Hey! Where have you been? you got your red card rescinded? Keaton made a bad move by coming to MLS, he is clearly the best mid for NYC but they play ugly and he at times looks disinterested. His defense is soft as always so I don't think getting called. There others that are a couple years younger that can defend much better and their passing game is close to Parks.
Parkes has improved significantly since he joined NYC. When he came over he was used as a sub or to cover for injuries and suspensions. Now he's one of the first names on the teamsheet. It got to the point this season that Ronny Deila pushed Alex Ring forward because he didn't want to break up the very effective Parkes/Sands defensive midfield partnership. Now Parkes has been pushed forward he's gaining confidence and creating goal-scoring chances for himself and others. He's also a good person to have in the box defending dead balls due to his size and heading ability. As for the appearance of being disinterested it turns out that's just the way he rolls. I would think he's on the verge of a call-up to the next Camp Cupcake if it one happens.
I have been following Parks since his Varzim 'B' days in Portugal. What impressed me the most was his ball movement and his knack for scoring goals. I thought he did well when he got promoted to Benfica 1st team. His passing continued to be superb, unfortunately, his defending was exposed as been subpar. The fans called him "The deceiving log" for his good faints but slow moves. He always wanted to play for Barca and when Pep Guardiola went to ManCity he felt going to NYCFC would give him the exposure to maybe one day get a transfer to ManCity. Each coach he got at NYCFC didn't think much of him at first but each coach ended up starting him a few games into the season after they realized he was that good with the ball at his feet. When I say he is not playing as well as before is because I know how good he used to be. P.S. his defense hasn't improved one bit.
I've watched every game since he's been at NYC. He's a much better player defensively and offensively than he was a year ago.
I also have to say that NYC's coaching staff have full access to the resources of Manchester City. Deila's assistant, Nick Cushing is a City insider who won a bunch of trophies with their women's team. And his other assistant, Rob Vartughian, was Technical Director at Philadelphia Union before moving back to his home city.
Be prepared that Bradley (& Yueill) is still likely to be part of 1st team camps when everybody is available. Gregg name drops him & the others here. I very much agree with the philosophy that you'd always love to have an integrated Europe/MLS camp & those who don't are very much just being extremists in a different way. The priority regardless is not on winning, as it should be. But I think the individuals he chooses to select from MLS at this pt is ridiculous. It's bad scouting, grandfathered in vets & from the group.
No doubt. Do you think we should have a European window to look at fringe euros same way we look at fringe MLSers?
The rational answer is only if the circumstances dictate it, like w/ Jan. camp. In the case of this window, that's the way it's worked out to have almost an exclusive European group. But covid created a special situation. That's not annual. If there was a Euro summer camp that happened when MLS wouldn't release players I'd be all for it. But it's to MLS' credit & our benefit that they're a lot more flexible than leagues abroad. Also, the big comps are most inclined to take place in summer. Either way, when we could get in exceptions that fortify the roster, we should do that. But when any MLS players taints the pure European group it's bemoaned. These same people are excited when academy players & Scandinavian-based guys join Jan. camp.
Such a weird response when this camp will likely result in more new USMNT camp than any January camp. The answer is obvious. The March window should be used for a Euro version of a January camp whenever there isn't an official match. The number of players abroad has grown significantly and it is very hard to judge players across so many diverse leagues. The first two camps of the year would be used to take a fresh look at the pool before consolidating for the rest of the year. Anyone paying attention would know that the majority our top talent is in Europe. A summer camp is just a stupid idea. These players seasons are long and they need break in the summers they don't have competitions. What would be helpful is if MLS would observe the FIFA calendar.
It means MLS needs to stop scheduling games during international windows like everyone else. This is what makes a lot of this camp nonsense an issue. If we scheduled international games during international windows and MLS cooperated, we wouldn't have to call in this or that part of the squad in different windows, the coach could just call in his best team for each camp or who he wants to bring in and move ahead normally. Instead USSF schedules games outside of the windows and then only MLS guys are able to come and then MLS schedules games during windows so you end up with times that either players have to miss games or they get left with their team instead of getting called in. It just over-complicates the whole thing.
MLS doesn't schedule games during international breaks but teams have the option of playing. This year is an exception for Covid-19.
Well, someone does. And pretty sure MLS has to approve what a team schedules. Not sure what distinction you are trying to make here.
Right. Individual teams have the option to play without their top players rather than let's say, fly to Vancouver on a Wednesday night. It has no effect on international call ups. I don't see why this bothers you.
Because it waters down the games in MLS when teams play without their best players missing and it makes things more difficult for the national team when scheduling camps and knowing who is or isn't available, depending how nice the coach wants to be to MLS teams. It also creates competition issues because maybe a coach pulls 2 MLS players off one squad but decides well, we took two of theirs so even though we really want 4 from that team, we'll spread it around and grab someone off another team. Then, you end up with fewer players that actually need to be there and always a few who are just making up numbers. It absolutely affects call ups when games and camps are held outside windows when none of our international guys will be released for, which only happens because MLS has a non-conforming schedule. I am curious though. What other leagues go outside of the international dates for games? Is this just something the US is doing or does Mexico and/or some of th South American leagues also get weird with this?
Not sure what distinction you are trying to make. The first original FIFA window in 2019 was 18 - 26 March (Official or friendly matches). Ten MLS teams had matches during that period.
It just looks like you don't know what you are doing when you name check players that have been poor (Bradley) to unremarkable (Yueill) to inconsistent (Long) for the entire season. Not name checking actual guys playing well. The core of the team are the obvious guys playing in the Champions League and Brooks and Steffan. Around them you have to add guys from the bottom of the Top 4 and MLS and wherever else you want. But those players should be the best from those places, not guys that were good two years ago or were important national team players four years ago. Berhalter seems to have a view of the relative strength of leagues based on his playing days along with the usual USSF view of MLS as right outside of France. More plainly, he doesn't rate any 2nd divisions, not even the Championship, as even on par with MLS, thinks Holland is far better than Austria, thinks Scandinavia is far worse than Holland. That might have been true in 2002, not sure now. Personally, I think trying to rank all these leagues is dumb and a waste of time. Just take the guys that are playing great to fill out any given roster. Those players, if they continue to play great, will get moves up the ladder and make you seem like a genius.
All MLS players are available. This doesn't happen. I don't know. I do know it happens routinely in other sports like cricket and rugby.
Agree 100%, there is always going to be a place on rosters available for those who are at a best 11 type level in MLS; Morris, Aaronson, Zardes and the like. There should never be room on any roster for players that are not even top 20 at their positions like Michael Bradley or Jackson Yueill. The player selection from the league we are supposed to know best, the one the GGG and his coaching staff coached in no less, is consistently frustrating.
Bonus US Soccer pod with Berhalter and Adams: https://anchor.fm/ussoccer/episodes/Bonus-USMNT-Camp-Update-Gregg-Berhalter-and-Tyler-Adams-ema79a