Rodrigo Hidalgo

I also saw him on FSW but was not as impressed with him as you were. I thought athletically he had this long loping slow running stlye which didn't help him make short, quick dribbling moves. He was good on the ball but not great. On that team the only one's I was impressed with was Christian Jimenez, great dribbler, good athlete, great curling crosses and free kicks and Dan Szetela, Strong, Good dribbler, great reader of game and passer. All this while really not having a great game. The rest: Bradley, Mccarty, Valentin were all very average to me. The younger group which I watched I thought were much more individually skilled but tactically very poor. Sarokodie, Kirk, Soroka, Villanueva I think are very good. Keep in mind only 2-3 people from each age group makes it into the full men't national pool. Some of those never get called into youth camps.

 

i concur with the above. watched the same fsw games and thought hidalgo was only preferred because he was a little better than a big oaf who could not be moved off the ball by all those smaller kids. jimenez had more speed, skill and soccer sense - it seemed to me. i expect hidalgo to fade slowly away as he gets older. but i'm not a scout so don't take my word.

 

Both Hildago and Jiminez will be at University of South Florida this year. I think that this will show which is better. I know how lambasted college soccer is, but if Hildago can cut it in NCAA, he should at least get a shot at professional.

This could be a lethal combiantion.

 

these opinions are curious because Rodrigo is not that big.

He is a very hard-working player who has an ability to win a ball in the air and create space. Not the flashiest of strikers maybe, but he does know how to take a goal. I think USF are getting two very talented players.

 

Sounds like a Twellman clone, but Latino. Let's hope he does the job well at South Florida and goes pro sooner than later.