The coming boom in multi-eligible player recruitment

Thank you. I got called up to Polish National U20 selection team. Still didint hear from USMNT tho.

— Michael Wyparło 🇺🇸🇵🇱 (@MichaelWyparlo) May 26, 2022

 

Sounds like a cry for help...Hello US Soccer do you know who I am?
Call me sometime...we can do some Netflix.

 

He’s on Mexico’s roster.

 

Heads need to roll.

If the player always was a heavy lean towards Mexico, what can you do? We were never going to get Jonathan David or Giuseppe Rossi.

However, there’s no indication that was the case here. George Bello, John Tolkin, and Adam Armour were preferred by Raphael Wicky. We lost a chance to cap-tie Gomez. Now you make it more of real competition. Mexico was never going to cap-tie him for the U-17 WC. They sit and wait until our players get big hype, and then they pounce. We let an opportunity to go by of making it a harder job for Mexico.

I’m sorry, but I always say some players are more important than others. You cannot convince me to care about who Koleosho or Obed Vargas or any of these players we don’t actually know are good end up playing for after you lose the most important recruitment.

We know Gomez is good. He’s probably better than Pepi. Only thing missing is the first team playing time because he took a different path. Some people are so naive to state this doesn’t matter. Realistically, there’s probably not another young prospect in the next few age groups that is at his level. You simply cannot lose players of this caliber. We are not France or Brazil. I don’t even think France or Brazil can afford to lose their best talents.

 

Whose head needs to roll? A U17 coach who isn’t even with US Soccer anymore?

He’s clearly leaning Mexico but no clarity so far as to whether this is a permanent decision. What should US Soccer had done instead?

He’s a good prospect but it’s complete hyperbole to say there are no prospects who are similar in his age range. For one he’s only a year younger than Gio Reyna. As for the next age groups we’ll see where they are when they get to the same point he is at.

 

We can't win 'em all.................

I said some pretty nasty things about Jonathan Gomez and his family when he left FCD. I meant them wholeheartedly. I'm not going to rehash it, but let's just say this decision shouldn't surprise a soul.

Seriously, youth coaches regardless of federation or national team don't get player evaluation 100% right. The fullbacks that Wicky picked are all pros at an MLS level or higher.

Just as I said before this decision, our pool will develop more LBs. Next man up. We roll................!!!

 

He wants to play for Mexico, more than he wants to play for us. Fine. We move on.

 

It's not like we haven't tried.... And we shouldn't stop yet.

But at some point it's just up to the player, and there isn't any more you can do. It would be a shame, but it will also be kind of cool seeing a bunch of players produced in the US playing for Mexico. What more evidence could there be that we are the stronger soccer nation?

 

Could we have tried harder with this particular player? Yes. And the lack of a 2021 youth cycle (and our sluggish restart compared to Mexico) didn't help. But anyway........

HOpefully the next time I see him is with his runner's up medal at the U20 CONCACAF Championships. Cuz its the US that's back-to-back-to-back U20 CONCACAF Champions. We, the US, is the best in the region at this level. And the fact that Mexico needs to raid as many players from the US as they do, is a demonstration of how their development programs are going.

In fact, unless I'm mistaken..............its the US that's the Gold Cup and Nations League Champion. Unless I'm mistaken, Mexico hasn't beaten us in their last four tries.

I'll never understand the complex American soccer fans have about Mexico. Its some bizarre mixture of an inferiority complex and a persecution complex.

We roll!!! Next man up!!

 

Ordinarily, yes, I'd say that coach needs to be fired. Since he's not the coach anymore, he gets off easy there.

Aside from him, who are the main people doing the recruiting of dual-nats? Berhalter? Varas? McBride? Stewart? What specifically has any of them done so well that they can lose (or potentially lose, as you mention) their most important dual-nat recruitment, and their jobs should still be safe. A major part of all of their jobs is recruiting dual-nats. When you lose the most important recruitment, you should start getting nervous for your job, unless you've built up so much goodwill that one big failure doesn't mean.

