It's probably going to be Fuentes v Jordan for the U16 starting role this year. GK is one position I fully trust FCD to get right at this point. Between Carrera and Eyestone and the leap Montoya's made, feels like they are finding a new pro-level guy every year.
If this flavor of prospect is your thing, then '07 Ian Charles should be of interest. Extremely toolsy, high intangibles player that just doesn't really translate that to winning soccer games very often. Important to remember that Tessmann didn't really take The Leap to being a first-team-level prospect until halfway through his first season with the U19s. Both joined FCD as 15-year-olds from lower-tier clubs. Tessmann is a win for betting on raw tools. His trajectory:U-16: “Athletic 8 with energy. There’s something there.”U-17: “Now there’s technical quality too, but very raw.”U-18: “Now performing adequately, but has a long way to go.Turns 22 soon. Finally coming together. https://t.co/BSbaENxrqD— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) September 2, 2023
Meet the #FCDallas U15s for 2023-24 #DTID #SomosFCD https://t.co/oDRqupcCvt— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) September 4, 2023 No big surprises and no significant exits. In fact, Martey is the only addition I wasn't aware of already - his highlights are below. After what Hickam and Witis-Hughes did last year coming up from FCD ECNL, I'm not writing Martey off as just depth, especially at RB. As mentioned recently, felt like this could have been a *huge* recruiting class for FCD if they had gotten Grimm / Glosson from Solar and Pacheco from OKC.
I feel Wygant is being majorly underrated by USSF (that ID camp) and Buzz too (which is probably coming from the club unfortunately). Haven't seen Rios play yet, but other than Vejrostek, I don't have any of the others close to Wygant (for now).
Wygant's another that bumped up to the Academy after spending a year with FCD ECNL. For me, he's very similar in profile to Kurpiewski, except he's smaller.
How did Sealy play this week? I see he got a start and then another sub appearance. Is it worth watching or he’s not making a ton of progress and a waste of time?
Not much to see that's useful. The STL game's a waste - early red card for FCD killed most of their work in possession. Then he barely touched the ball in his cameo in the ATL game. With Kamungo injured for a month or so and Velasco gone with Argentina, Sealy should keep getting opportunities.
At halftime they had a Burn sort of tribute and Broom (who I never saw) , Deering and Caesar were there before game and at halftime. Deering and Caesar said they will be working with the U15'S (I think that was the age). Kenny Cooper was also wondering around and said he was hanging out more with the Academy kids. I think FCD has a lot of success and several great academy leaders moved up and on along with players which wiped them out. I'm getting a vibe they may be on their way back but now there are a lot of other teams that have greatly risen their game (which is good for all and the national team).
U19s first game of the year. Lineup looks like Gomez; Gallo, Grimm (c), Shreiner, Anguiano; Charles, Romero; Radilla (?), Salazar; Medrano, Buttrill But it could easily be a 4231 with Buttrill on the wing.
Opener for the new UPSL team streaming here. No idea how this team will look. Does FCD now have the most teams in their pathway of any MLS club? Two U12s, u13/14/15/16/17/19, UPSL, and MLSNP. https://www.youtube.com/live/lXYSWJlEStU?si=nzZ-vL8NFRHrw6T3
Opener for the U16s against the new indy MLS Next club in Houston. Pretty sure this is Jordan; Easterly, Watkins, Molomo, [mystery LB]; Moreira; Vo, Saucedo; Hart, Rosales, Mazzawi Though Saucedo and Mazzawi could be swapped (could also be the 4222 we’ve been seeing with Vo and Moreira holding, Saucedo and Mazzawi as the 10s, and Hart and Rosales as the STs).
