It was like the good 'ole days last night! FC Dallas started 5 thread eligible players!!! Farrington, Sealy, Pondeca, Norris, and Kamungo!!! I didn't see a second of the game, but they lost 3-2 to SKC. [It was clearly a backup lineup as they've got the USOC quarterfinal on Wednesday. That's their best shot at a trophy this year.]
Likewise, watching FC Dallas games live is bad for my mental health, so I haven't seen it yet. That said, a few takeaways from the highlights and the box score. '01 Farrington had one assist and probably should have had two but for some record-keeping shenanigans that classed FCD's first as an own goal, which should have been counted as a goal for '02 Kamungo. Those two both seem like they had good games: Farrington with his passing and Kamungo with his dribbling. The midfielders (Pondeca, Norris, Sealy) all seem like they were pretty uninvolved.
Another fun and exciting situation where FCD doesn't play their best GKers at the Academy level? Josue Fuentes, starter for Honduras's upcoming U17 side, seemingly got displaced in the FCD U16 team by Aiden Jordan, who joined this season from Solar. Nevertheless, Fuentes is now training with the first team in the Academy offseason. Reminds me a little of Nico Montoya, who joined the Academy, basically never played, got a bunch of training time with the pro teams, and then broke out this last year as the clear #1 for the U17s and the next possible pro signing at GK. There's no other position where playing time with the youth teams matters so little to FCD, it seems.
Plus movement skills, plus dribbler. Not much else to his game (and I found out in this video that he's a January birthday). Lefty, which is a plus. Screams "wingback" to me.
One of three decent DM options for FCD's U16s. Not as physically gifted as Bronold or Razo, but he plays really well in 360 degree space.
Screw it, eight minutes of Chris Wygant nutmegging people over the last seven years. Also, if you wanted 70 minutes of highlights with John Woo-levels of slow-mo, have I got the videos for you.
I watched a few minutes of these highlights and what stood out to me was how right foot dominant he is. He seems to try very hard not to use his left foot, including making outside of the foot passes on his right.
Outside the foot passes are not a sin and in many situations is preferred to a week footed pass. That said, yes, he is overly one footed. He is taking dribble touches with the right even in situations where a simple left touch would have been better. He received a long pass with his right in a situation where the left would have set him up for a great angle on a strong foot shot.
Liga MX just announced the teams for the annual U17 summer tournament (not sure on dates yet). It'll be Atlas, Chivas, America, and Pachuca from Liga MX, and Palmeiras, FC Dallas, America de Cali, and one of the Mexican YNT squads otherwise. '07s and younger, so FCD will send a combined squad of rising U18s and U17s.
Really early this year, I guess. Round robin games are on the 11th through the 17th with the final thereafter. Will be streamed on Facebook (and I plan to watch and annotate).
FCD U17 v America de Cali, 7/11/24, L 2-4 Lineup (L-R, where applicable): Montoya; Dozier, Kaakoush (’08), Charles ©, Cortalessa; Hickam; Luccin, Gabriel; Orejarena, Sylvester, Contreras Subs: 49th minute, Outman, Guandique and Salazar come on for Orejarena, Luccin, and Mendonca (Sylvester goes to LW and it’s a 4231 with Contreras as the #10). 54th minute, Scabin on for Kaakoush (Charles shifts to LCB) and Witis-Hughes on for Sylvester. Arteaga and Guzman came on at some point around the 65th for Hickam and Charles. Goal(s): · 20:20 – Cali RCB in possession passes across halfway to the RW, who receives and turns around Dozier, cuts inside, shoots low into the near post and scores. Hickam looked like he could have gotten a foot on the ball before the shot but he doesn’t sell out to get there. · 29:32 – Cali plays long out of the back and it’s bumped to the RB, whose touch gets loose, Contreras pounces, and Contreras drives back to the side of the box. He cuts it across to Luccin, whose dinked shot from the PK spot nestles into the right side of the net. Cultured finish. · 39:41 – Cali plays out of the back wide to the right side, where the RW sidesteps Orejarena and drives at the center circle before flipping the ball forward to a ST. The ST tries to lay it off for a 1-2, but Hickam gets a foot in to block the pass before fumbling the ball directly into the path of the onrushing RW. He plays a through ball between the CBs and the other ST chips the finish. Charles misplaced to protect the channel. · 42:46 – Contreras gets the ball from Hickam in the buildout and tries to dribble through a defender, but he gets turned over and Cali goes the other way (the last in a line of several straight possessions like that – FCD gets to the midfield, but the midfield can’t progress further or gets stripped). Cali combos forward, gets the ball to the CM at the top of the box, he sidesteps Mendonca and fires back across his body and into the low corner. · 50:01 – FCD recycles