Which prospects are of a similar level in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, or 2007? I follow this stuff closely. If you want to debate with me who is better, I'm more than willing to debate that. I mentioned that I think Pepi is probably at a similar level. Gomez is more talented, but Pepi plays the more valuable position. Aside from that, sorry there's not another '03 at that level. I thought Nyeman might've been a year or two ago, but hasn't taken that next step. None of the 2004's are that close IMO, unless you want to talk about goalies. 2005's, I don't think there is anyone that close. 2006, is there a chance for Wellings? Maybe, but I'd lean towards no. 2007, I really don't think so, but it's early. We will have a better idea in a year. Gomez was identified as a top-level talent as a U-15 or U-16, not as a U-20.

 

Or maybe FC Dallas (and US Soccer federation) did some things wrong? I don't actually know what is the argument that Gomez did something wrong, so maybe you can explain it.

With all due respect, I also find this type of attitude to be sour grapes. If Gomez plays for Mexico, it's a big loss. He'll also be helping our biggest rival. The team can tell themselves that it's next man-up because they need to actually still perform with worse players, but fans should have the detachment from the team to admit it's not. It simply makes us a lot worse. There is no LB coming through that door that's at a similar level. Gomez was the big hope for our LB position. There's no guarantee he'd pan out, but if he plays for Mexico, we are selecting between lesser talents for the position.

 

As you know, I've been pessimistic about Gomez playing for the USMNT for a long time. That's just based on what I've heard down in Dallas. I'm not a fan of that family.

[Dallas, by the way, will basically be Mexico's home city in the 2026 cycle. They have no home WCQers. They just extended their agreement with SUM and the city of Dallas. Both Dan Hunt and Jerry Jones at the ceremony.]

Gomez isn't Cafu. We'll be fine. Next man up! I don't care about players that DON'T want to play for us. I'm not some jilted bride at the alter. We have lots of guys who are really good and do want to play for us.

 

I'm not saying that FCD and US Soccer are blameless if Gomez does end up playing for Mexico. To be clear, I know relatively nothing about what has gone on with any of those discussions and decisions. That said, on one level, it would really suck to lose him. On another, oh well.... seeyah.

As far as the player goes, is Gomez making decisions about his future based on spiteful retribution for how things have been handled in the past, or is he making decisions based on what is best for him going forward? I hope it's the latter, and it might just be that he feels that Mexico is a better fit for him. In that case, what are we supposed to do?

If it does turn out that way, I don't think we should act like this would be some devastating loss. He is a top quality prospect, but there are more than a couple players who show similar potential. Is he currently performing at a such a higher level than Tolkin? Paredes doesn't necessarily play the same position, but it's not hard to imagine him developing into a player that occupies that flank. Bello is not perfect, but still shows high upside and has had some success already for the senior team. Then there is Jedi Robinson, who has a lot of years in front of him and has been really solid for us. In fact, maybe these players and this competition for the spot (especially compared to what Mexico has at that position) are what is weighing most heavily on Gomez' mind?

 

What's your lesson here? Who cares?

I agree, it's far more difficult to get these guys to go with us than any other sort of dual nat, I teach teenage Mexican-American kids, I have no illusions about the difficulty, but I definitely think we can do better at identifying and recruiting the hell out of them until we win or lose, right now I don't think we're doing any of that as well as we could. We could do better and we need to.

Oddly, I do think two tools are outshining El Tri on the worlds stage dramatically, and getting into bigger and bigger clubs for guys like Pepi and Ledezma (if he goes with us) and others. The kids pay attention to that, if more and more Mexican Americans play for us and succeed at the WC and play for big clubs than El Tri's players, it makes us more attractive.

But we should be manning the barricades in all other avenues and I don't think we are. We have a lot of '80's-'90's era types that are more rah-rah (committment to the team period), and less inclined to understand the dynamics of these players. Interestingly, I think Berhalter is much better about it than say, Stewart.

 

QFT.

There's a really good chance at the end of the day that Gomez picked Mexico (so far!) based on relationships with teammates or his childhood/family rooting interest or an agent's advice on career pathing or a number of things that have little to do with U17 call-ups.

It's his choice, and the Mexican team is going to be attractive to a lot of players. This isn't a video game where if you press the right buttons, you always win.

 

apocalyptic not to mention hyperbolic

 

What does manning the barricades mean? I agree that we should be actively recruiting; I'm not someone who thinks we should take the "it's an honor to play for the USMNT -- recruiting is beneath us."