Turns out it was a U17 group (mostly first-stringers) tonight. Won 3-1 (Coppell scored on a PK called - wrongly, imo - on Cortalessa). Nice goal by Luccin at 11:30. Witis-Hughes had the other two on some classic wide forward play. Who knows how instructive these games will be this season - FCD figured out pretty quickly that (i) they could dribble by all these guys, so they earned a bunch of free kicks in the attacking third, (ii) Coppell's offside line wasn't super well organized, so they had options over the top most of the time, and (iii) Coppell wasn't playing super active defense, so they were going to have time on the ball. Hopefully the intensity and sharpness increase as the other teams get into game shape. Coppell's GK kept the scoreline closer than the game.
FC Dallas U17b v GFI, Sept 9 2023, W 3:2 Lineup (L-R where applicable): Wheeler ©; Dozier, Che, Munson, Aydin Pondeca; Arteaga, Cavalcante; Gabriel; Daniel Chukwu (?), Salazar, Gaundique Subs: At halftime, Zertuche for Chukwu (Zertuche to CB, Che to LW), Scabin for Pondeca (Munson to RB), and Lynch for Wheeler in goal. FCD switches to a single-pivot look with Arteaga bumping up alongside Gabriel. Goals: · 1H 3:45 – A GFI cross goes through the box left-to-right, where it’s collected by the RW near the sideline. The RB underlaps, gets it, and crosses quickly, striking Arteaga’s arm just inside the box. PK. Wheeler saves the first shot down to his right, but the taker gets to the rebound and scores. · 2H 0:47 – FCD throw-in on the LW in GFI’s half. Dozier tries to go long for Che, but it’s intercepted before getting back to him via a poor pass. He drives, drives, drives to the middle of the field before taking a right-footed shot from about 27 yards that nestles into the upper left corner. A golazo. · 2H 10:01 – FCD CK on the left goes through the box, where it’s cleared to Munson, who plays in to Scabin, who manages to turn and get it to Che at the top of the box. Che turns under pressure and finds Gabriel, who hit the CK, wide left. Gabriel takes a touch and swings a ball around behind the retreating defense to Salazar a few yards out at the far post. Simple finish. Other Key Chances: · 1H 12:47 – GFI in possession in their own half as FCD retreats around them. Eventually hit a CM who tempts Arteaga out of the way with his body shape and then bursts up the middle before playing an outside-the-foot throughball splitting FCD’s CBs. The ST is a millisecond too slow to pull the trigger and Che gets a toe in to disrupt the shot. · 1H 15:59 – Che in possession near halfway. Nifty move to avoid the pressing forward like a bullfighter and then switch play to Pondeca. Ping-ping-ping passing gets Gaundique isolated 1v1 on the RW. He fakes to the endline before cutting back inside and sliding a pass under a defender to Gabriel, who’s taken down. No PK given, but I think there’s a viable case. · 1H 17:00 – GFI CM burns Chukwu and drives across the middle before laying it off, continuing his run, and getting onto a throughball down the left side. He squares up Munson just outside the six, creates a yard of space, and shoots far post. Great save by Wheeler, though the rebound goes to a GFI FW whose point-blank shot is also saved. · 1H 17:56 – Gabriel jumps a pass in GFI’s third and lays it off to Chukwu down the left. Chukwu immediately loses it, but he and Gaundique win it back via counterpress in GFI’s box. Gaundique gets it, smart/composed footwork to find a space, and shoots with the defense scrambling, but it’s saved. · 2H 6:23 – A long-ball from a free kick is headed out wide left by a GFI attacker. Che collects, turns, and plays back to Dozier, who finds Salazar in behind between the CBs. He touches around the onrushing GK, but can’t quite get back to the ball before it’s cleared to shoot into the empty net. · 2H 20:00 – There’s some possession that leads to it, but the end result is that Che pretty clearly fouls a GFI attacker on the edge of the box. Should be a PK. · 2H 22:02 – A FK caroms off the FCD wall and wide, where it’s recycled and crossed back in. Somehow the GFI attacker has enough time to trap, turn, and shoot, and he barely misses the far post. Other Notes: · As noted above, the “U17a” team would play this same evening in a UPSL match, so this is mostly second-string kids. · Playing against “Global Football Innovation Academy”, which