You could be right about Che but wasn't he starting at RT back already before he left? I recall he got pulled off a few games but thought he was the starter for a while. Not sure that is a good thing the club is putting him at the wing instead of rt back or center back? Does he translate to a pro rt wing at all? That is probably why they moved him to CB at age 15 because it wasn't there as an attacker. Sure wing and RT back share a lot of the same qualities but hope he settles in at a position soon.
Che had been playing CB while on loan at Bayern II. Right? He was actually called up to the USMNT while on that loan. He was starting at RB last season for FCD, but I believe part of the reason for that was injury related. There was just an opening, and he had done well enough at that position for NTSC. Twumasi and John Nelson were out with extended injuries? Didn't they give Munjoma a couple of games, but that didn't work out? Kudos to the club for trusting Justin and turning to him at such a young age. He held his own, but was he actually that good there. Eh. Kinda like how Kellyn Acosta was a central midfielder in the upper levels of the FCD academy. [Played left back at Bradenton.] But he broke into FCD as a right back because that happened to be where playing time was available. Zach Loyd was out with an extended injury.
Mostly played CB with for his last few seasons in the Academy and with NTX and Bayern, played RB with FCD, played CB in the spring with Hoffenheim, and now he’s playing RB/RM with Hoffenheim. For 2021, John Nelson had a broken back and Twumasi was out for the first half of the year while recovering from an abnormal heart rhythm. Twumasi basically benched Che in the second half of the year.
Che started 11 games from June - September of 2021 and then basically started and played in 1 additional game down the stretch. I don't think Twumasi was out for much of that time with the heart issue, but seems the team sort of experimented with him around the pitch and then he locked down the RB role late in the season. They started the year with Munjuma at RB...then Hollishead played their a bit and then Che and then Twumasi.
Wanted to briefly shout out Slade Starnes (Furman), Grady Easton (SLU), Cristian Escribano (Wake Forest), and Josh Ramsey (Notre Dame), all four of whom are among the leaders for minutes played for their teams as underclassmen defenders. As more of these guys accumulate, the chances increase that one of them turns into a homegrown for FCD.
I’ve always been a big fan of Josh Ramsey. Reminds me a little of Matt Besler, who also played at Notre Dame. He’s a little small for a CB (listed at 6’0), but I think like he’s going to be a good professional player in MLS and possibly even above MLS.
CB is a big question mark this off-season. Mostly because its unclear if Hedges will be back. FCD has a '23 option, but his salary skyrockets on that option. FCD wants him back at less money (of course), but so far negotiations have reportedly not gone well. They need more CB depth regardless of that as it looks like Bartlett may not be back either. HSO: If #FCDallas & Hedges are as far apart as has been reported *AND* FCD is 100% sure they don't want him on '23 option...Then #DTID should use the 2-day trade window to move him. Anything they can get is better than nothing if declined. Someone may like that option $.— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) November 7, 2022
Maybe they can bring back Che and give him some run there. Better than his current situation at least.
FC Dallas U17s v Dynamo, 11/6/22 L 1-3 Starters (L-R where applicable): Eyestone; Canizalez (maybe Avila, but definitely Canizalez in the second half), Brandon, Shreiner, Cortalessa (07); Urzua; Valdivia, Romero; Vargas, Medrano, Jared Salazar Subs: At about 58min, Bazzell for Shreiner and Murphy for Cortalessa; at just past an hour, Charles (07) comes on for Urzua; about 70min in, Lopez on for Valdivia, and he takes the point of the diamond from Salazar, who goes to the left #8 spot; Goals: · 10:12 – HOU in possession around halfway against FCD’s set defense. A FW checks back into the right halfspace between the lines and the CB turns back and finds him in the pocket. He drives a little, then pushes a throughball to the ST directly in front of him (at least I think that was the intended target). It’s too far for the ST, but the LW has made a run across the defense. He gets to the ball just before Eyestone does, and Eyestone takes him down for a PK. HOU converts. · 30:15 – Eyestone’s on the ball 25 yards from his own goal. He lumps it at Vargas in the right halfspace in the opposition half. Vargas creates some space for the ball to fall, chests the resulting bounce forward into the box, muscles his way past the HOU DM to get position, and