It's been not much fun reading all those posts about how we need to move Dest to the left back spot so Cannon can play right back. Maybe we can finally move on....
$6-7 million is a very good fee generally, and I think it's more than academy money even at Juventus, but based on Transfermarkt fees over the past decade, it doesn't really seem to be starter money there. I see a couple players who went for that fee that I recognize as having been squad players at Juventus briefly, but I don't really see anyone who became a regular starter, and I see a number that don't really appear to have played at all for the club.
Well, this was also Lovitz' best season in the metrics by a good margin. Before, good crossing, shooting, & reasonably progressive passing wasn't part of the equation. Future performance can't be retroactively used to justify inclusion of a player in his late 20's. Maybe that would be an argument for a teenager, but even then it's suspect for a senior team. Players can definitely lose motivation in MLS by not being given a national team reward for their play, or vice versa gain it if it comes. Would have been better to use that as a catalyst for a player who was better than and/or at their peak. Even as is, Lovitz has worn out his welcome. Selecting him would in all likelihood be fool's gold like when Wondo kept being reverted back to.
I've never defended Lovitz as a selection, and don't think he should be called in now. But he's always been a good defender. He just has (apparently) improved on offense -- I didn't exactly study Nashville this year. It's the same reason I have no interest in John Nelson on FC Dallas. He can't advance the ball in MLS; I really have no interest in him until he's a plus offensive fullback in MLS.
No joke. Prior to this season I wasn't sure if FCD was going to pick up their contract option on him after the season. He started once last year in the USOC, and made a mistake which directly led to a goal and loss against New Mexico. That was it. That's what we saw of him. I remember a column by Buzz about options at the right back position for FCD after Cannon left. He was adamant that Reynolds was making enormous strides in training and was ready to become Cannon's replacement. It was a shock to me, because they did have other options. I don't think any of us fans, even the most diehard FCD fans, saw the caliber of performance coming from Reynolds that we've gotten. That was a total shock. If a single person says they saw this coming, they're lying. Nobody did. There have been a lot of wonderful surprises with young players in MLS this year. Busio's move to the #6 position and his level of play has been another. Bassett in Colorado has been another. The list keeps going. FCD's academy already had two players in the Champions League this week with McKennie and Richards. Cannon at USMNT camp. The hits keep on coming. Tessmann has also been called up to the December USMNT camp. That'll mean 8 former FCD academy players have callups this year.
Just to follow up on this again, here is according to Transfermarkt every single player that has made an appearance for Juventus this season, along with their transfer fee or market value at the time they arrived at Juventus: Wojciech Szczesny - $15.40m from Arsenal Gianluigi Buffon - $58.17m from Parma (and then free from PSG) Matthijs de Ligt - $94.05m from Ajax Alex Sandro - $28.60m from Porto Merih Demiral - $19.80m from Sassuolo Leonardo Bonucci - $38.50m from AC Milan Danilo - $40.70m from Man City Juan Cuadrado - $22m from Chelsea Mattia De Sciglio - $13.20m from AC Milan Giorgio Chiellini - $8.47m from Fiorentina (15 years ago) Gianluca Frabotta - $2.86m from Bologna youth team Arthur - $79.20m from Barcelona Rodrigo Bentancur - $13.75m from Boca Juniors Adrien Rabiot - free from PSG (but with a $38.50m market value) Aaron Ramsey - free from Arsenal (but with a $44m market value) Weston McKennie - loaned from Schalke (with a $22m market value) Manolo Portanova - $275k from Lazio youth team Paulo Dybala - $44m from Palermo Cristiano Ronaldo - $128.70m from Real Madrid Federico Chiesa - loaned from Fiorentina (with a $52.80m market value) Dejan Kulusevski - $38.50m from Atalanta Álvaro Morata - loaned from Atletico Madrid (with a $39.60m market value) Federico Bernardeschi - $44m from Fiorentina Douglas Costa - $44m from Bayern Munich That's essentially Juve's first team squad minus Sami Khedira (who I didn't realize was still at the club). Out of those 25 players, only 2 of them arrived at Juventus with a market value or transfer fee below $13 million (not counting Chiellini whose $8.47m fee 15 years ago is well above that amount in inflation adjusted terms today). One of those two (Portanova) signed to Juventus's youth team as a 17 year old kid for a couple hundred thousand dollars and has made one brief appearance this season. The other, and optimistically the closest analogue to Reynolds here, is Frabotta who arrived as a 20 year old youth player last year for $2.86m and has seen decent minutes this season at left-back. So, it sort of looks like $6-7 million is well above the fee for a youth player that makes it to the first team relatively quickly, but well below the normal fee for a non-academy first team player.