maybe is new? Or a rebrand? IDK. The kid for whom this was uploaded played for TFA last year, so maybe it’s the new TFA? · Low camera angle, so kinda tough to assess space out there. Some weird cuts make me think we missed a few plays (the fact that we only saw three of the five goals also speaks to that). · First time seeing Gabriel, Pondeca, Gaundique, and Chukwu (pretty sure it’s him – was on the roster last year, but dropped this year; never saw him play for this team last season, but he looks like an older version of the younger brother, so I assume). And first time seeing Che at CB. o Gabriel – US-eligible, moves like a 40 year old (not in terms of speed or explosiveness or anything; just his gait), some interesting playing-the-angles stuff in possession. Causes a handful of turnovers with his active defense. Clearly a fine ball-striker. Scored a goal that was cut out of this footage. o Pondeca – Not much to say. Plays a little slow/indecisive in possession. o Gaundique – looks and moves like a really good winger (whether he plays like one is TBD). “Jozie”. Wants to do tricks and take guys on. Bursty – see 1H 19:38 for example – I believe he was a fairly accomplished sprinter when he was younger. Really nice dribbly run at 2H 0:22. Ball retention is clearly not top-of-mind for him. Better crossing should be a key next addition to his game. Generally, quite impressive. Felt like FCD’s most dangerous player for most of the game. Not a meaningful step down from Dolores-Herrera at least. o Chukwu – Smallish, like his brother. Struggled to make a positive impact. o Che as a CB – Physical gifts are similar to a CB, as you would expect given his brother’s career path. Maybe some positioning stuff relative to Munson that got loose, but otherwise quite good back there. Got caught in possession once. Seemed to hold the offside line well. · Munson in a thick left arm cast after breaking something down in Mexico. Don’t think he’ll end up big enough to be a CB. · Cavalcante with some struggles under pressure throughout. Didn’t play much last year, not making a great case to play much this year based on this game. He’s always had the frame and the two-footedness, but not much else to his game to recommend him as a prospect. · Sweet feet by Salazar on the sideline at 1H 19:32. Other than being a target for aerial service (lots of jumps with this guy), fairly uninvolved aside from the goal involvements. He and Witis-Hughes are both Pickering Problems: they score and assist a lot, but if you watched their, say, third to tenth best actions of any given game, you wouldn't really know they were good. · FCD finding a ton of space in behind in the 2H. · Is Outman injured? Two U17 games on this day, and neither involves him. · Really enjoyed #17 for GFI. Good case to be the best player on the field. Had lots of FCD kids chasing shadows. Couple of decisive tackles. “Jack”, I believe.
FC Dallas U19s v Foro SC UPSL, Sept 5 2023, L 1:4 *Time stamps refer to video time, not game time Lineup (L-R where applicable): Gomez; Anguiano, Shreiner, Grimm ©, Gallo; Charles, Romero; Buttrill, Salazar, Radilla; Medrano Subs: Vargas on at halftime for Radilla at RW. About 10min into 2H, Brandon comes on for Shreiner. About 20min in, Sylvester and Aaron Pondeca on for Medrano and Romero (Vargas to ST). At ~70min, Backus and Torquato on for Salazar and Buttrill (Anguiano to LCB and Brandon to LB, Pondeca goes to RM, Backus to LM, Torquato to CM; basically playing a 442). Goals: · 1:00:16 – FCD CK on their right side, Salazar delivering an inswinger. Puts it on the six yard box near the front post, and Buttrill meets it, clanging it off the crossbar and down into the goal. · 1:43:19 – After a few moments of Foro recycling possession around their left side in FCD’s half, one of them manages to whip a ball in behind the (somewhat disheveled looking) FCD backline. Gomez gets out quickly enough to push the ball away from the onrushing Foro attackers, but it’s found at the top of the box by a CM who volleys first time into the far post. Great strike. · 1:51:55 – Foro in possession on their right side in FCD’s end. Big switch to find the LB just outside the corner of the PK area. Pondeca and Gallo get kinda worked 2v2 and the LW gets a cross off across the six yard box, where the RW is wide open behind Anguiano and Brandon for a tap in. · 