Yanks on Foreign YNTs ('01-'04 YOBs and younger)

Two US-eligible players called in by the Canada U-17’s.

Lazar Stefanovic (Toronto FC)
Victor Fung (Inter Miami)

Stefanovic is an ‘06 and Fung an ‘07. https://t.co/VRKjoa3EEa

— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) December 9, 2022

 

Danish Football
@DanishFTBL

BK Häcken left-back Kristoffer Lund on his dual citizenship:

"I would be proud to represent both nations. I was incredibly proud to be with Denmark U20, but I also don't want to rule anything out in relation to the American national team."

#ForDanmark #USMNT

 

Chance Cowell & Gio Villa started in Mexico U15 win:

1602011830381150214 is not a valid tweet id

 

Dino Klapija '07 is called up to a Croatian U17 camp. 2007 seems to be a strong year in terms of forwards, but USSF should call him.

 

FC Dallas U17 striker Nyrobi Vargas has been called into the Honduras U17 team. According to FCD, this is the 3rd call up for Vargas this year.

https://3rddegree.net/nyrobi-vargas-called-into-honduras-december-u17-camp

 

Colorado Rapids
@ColoradoRapids

@LaSelecta_SLV is calling

Congratulations to Rapids Academy product, Rafael Aguirre, who has been called up to El Salvador's U-17 National Team training camp

» https://bit.ly/3VOaCTk

According to @ChuckMe92, El Salvador is planning to bring in only US-based players for the camp.

 

Another one called in for El Salvador:

FC Dallas U17 left back Henry Canizalez has been called into El Salvador U17 camp for December. Canizalez will be in camp from December 11th to the 23rd at the Villa Selecta Residence of the FESFUT in El Salvador.

https://3rddegree.net/henry-canizalez-called-into-el-salvador-u17s

 

Vicente Reyes called in for Chile's U20s:

⚽🇨🇱 Esta es la nómina de #LaRojaSub20 que enfrenta los partidos ante Uruguay...

💪😍 En la recta final rumbo al Sudamericano.#VamosLaRoja pic.twitter.com/ZIZ6jHWrKE

— Selección Chilena (@LaRoja) December 14, 2022

 

Vicente Reyes started in U20 match:

⚽🇨🇱 FORMACIÓN DE #LaRojaSub20 ‼

😍 El cuadro dirigido por Patricio Ormazábal enfrenta a Uruguay, en un paso más de preparación rumbo al Sudamericano.#VamosLaRoja pic.twitter.com/NO27AOo8gC

— Selección Chilena (@LaRoja) December 14, 2022

 

This kid is extremely talented, and looks exactly like the type of player who needs an extra few years to develop. I cannot believe we’d be stupid enough to not recruit him and let Bolivia take him.

Atlanta United CB/DM Efrain Morales apparently played the #6 for Bolivia U20 yesterday.

Morales is a talented, raw prospect who has been with USYNTs. He was called up to the only US U17 camp for 2004s just before COVID. https://t.co/F10t8HFhGb

— ChuckMe92 Soccer (@ChuckMe92Soccer) December 15, 2022

 

I get the frustration.
But where were Morales and Cremanschi on our U20 depth chart?

Cuz we didn't even have Obed Vargas for the U20 CONCACAF Championships at the #6 position. And he'd already proven himself at the CONCACAF Champions League level. Are we not calling in Edelman? Are we not calling in McGlynn? I can go on. Both of those guys are playing games at an MLS level. Morales is not. Are we not calling in Alvarado? We didn't call up Danny Leyva, who's playing at an MLS level. The list goes on.

Don't get me wrong, I get the frustration. But these are types of tough decision that our youth staffs are having to make over and over again now. It's going to be more and more and more common. If Morales wants to play at the U20 level in games that matter, he's got a better chance with Bolivia right now than the US. And I really like Morales. The quality of our players NOT getting callups is going to increase and increase and increase. We'll be like France as these players are peeled off and peeled off. Then when France goes to competitions, they face teams chock full of guys born in their country.

Cremanschi is a little bit of a different story. We did call him up recently at the U20 level.

 

The U.S. U-20s are going to be a tough team to make. Edelman, of course, goes because he's the captain. I understand he has taken a huge role in the leadership of the team. McGlynn is a lock.