possession. Charles gets a ball to Contreras running across the middle, and Contreras plays a 1-2 with Salazar before putting Sylvester down the left side of the box. Sylvester gets cleaned out as he crosses. PK. Contreras and Salazar fight to take it and Salazar wins. He scores to the GK’s left after a nomadic wind-up. · 57:03 – Cali’s got a throw-in on their RW in FCD’s half. It bounces around a little near the sideline before a Cali player just punts it backwards over his head and into the box. Scabin heads it down to a Cali player who gets control under pressure from Hickam and scores far post from about 13 yards. Other Key Chances: · 2:24 – Montoya collects a ball over the top and hits a flat punt to Contreras inside the FCD half. He takes it down, turns, passes forward to Sylvester near midfield, Sylvester bumps it inside for Contreras to run onto, and Contreras tries to play it back in front of Sylvester down the right, but it’s blocked and trickles to Sylvester’s feet just across halfway. He takes the ball, drives down into the Cali box shrugging off a defender (good speed/strength), cuts inside around a defender, and shoots lefty from about 10 yards while 1v1 with the GK, but misses the far post. · 23:12 – Hickam loses the ball near midway and Cali consolidates possession, swings it out to the right, and it’s at the foot of the RW again running at Dozier. He fakes to the endline and cuts back, spinning Dozier around, before curling a ball to the back post that goes over Cortalessa’s head (could he have gotten to it?) and is thwacked at goal via diving header. Great save by Montoya to turn it wide of the post. Following CK is almost turned in – no idea what FCD’s CK defense is where they’ve got zone at the front and man at the back, leaving Hickam to mark a huge CB. Notes: · Strikes me that this is the highest profile event that FCD goes to annually based on coverage and visibility. Every game streamed by a major league, every game has commentators, grounds crews fix divots at halftime, etc. DC, GA Cup, MLS playoffs, etc. don’t have that. 35min halves, FYI. · Time stamps refer to game time, not video time. · With the timing being what it is this summer, I’d guess these teams have not taken a meaningful break in training. Offseason starts after this tournament. · Fast-paced, intense game early. Lots of physicality. · Sylvester looks like he’s going off inside 5min with a head injury, they’ve got Salazar at halfway to sub him in, but then Sylvester ends up coming back into the game. · Fantastic defending by Dozier at about 6:30. Lateral quickness to get in front of a shot. · Smart play by Cortalessa at 9:25 or so to make a dangerous moment from a quick throw. Contreras can’t turn his 1v1 into much (Contreras fouled three times in the first 15min – maybe he’s drawing it, but I think Cali’s IDed him as a target). · Luccin’s tasked with being the more advanced #8, threatening with late runs and such, but he’s not keeping up with how fast FCD is getting forward early. They don’t have enough bodies in the box. · PK shout for Orejarena at ~16min, but I think he’s buying it. Nice play by Charles, Contereras, and Cortalessa to set it up. · More research needed on how Contreras gets so open down his wing so often. Is he cheating his defensive positioning? He and Cortalessa find a lot of joy in the 1H bombing down that side to get onto passes from Charles and Mendonca. · Hickam with some really bad moments in this game (28:40 is sick, though). Maybe the first game I’ve ever watched of him and asked “is Hickam the problem?”. Directly responsible to some degree for three goals against. · 32:30 from Kaakoush can’t happen. Just shanks a pass across and puts Charles in an awful spot. · Charles steps out to tackle a couple times around 32min or so and misses both. If you’re gonna break your structure, you’ve got to get the ball. · Pretty soccer by FCD at 37:33. Sylvester can’t quite get onto Luccin’s scoop at the end, but it’s highlight reel stuff. Another sweet passage of play at 39:20 that leads right to Cali’s second goal when the Colombians come back the other way. · It’s just anecdotal, but it sure feels like every dangerous FCD attack comes down their right (Charles, Cortalessa, Mendonca, Contreras) and most of Cali’s are coming down the FCD left (Dozier, Kaakoush, Luccin, Orejarena). · Commentators after the third Cali goal are talking about how FCD is talented and has nice tactics, but they’re mentally undisciplined. Not as locked in as the Colombians. There’s some truth to that in all of Cali’s goals. It reminds one of last year at this tournament, where FCD’s game management was atrocious and cost them three or four results. · I believe this is the first game back for both Salazar and Witis-Hughes after injuries. · Asorey’s teams default under duress to a “just get the ball to the best player” strategy where the designated player roams anywhere he wants to get the ball (it’s Contreras here, was Jared Salazar before that and Diego Hernandez before that). That seems like super bad coaching. · #7 for Cali, their RW, is a massive issue for FCD all game.
