Not sure how much you guys know about Lindsey, but he's a really good player. If Vermes is serious about giving him a shot early in his career, he could play a role for you guys next year, depending on how your roster shapes up. I assume something is going to give with Zusi and Abdul-Salaam at right-back, surely one of the two will go? Lindsey is a right-back, although he has played a little center-back, he'll be a right-back at the pro level. Really fast down the right flank and a good athlete, but what he's really improved on in the last year is his defending. He's become a very good defender. That has allowed him to go from a fringe player in his US age group to one of the best right-back prospects in the US youth player pool. He's not great on the ball, but not a huge liability, good crosser, also. He's a lock to start for the USA at the U-17 World Cup. I personally think he's a better prospect than the other player you guys recently signed. Lindsey may not have the talent of EPB (because pretty much no one does), but he's a really high level prospect within MLS that is currently very good, and could figure into the rotation for SKC early on. Your club playing in CCL will definitely help his chances.
This is a tangent and a bit of an excuse for me to grind an axe, but... It's amazing to me how much USMNT fans hate on Zusi. I mean, I get it to an extent. Zusi is an amazing right back, but really only in the context of Sporting Kansas City's system. When you are playing a 4-3-3 and your wingbacks are bombing up the field on offensive surges, Zusi is exactly the guy you want there. One of Zusi's strengths as a forward was always his ability to track back, and he hasn't lost that in the RB role. He's not the best right back defensively by any stretch of the imagination, but what he lacks in defense he more than makes up for his ability to change the attack. You only need to look to our first goal in the USOC final for proof. The problem here is, when you put Zusi in the USMNT, you are putting a much bigger emphasis on Zusi's defending abilities than his offensive abilities. Zusi is still solid on defense, but he's not spectacular - especially on an international level. He still has the ability to dribble out of the back and make passes out of the back to transition the offense, but those are the kinds of plays that most people don't tend to notice. Now, personally, I think the USMNT has much bigger problems than right back, and even with the de-emphasis of his main right back charm I can't think of a better national team player for the spot, but for whatever reason certain circles of the USMNT fandom have really come down on Zusi hard. All this to state, SKC transitioning Zusi to right back has been, for me, one of PV's most brilliant positional changes in SKC history. Zusi is, hands down, the best right back we've ever had (in the context of a 4-3-3 that bombs down the field). So your comment about something having to give between Zusi and SAS just makes me think you've only seen Zusi in a USMNT context - and maybe even that you're one of those USMNT fans that have come down on Zusi hard. SAS is just depth - not great quality depth, just "break glass in case of emergency" depth. I absolutely see Lindsey challenging that spot, taking over SAS's role, and the team probably parting ways with SAS in the off-season. But the notion of Lindsey knocking Zusi down the pecking order or implying that Zusi isn't working for us is, quite frankly, ludicrous. I see Lindsey being trained in our system and being taken under Zusi's wing, sure. But let's not for one second believe that Zusi and SAS are anywhere near the same level or that Zusi isn't currently working for us at right back. Zusi has been one of SKC's best players this year specifically because he was moved to right back. [/soapbox]
I could not agree more. Me being club before country means that I hope those people continue their rampage against Zusi, so that SKC can have him all to themselves. I think right back is the perfect position for him. He's not fast and tricksy enough to be a winger, but is great with tracking back and very good at crosses. The latter is something that SKC is not utilizing enough though in my opinion. Often he gets in good positions to make crosses but there is no one in the box..
I don't think Zusi is the greatest 1v1 defender out there, but since Vermes generally wants the D-Mid to stay home, he has the freedom to get forward and do what he does best without giving up very much in the back. The Bruce's system leaves him on an island far too often for my taste. But yeah, the MNT diehards have always been blazingly quick to declare one player a scapegoat and another the second coming. It's what they do.
FWIW, I think you missed my point. Your club has two good MLS starting RB's. Do you think the one that doesn't play (Abdul-Salaam) is going to accept a role on the bench for another season? But I'll see my way out, I wasn't trying to say anything hostile towards your team.
Don't run off. You caught the brunt of accumulated frustration around the USMNT related Zusi-bashing. The insights were good and questions fair. I agree with the comment that if anyone gets displaced at RB it's SAS.
SAS is definitely trade bait, especially if Lindsey is as good as you say at right back. That would make him Zusi's heir apparent in a few years. I just hope we can hang on to guys like him better than we did with EPB... As far as USMNT goes, Bruce could do a hell of a lot better on defense if he just picked SKC's back five to start USMNT games. I trust Melia over Howard and Guzan, and our defense line's results speaks for itself. Can you even imagine how good those five would do together, with the familiarity that they have with each other?
No, I didn't miss your point, and I didn't mean to dismiss it: it's a good one. While SAS isn't great, there are several MLS clubs with a dire need for a right back, and he probably would like more playing time. And from our perspective, it doesn't make sense to have Zusi, SAS, and Lindsey; and being that Zusi is Zusi and we just signed Lindsey, it only makes sense that SAS will be leaving this winter. As far as my response goes, I just cherry-picked one of your statements as an excuse to go on one of my rare but fun rants. I didn't take anything you said as hostility and hopefully you didn't take my response that way either. Cheers.
I'm interested in the story if/when it comes out, especially since this is indefinite, while Claros a few years ago got 3 games for his "inappropriate language" a few years ago.
Complaints due to lack of playing time and PV had had enough? That's the only thing I can think of, Ellis seems like a standup guy normally.
Star indicates you are correct. Mutual decision, Ellis can walk back into training whenever he wants to, but he isn't