Making room for some of the 2005's are tough. Cremaschi, Vargas, and Tsakiris are all very good but getting all of them onto the U-20 WC roster will be tough. Maybe Paxten doesn't get released? Pukstas wasn't good in September and his grip on a U-20 WC spot isn't firm. The same for Alvarado (although I do like Alvarado's intensity).

I think Caden Clark's brutal last 18 months has put him in a tough spot. That could open the door for Cremaschi.

Would this be an unreasonable U.S. U-20 WC roster?

Goalkeepers: Slonina, Brady, Carrera
Fullbacks: Wiley, Gomez, Che, Cuevas
Centerbacks: Neal, Craig, Wynder
Midfielders: Edelman, Vargas, McGlynn, Cremaschi, Aaronson, Tsakiris, Luna
Attackers: Sullivan, Cowell, Paredes, Gutierrez

I'll admit that 3 midfielders from the 2005-born class is pushing it. We have no idea over how Obed Vargas will look after a very long injury.

 

Varas gets all this credit, but to me these are examples of poor decisions. It's easy now to say he's doing such good work when he's beat up on island nations in CONCACAF qualifying, but what about these judgment calls?

Because when I look at some of them, I view Edelman as a low ceiling player. He'll be a quality MLS player. Unlikely he's a USMNT player. Vargas, he could be an adequate MLS player (he's not yet contrary to popular belief), but its ridiculous we're discussing him as playing up a cycle. Let Seattle hurt their own results, if they want to. Why are we playing Pukstas as a #6? It's not his position. Frankly, I'm not convinced either Morales is yet a #6. I think he's more of a CB or #8 right now. I wouldn't trust him to play as a defensive midfielder, a little like Otasowie. There are a lot of tools, but not a player you'd trust as a lone pivot.

At the same time, we've called in so many players this cycle at all positions that have little chance of ever helping the USMNT. I think it's really poor long-term thinking not to try to keep around a player like Morales. In fact, we are doing the exact same thing trying to keep Thomas Williams around the program, who is somewhat similar in that he has long-term potential yet is too raw right now to play a regular role.

I don't blame Varas or any US coach on command when a player gets away. Sometimes, there's little you can do. If we offer the same as Argentina does and Cremaschi chooses Argentina, what can we do? A player like Vicente Reyes I really don't see what more we can do. He's worse than Brady or Slonina. When Dewsnup was still playing, worse than him too. He's essentially like a year older Carrera in his current skillset and performance. Same age group as Borto. Maybe his upside is slightly better, but not a ton and he's not as good currently. A player like that, I understand. However, we're really going to lose one of the highest upside 04's to Bolivia (the worst footballing nation in South America) when we've called up players such as Jayvin Van Deventer, Jaziel Orozco, Quembol Guadalupe at CB or defensive midfield? Seems short sided to me.

If you look at France's situation with players, there are so many players playing for African Nations that could've made the French team in hindsight (Koulibaly, Mahrez, Mendy, Bennacer). In hindsight, they likely did something wrong in managing these players. This stuff is going to start happening for us. There are always going to be some true late-bloomers. Nothing we can do when a player is 25 and not a senior NT player. At the same time, when we're talking about a youth eligible player with clear USMNT potential down the road, there is absolutely more we could be doing. To me, Morales is one of the clearest examples you can get of a player who will likely be one of the first players on that USMNT list of players who got away to smaller nations.

I haven't even gotten to the U-19 National Team. That team has a bunch of 04's. We couldn't have included him for that team? Come on, let's not make excuses. We are getting this decision wrong, unless there's something I'm missing and this kid has huge off-field concerns that haven't come up anywhere.

 

I get what you’re saying, but there are only so many spots in so many camps and at some point has to come down to assembling the best team to win or not, unless you’re saying otherwise?

You could probably just go on down the line with something like this. If it isn’t morales or Cremanschi, it could Pukstas and Alvarado or another player with dual nationality that these players would be taking their spot. It’s a never ending cycle you’re playing. They called up Cremanschi to a u19 and u20 camp in the last 6 months. Don’t know where morales is on the totem pole, but you have to take into consideration that he’s playing for Bolivia. No offense to Bolivia, but in my uneducated opinion they’re on the same playing field as countries such as Panama, El Salvador, etc and when guys get called into El Salvador a lot of people don’t blink an eye.

