The current crop of U17s looks promising, but anybody who said that about our 2011 or 2013 U17s needed their eyes checked. I remember watching our 1999 U17s play, and they were a very good team.
They would be correct. I recently watched film of a Dallas Cup final that I played in in the early 2000s and compared it to the most recent Dallas Cup final in the same age group and the level of play isn't even comparable. There's that much of a gap. Hard to speak to national team comparisons, but at the "DA" level vs. "Snickers Cup Nationals" level from an earlier era, it's not close. And both of those designations represented the best in youth soccer at the time. Great to see.
Presumably staying with residency thru the World Cup. We've had guys leave Bradenton prematurely after signing with a club abroad, so it can happen. Joseph Gyau and Charles Renken left residency after signing on with Hoffenheim. However, as they weren't 18, they couldn't go over to Germany. So Hoffenheim came to an agreement with the Vancouver academy to have them train there until the time was right. I guess it spossible that Schalke and Haji could come to sort sort of pre-contract agreement. Then Schalke could come to an agreement with the LA Galaxy to have him train with them (and perhaps play with LAGII) until the time was right. That would be to avoid the situation that Junior Flores encountered. He spent an entire year from the end of U17WCQing to his 18th birthday in a state of limbo. He could only go over to Germany to train with Dortmund sporadically, but also didn't have a team to train with on a daily basis in the states. And that set him back a little, as he's had to start with BVB's U19s due to a complete lack of match fitness. THat's a long-winded way of saying he isn't close to being eligible to actually play for Schalke. So what's the hurry for them to sign him? I guess the only reason would be if they think he's such a great prospect that they feel another club would grab him if they waited....................
I know this might be going too far off topic from Wright specifically, but it sure seems like we have more players in their teens and early 20s in the development system at good foreign clubs than ever. I don't know if the info is just more available with the current technology or there really has been a significant spike in this area. On the other hand, I remember thinking that the 2007 U-20 team with Adu, Bradley, Altidore, etc. was going to be the group that really took the US to the next level.
It's a running joke on the US youth boards that we must say "This is going to be the best cycle ever!!!!!!" at the start of every U17 and U20 cycle. We always mean it until the team eventually gets eliminated from WCQing or the WC in some humiliating way. On paper, we've certainly got more kids either at big clubs, linked with big clubs, or at least playing professional ball. By the way, we've had some real young kids play with our U20s before. We've had the 14 year old Freddy Adu in 2003, the recently-turned 18 year old Bobby Convey in 2001, 17 year old Brian Perk and Jozy Altidore in 2007. Hell, we just did with the 17 year old Kellyn Acosta in 2013. If you're good enough, then you're old enough. I haven't really seen enough of Haji to know, but I'm sure our USYNTs staffs are in close consultation about these things.............................
Yeah, we rarely bring in foreigners for our youth teams. Then again, we're absolutely terrible at producing target strikers (much like most German academies). Perhaps the staff think the only way to remedy the situation is to bring in a few guys from outside the league. I'm guessing Elgert (U19 coach, basically runs the show) had a hand in this decision, which would be beyond good from a US perspective, considering the talent he's identified and developed over the last 8 years. He just doesn't make mistakes.
I've been following the Youth Soccer in the the US since maybe 2006....So not nearly as long as some posters on these boards. But yes, the quality does get noticeably better every cycle. I also believe this is the best cycle of talent that I have ever seen in my short time. My post was merely to point out how rare it is for a club like Schalke to take such an interest in a 15 year old American with no EU passport. I mean, they have arguably the best youth setup in Germany, and are known for not taking in foreigners...Which speaks to the improvement we have all seen over the years in our Youth Development.
I think the Flores had such a lack of match fitness because of when the cycle ended for the U-17 team. If the U-17 team makes the World Cup, then Haji will be playing meaningful games for a longer period of time before his move than Flores. The period after the U-17 World Cup until the summer transfer window is a long time, but Haji can probably play with LAG II until his move to Europe.
Haji and Hanif? Anyone know if his parents have any sort of Middle Eastern background? Nation of Islam, maybe?
I have no idea, but all of the pun possibilities are mouth watering: The Wright brothers take flight at Schalke
Question. This guy isn't really being played as a center-forward, target striker, is he? Seems like with the U17s he's on the wings. But I'd guess they'll try to put him central in any pro setup, given his height. If so, seems a shame that isn't happening now.
He's been playing as a winger/forward in a 4-3-3 with the U17s. He just terrorizes defenses on the wing with his combination of speed and size. However, every couple of months I see a picture of him.......................and he's grown another two inches. US soccer lists him at 6'0" and 155 pounds, but it looks to me like he's taller than that now. Who knows where a pro club (possibly Schalke) will put him when the get their hands on him. He' still a really young prospect.
Tallest kid on our U17 team is a 6'3" central defender, Maurice Buckesfeld. He's in the back row second from the left. Wright is the same height as him, so I'd say Wright is around 6'3"
Zlatan played wide in a 4-3-3 with Ajax when he was young. Haji seems like he might be even more mobile.
Haji scored 3 tonight in the US U17's 5-2 win against Costa Rica. I think you know which one he is...
He also scored recently for Schalke's U17's in a friendly (only games he can play in for them at the moment). http://www.dfb.de/news/detail/lerne...hospitiert-bei-juniorentrainer-elgert-105997/
he definitely should be playing up in the u-20's. is it possible he plays in both u-17 and 20 world cups?
In theory yes. U20WC: May 30 – June 21 U17WC: 17 October – 8 November Although we do have a number of U20 forwards that also are worthy of those opportunities. Rubio Rubin, Paul Arriola, Amando Moreno, etc. etc. There's no harm in challenging a player like Haji Wright at a U20 camp. If he can't hack it, than so be it. But what if he can?
I noticed that too, but I think I noticed it from the last camp. He looks to be about 6'3 and he's still a very skillful player. All these people that talk about how we would be great if our best athletes played soccer, well, Haji certainly seems like a freak athlete with a ton of technical and tactical skills.
I just read another article (Ives) and it says Haji is 6 feet tall. the guy next to him in the pic must be about 4 fee tall.