And now Fuentes gets called up three years to make Honduras’ U20 World Cup Qualifying roster (which is open to players born in ‘05 and younger, whereas Fuentes is an ‘08).
Late ‘06 Nyle Waugh gets called up to Jamaica, which maybe speaks to Jamaica being down bad? Just surprised Waugh makes the cut. No Molina or Scott.
He just got the call to go with the US U20s to qualifying, so he'll be out for a few weeks. I think he's been fine, but not sufficiently good that I expect him to keep a spot once Fraser and Delgado get back.
FCD U17/18s v MEXYNT U17, 7/12/24, L 0-3 Lineup (L-R, where applicable): Wheeler; Torquato, Guzman, Scabin, Kaakoush (’08); Hickam ©; Outman, Mendonca; Witis-Hughes, Salazar, Guandique Subs: At halftime, Gutierrez, Charles, Saucedo (’08), and Arteaga come on for Outman, Mendonca, Hickam, and Witis-Hughes; Charles (who takes the armband) and Kaakoush are playing as a double-pivot behind Saucedo, and Arteaga takes over at RB. In the 59th, Sylvester, Luccin, and Orejarena come on for Salazar, Guandique, and Kaakoush. Goal(s): · 13:02 – Scabin gets stuck in supporting Kaakoush out on the right side and the ref calls a (pretty soft?) foul wide of the box. It’s hit inswinging at the backpost and floats into the corner over Wheeler’s outstretched hand and down off the crossbar. That, of course, is the main issue with Wheeler: doesn’t have the length you’d expect from a pro GK. The FK may have been taken by Diego Rocio of Philly? I don’t have a roster with numbers for FMF. · 16:06 – After some possession, FMF switches play to their left side where Guandique is totally out of position, so the LB has a ton of space to receive in the final third and hit a deep cross. It goes by everybody but the RW, who bops a cross over his head into the mixer from the edge of the box. Hickam’s first to it and nods it to the top of the box, where a crashing FMF CM blasts it into the far corner on the volley. Beautiful finish; headache-inducing similarities to Cali’s fourth from yesterday. · 22:05 – FCD goalkick that Wheeler takes short to Guzman. Guzman takes a bad touch under pressure and gives it back to Wheeler, who’s now got a ST closing him down HARD. Wheeler takes it across his body along the goal line and tries to clear, but he scuffs it to another FMF player, who settles six yards out and finishes easily over a scrambling Wheeler. Other Key Chances: · 7:36 – FMF on the ball on their LW, cuts back and hits a quick looping cross behind the backline. Their ST gets there before an onrushing Wheeler and heads it over him into the net. Called offside, but boy it looks close. · 59:25 – FMF CK that leads to a free header just outside the six. Looks like Charles and Sylvester both misread the ball and it flew over their heads as they jumped to clear it. Snapped down at Wheeler’s feet and he holds. · 63:54 – Scabin in possession near the sideline tries to fire in a pass to Gutierrez near the center circle. The weakside FMF CM cuts out the pass and plays forward to the ST, who carries through a challenge from Guzman before Luccin tackles him and the ball squirts through into the box to the overlapping CM. He cuts onto his left and shoots under pressure from Luccin from about 10 yards, but Wheeler gets down comfortably to save. Maybe someone was offside? · 70:55 – Orejarena intercepts a pass out of the back, dribbles across the top of the box, and is fouled inside the PK arc. Luccin takes it and hits it right at the wall, but there’s a handball. PK. Luccin then takes the PK, but the GK guesses the right way and punches the ball out easily. Notes: · Time stamps are game time not video time. · These are Mexican ‘08s that will compete at the upcoming CONCACAF U17 World Cup Qualifying tournament (barring anyone that might be on another team in this tournament – America, Chivas, Atlas, and Pachuca specifically, but Andre Saucedo plays for FCD and has gotten callups to this squad before too), so they’re a year younger than most of FCD’s players. Lost to Club America yesterday 2-0. · FCD under a fair amount of pressure early. Most of the game in the first 10min is in their half. Finally get their second look up the field at 15:14 and Outman is too indecisive. Nightmare start. It evens out after the third goal, but game states and all that – FCD never really creates much meaningful danger (apart from the final sequence with the PK, which came from a thoughtless pass out of the back in the final minute while leading by three goals). · Lots of FCD kids slipping as they cut. · Both W-H and Salazar looking rusty, physically and technically. · Nice awareness by Hickam at 18:50 to flip the field and get Guandique running behind. That theme plays out a few times soon thereafter and turns out to be FCD’s best well to go to for progression for the next 25min or so – lump it in behind for Guandique. · Scabin really tries to make stuff happen getting the ball upfield. Sometimes maybe good sometimes maybe bad, but he’s trying, which is appreciated (same with Saucedo once he gets a few touches in: wants the ball, wants to do something with it). Guzman, by contrast, seems happy to mostly pass the buck. · Some wild decisions in this game by FCD players, but 50:22 by Gutierrez may be the wildest. · 52:03 is a decent vignette illustrating the mentality gap for FCD against this type of competition. Switched off, making hands at eachother, while an attacker walks free down the side of the box. · I appreciate Luccin’s work at 65:05. Three or four good, aggressive actions in a row. · Welp, they lost both of their first two games conclusively. Doing my best not to draw sweeping conclusions about the players, coaches, and Academy staff right now. [subsequently went on to write a bunch of sweeping conclusions, which then got deleted and replaced by this] · Maybe it’s just because of Guandique’s inconsistent effort tracking back, but I thought FMF’s LB #16 was excellent. Also #21 comes on at some point and takes the armband and he looks like a really good prospect.
