Who warrants a call-up sooner than later? Who are you tracking that would help improve the competitiveness of this team... Note: I’m going to rate on a scale of 1-5 to indicate how much they warrant a call up... 1 star = They’re still an outsider. But they’re worth monitoring. 2 stars = They have work to do, but they look to be promising. 3 stars = They could immediately contend for a roster spot now. Although not sure about a starting spot. 4 stars = They could immediately contend for a starting spot and might be a critical addition to the team. 5 stars = They project to be a critical addition to the team, and it would be sinful to not integrate them as soon as possible. My List... 5 Stars: Giovanni Reyna (AM, R/LW, FW) Tim Weah (FW, R/LW, AM) - Injured? Antonee Robinson (LB) - Injured? 4 Stars: Ventura Alvarado (CB) Timmy Chandler (RW, RB, LW, LB) Alfredo Morales (DM, MF) Chris Durkin (DM) Paxton Pomykal (MF) - Injured? Duane Holmes (AM, R/LW) 3 Stars: Erik Palmer-Brown (CB) Miles Robinson (CB) Chris Richards (CB, RB) Niko Hamalainen (LB) Johnny Cardoso (MF) Eric Lichaj (LB, RB) Richard Ledezma (AM, R/LW) Julian Green (FW, AM) - Injured Matko Miljevic (FW, AM, R/LW) Indiana Vassilev (R/LW, FW) Konrad De la Fuente (R/LW) 2 stars: Ethan Horvath (GK) James Sands (DM, CB) Shaq Moore (RB, RW) Alex Mendez (AM, R/LW) Chris Gloster (LB) Emmanuel Sabbi (RW) Owen Otasowie (DM, CB) Keaton Parks (DM, MF) Cameron Carter-Vickers (CB) Niko Gioacchini (R/LW, FW) Gianluca Busio (AM, R/LW, FW) Jeremy Ebobisse (FW) Mason Toye (FW) 1 star: Matt Turner (GK) Julian Araujo (RB, RW) Brooks Lennon (RB, RW) Sebastian Saucedo (R/LW, AM) Aaron Herrera (RB, LB) Cole Bassett (MF) Sebastian Soto (FW) Andrija Novakovich (FW) Djordje Mihailovic (MF)
I think the player you've got too low there is Julian Araujo. Its a big year for him with LAG, and we'll see how far he advances. The kid was just in USMNT camp for a reason. I'd move him up to at least 3 stars personally The veteran you have on this list that I see no reason to re-introduce is Eric Lichaj. Just my opinion. He's better at RB. And we've got Dest, Chandler, Yedlin, Cannon, etc. ahead of him at the position. If we're going to re-introduce a veteran it'll be Chandler, who's playing at a higher level................and is also several years younger. At LB, we have young players to give a lot of opportunities to as well. Antonee Robinson stands out. Just my opinion. I don't know what the purpose of re-introducing Lichaj would be unless we have a fullback injury emergency.
I personally would move all of the players that our friend Eleven Bravo has listed at 5 stars to 4 stars. Its not "sinful" to keep those three players out of the USMNT for now. A couple more performances like we saw from Reyna in the Cup and my opinion might change. I'd call up Reyna for the spring friendlies. Particularly due to the opening on the roster with the uncertainty regarding injuries to other youngish players (Weah, Pulisic, etc.) BUt if Berhalter doesn't do that...............its not a crime. Not yet anyway.
The priority for Gio and any u23 not named Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie should be playing in olympic qualifying. The priority for march needs to be olympics followed by the march friendlies which should feature older players trying to keep their spot.
Dortmund's not likely to release him for Olympic qualifying. I would say that Chris Durkin as a 4 star is somewhat baffling to me. He's got 500 minutes in Belgium and I'm sure he's played fine, but expecting him to contend for a starter seems super aggressive. Heck, I don't think Alfredo Morales is contending for a starting role when the team is fully healthy, though he is contending for next man up, probably. And while I'd consider giving Chanlder another look, people do seem to be taking a short hot streak as proof of some next level performance. If I had to choose between Chandler and Weah for the roster, I'd pick Weah, personally, and I'd pick Morris as well. I've seen a lot of "instant starter" talk and I'm not sure I get it.
i'd be curious what the situation is on Robinson, he was playing all season right up to when the transfer fell through. in answer to your "injured?" however, in terms of getting people involved, he'd be down the LB list after lichaj and others. he's a known quantity that got an offer that doesn't superficially make sense. if a second division guy who can't make everton suddenly has ACM and CFC knocking maybe it's not to keep him. Everton loaned him down and everyone but Pulisic who goes to CFC falls prey to gravity as well.
it's interesting how if this is phrased imperatively as "needs to be capped" it gets one reception while my "experiment" phrasing of "try new people" got another.
