2025 MLS Flavors of the Week

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by OWN(yewu)ED, Jan 2, 2025.

  1. OWN(yewu)ED

    OWN(yewu)ED Member+

    Club: Venezia F.C.
    May 26, 2006
    chico, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Glad to see Dejuan brought in, short time at San Jose but man he’s absolutely shown USMNT call up form in that time
     
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  2. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think I would have rather have seen Tolkin and Wiley.
     
  3. glutton4Bolts

    glutton4Bolts Member+

    United States
    Mar 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Me too... but Jones has been good this season and can play on both sides at FB. I likely would have called in Wiley or Tolkin over Arfsten.
     
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  4. OWN(yewu)ED

    OWN(yewu)ED Member+

    Club: Venezia F.C.
    May 26, 2006
    chico, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ………. freely admit that’s a valid take. Maybe there’s impending club switches coming. I do think both are better players but I’m happy to have Jones in, he belongs. I’m absolutely stunned he didn’t attempt Europe
     
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  5. 50/50 Ball

    50/50 Ball Member+

    Sep 6, 2006
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He’s making close to 800k guaranteed. I bet that prices him out of most Euro teams that would like him.
     
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  6. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That number won't deter the Big 5 or even relegation fighting BuLi or promotion fighting 2BL, top Eredivisie or Belgium, ... Sands and Tolkin are around that number and are on 2BL friendly contracts.

    DeJuan's time unfortunately was 2 years ago, he is almost 28 at this point.
     
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  7. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That and he’s already 27, which means he wouldn’t command much of a transfer fee.
     
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  8. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #883 xbhaskarx, May 22, 2025
    Last edited: May 22, 2025
    Marcus Chairez was wondering why Arfsten a wingback over Wiley/Tolkin...

    "Is Tim Ream really going to make it to another World Cup?"

    Sure seems like it... sigh. Anyone who has seen Ream think Poch is actually watching these games?

    "But Sean Zawadzki? Really? Over Paxten Aaronson? That’s a shock."

    Has the name Sean Zawadski been uttered even once by anyone in this the 2025 MLS thread, where just about every American who has a single decent game gets mentioned?



    The name on everyone's lips: Sean. Zawadski.


     
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  9. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    I would have liked to see Tolkin, but unless Wiley has improved leaps and bounds, I think he's more potential with some rare offense and shaky defense right now. Someone who has watched him this year can tell me different but he didn't seem like a two way player last I saw him.
     
  10. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    I appreciate the effort Chairez puts in, but I've seen nothing that makes me think he's a particularly good evaluator.

    I'll admit I haven't seen Wiley this year, but the guy is effectively a winger right now and mostly potential. Maybe he's gone ahead of Tolkin and Arfsten in production, but I'd need to see more than wheels from him.

    I think a lot of Tolkin, but it may have just come down to how they play LB. Tolkin is much more of a midfielder type -- less verticality, more control, and it does look like we have bombing fullbacks here.

    I think Arfsten has plenty of questions but he can make both the run and the pass to create goals. I would have been good with Tolkin as well, but this overall reeks more of "who has the most potential" not "who is best right now / in one year."

    I'd have picked Paxten but I think this was probably the "Musah dropped out at the last minute and we picked someone in the US" replacement.

    I still wouldn't have gone with Zawadzki, but I'm not overly surprised to see a lot of guys from possession teams on here at the edges of the roster.
     
  11. TrueCrew

    TrueCrew Member+

    Dec 22, 2003
    Columbus, OH
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Again, I get Zawadzki is listed as a MF in the roster release. But he has played almost exclusively CB this year and played CB in his previous USMNT call. I think he is the 5th CB and also cover for Cardoso if he leaves.

    Zawadzki is a CB/DM type. Paxten is an AM/winger. They are not going for the same spot.

    Aaronson lost out to Luna, Tillman, McGlynn, Berhalter, Sullivan, and his older brother, not Zawadzki.

    Leading goal scorers on this roster:
    8: B. Aaronson
    5: Balogun
    4: Wright
    3: Agyemang, Robinson
    2: Dest, Adams
    1: White, McGlynn, de la Torre, Ream, Richards
    0: Everyone else.
     
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  12. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Paxten in the Eredevisie played primarily CM in a 4-2-3-1 double pivot and was outstanding. 8G 4A 3.5T 1.1 I
     
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  13. gomichigan24

    gomichigan24 Member+

    Jul 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Part of the problem is the injures meant he didn’t get much run this year, though he did have some good performances for Watford for the end of the year. You’d like to see him do it over the full season next year and be one of the best left backs in the Championship.
     
  14. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  15. 50/50 Ball

    50/50 Ball Member+

    Sep 6, 2006
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I don't see how Zawadski, a 6/CB is what's keeping Pax Aaronson off the roster. This just seems like the normal game of blame a MLS player.
     