2:08:10 – Foro FK in the middle just inside FCD’s half – they go short and up the middle. Torquato, Pondeca, Sylvester, and Grimm all get too easily dribbled / comboed past, and Grimm ends up pulling the Foro attacker down as he enters the box. PK. Gomez goes the wrong way. Goal. · 2:10:36 – Charles tries a diagonal in Foro’s half that’s blocked into the middle of the field. Foro recovers and tries to play down the right, where Anguiano gets to it first but cramps up and loses the ball. Foro has it again just inside FCD’s half, and Grimm and Brandon get their wires crossed setting the offside line (Grimm lets a guy go, and Brandon [probably not knowing there’s a FW behind him] drops back to keep the Foro player onside), leaving an easy throughball and 1v1 that’s finished far post. Other Key Chances: · 35:59 – After Gallo and Salazar combine to earn a FK outside the box on the right, Salazar shoots it from an acute angle and off the crossbar. · 39:30 – Starting from a throw-in, FCD withstands some sustained pressure from Foro and plays their way out of the back elegantly, eventually leading to Salazar playing Buttrill over the top. He manages to get the ball across to Medrano at the top of the box where he has a free shot, but it’s too tame compared to the quality of the chance. Right at the GK. · 1:03:50 – Shreiner on the ball wide of his own box as Foro presses. He plays Romero inside, who goes back to Gomez, who goes back to Shreiner again, but this time there’s a defender on his back. So, Shreiner tries to play first time to Romero again, but misses him long (and not long enough to reach Salazar), so Foro collects at the top of the box and plays into the mixer. It squirts out to the back post, where a Foro FW gets a free shot from the penalty spot, forcing a great save from Gomez that still deflects up off the crossbar. · 1:58:39 – After a clearance by Foro’s GK, FCD throw-in on the left sideline a few yards into Foro’s half. Gallo takes it quickly and finds Sylvester over the top running in on goal. He gets a shot away under pressure from 7ish yards out that the GK manages to kick just wide of the far post. Other Notes: · Foro is Michel’s other club. My understanding is they’re one of the better UPSL clubs in Dallas, and they play good soccer. · Can anyone confirm the eligibility requirements for UPSL? I’d assume the players (like Molina or Lacy) who have signed a pro contract can’t play, but I don’t know that for sure. · Radilla and Buttrill the two newcomers in this lineup. Radilla was a key part of the ‘05s in U15 and prior, but spent two years playing ECNL, voluntarily or not. Hadn’t seen Buttrill before apart from some brief highlights – he’s tall and eats up ground while running, but plays backwards quite a bit. · The commentator notes that Chooks Enriquez was set to start but was replaced by Gomez last minute. · Romero is willing to move forward quite a bit, so often it looks like Charles is playing by himself as a single pivot. As mentioned previously, it is notable that he’s already playing with the U19s (not that he looks out-of-place physically at all). Romero struggles quite a bit early. · As best I can tell, the only other ’07s on the roster were Ren Sylvester and Josh Torquato. At this point, odds on favorites for the first ‘07s to get NTX time are Charles and Sylvester. · Shreiner with some thoughtless turnovers in his own end in the first half. Just passing right to the opposition. Struggles with Foro’s pressure (FCD does as a team too, at times). · Wild play by Salazar at 31:00 to bully his way out of pressure and spring Radilla down the right. · New team, same attacking set plays designed to get Shreiner open in the box. · Wish Baran was available to play wing in this game. Buttrill and Radilla don’t move me tremendously. · Lots of fluidity among the front three to start the second half. All three may be more naturally suited as STs than Ws. · Gomez: World Cup foot skills, Gold Cup reflexes, Dallas Cup athleticism, neighborhood pick-up physique. · With all the second half subs, lots of guys are playing in weird positions. Team gets jumbled in their responsibilities. Foro mostly dominates the middle 20+ minutes of the 2H. It’s 2-1 late into the 2H when FCD starts getting desperate and sending CBs forward on underlapping runs. Disappointed by FCD’s drop in intensity after Foro’s third.