is fouled. PK. Vargas converts. · 49:50 – HOU GK on the ball in his own half. Swings out to the RB via the RCB. RB slips to the CM inside, who whops a big diagonal over Cortalessa’s head to the LW. LW, takes it down, drops it back to the LB, then gets the return ball 30 yards from goal with Shreiner on his back. He turns Shreiner, drives at the top of the box, shoots hard and low at the near post from 20-22 yards. Eyestone gets a hand on it, but it goes in. · 1:26:23 – HOU GK on the ball in his own box. Pops it out to the LB. Lopez falls asleep and a HOU CM comes free inside, receives the ball, and carries forward into the FCD half and then across the middle. Canizalez is loafing back, which leaves Bazzell 1v2 in his channel. The HOU ballcarrier plays through to the unmarked FW, who boxes out Bazzell at the top of the box and slips a shot underneath an onrushing Eyestone. Other Key Chances: · 4:00 – FCD pinging some passes together to get into zone 14. Eventually, Urzua tries to scoop it forward to Medrano, but it’s pushed wide. Urzua beats everyone to the ball, does really nicely to pull back inside, and feeds between defenders to Medrano, who’s 1v1 with the GK, but his shot is saved. Likely offside anyway. Vargas probably should have had a PK a second later too. · 16:53 – FCD goalkick. Eyestone plays short left to Shreiner. Shreiner gets closed down, doesn’t really do anything with the ball, and plays back to Eyestone. Eyestone lets it roll across and plays outside of his foot (!?!?) directly to a HOU FW, who takes a pop at the empty net but misses. · 22:03 – HOU in possession out of the back. The LCB puts a ball over Cortalessa’s shoulder to the LW, Cortalessa can’t quite recover quickly enough to block the cross, and the ST gets a free shot on the top of the six yard box but scuffs it. · 22:39 – Resulting goalkick, Eyestone plays short to Shreiner, who dallies on the ball and his pass across to the left is deflected directly to an HOU player in the box. He jitterbugs a bit before popping a ball into the ST in the middle. The ST takes it down and gets a 1v1 from about 7 yards that Eyestone does well to leave no easy shot. Save, clearance. · 27:31 – HOU bringing the ball out of their box immediately after a TO. Super simple pass forward then sideways and their midfielder has 50 yards of space to dribble into at FCD’s retreating backline. He plays left into the box to the LW, who crosses back to the PK spot, but Shreiner cuts it out. Shreiner then gets dispossessed by a HOU CM, Cortalessa gets dribbled past, and Eyestone makes a nice save on a shot from the corner of the six yard box. · 38:25 – FCD throw-in on their left in their half. Goes to Romero who returns it to Canizalez who plays long at Vargas, but the wind drops it short and the RCB heads clear. Salazar collects and quickly plays the same ball, and this time it goes over and Vargas runs onto it near the box. He chests it down before cutting it back and slipping a pass across to an arriving Medrano, who gets a free shot from 10-12 yards in the center of the box. Hits it nearly at the GK, who saves. · 39:31 – FCD throw-in on their RW in the attacking half. Cortalessa goes to Valdivia inside, who pokes a pass at Vargas at the top of the box. Vargas traps and no-looks a ball over his left shoulder to Medrano in the box. Medrano shoots from the corner of the six, but right at the GK and it’s saved. · 41:06 – Cortalessa on the ball wide of his own box after Eyestone rolled it to him. He’s closed down and dispossessed. The HOU FW takes it, dribbles between Valdivia and Shreiner, and shoots 1v1 with Eyestone. It’s saved and bounces across the face of goal. The same FW continues his run and heads the ball at the gaping maw of the open goalmouth, but puts it over the bar. · 48:29 – HOU GK in possession in his own box. Pings it out to his LB who dribbles inside and past an onrushing Cortalessa. He then goes straight upfield unbothered by the FCD midfield, and then plays in front of a HOU CM who has swung wide into Cortalessa’s spot. Romero slow to rotate back there. The HOU CM runs onto it, breaks away from the defense, and Eyestone kick saves 1v1. · 1:13:17 – HOU CK. The cross lands and bounces up at the back post, where a HOU CB tries to head it back into the far corner. I *think* Eyestone gets up and gets a hand on it to push it along the goal line, where Bazzell crashes in and clears wide. If it’s a save it’s a great save. · 1:31:12 – Eyestone over a dead ball just outside his box. Whacks it forward at Medrano, who loses the aerial, but Salazar collects the second ball and dribbles out left. Eventually he gets far enough forward that he can hit a driven cross at Medrano’s feet near the PK spot. Medrano takes his first touch between the CBs and is prevented from having a