I think that's kind of what Norris is though. Not like watching Pepi at that age or some big talent like that. He has obvious limitations unfortunately, but I'll defer to the FC Dallas fans on what it'll be like when everyone is back. I hope he can get more minutes down the stretch, but potentially he hasn't done enough.
These were 07s on the Mexican team, almost exclusively. Rocio was there as you mentioned, as was Arteaga from LAFC, Jimenez from FC Cinci came on late, and there are 2 other 07 MLS academy kids on the squad (from Galaxy and Dynamo).
Defender Nolan Norris is the heart and soul of the #U20MYNT, guiding the team through Concacaf World Cup qualifying and leading a young, dynamic squad! pic.twitter.com/Z6ZoIKgfH3— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) July 13, 2024
Fraser got surgery and is now out for 3-4 months, so Norris may have more opportunity than I thought initially.
FCD U17/18s v Atlas 7/13/24, W 2-1 Lineup (L-R if applicable): Montoya; Torquato, Scabin, Charles ©, Cortalessa; Hickam; Luccin, Kaakoush (’08); Orejarena, Sylvester, Contreras Subs: 53rd minute, Salazar comes on for a recently injured Sylvester. In the 64th, Guandique comes on for Luccin (Kaakoush and Hickam double-pivot while Contreras moves to the #10). Goals: · 26:35 – Atlas gets possession in the middle of their half after breaking a press out of the back. Big diagonal ball into the left corner leaves the LW dribbling at Charles and Cortalessa. They give him more space to advance than I care for, and he flips a pass between them into the path of a charging CM who takes a touch to the endline and fires a shot low at Montoya, who spills it into the middle, where an Atlas attacker finds it (ahead of Torquato: see 26:40 - #301 in the bottom right of the screen will be totally open at the back post goal-side of Torquato) and scores first time. · 44:47 – Orejarena takes a CK short and quickly to Contreras at the edge of the box. Contreras shuffles upfield a couple of times before looping a cross to Scabin, who is just arriving at the top of the box because of the quick CK. Scabin flicks a header on goal from about 17 yards and it sneaks inside the left post. Would have preferred for either Contreras to cross to or Scabin to head it to the back post, where there are no defenders and Sylvester/Charles are free. · 62:26 – Scabin collects the rebound from his own intercepted pass and plays backward across midfield to Montoya. Montoya hits it first time to Torquato’s head down the LW, and Torquato nods it inside to Orejarena in the pocket. He takes a few touches inside before sliding the ball to Contreras at the top of the PK arc, continues his run towards goal, and gets the ball back when Contreras measures a pass through the defense into the box. Orejarena shoots from just left of the PK mark past the sliding GK and into the far side setting. Other Key Chances: · 18:32 – After slowing down a counterattack, Atlas recycles in the middle, finds a CM who tiptoes between challenges by Hickam and Kaakoush and feeds the ball wide before an onrushing Charles can tackle him. It’s immediately lofted into the box, where there is a wide-open FW directly in front of goal that (Scabin’s lost track of? Torquato’s not recovered to mark?) narrowly misses his free header. The cross falls to Torquato to dribble out the weakside. · 30:57 – FCD throw-in on their LW. Orejarena finds Hickam in the left channel, and he turns inside to dribble at the PK arc before cutting across. His defender slips, so now he’s got time. The LCB comes out to close him down, but Hickam fakes a shot to make a moment and finds Contreras running in behind the RB. Slips him in on the edge of the six yard box. With Sylvester covered, Contreras elects to just smash a shot-cross across the goalmouth, but the GK manages to knock it down and smother. Would have liked him to keep his head up and try to fit a pass through to Orejarena at the back post (open because of Sylvester’s run to the goal). · 39:25 – FCD FK near halfway on the left side that goes to Torquato. He dribbles up the sideline a little before spooning it forward to Orejarena and getting the 1:2 back, after which he plays inside to Sylvester near the edge of the box. Sylvester drives into the box under pressure and manages to get the ball inside to Contreras while being brought down. Contreras collects at the top of the box, cuts toward the endline through a