MLS Next Pro League

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Eleven Bravo, Jan 19, 2022.

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  1. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #376 ussoccer97531, Jul 30, 2022
  2. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #377 ussoccer97531, Jul 30, 2022
  3. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
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    #378 ussoccer97531, Jul 31, 2022
  4. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
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    #379 ussoccer97531, Aug 1, 2022



     
  5. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #380 ussoccer97531, Aug 4, 2022
    All accounted for, except for DC United. I think they and one or two other clubs are weighing up if they can stay in USL next season in some capacity.

     
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  6. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    #381 gogorath, Aug 4, 2022
    DC United apparently has a thing where their agreement with the city of Loudon -- who probably funded the stadium in some capacity -- is that Loudon United are a D2 team.

    MLS Next Pro is going to be D3 for the foreseeable future, I expect, so I'm not sure this changes unless there's a renegotiation or DC starts a second club (and likely sells Loudon).

    I believe Montreal has a team in a very low level Canadian league, though I don't think it is anything comparable in comp.
     
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  7. Campeones123

    Campeones123 Member

    Barcelona
    Brazil
    Sep 2, 2021
    #382 Campeones123, Aug 5, 2022
    DC is going to be running a Next Pro team in Baltimore and keeping Loudoun in the USL-C as another step on their pyramid.
     
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  8. jeff_adams

    jeff_adams Member+

    Dec 16, 1999
    Monterey, Ca
    #383 jeff_adams, Aug 5, 2022
    When will the Baltimore team join Next Pro?
     
  9. NoHammiesAltidore

    NoHammiesAltidore Member

    United States
    Jun 28, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #384 NoHammiesAltidore, Aug 5, 2022
    If this is anything to go off of
     
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  10. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #385 ussoccer97531, Aug 6, 2022
  11. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
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    #386 ussoccer97531, Aug 7, 2022
  12. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #387 ussoccer97531, Aug 7, 2022
  13. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #388 ussoccer97531, Aug 7, 2022
  14. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
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    #389 ussoccer97531, Aug 8, 2022
  15. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #390 ussoccer97531, Aug 8, 2022
    I hate commenting on partial appearances for players because it clouds your judgment too much. However, there's no way I think I could watch any of NEXT Pro otherwise. No promises this will be a regular write-up, but my thoughts on some Next Pro games from this week.

    Chicago: Chris Brady ('04) was pretty reliable. Made a few saves. None were that difficult, but he still looked pretty comfortable with what he was doing. Neither goal he gave up he could've done much on. Allan Rodriguez ('04) has some soccer IQ and passing ability. I wouldn't say either attribute is great, but average or slightly above-average. He's willing in duels, but for a #6 he's one of these kids where you just wonder if he actually has the athleticism to sustain a pro soccer career. He's the smallest and slowest player on the field. Hard to be that and play the #6 position.

    I liked what I saw from Ryan Quintos ('04). Had some nice passes, defended pretty alertly. He's a little undersized for a CB and his passing accuracy in this game wasn't always there, but he was good from what I saw. Justin Reynolds ('04) also wasn't bad, but I've felt in the few games I watched of this team so far this season that his positioning need a lot of work. He's fast, so he can make up for it, but at higher levels that lack of positioning will hurt him. Once he improves his positioning he'll be ready to play in MLS. I thought Sergio Oregel was very quiet, but admittedly I only saw about a half.

    SKC: Nati Clarke ('05) had one significant wobble, but otherwise looked pretty good. He got beat on one of those classic back door plays (that you see more of in basketball than soccer) where the defender is poorly positioned and watching the ball. Houston scored on that play. To be fair to the kid, he's not a natural LB and he's barely played any at this level. He made some nice defensive plays and passes aside from that. Ryan Reid ('06) brought some energy and an offensive spark off the bench. He was making plays offensively. Running at defenders. The end product wasn't there, but you don't expect it to be for a kid his age. He also has played very little at this level.

    Houston: Juan Castilla ('04) had some smart passes and one or two defensive plays. I think he's a good player. I'm just not sure he's ideally a #6. I don't know if he has the defensive ability to play that type of deep-lying role, but I have seen him play infrequently this season, so I don't yet have a strong take. I would say though that my observation is that it's the significant question with him. He's like a left-footed Busio. Talented CM. He'll have success at higher levels. His best position is the main question with him IMO.

    New England: Didn't see very much of this game, but when I turned it on Esmir Bajraktarevic ('05) was making all sorts of creative plays. Trying stuff. Drawing fouls. Noel Buck ('05) also looked good in this short amount of time that I watched. He was playing a deeper role than I've seen him previously.

    Portland: Tega Ikoba ('03) looks improved from what I've seen previously. In the past I said he was Dike-lite with probably half the talent, but otherwise similar style of play. His foot skills look improved and he was playing some very nice passes. He also is still very raw with his decision-making and I'm not sure he has goal-scoring instincts, but he's an interesting player. I'd call him into a U-20 camp, and see how he does. He'd be a type of striker that U-20 team doesn't have anyone like.

