Post-match: Jersey Bounce - Crew @ Energy Drink Soccer, Now in New York Flavor! - Match 4 - 3/18/23 7:30PM

From what I've heard, the USL pool of potential good players involves young guys in a non MLS market and late bloomers. If a young player comes up through a well established local youth system like Louisville FC and can get playing time earlier, that may be better than riding the bench on a Porter coached team. Wynder is 17.

Other USL guys seem more like permanent Triple-A players.

 

Not really what I had envisioned after these past three years… Oh well. I hope my kids love the feelings and the atmosphere of LDC.

 

My standard answer to this general line of question is:

Let's make a list of the players who have graduated from USL to MLS. (Hint: you won't need much paper)

In fact, most people would be hard pressed to name even one, aside from guys who were sent out on loan from an MLS side.

There are some guys like Wynder who move from USL (or previously, NASL) to Europe, but in almost all of those cases the player was just waiting to turn 18. (FIFA forbids international transfers before then). Guys like him are often if not always offered an MLS contract and of course then get plopped into the lottery.

But a) they give up their choice of location and b) MLS won't offer anyone a one year deal. The minimum is three years, and if, when you turn 18, you get a juicy offer from the Continent, MLS (and your team) take a big piece. (Otherwise known as money you could have had yourself; the buying team doesn't care)

Aside from that, MLS is now casting a pretty wide net over youth soccer. Not a lot of talent goes unnoticed. The days of some kid nobody ever heard of suddenly bursting on the scene are long gone. Now if you haven't signed with MLS it's either because they didn't make you and offer or your parents talked you into going to college or you don't want MLS' claws in you as you angle for an overseas job.

But join a USL team for a few years and then get an MLS offer? Yeah, not so much.

 

2022 was a transition year for the Cleveland Guardians

I think it would be fair to say that Terry Francona knew that Owen Miller, Ernie Clement, Franmil Reyes, Yu Chang, Bobby Bradley, Will Benson, and Nolan Jones are not good enough to be regular everyday players at the big league level.

But all of those players got a chance to prove otherwise. So did guys like Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez, who far exceeded expectations. Hell, we still dont know if they are actually that good. 2023 is going to be another transition year for the Guardians. A bunch more guys are going to get the chance to prove they are or arent guys at the big league level. I'm sure Terry Francona knows who is who.

They are still going to get an opportunity.

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Now, you may be right. You probably ARE right. I am not even disagreeing with you. All of those unused subs might be nowhere near good enough to be everyday players at the big league level.

But my issue is that, so far, he has behaved like the worst of caleb. being unwilling or unable to make tactical adjustments when plan A doesnt work, and sticking to the same core group and only deviating when forced by injury. for a guy with a rep of leting the kids play, he sure is only applying that to a couple kids.

 

Farsi, Quinton, Sands, Morris, Matan. Half the starting lineup. Morris has more experience, but this is his first time as a legit starter.

Also, baseball is an individual sport essentially. Easy to give a guy an at bat or let him run around in the outfield for the occasional fly ball. Soccer is a team sport.

Putting on multiple guys that are worse than Quinton, when we are being worked by NYRB on the road, probably isn’t the ideal time for a triple sub of three third division players. Just sayin’

 

For the love of God, as a player I would rather play for my club than a meaningless non WC game

 

Im pretty sure you can't opt out of a callup during an international window without facing FIFA sanctions

 

I’ve heard Clubs refusing to release players , Also I’m sure they player can ask not to participate. Now if they don’t agree i have no idea how that works never really paid attention but I’m sure it’s happened before

 

See this regarding the ability of a called up player who refused a call-up to play for his club during an international window:


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...oQFnoECDgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3b7-XFOvaHk6sUqksvxMqr

See e.g., https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndic...up-due-to-uncertain-fifa-eligibility.amp.html.

If it's outside of an international window they can refuse. Atlanta is known for refusing, so people think Atlanta won't allow Caleb Wiley to attend some U-20 games.

 

Well, they just claim an "injury", which seems to heal up by the time the club game comes around.

 

The country is still allowed to call the player up and make him report so that federation’s doctors can examine him.

 

They have improved the process in recent years....

 

And before anyone asks about Nagbe refusing call-ups, the US was nice and never forced the issue when he began refusing.

 

The difference is that you can't pick and choose which games you want to play in.Youre either in the official player pool or you're not.

In Nagbes case, he declined to be part of the program. Period.

They're not slaves. USSF and or FIFA don't own them and they can't demand that you participate in the national program.

What you can't do is say you'll. ome in for this camp and this tournament but not that one. You're either in or out.

Nagbe declared himself out.

 

Yeah, Nagbe never refused call ups. He just said "don't call me up."

 

Unless he was a starter.

 

Can we admit, at least to each other, that it is not great that Nancy spent the week in the press talking about the one single true way to play the game?

Is it permissible if I mention that I don't like how Aidan Morris plays the ball backwards even when he is under no pressure and a forward pass is available to him?

Please don't be offended if I say that I'm sick of watching the ball go backwards on a diagonal.

 

I will admit that Nancy seems to have pussified Aiden Morris. What happened to that fearless young guy who would challenge for any ball and never backed down? The guy who ate Nicky Lodeiro's lunch at MLS Cup? Now he's a very limited, uncertain looking DM.

 

Here's our passing map for the NYRB game. (From u/WalkingonSunshine_ on Reddit)

https://external-preview.redd.it/GY...ed&s=47a25494d4568324cd729283b448efdfbdf744fe

 

In this back 5, you can't have a DM in full attack mode or else it's quickly 1v1 against a CB; ours arent great. First goal, he went after the ball after a turnover, leaving everyone else on the backfoot against speedier and stronger competition.

In the cup, he played the 8 role; he's more in the 6 role now. His passing decisions have improved compared to last year.

Regarding backwards passes, for whatever reason this year in MLS, I've seen several teams pass it back then push it forward quickly into the wide areas of the mid third. That and having CBs take the goal kicks are an interesting trend.

 

I think Atlanta is going to beat us at home , might need to settle for a draw. They have been hot the last 2 games and I’m not sure what’s worse our defense or our attack. Throw in we might be missing a few more starters and it don’t look good.

Does Atlanta have anyone who might be out on international duty ?

 

https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-...to-national-teams/BLARNUI4AZDSFD3VCPBV2QBU2Q/