He’s two-footed. No weak foot. One of those players you couldn’t tell what his better foot is without seeing how he’ll take a free kick. He takes them with his right, if you were wondering what his natural foot is. The post above from David Kerr underlies my point. It’s not abundantly clear what his natural foot is watching. You could get two different answers, but I’m nearly positive I remember it being his right. I can check later though to make sure.
I just remember watching a couple games of him playing LB and always using his left but he could be ambidextrous. A player of his ability wouldn't shock me if he is. For me he's the perfect combination of what people rave about in Kobe and Bello.
He's very comfortable with his left foot. Here's a very small example but it gives the idea: https://streamable.com/6a5nq. He'll also occasionally hit a longer ball with his left foot, but much more often he'll use his right for those. He takes free kicks (and strikes the ball in the run of play) right footed. Most of the things I've clipped that could go in an exciting highlight reel he's done right footed (for whatever thats worth) but his two-footedness has always stood out otherwise.
1 hour, 26 minutes, 30 seconds of this video. Right footed free kick goal. Players don't take free kicks with their unnatural foot. https://play.spiideo.com/player/80889481-f05a-43b1-888b-f303302c06d9
Starters for today's game and what I think the linup is. The only think I'm confused about is where Kobi Henry is playing because the other defenders are the back 4. What is interesting for me is that Even Rotundo, Antonio Leone, Fede Oliva, and Darren Yapi who I thought are the best field players in this camp are all on the bench. Gabe Slonina (C), Devan Tantone|Samuel Jones|Thomas Williams|Caleb Wiley, Eryic Ayala Zac Booth Juan Alvares Jordan Jones Dantouma Toure Kobi Henry
Interesting on Jordan Jones on the wing, if that is indeed the case. I've never seen him play that position, but have always wondered if it isn't a good fit for him. I think he could be that winger that floats and find space, even coming a little deeper to get the ball sometimes.
I have no idea if he's the wing or not but Toure is always up top so I assumed hes the wing. Those are the guys that are starting but positions are not guaranteed it's just my guess. Halftime update: they are down 2-0...maybe sitting the best players for this game wasn't the best idea.
Update: 3-1, Caleb Wiley with the goal and England quickly responded after. I don't know how much time is left. I'm following Dom Rotundo's feed who is doing what Ussoccer should be doing Apparently the third goal was an own goal.
I know this age group got a lot of early hype, but so did the 2002 age group, and we see how that turned out. I think this age group looks better than the 2002 age group, but the results so far haven't been that good. While I wouldn't make too much of it because a lot of the best players haven't been playing in games the 04's have played so far as a YNT age group, I think one thing that is clear is that this age group doesn't have many real stars, who can be difference makers every game at this level. Not every age group is going to have those players, but 2004 really does have a lot of question marks at the top of the age group. I find that all the best players in this age group are players you have to question whether they are real top level talents.
Is there speculation that they will actually function as a team when the Feds can’t hire coaches until the last minute? Even superstars can’t carry a poorly coached team.
Thats a good point. I also think the lack of coaches for our YNT's has been why so many of our YNT's have been poorly selected in the last year or two. There's not been a coach who is monitoring the age group.
Given the professional success of the previous u-17 crew outside of the disastrous world cup I've given up using youth international matches as a barometer while the USSF is still a-cropper.
U17’s down 5-1 to Denmark and Rotundo has the only goal. Without Leone in the lineup the defense is weak and I don’t see any of these guys seeing the field for a full strength roster. The offense has a pretty talented group in there but the only one who’s performed is Rotundo with the solo goal. Keep in mind that this was a very expirimental roster and most of our best players were kept off for the GA Cup. The only guys brought to this tournament that I think could potentially start in a first choice lineup are Slonina/Dewsnup, Leone, and Rotundo Stock is down for Toure, Tanton, Wiley, Williams, Yapi Stock unmoved: the rest of them Starters: Tanton, Wiley, Williams, Yapi, Booth, Toure, Rotundo, Dewsnup, Oliva, Henry, and Jordan Jones.
Game over 6-1 for Denmark. For some reason they took Rotundo off first. My stock is undecided for him because he only played one full half and scored in it...I don’t get why they wouldn’t use him more unless it was to evaluate the other players.
I think this age group has guys with the talent of playing for a big 5 league in Europe but breaking in at 19/20 or later. I don’t see any of them moving and instantly becoming another Pulisic/Reyna. Nati Clarke and a couple 06’s however are in that tier currently. Luckily the 2023 u20 cycle won’t need too much help from the 2004’s.
Looks like the winners here were the players not in the team. Mexico just took a U-18 team to the Canary Islands for a tournament and went 0-3 against Japan, Slovenia and Spain. CONCACAF not looking good in Europe.
BTW, Sporting didn’t release their players for GA Cup qualifying and did this: SKC 3 Minnesota 0 SKC 0 Chicago 5 SKC 1 Seattle 2 Meanwhile Chicago, which DID release their players, won all three games. So SKC finishes just barely in front of last place Minnesota and gets the karma they deserve. Not only did Sporting’s gamble not pay off, I heard that the 2004 players that were blocked are so pissed off it’s likely they won’t return next year.
Yep, and it’s still shocking to me that SKC thought it would be a good idea to do it. First, the odds of them moving up to the GA top division was pretty much non-existent. The odds of them being able to move up to D2 were very, very slim. Second, did they really think bringing angry players would make them play well? Third, why would residency players would want to come play for them in the future, especially if they have national team talent and aspersions? Missing an opportunity to play in Europe in front of professional scouts is brutal. The risk/reward on this move was awful.
I must say I'm surprised to hear that ambitious players would leave a (presumably) fully funded MLS academy because a club declined to allow them a single YNT callup opportunity, even if the wisdom of declining that callup was debatable. Is there more to the story here?
I find it very short sighted from the players as well. If there is any blame here, it probably should be pointed to Adidas and US Soccer for not communicating these conflicting events, which were surely scheduled months and months in advance. GA Cup is our country’s marquee event from a youth standpoint and while I am rarely on the side of MLS clubs, I lean that way in this situation.
I think there is. Rumor is the SKC coaches are using a lot of "colorful language" in practices. Basically, verbal abuse that you might expect in "Full Metal Jacket". 15 and 16 year old boys are probably okay with being sworn at, but I think it grates on parents more. Add that to the fact that some players are probably feeling like they won't get many chances before the new coach selects a U-17 core group to play in qualifiers next year and you can understand why players would be thinking about other avenues of opportunity.