    Selmir Miscic ('03) also looked much improved from what I've seen previously. I was never a big fan when he was at Philadelphia Union. Flashy attacking mid. I thought he lacked end product and I didn't think he was as talented as some of the flash suggested. However, I was very impressed with what I saw in this game. He was excellent. The flashy plays were there, but he also had the end product. He scored a goal, and contributed to another goal. I couldn't tell if the other goal he had a highlight-reel flick assist or if he only had a contribution in the build up. The camera angles are so terrible it's hard to tell, but it looked like he might've gotten a touch with a flick on a cross that eventually found a teammate.

    FC Dallas: I thought Collin Smith ('03) was really good in this game at RB. There wasn't a ton of defending to do, but he defended well when he had to. He also got forward well and looked to be in better shape than previously. I've said before that he needs to get more limber and better with his side to side movement, and I thought he looked better in that aspect. He had a nice assist on a cross to the top of the box. He nearly had the game winning assist on another very nice cross, but his teammate missed a great chance.

    Bernard Kamungo's ('02) decision-making still isn't great, but it's been getting better. The speed and dribbling ability is a difference maker at this level. He scored a goal, but it wasn't a very hard goal to score.

    Antonio Carrera ('04) had a really good game also IMO. He had one or two wobbles, but he made 4-5 real saves. I also thought his passing was pretty good in this game. It's an asset. His decision-making can sometimes let him down either coming for aerial balls and also in possession, but I can't believe I think this guy is the fourth best '04 GK and I like his game as much as I do. Great year for GK's.

    Nolan Norris ('05) was dependable off the bench. Did his job. Not much more or less. Didn't think Isaiah Parker ('02) had a very active game. I liked Thomas Roberts ('01) brief sub appearance. Thought he was very lively.
     
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  16. willydonc

    willydonc Member+

    May 6, 1999
    Our house, in the middle of our street
    #391 willydonc, Aug 8, 2022
    He's not very athletic and he's short, but he's very thick in a Maradona sort of way so he doesn't lose many duels. He has lots of soccer IQ and can drop a long ball on a dime, but it's tough to see him getting past Casas, let alone Oregel on the teenage #6 Fire depth chart.

    Quintos has gotten better and better as the season grinds on. You'd like him to be bigger and more athletic, but he's been the best of the Fire II CBs. He'll be playing for Wisconsin soon. For whatever reason the Reynolds brothers can't seem to get much love from Fire coaches. It's a shame because they get trotted out a lot by Fire marketing.

    I believe Oregel would be a terrific box to box midfielder, but he's used more as a #6. The Fire see Casas ahead of him on the depth chart, but I don't see it. He did bust this sequence in the first half.

    Streaming failed the first half so you probably missed this Missael Rodriguez goal. The result of the Fire shipping Chinoso Offor to Montreal is V. Bezerra makes the first team bench and Misa starts at the #9 for Fire II. He's scored in the last 2 games, including this persistent effort.
     
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  17. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #392 ussoccer97531, Aug 8, 2022
    I'm just skeptical about a player his size at that position. I could see it a lot more if he was a #10 or even a #8, but he's a #6. You need to be able to cover some semblance of ground. I don't think he can do that.

    It's absolutely possible I'm wrong about Rodriguez, but there are some kids that are talented for most of the important aspects of the game that simply do not have the athleticism to compete in a high level pro sports league. It happens in every sport. There are 5'9 slow guards in basketball that can make 40% of their three pointers and have a 3/1 assist to turnover ratio, but thats probably not going to result in a pro career at a high level.
     
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  18. willydonc

    willydonc Member+

    May 6, 1999
    Our house, in the middle of our street
    #393 willydonc, Aug 8, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2022
    The last 3 years Chicago handed first team contracts to players that should have been Fire II contracts. Of course this is the first year of Fire II so here we are with a lot of players on first team contracts who should be on reserve team deals until they prove themselves. As a cautionary tale, Allan Rodriguez captained his US U-15 team 3 years ago, but has trouble getting on the field for Fire II.
     
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  19. Boysinblue

    Boysinblue Member

    Jul 31, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #394 Boysinblue, Aug 8, 2022
     
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  20. Robert Borden

    Robert Borden Member+

    Chelsea
    Canada
    Apr 19, 2017
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    #395 Robert Borden, Aug 13, 2022
    The PLSQ is also Division 3 and Montreal seem to think they did the right thing to not go in MLS Next Pro. Other MLS clubs are starting to see it their way too


    As for the claim that PLSQ isn't comparable, CF Montreal disagree.

    Tweet below
    Olivier Renard said that he doesn't care what others think about his decision and that he can get the same results for much cheaper.

    Also, their reserve club isn't dominating PLSQ. The league is underrated.it
     
  21. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #396 xbhaskarx, Aug 14, 2022
    Thread on the first half of the MLS Next Pro season:

     
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  22. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #397 ussoccer97531, Aug 14, 2022
  23. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
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    #398 ussoccer97531, Aug 15, 2022

     
  24. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
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    #399 ussoccer97531, Aug 16, 2022
  25. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
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    #400 ussoccer97531, Aug 18, 2022
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