volleyed shot from about 8 yards by a last second intervention from HOU’s LCB. Other Notes: · The footage isn’t super clear. Makes it tough to ID kids at times. · Fairly strong wind going against FCD in the first half and with them in the second. · #MatiasAsoreyOut. This man must be stopped. Some brave FC Dallas or YNT fan should rise up and become the J Jonah Jameson to his Spiderman. He’s had excuses every year (this year, the ‘06s are the core of the team and have massive holes for a variety of reasons), but every year his teams look totally lost and uninspired for at least six months. Only one so far (the ’20-’21 squad) grew out of that at all. Watching his teams has been a chore for about 90% of the games I’ve seen them play. · If the “key chances” section doesn’t sell it enough – HOU could have reasonably had 5-6 goals in the first half. Lots of shots from right up close that either missed or Eyestone blocked by being quick and huge. Team really misses Tate Jones (or a solid #6 more generally). · The U16s had a game on this same day against Shattuck-St. Mary’s, so it’s not like the ‘07s playing in this game didn’t have anything else to do. · This age group is crying out for an actual winger. Vargas and Salazar start there. · To that point, Salazar is playing RW in 1H but really more like RM and the right-sided 8 frequently pushes out to the frontline inside of Salazar. Really fluid interchange. Salazar moves into the middle of the front three to start the second half. Almost a 4-diamond-2 from there (or a 4-box-2 at times)– FBs start playing the whole sideline. · After the first HOU goal, Romero and Urzua switch spots – Romero’s now at the #6. Lotta urgent talking between plays for a few minutes thereafter among the midfield to get their rotations right. Eventually, Charles comes on for Urzua and Romero goes back to the #8. · Urzua looks mad a few times after he does something wild (like carrying 40 yards up the field) to get FCD out of a tight spot and no one else is helping. Clearly a step above the rest of the back eight players. Every once in a while Salazar drops back and they do something really slick, but more often he’s shunted off to the right side and away from the play. Both those guys are real players. · First time seeing Valdivia. He was apparently a FW at Mazatlan, but FCD is using him as an 8. Seems fine in combo play. Not much of an athlete. · Cortalessa’s got real problems holding the offside line when the ball is coming down FCD’s left and he’s on the weakside of the play. Gotta be brave to let the runner go – controlling the space behind is his biggest weakness as a defender. Lots to like with his 1v1 work. Struggled a few times with the ball. · Impressed by a few flashes from Vargas. Added quite a bit of danger with his dribbling and his heft. Some good vision to pick out the right pass too. He’s always been a high highs player, tho. Still, best game I’ve seen him play in a few years. · Lots of hard defensive work by Salazar to cover ground in this one. He’s cramping for the last 15min. · FCD wildly open throughout the game. Basically the whole defense have a truly abysmal burn-the-tape game. No doubt a symptom of the midfield giving too much space. Tate Jones missed again. · Charles looks huge. Like, as big as Vargas. Reminding myself he’s a Jan birthday. Also, why doesn’t he go forward for dead balls? Makes some defensive reads I didn’t see him make earlier in the fall. · HOU’s #64 is very good. Has been for a few years. #63’s nice too.
NTSC basically cleared house. Like they seemingly do every year. Ferri mentioned again as a player that had issues with the former head coach (as other players like Waldeck seemingly did). If I was any MLS club I'd be kicking the tires on Ferri for cheap depth. Low key news hidden in here... no mention of Jose Mulato who was on loan from Deportivo Cali. It's been previously reported that he was sold to #FCDallas & now has a "long-term" deal with #DTID.The lack of mention by NTXSC lends a great deal of credence to those reports. https://t.co/zSJ1uoukdQ— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) November 8, 2022