I watched one of the U-18's (combined '06/'07) games from the preseason tournament. The 06's just don't have much right now at the club (Urzua/Garcia didn't play this tournament either). I don't see Jared Salazar becoming a high level pro. Nice academy player, but I think he's too limited for pros. Vargas is probably the best pro prospect, and he's basically only a big target forward that will play at a lower pro level due to his size and target game. I like Backus' game too, but only as a fringe prospect. The 07's are much better. Very deep age group. Caleb Swann played like 15 minutes in the game I saw, and was terrific. He's always around the ball. Really have great instincts and feel for the game. I've now arrived at him being the top '07 at the club. Charles I rate, but his game is a little rough and I don't see anything too high-end. I get the club likes him, but I'm not 100% sold yet. Hickam is decent, but I think he's squarely behind Charles at his best position. I like Munson's game too. Very good 1v1 defender. Not sure about his best position long-term. Chris Salazar didn't play in the game I saw, but I think he has very decent upside. He could end up the best of the 07's. Montoya I knew I rated after seeing him unfortunately only once last season. They played the others most of the games I saw of the U-16's last season. Liked what I saw of him here too. I think he's solid, but I'm not sold he's anywhere near Carrera or Eyestone level yet. I feel Witis-Hughes has good potential. Guzman is underrated too. The 07's have a lot of depth.
No, is he new to the academy? I watched the one against LAFC. I think he was a late second half sub. I used your descriptions as a guide. I looked down at the roster a few times, and he made some plays that impressed me in very limited minutes, but figured he probably wasn't a notable player.
He played for Michigan Jaguars U16 last year. Him and Colton Swan (now with the Rapids) were the best players on that team by a mile. Like Witis-Hughes, a wide forward more than a winger, but I think he's got better in-possession ability than W-H. Not just an end product merchant. Based on usage, I'd guess he's an in-pen starter for the U17s right now, either at ST or W depending on what look they want in the game in question. Nice variety of FW options between those two, Salazar, Contreras, and Gaundique. Very little skillset redundancy.
Believe this lineup for the U15s is: Carrera Martey, Wygant, Odom, Vejrostek Salm Velazquez(?), Cook Eason, Echevarría, Vargas (?)
The good thing with Carrera is we know his two older brothers are 6’3 and 6’4, so he probably has a big growth spurt coming eventually. Usually it would otherwise be alarming when half or more of the starting XI was taller than the GK. I think at that age too Antonio was short and grew a lot around his U-16 season.
I guess they're not letting me embed Tweets again? NTX beats Houston 3-1 in Houston in a game where the stakes were much higher for Dynamo 2 than NTX. '06 Molina back in the lineup after an injury layoff - pluses and minuses, but was fine. My guess is he's lined up for a first team deal in 2025 once they clean up the RB depth chart. '06 Garcia came on as a sub and really shined beside getting an assist off a CK. '05 Lacy's first start was mostly uneventful apart from a layoff assist to '01 Pondeca, who continues to be deadly from the top of the box. '01 Endeley also had an assist off a cross, but was quieter than usual. '04 Carrera was magnificent: his best game of the year, imo. Spectacular save at 72' and quite a few other strong moments. Gonna be really interesting to see what they do with him next year - does Paes leave? Does Maurer come back? Do they send him on a USL-C loan? Garcia had been the youngest rostered player this season before '07 Nico Montoya made the bench tonight - the first '07 to do so.
U17s lineup: Wheeler Cortalessa, [Charles/Hickam], Guzman, Torquato [Whichever of Charles/Hickam isn’t at CB] Luccin, Swann W-H, Sylvester, Contreras Very similar to the UPSL lineup last week except Charles is back in for Scabin (who did play in this game off the bench).