couple of defenders, and shoots from 12 yards or so just wide of the low far post. Notes · Interview of Ian Charles at 1:50 of the video. · Beside the above, all times refer to game time, not video time. · Prior to this game, Atlas had beaten Palmeiras and drawn Pachuca. Those two teams are on top of their respective groups at this point, so those look like high quality results. · This must be a crazy wide field based on where the 10 yard markings in the corners are. · FCD with a lot of the ball inside Atlas’ half in the early going of both halves. The press is aggressive and effective, forcing Atlas long. · Like the decision by Cortalessa to put the ball into the mixer at 1:21. He’s got a 3v3 at the top of the box and actually gets the bounce he’s looking for, but Orejarena handles the ball while controlling it. · Wild decisions counter: Hickam at 2:28 (blindly volleying a ball backwards past his CBs for the ST to run onto), Cortalessa at 18:00 (hitting a lofted square ball into midfield), Charles at 23:12 (hitting this out for a CK instead of a throw-in), Montoya at 20:34 (trying to fit a pass into a covered Cortalessa when anything else would be better). · Weird comment maybe, but Charles looks like he could stand to work with a running coach to open up his stride a little more. Not that he’s got especially long legs, but he can get pretty choppy when he sprints. · Clever, clever touch by Kaakoush in midfield at 11:14 to get Orejarena moving toward goal in space. No-look nutmeg. · FCD with at least a 5v4, maybe a 5v2 or 3 counterattack at 16:48 after Sylvester poked loose a wayward touch in midfield. Not much comes from it. I think Luccin’s gotta release it sooner and to the left, to either Sylvester first or Orejarena soon after. · Orejarena with a few nice dribbly moments at 17:55. 24:28 too and a few other times (he definitely tends to overdribble, passing up good pass opportunities: eg: 68:50 considering the game situation). Sits a kid down at 44:30. · For my sake, Torquato and Scabin could stand to get somewhat less similar haircuts. It’s sometimes tough to tell them apart. · Pretty series of actions at 25:16 by a few different players. · How does 46:35 happen? Are Charles and Cortalessa just reacting more slowly than their counterparts? It’s just Route One, you know? · I appreciate Montoya’s heads up distribution. Lots of playing quickly to the open player. · FCD’s scored four goals so far and Contreras has three assists. The other goal was a PK earned by a player that Contreras passed to (and he lost the argument to take it, so could easily have scored it). Just very good at buying a moment when he gets near the box and patiently finding players in dangerous spots. I haven’t been counting, but he probably leads the team in touches in the final third, passes into the box, and shot assists too. As mentioned prior, he demands/gets a lot of volume, so it’s hard to tell if he’s using every touch super efficiently relative to others without better data, but making oneself available for volume and still being efficient to any degree is a hugely valuable skill. Cristiano Ronaldo built a case as one of the best five players ever or so on the back of unbelievable volume and average efficiency. Takes hard work (see him outrun four defenders at 29:37 to get open for a pass into the area; similar deal at 64:23) and some nous. · FCD goes onto a rest day the next day (Sunday). If I were coaching this tournament, I’d likely have preset my lineups for the first three games and then I’d reassess on the rest day based on who’s performing. Not 100% sure how it goes, but technically FCD is in Group B with Palmeiras, FMF, and Cali. Do they just need to be the highest point-getters in that group? Or one of the top two overall? Not that either would be easy, but they’re just three points back of Palmeiras in the group after this game. [SPOILERS: they absolutely did not challenge for top of the group] · Kaakoush and Hickam are the only two FCD players to start all three games so far. Hickam at the #6 each time; Kaakoush at CB, RB, and CM in turn. · I guess Caleb Swann isn’t at this tournament? He was just playing with this group a couple weeks ago and I don’t have any real reason to believe there’s some question about whether he’s left the Academy, but something to monitor. · Thought #290 for Atlas had a lot to offer (even apart from the cheap shot at Hickam’s head near the end).