  16. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He is listed on the roster as a midfielder.
     
  17. 50/50 Ball

    50/50 Ball Member+

    Sep 6, 2006
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The roster designations under Gregg were close to meaningless, I haven’t paid attention under Poch.
     
  18. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    Good to know. This may be more of a call out to Scally than anyone, since it sounds like Zawadzki may be playing that smaller/better passing CB role.

    We'll see, though. Oftentimes a coach doesn't see it the same as club.

    Paxten's played a lot more 8 this year and a lot further back. For the youth teams, he was an attacking mid who often got stuck at false 9, but he's not been as forward this year.

    Like Zawadzki, I'm not sure how Pochettino sees him.
     
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  19. gogorath

    gogorath Member+

    None
    United States
    May 12, 2019
    And there will be enough time for him to make the roster if he proves out. Defensive consistency will be the question -- I do think the Championship is probably a decent place to test that as I suspect coaches there won't put up with a liability there.
     
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  20. TrustingtheProcess

    Philadelphia Union
    United States
    Jun 11, 2021
    Philadelphia, USA
    He was really good, I'm not very high on the Eredivisie though, but I still think he was the biggest snub here. He should get chances, potentially in that role, for Frankfurt next year, who is also in the Champions League and has a lot of games.

    I think he is the one guy that hasn't been called in recently that has a real conceivable path to the 23/26, and honestly maybe even the 11.
     
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  21. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #896 xbhaskarx, May 23, 2025
    Last edited: May 23, 2025
    EVERY PLAYER WHO GETS MENTIONED POSITIVELY IN THIS THREAD IS A MLS PLAYER.

    Where Zawadski plays (position or MLS) or how he may be used by Poch (speculation) doesn't really answer the question below...

    If anyone here thinks Sean Zawadski should be on the Gold Cup roster, did they ever suggest that before yesterday morning? Forget for the Gold Cup roster specifically, feel free to quote yourself or ANYONE ELSE saying "maybe Poch should call up Zawadski" even if just for a look at a January camp which again is ALL MLS PLAYERS and not the final tournament before we host the World Cup. Did ANYONE make a single post praising Zawadski's performance in a single game, as 150 other MLSers from expected call ups like Diego Luna to random flashes in the pan who had a good game, or even commented on a single nice play where Zawadski stood out, in this entire 36 page thread with ~900 comments? And that's just for this year, fell free to dig through the thousands of comments from previous years' threads as well, this dude is in his mid-20s and in his 4th year.

    If not, but you do actually watch MLS games and now think this call up is a good one, shouldn't you be troubled by your own sh*tty player evaluation skills? Maybe take a minute for self-reflection...

     
  22. eagercolin

    eagercolin Member+

    Metro
    United States
    Aug 25, 2017
    Buffalo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Honestly, who cares? I doesn't matter what people think here. If he got called in, that means Poch and his team saw something in him, and I trust their judgement more than my own. That's because they're professionals and I'm not (obviously), but also because I watch MLS primarily as a Metro fan (god help me) and only secondarily as a USMNT fan, and then mostly on the lookout for young players and breakouts.
     
  23. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    True true good point good point... so a few quick follow up questions:

    Do you trust Poch to motivate the USMNT's players so they give their all for the team?
    Do you trust Poch to recruit and win over dual nats?
    Do you trust Poch to employ the right tactics to beat opponents like Panama and Canada?
     
  24. 50/50 Ball

    50/50 Ball Member+

    Sep 6, 2006
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That was a comment on the tweet, I didn’t realize it’s your opinion.

    I only comment on players or games I’ve watched. I haven’t noticed Zawadski for good or ill in the couple of Crew games I’ve seen this season. That’s not abnormal for a CB.

    You don’t see a lot of discussion of most CBs in this thread because they’re pretty boring when they play well.
     
  25. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That is a fair point about CBs, certainly Columbus seem to have a more than competent defense.

    But I'm not saying Zawadski is bad. Maybe he's even good, in fact he probably is. He's unquestionably a solid player. But you just said "I haven’t noticed Zawadski for good or ill"... I'm going to go back to the fact that there's 300 Americans playing in MLS... this isn't January camp, to get called up for the last tournament before we host the World Cup in the most important moment in US Soccer history, shouldn't we be selecting players who stand out? Matt Turner was putting up best ever stats at GK. Even "boring" CBs, the ones deemed USMNT worthy were defender of the year types like Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson... they certainly stood out! There is no anti-MLS bias here (you're in the MLS thread not arguing with "11Yanks" on Twitter) there are like two dozen MLS players who regularly receive praise and have some number of people clamoring for them to get called up (including me), from Luna to Sullivan to Berhalter to Freeman and on and on... not a single person ever mentioned Zawadski while like 100 MLSers were getting praised.
     
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