Konrad de la Fuente setting the bar high at SD Eibar (olf Olympic Marseille)

Yeah, we gotta promote him.

 

Hope we get to see a few more appearances with all the congestion.

 

That's a great accomplishment for the kid.

And while we had two Americans play for Barca today, one was developed by us. That's huge for Konrad.

 

agreed. dumb rule.

maybe a domestic cup could not qualify...I would get that but an official champions league match for Barcelona not being "enough" is silly season.

 

It makes more sense when you consider the context in which many Americans appeared in the Champions League, like Gedion Zelalem with Arsenal (no Arsenal league appearances in six years at the club) or Julian Green (one Champions League appearance and no league appearances for Bayern). Of course, some players get a league run out in similar circumstances without ever being a likely first team regular, but it has historically been more common for our players in the Champions League group stage after their club was through or eliminated.

 

So potentially like this appearance?

 

League. That’s the rule. League is generally what matters. It’s a good rule.

 

So it’s fine for Josh Perez at Florentina (e.g.) but unthinkable for KDLF because it was “only CL.” Honestly, I’m not that invested in the debate. Just seems lame.

 

Konrad not called up for Barça B tomorrow. Rey Manaj is back in, Zeballos surely can’t start at 9 again. https://t.co/oCVmYJZKLp

— La Masia (@Youngcules) November 25, 2020

 

That first La Liga game will be Osasuna or later.

 

It's hard to get worked up over it, but apparently a player could score a hat trick to win the UCL final and still be sitting in YA Academy, which is silly.

 

Doubt that player would still be without a league appearance though...

 

Yea, it's a silly hypothetical. The actual examples we have seen are folks like Jonathan Klinsmann, Julian Green, Owen Otasowie who all made appearances in Europe and then never played a league game/haven't yet. KDLF's thread being asked to wait until he makes a league debut isn't some great injustice and it's simply ridiculous people even make a thing about this. (but now I'm here talking about it, though I didn't start it).

 

So Vaselliv graduates and then goes to like a 3rd division team and Konrad plays CL and sits in academy? Stupid criteria, if you ask me. Which you didn’t, but I told you anyways.

nothing against Indiana btw, just sayin....

 

The premise -- and I agree we're wasting time on something not worth it -- is that cup appearances are often given to players sub-first team level, and that's true!

I don't really think Champions League should apply so much. But it really doesn't matter.

 

Or, you know, we could just not have hard and fast rules and do the thing that makes the most sense. It's a message board not a courtroom.

 

Smokey, this is not ‘Nam. This is Big Soccer. There are rules.

 

you guys are not wrong, your just a$$holes.

 

Any bright-line rule will have some aberrant outcomes.

 

People will complain no matter what.

Heck, I don’t even like the fact they created an academy sub forum. Everything was working fine before they implemented it.

 

there were like 6 yanks total in Europe back then

 

Perez getting a single Serie A match is actually wild. What’s crazier, that or Lynden Gooch getting a start at the Etihad against Manchester City on Premier League opening weekend in 2016?

 

Eric Lichaj obviously a different caliber, but I still remember him locking down Gareth Bale in his 2nd ever EPL start at a time when Bale was the hottest young talent in football.

 

Shaq Moore starting against Barcelona is pretty crazy too