IIRC Schalke was trying to acquire Williamson a couple of years ago, after Weston's successful first team integration. Not sure why the deal fell through. Playin with and learning from Chara, who imo has been the best DM in MLS over the last 8+years, helped Williamson's game. He looks like he has to tools to be effective as depth to Adams, Weston, and Musah.
He might be the best crosser of the ball the Sounders have and I could see him win the starting spot next season.
MLS isn't a part of UEFA. It also doesn't participate either UCL or Europa League. And it doesn't have the history of Argentina or Brazil. Nor does the league participate in the Liberator's Cup. So comparing the value of Reynold's potential sale to the value of defenders coming in from UEFA or South America is not useful in gauging his potential position with Juventus.
Still cannot get over the movement for Nico Lodeiro's opening goal last night in #SEAvLAFC. He's got everything you want in a star player. He starts the play (10) near midfield at the right touchline with a layoff. Scores at the left side of the 18 a few seconds later. pic.twitter.com/VFGML4KAHF— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) November 25, 2020 Roldán got to play in central midfield instead of wing and made this cool run above.
Yep, Roldan was a real key to this goal, haters be damned. The pass from RuiDiaz looked really good live, but the bend in this animation is sick.
every right back in the pool that’s not in Europe better be looking at their dual national options ( if they can’t play left back passably )
So cannon, Reynolds....... who is the next fcd right back I need to be aware of their existence before they are promptly sold off
He has always looked like an advanced prospect, but this year he grew physically and also grew in confidence. Just as in other sports, physical dominance translates. Reynolds is physically dominant. He’s physically dominant with a soccer brain and is coming out of the Dallas academy an excellent dribbler and crosser.
Well, they just signed Justin Che, who's played CB and RB. So next up, I suppose. He's 16/17, I believe. EDIT: Just turned 17 on November 18th.
FCD's academy is really Central Midfield University, but right back is charging hard. FCD has an insane pipeline at almost every position of players with MLS potential. I'd say that if Reynolds is sold, plan A next season might be moving Hollingshead to right back (he's right-footed) and starting Nelson at LB. He's a better defender than attacker. I think that's what they did the first game after Cannon was sold. By the way, 6 of the 7 guys below have USYNT appearances. The player with the highest ceiling in the group is Che, I suspect they're going to be developing him as a CB. He's got a Euro passport and there have been rumors of Euro clubs already interested in his services. If the world returns to normal I can see them loaning him to Bayern next year (a la Chris Richards). 1) John Nelson (can play both LB and RB) 2) Eddie Munjoma (Hermann award semifinalist in 2019; spent year with NTSC) 3) Kevin Bonilla (US U20 right back; rumors of his rights being traded to Cincy) 4) Imanol Almaguer (Versatile NTSC midfielder/fullback; injury-plagued 2020) 5) Mark Salas (UNC defender that can play all along the backline) 6) Brandon Terwege (SMU defender that can play all along the backline) 7) Justin Che (Recently signed RB/CB; played with NTSC in 2020)
While Pirlo didn't seem to give much of a shit while playing in MLS, one has to wonder if he used his experience in the USA to evaluate talent. He brought in McKennie (though McKennie never played in MLS) and is maybe now looking at Reynolds. The theme here is "American from FCD", though a very small sample size. I'd wager, though, that he saw enough from FCD in his time in MLS to recognize the quality/style of players they were developing. If the interest in Reynolds is legit.
After settling into a box-to-box role, McKennie had gone on a 'god of football' tear for the last 8 games of the B1 season. That likely peaked Pirlo's interest. Buchanan is Canadian. FCD has established a track record with McKennie, Richards, and Cannon. It's nice to see the increased fee being bandied about w/re to a potential transfer of Richards.
Former FCD Academy kid, might have player or practiced with Reynolds. Likely still talks to some of the players especially ones of the same group he was in Cannon and Pomykal. Cannon just called for about six players to move to Europe as soon as they can.
I hadn't really thought of it in those terms before (supporter's shield vs mls cup) but it makes sense. That being said, I don't think anyone has truly optimized their homegrowns. I believe that an ideally optimized team would have at least 1-3 top DP/TAM/? type players that provide quality, consistency from year to year, leadership and mentorship among other things combined with a fully functioning academy that provides quality role players, depth and the occasional top player in the mold of Aaronson, Adams, Pomykal etc that can give that little extra boost needed to dominate. With a DP like Lodiero or Keane, a team like Philly or FCD could be a cyclical success over an extended period where every 2-4 years when they have a top talent come through they become a favorite to win the Supporter's shield and the mls double. LAFC is a team that seems to be on the path toward using their young players....if they figure it out it could revolutionize the league....if the other teams want to keep up.