 

@ussoccer97531

I've asked this before, but a) I don't entirely remember if you've answered or not and what your answer was and b) opinions evolve...

... but what is the goal of the youth teams? Are there different goals for certain camps and the actual World Cup?

If I am reading above, the primary goal here would be around long term dual national recruiting. Would we take a team to the U20 World Cup that was not our best in the moment to try and lock down a dual national commitment? Would we take a dual national that had less potential than someone who had no other options?

Some of these things come down to differing opinions on players, I am sure -- US Soccer loves Vargas and you do not, for example.

But broader, I think the influence of recruiting on player selections is a real dance. Even if you dismiss fairness as a consideration ... there's questions of what it does to relationships, motivation, culture, etc.

I also worry that we are absolutely feeding the hype cycle and creating this problem over and over -- so and so played up an age, etc.

----------

As an aside on Scuffed, it was noted by one of the prospecty guys that Argentina tends to go big tent -- that perhaps they love Cremaschi and Carrizo, but a call up isn't that strong an indication in itself because they will call up 200+ kids a cycle.

In contrast, they said that McFarlane really loves England and while I know you seem to be so-so on his upside, they were raving. Left back for England is a very tough place to break through, though, so he better be amazing.

 

I am now very steadfast in that I don’t care about youth results very much. Assemble the best team of prospects. I think years back I wanted us to win, but I’ve changed completely on this. I think this is becoming even more important of a strategy to take with how dual-national recruitment is changing and seeing the lack of success over time at senior level of countries that had a lot of success in youth tournaments (Mexico, Nigeria, Ghana).

 

Nothing recruits better than winning.

 

I'm 100% in agreement that youth teams are a means to a senior team end, and the winning isn't particular important in and of itself.

That said, while I'd bias roster selections to potential, I'd also keep in mind:

• Spots still need to be earned. I struggle with giving a player a spot on what *I* think they will do someday and not what they are actually doing now and the motivational / learning implications to that. We should set as clear a standard as possible and select off that.
  
• Learning how to win in a tournament setting is fundamentally valuable.
• Unfair selections breed resentments; a systematically unfair system will breed something worse. I think there would be real risks in downgrading non-dual nationals significantly and systematically.
• Both talent evaluation and recruiting can be more art than science. I'm not sure there's really a formula we can lock in that tightly to.

 

I'm not sure how him playing with Bolivia one time is the equivalent of Bolivia "taking him." It's not as if he's made a long term commitment to Bolivia or that any sort of decision has been made.

There's still plenty of time for the US to recruit him if he's good enough. He's also playing in MLS at currently, which isn't going to hurt our chances. Bolivia is also not a country that's likely to qualify for the U20 World Cup and is going to struggle to qualify for future World Cups, even when they are expanded to 48 teams.

There's also a camp in January for the U20s which is a good chance to try and take one last look at expanding the pool with guys who haven't been brought in yet. Feels premature to be concerned about this for the time being.

 

Jamaica showing interest in US-based players:

Luksarus
@Luksarus
Well, other big losses for the YNT are ahead, Atlanta boys Malachi Grant '06 (MLS Next All Stars) and Ashton Gordon '07 will be at a Jamaica U17 camp.

3rd Degree
@3rdDegreeNet

Malachi Molina called into Jamaica U17 camp
#FCDallas #DTID #SomosFCD

 

He’s played for Bolivia more than one time. They have U-20 qualifying I believe next month. We’ll see if he’s on that roster. If he is, almost certainly he’s gone. Players rarely switch back after being provisionally cap-tied.

 

Gordon is another we really don’t want to lose and would be a big loss for our program. Easy to ask what we’re doing if he’s on the Jamaican roster for their qualifiers in February? Hasn’t been in one camp for us, although he’s better than every or nearly every player they include in these U-16 camps.

 

Players switch back after being provisionally cap-tied all the time. It's not at all rare.

 

What percentage of players do you believe switch after being provisionally cap-tied?

We hear about a dozen players who might do so per year. Now ask yourself how many who’ve been provisionally cap-tied don’t.