I'm leaving off the ones who just got capped Has Efrain Alvarez ever been cap tied/done something that prevents a switch? U23s CCV Richards Mendez Sabbi Toye Soto Wright Reyna Weah U20s Busio Vassilev de la Fuente Pomykal dual nationals Siebatcheu Tillman(s) Frei Gonzo keeper Holmes EPB Payne Moore Toljan Ochoa keeper (depending how season goes, he is RSL's #1 but right now "ain't done sh*t") Hamaleinen (plays LB in SPL) forgottens Wood Horvath Green Gall Lichaj
IMO certain positions would be priorities over others in terms of who to try first, LB, mid, CB. GB has frittered away the time at LB without solving a thing. I am not sold the midfield -- even minus The BradleyTrapp -- is any good yet. I also feel like while we have camped many GKs we have actually used few. The net effect is zero turnover in terms of who I expect at March and June. SeanJohn Hamid and/or Guzan behind Steffen. Horvath is getting the Wood treatment, and we have other MLS options outperforming the ones who get picked and get to play.
He is provisionally cap-tied to Mexico, to switch back to the US he would need to file his one-time switch.
Ol’ Baby Fat Alvarez has an uphill climb to make it on the US Olympic team, much less the senior team. Right now, I’d take Brenden Aaronson over him all day, every day.
Fair enough. Also, I should have included Tyler Adams on the list. Which, maybe that’s a good indicator of the 5 star rating. Still, I’ll contend Reyna is in that 5 star territory given the fact we must remember that he’s either competing against Roldan (CAM), Arriola (R/LW), or Zardes (FW) for a spot on this team. Granted those guys are B teamers, for sure, but we must not forget that those guys played significant minutes in 2019. More so, Antonee Robinson easily becomes a 5 star if Dest is considered more of a right back. If Antonee is healthy, he definitely needs to be in the next camp for the coach to compare what he gains/loses with Dest on the right or left. And, Weah suffered a very unfortunate injury this season. We will have to hope and pray that he gets back on track. Nevertheless, we mustn’t forget that Weah has been in that McKennie, Sargent, Pulisic, and Adams discussion of the next generation of core players coming up.
We really need to see first how Weah returns from injury. After half a year out, you cannot know whether he'll be the same player.
Lynden Gooch now has 10 Goals, 2 assists and like 6 secondary assists so far this season for Sunderland (4 points out of Automatic promotion)... but you don’t rate him at all on this bs list? That’s hilarious. Kid just turned 24 in December.
I have seen dozens of USL games and at least a hundred MLS games in person. To say League One is no better than the USL is wildly inaccurate. I’ve been to England 3 times this season. Saw 2 League One games (Sunderland vs Doncaster and Coventry vs Tranmere) and a Championship game (Fulham vs Luton Town). The quality of League one is damn near level with MLS and The Championship is absolutely above it. Perhaps the basement teams could be on par with the best of the USL (Tranmere weren’t great), but that’s about as close as it gets.
I've maybe watched hundred or so League One head tennis sessions in the flesh and it's nowhere near the level of MLS. Maybe it's where MLS was 7 or 8 years ago.
Or maybe, a 22 yo has taken a step forward after playing 2 years at a decent level? That possibly, possibly, he has improved since you last saw him as a 20 yo in his 3rd cap? Possibly? "Known quantity at 20", never to be called in again. You really hate the Americans born in other countries? That bias is ever present with you. Call in a 30 yo America born Lichaj who has never had any interest from a better club, over a 22 yo American with interest from Chelsea, Newcastle, AC Milan and others. Your hate of players born outside the USA is disgusting. Robinson and Brooks are as American as you, deal with it.
League one is a joke and realistically for a 1995 born player it's unacceptable to be playing in a third division anywhere. Charlie Kelman after this season realistically needs to leave his club and move to a higher level to even keep in 2024 olympic consideration. Gooch also plays in our arguably strongest position where Pulisic, Reyna, Weah, Morris, and Llanez are all ahead of him. The only MLS team that would not run through league one is FC Cinci.
After his 2019? Yes I would not mind seeing Morris roaming on the right side until a player born in 2000 or later pushes him out.