FC Dallas U15 v Dynamo, 11/6/22, D 0-0 Starting Lineup (L-R where applicable): ?; Molomo, Luna, Rodriguez, Easterly; Razo; Saucedo, Vo; Kent, Hart, Lee Subs: Just after halftime, Luna off for Rojas, bumping Molomo to LCB; close to an hour, Kent off for Meese and Lee off for Alvarez; Cotton-Betteridge on for Easterly about halfway into 2H; Other Key Chances: 11:16 – FCD recycles possession to the CBs near halfway. Easterly gets the ball and plays quickly inside to Vo, who receives well to get to some space on the inside. He drives to the center of the field about 30 yards from goal and slips in Hart, who gets a free shot from 8 yards out and misses. 17:33 – FCD throw-in in their half on the right sideline. Headed to Hart, who bumps back to Vo, who slides across to Saucedo, who pulls back to the right and leads Easterly forward into the attacking half. Easterly slides it up the sideline to Lee, who cuts inside to the box and lays it back to Saucedo. Saucedo goes left, shoots with his left, but it hits Vo. There’s a scramble and the ball squirts back into the right side of the box where Lee jumps on it and shoots from ~8-10 yards out, but right at the GK. 33:55 – FCD goalkick. It’s played left to Luna, who forwards it on the sideline to Molomo. Molomo just kind of freezes up and is closed down and dispossessed. Dynamo play quickly back to the middle and their FW takes a hard first time shot and rings the outside of the goal frame. 44:45 – HOU free kick deep in their half. It’s laced at a HOU FW at halfway with Rodriguez on his back. Rodriguez gets spun and the HOU FW is away with an unimpeded run at the box, where Luna gets chopped and the FW takes a shot from 12ish yards out. Saved near post. 1:01:06 – FCD free kick on their left wing in HOU’s half. Long service into the box that’s headed out (by an FCD player oddly) and bounces around a few times before a HOU player gets a full foot on it and bombs it out to halfway. There, a HOU FW gets goalside of Rodriguez, lets the ball bounce over his head, and runs onto it on a breakaway. The GK is way out of goal but decides not to challenge for the ball, so he’s in no-man’s land. The HOU player can’t hit the empty net. Other Notes: Video isn’t super high quality, which makes IDing kids a little tough (especially on the far side, which is FCD’s right in the first half). FCD is generally in control of this one in the first half. Almost all the possession and almost all around halfway or beyond. Need more depth, but I’m feeling consistently better-and-better about the back seven in this group (MFs and DFs aside from the GK). I don’t feel good about any of the FWs tho (if we’re counting Saucedo as a MF). Minimal cutting edge. That said, Tadesse Hart is the rare defensive difference-maker forward. Reacts quickly, works crazy hard, takes smart angles, etc. Every game he gets a few interceptions or steals or forces bad passes or something. Just rare to find that skillset at this age group. First time seeing Luna with FCD. Kind of stocky and short for a CB they recruit from across the country. Not much to report. First time I’ve seen Rodriguez play CB so far this year too. Kind of crazy to pull those guys out in a game against HOU. A couple of different times, Vo does a really nice job to receive the ball well and drive into dangerous spots. Wish there was some plus-plus trait to hang my hat on, but he’s a well-rounded player. Couldn’t ID FCD’s GK, but he goes full Ederson at 3:30. Loves playing 30+ yards from his own goal – HOU spent the whole second half shooting from halfway. Littler, but has serious range on his long ball. More positive impressions from Lee. Telling he gets the start in this one. Molomo a little more profligate on the ball than I’d like. Flashes legit winger skills a few times. Good to know he’s still got those in his bag. Lol Saucedo being a nutso dribbler two plays in a row at 35:30. If he can improve his vision/decision-making he’d be unstoppable. 50:55 a good example of the level of technical/physical ability – anyone else loses the ball there, but he houdinis away with the ball and retains possession. Gets fouled another 6-7 times again this game. Something goes horribly wrong with FCD’s rest defense in the 2H such that HOU gets 5+ situations where it’s 1v1 or 2v2 back there after a turnover. HOU probably with the better of the ball and chances in 2H. Okay, getting some of the game-reading from Razo in this game. None of the work on the ball, but yeah, seeing some high-level game-reading and ground-coverage. #16 from HOU’s a major handful.
Welcome to the Tulsa Family @MccloudBowen#SigningDay#ReignCane#LoyalAlwaysTrue pic.twitter.com/EmzRpDVkoO— Tulsa Men's Soccer (@TulsaMSoccer) November 9, 2022
Not looking likely that Dante gets his option picked up by PSV. At this point I wonder if the best move is for Dallas to terminate the loan early so he can be ready for the start of the MLS season. https://t.co/aAWXLZpU5q— Marcus Chairez (@chai_asc) November 11, 2022
Tough situation. They've got literally 10+ FWs at PSV that are U23s and really high level talents. Theoretically he can still be really good (I doubt it) and be buried behind some of those other guys. I'm not sure FCD would want to bring him back unless they're sure he can contribute, and given he hasn't been playing much this year that would be hard to know. IDK, maybe they bring him to Texas for preseason and then loan out the loser among him, Bernie, and Redzic.
