Thanks for starting the poll. The disappointing one is that Hoppe was probably top 3 (maybe the winner) before his move to Spain. Now he's out of the voting altogether. This is going to be close!!! I went with Richards in a late-year charge to nip it at the line based on club performance. However, I can understand votes for ANY of the others.
0 nat'l team caps. This is the US nat'l team forum & in the title it says USMNT Breakout Youngster. Pepi participated in saving us in wcq'ing. Musah has also contributed to the campaign (though he debuted in 2020, & has arguably regressed from a club standpoint). Richards has played, though it wasn't until the last game when he was useful. He has as strong of a club case as anyone. Scally is the least arguable. I'd posit inarguable, actually. He's only part of the USMNT in the loosest sense at this point.
I know you're not allowed to coerce voters outside of the polling place, but here's a site ranking Richards' performance in Dec. as the best in top 5 leagues for U21 CB. 💎 | U21 Team of the MonthHere's who were our highest-rated young players in the top 5 European leagues in December! 👇AS Monaco lead the way as the only side with more than one player in here, while Dušan Vlahović and Sofiane Diop share our U21 Player of the Month award. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/x0u2t495zl— Sofascore (@SofascoreINT) January 3, 2022
I thought about that. USMNT isn’t in the forum or thread titles however. There are many threads in the USA Men forum that have negligible relation to the actual USMNT. Matthew Hoppe would be my vote given the restriction.
Last minute reminder of Pepi's contribution in 2021.......... We knew he was special since the day he joined our Academy. Every step of the journey, he rose above expectations. Now, we wish you the best of luck in your next step, America’s Striker 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/xLi2n3AuCC— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) January 3, 2022
I went with Yunas. It's easy to pick Pepi since his job is to score goals. But I think Musah has had more of an overall impact and in more games. Though any of the guys could deserve it. Good problem to have. And yeah, since Scally hasn't played for the NT I can't see how he is included.
I have a sneaking suspicion that this might be more of a runaway for El Tren that we'd previously predicted. The massive sale may have taken him over the top. I'm a little surprised that the voters aren't taking into account the level of league that the players are performing in. The last winner to be MLS-based in the voting period was Tyler Adams. Right?
I think it is a quirk of circumstance that would have "breakout players" as judged solely on NT performance. You're not really supposed to have a bunch of U23s on your senior team after all. Scally went from a youth player, whose sale was ridiculed as an overspend, to leading all USMNT eligible players in Top 5 minutes this Fall. That is a break out. That Berhalter is slow walking his integration for whatever reason is not Joe's fault. I'd expect that going forward, this is going to be a club form thing. The low hanging lineup fruit is pretty much gone. European based players don't get capped in MLS only camps either, so they have to break into the A team to actually get a cap.
Yup. I think all voters can decide for themselves how much they want to balance club versus USMNT impact. The intention when the award was started years ago was for both to be considered. Basically club form should lead to USMNT introduction and opportunity. And we recognize recency bias. Hoppe played the first half of 2021 in the Bundesliga, and did very well. Scally played the second half of 2021 in the Bundesliga, and did very well. Why is Scally an obvious candidate, but Hoppe not even in the final poll? Recency bias. Its Chris Richards that's been starting in the top 5 league the full calendar year. But chicks also dig goals and money. So Pepi seems like the runaway.
Yes, Adams is the only player that had played in MLS the year he won. Like Pepi, he had been sold at the end of the season. Strikers get the glory
Good adds on Busio and Musah. I'm not sure Musah gets any votes, but I had to consider. It doesn't feel like he's broken out yet; he's been massively impactful when he's played for the USMNT, but it still seems like we're looking at his sort of initial starting point and there's so much more to come. Obviously, if club plays a big role, he's not winning. Busio's year was super impressive on the club side; he has both playing well in a Top 5 league and really being a very strong contributor / borderline star in MLS, so he has both sides covered. Lack of USMNT impact so far is what makes him fall out of consideration for me, but I think he deserves to be in the discussion, so to speak. I still went Pepi ... even though I think Musah has been better overall for the US. I just am waiting for for the upward trend, I suppose? Tough choice.
I think Musah's not getting more votes because his impact in club soccer has been marginal in 2021. It just knocks him down slightly compared to the other candidates in a very tight race. He actually was more impactful in the 2020 portion of the 20/21 season before Valencia switched coaches. I thought the voting would be much closer.......................... So far its not looking like it.
Musah is the only one on the list that is a lock starter and indispensable for the USMNT. He is also the only one that is not eligible in 2022.
scally/richards would have a shot if this were a club discussion, but for me its between pepi and musah (the other three are bit players with the nats if that). i voted pepi because once we went to him we stayed with him. we brought him in and the 9 spot is- by any measure or indicater- his. musahs case- for me- is hurt by berhalter being a blockhead and slowplaying getting him into the team. i think hes in a similar position now (of "owning" a starting spot), and for a similar amount of time as pepi- but again, gregg lost this for him.
If we're talking club, I'd say Scally and Richards would be closer to the top. But if we're only talking USMNT, IMO in order Pepi Musah Busio Richards Scally
I went Musah... to me, picking the US was a giant break-out move that outweighed what's been an ok at best club season (and good to better than good US year). But no argument against Pepi or Richards, who have both been fantastic. Can't argue wiht Busio's year either... or Scally. No shouts for Prefok?
Too old.................................. The kid who'd be next in line in the voting is presumably Hoppe. He had a real breakout in the first half of 2021 for Schalke, which got him into the USMNT during the summer. He just did very little in the second half with Mallorca. If we hadn't had the guys abroad, there are a bunch of good candidates from MLS. They just pale in comparison to Pepi. Heck, in an absence of elite candidates......................people might have been able to make a case for Jonathan Gomez in the USL. Great performance for Louisville led to a USMNT callup and cap. As it is, I think Jonathan Gomez is primed to be one of the leading contenders for 2022 instead.