There's a bunch I'd change about general outreach regardless of recruiting. Spanish language stuff, more camps, etc. All expensive to some level, but of real value across the board.

I just can't get worked up over individual camp call-ups and things like that. I don't think we should get in the habit of dictating call-ups because of dual national status. That's a terrible road to head down -- it breeds resentment and distrust. People are positing that Gomez picked Mexico because Tolkin got picked over him; that idea works both ways.

There's lots of good, common sense suggestions. More camps, more Latino outreach, etc. They all cost cash, but we should probably be doing more of some of them.

But we're going to win some and we're going to lose some. People need to get over that. Even Nick Saban doesn't bat 1.000 and he has people who can literally bribe players. Some of those players are going to be pretty good.

The real antidote to this is volume and winning. Too much focus on individual players is going to lead to bad decisions.

 

I think you raise some good questions.

I don't think it's insignificant what has happened in the past between the Gomez family with FC Dallas and US Soccer Federation. From what I've heard, the family has had issues with both of them throughout the years. The ones with FC Dallas are more public, but there are also issues that have occurred with USSF that one person I speak with on this topic constantly brings up as a sticking point that is playing a part with his decision. I also would suggest that the issues may be intertwined with FC Dallas, USSF, and FMF in a picture that makes FC Dallas and USSF look bad in the eyes of Gomez and his camp.

Is that going to be the sole reason he makes his decision? No, I don't think so, but I don't think it helps us. I think when Gomez left FC Dallas that was another bad indication for his chances of playing for the USMNT. We know how close USSF and FC Dallas are. In a way, I think FC Dallas' actions have contributed to why it's gotten to the point where Gomez is leaning towards Mexico. There are likely some other reasons, but responding to @Clint Eastwood's assertion, I think the people to point fingers at from a USMNT fan perspective are FC Dallas and USSF, not Gomez' family.

As for the names you mentioned that can play LB for us, I don't find it to be a particularly exciting group. If Gomez plays for Mexico, we will have to move on once he's locked into playing for Mexico. Gomez playing for Mexico won't end the existence of the USMNT. There are still games to be played and we have some good players. However, I don't think that failure in recruiting Gomez goes away. We can't just memory-hole, and act like it doesn't matter. It hurts the USMNT without a doubt IMO. I think anyone who chooses to try to claim it doesn't matter (not you) is lying to themselves or is ignorant about the ability of the player.

 

You can say that, but I don't think so.

People like to talk about accountability for the federation when they get things wrong. How is this not a monumental failure? You are about to lose your most important dual-nat recruitment. Not only are you going to lose it, that player is set to play for your biggest rival. When France loses a player to Senegal or England loses a player to Ghana, they lose players to countries that almost certainly will have little impact (directly or indirectly) on their results during the career of those players. It's the exact opposite with losing a player to Mexico.

Is it on the level of not qualifying for a major tournament? No, but if people like Stewart and McBride are tasked in their job description in recruiting players to our USMNT, how is this not a major data point is assessing their work product? Varas is the U-20 coach, and didn't even get Gomez in any camps this cycle after the player publicly stated he wanted to attend one. How is that not a major point in assessing the ability of Varas to do his job well? Berhalter, it's more dependent on some factors we don't know. Did Berhalter call him into the June USMNT camp and the player declined or does Berhalter prefer players like Bello and Tolkin?

 

So far the Gomez family and the agent have chosen the most stupid path possible for the older kid and very suspicious club path for the younger one. There is a fair chance that no matter what GB is doing we can't win.

 

Gomez is also on our provisional list. And it's not like he was called up for Mexico's Senior NT so they also probably agree he isn't ready for that. Maybe we should wait to hear more from him soon before we dismantle the USSF.

 

So we're in agreement, we wait until JoGo agrees to either the Mexican or American U-20 call up before any exec's heads potentially have to roll Aztec style

Speaking of apocalyptic there is single frame of Waldo in the 2006 film "Apocalypto" so maybe that is a sign that Quetzalcoatl favors the US to win this particular battle...

 

Burying the lead!!

ASN has indeed learned that Alex Mighten will be representing the United States moving forward. As we understanding, he has begun the process of filing a formal application to switch to the United States after representing England’s youth national teams. https://t.co/P9gFkQ2XMz

— Grant Turberville (@Turberville) June 1, 2022