He was always a long term development play, and for some reason his development has always been sped up. I wish there would’ve been someone that had a realistic view of all this, and was guiding his development better. I don’t pretend to know the people in his camp, but too often the people around a talented player want the kid promoted whenever possible and to take every opportunity to move up in stature that comes their way. Sealy was the first of the 03’s to play with the 02’s, but it was quickly apparent he was worse than both Pepi and Gomez. He had talent, but he quickly signed a first team deal, and didn’t spend enough time with the academy teams. He should’ve been developing the past few years at North Texas SC, but took this opportunity with PSV. People suggested it was good because PSV is some magical developmental environment. As you mention, they have plenty of options in his position. They were not waiting for a long developmental guy to work out for them. Either he immediately turned it on or he’d be gone, and predictably it’ll be the latter. Given his trajectory, the people around him should’ve known he had little chance to be playing for the PSV first team after two years, based on where his development was. When he gets back to Dallas, they might not want him either. I think Kamungo is ahead of Sealy right now, and they play the same exact role in a team.
I know he has played more LB, but I’m pretty sure they still see him as a LCB long-term. Wouldn’t be surprised if he spent next season as NTX’s starter there. According to multiple sources, one of the two Homegrowns #DTID is working on is now signed/finalized. And enough people from #FCDallas have spoken about it to others that I feel comfortable saying it's Nolan Norris. pic.twitter.com/h33XrRtlBd— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) November 14, 2022
Roberts and Redzic see their options declined. I’m surprised by the latter. FC Dallas announces end-of-2022 roster decisions.#DTID | #SomosFCD— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) November 14, 2022
I think most people thought it’d be picked up, but Redzic isn’t that good, he barely played this season, and he’s now 20 years old. Maybe we (myself included) should’ve tried to think about it a little simpler.
It'll be interesting to see where he lands. A lot of MLS teams seem to be adopting the ruthless level of youth/potential perspective European teams have at the higher levels. From a youth player perspective, I'm not sure that's terrible -- you can sign, you can try, but if you aren't seen as good enough, you get to go find a club that believes in you more / find your level. On the other hand, there's a real gap in the developing US pyramid -- I suppose this means USL, but USL still pays crap. It'd be interesting to see if he gets picked up by a USL team on similar wages to MLS homegrowns. From an MLS team perspective, I do wonder if they are overshooting their coverage a bit. MLS Next Pro isn't USL quality yet, so there's this gap. And while yes, there's a point where you really wonder if a player can't be MLS level, that isn't 20 yet, is it? Look at players like Long, or Andrew Gutman having a great year, or DeJuan Jones, or Roldan or whomever. Maybe these two guys really don't have the upside, but I also feel like they may be loading too many bullets for the guy for sale to Europe and not enough for a guy who could be a plus MLS player for 10 years. Then again, in attack, that is more challenging. The standard for a 10 or less so, for a wing, is already high. By the time Beni is 24/25, it could be quite a bit higher.
He played 64 minutes and turned 20 in September. Not a promising profile for a position that isn't late developing. I don't know their entire HGP line-up and how much room they have there and with the salary cap, but judging by where he was on the depth chart, the only real reason to keep him his because his salary is cheap (basically league min) and off the books (HGP).
I don't disagree here, but with expanded MLS FA and an the ever present International pool of players, the value to clubs of developing homegrown players into plus MLS players is largely limited to the value they create while on their first contract when their salary is off the books. In theory if Redzic leaves and goes to USL and develops over the next 3 years then FC Dallas could sign him at that point and he would have about the same amount of value to FC Dallas than if they developed him internally because by that point he would be outside his first HGP deal. Do think you would need to be farther along developmentally than he is at 20 to think he would develop into a plus attacking prospect at 25 as the bar is pretty high there and the developmental curve to minutes less. Plus how does he get minutes to develop? Obviously won't be at the MLS level, so would have to by North Texas or USL-C loan, but surprisingly he didn't play for NT this year.
He was super dynamic as a 17/18-year-old in USL League One in 2020, lost most (all?) of 2021 with injuries, and got stuck in a 2022 situation where the top three in his position (Velasco, Arriola, and Obrian) were solid and healthy for the whole year. Plus we heard several times throughout the year from several outlets that Estevez really liked him and was specifically carving substitute appearances out for him. I don't think it's crazy to suggest there's something there for someone else to harvest. If him leaving means they're bringing Hope Avayevu up from NTSC, though, I'm more sanguine about the whole thing.
Shrug. Redzic always seemed on the fringe. Many were expecting him to have his option picked up because he was cheap depth. But when is he ever going to play? In the grand scheme of things Roberts was thought of as a pretty darn good prospect. He just never took the "next step." Blame has been going around in circles, but it sidesteps the point that many of his brethren of the same age are excelling. The potentially seismic news is that Matt Hedges had his option declined. So now we see if he and FCD can negotiate a new contract or not. If they can't, then there's a massive hole in their lineup.