kinda been eeking out results the past couple of months.
Every game seems close and can go either way. There's nothing dynamic going on with their offense. They haven't won a game against New England this year. If that's their next opponent, I think the road stops there. [Philly hasn't done well against NE this year. Of course, nobody really has.]

I watched the first half of that Philly/Nashville game, and got so bored that even I turned it off. Philly does have a lot of mediocre foreign players that they start. A lot.

We can all see the depressing reality. Portland is going to win MLS Cup. Against all odds, they now how host the Western Conference Final against the 7 seed RSL.

 

I think this season overall in MLS was rather poor. The best teams were not that good. So I think teams that are solidly organized win alot more games this season than they normally would. Teams like Nashville, Philly, Colorado, are solid but unspectacular teams. While teams that usually play some of the "best" soccer like both LA teams, NYCFC, Atlanta, etc, were just bad this year.

Playoffs are always a crapshoot anyways, especially with single games.

 

Yup. Hopefully New England takes this thing as they've been head & shoulders above the league. The game in this part of the country can sure use a boost too.

Parity can come across as mediocrity................................

 

I’m still rooting for them. The perception will help get more teams to improve their academy and get some of these players on the field, but this narrative that they have a team full of young homegrowns that are winning them games isn’t what’s actually happening.

McGlynn, Aaronson, and Sullivan have combined for 1908 minutes this season. They are 14th, 15th, and 18th, respectively, in minutes played on the team. Their combined minutes only would have them as 11th most on the team. These kids are all squad players this year. I’m not sure Curtin deserves so much credit for that either. Who else was he going to use in those roles? There are only so many players at his disposal that the GM gave him, and he’s using these guys towards the bottom of his roster.

I’m also not saying what he’s done is terrible, but I’m not hugely complimentary of what he’s doing. Let’s see him develop these kids into more than MLS depth players. That was the minimum expectation this season. Next season I’m expecting their roles to increase. Currently none of these guys are even starters. Next season I’d like them all to be in the top 12 of squad minutes. Two starters and the 12th man.

 

I think most coaches would have asked the GM to bring in depth reinforcements versus playing 17 and 18 year olds, but Curtain trusted the kids enough to go into battle with them as his primary depth options.

The HGP are not the reason that they are winning, but not sure that is a real narrative out there. Maybe. I can't say I have heard it widely circulating, but not paying super close attention.

I also think that they played the younger players more as the season progressed and towards the end of the season they were getting rotated into the mix and starting games a lot more frequently, but they are not in their ideal XI.

Aaronson did start against NYRB and McGlynn got in both games, so they have been a factor in the playoffs. Harriel also got in yesterday, so not like Curtain completely went away from them in crunch time.

Next year when they are 18, 19, 19 is really when they need to be getting 1200+ minutes.

 

This was supposed to be a relative gap year for philly when it came to youth integration. So having 3 bench/rotational kids was fine in a vacuum.

I just didn't understand why sullivan's minutes were never ramped up. They've been scaled down instead. Iirc he had a random start w/ the kids where he didn't do so hot. That means he's not useful w/ vets ever or as a super-sub?

Curtin's sort of managed like vermes to where he'd throw the babies out w/ the bathwater, after they were all on the field together. Got better results w/ vets. But i don't think that has much to do w/ przy, burke, santos, gazdag, etc., going by performance. Hopefully training wheels are off from start nexr yr.

 

I dunno, I like benchmarking, and the trio's minutes aren't too far off the games played by prospects Ilaix Moraiba, Kayky, Alex Balde, etc. There are some that've played lots more minutes, but it's not obvious to me -- strictly being comparative -- that the Union group are markedly behind where they should be.

 

One thing I have learned over the years in these forums is that coaches never deserve credit for playing youth, and none of them ever play enough, ever.
Rinse and repeat.

 

This is nothing more than a guess and wishful thinking but maybe a transfer has been agreed for Sullivan and now they are saving him? It is weird that he started out getting minutes before the other HGs and now he is getting none.

And it goes without saying but the two other HGs who have aged out by now, Fontana and Real, are not even dressing and have to be on their way out this off season.