Tyler Adams - the best non-Christian Pulisic prospect in the USMNT pipeline

I think Acosta is more of the Jermaine Jones type without the bite. Theyre both roving box to box players who pitch in a lot of offensive plays, including the sometimes spectacular. They're obviously not carbon copies, but they contribute in similar ways.

Adams is more like Bradley, imo (for what its worth)...best suited as the guy who makes decisions about what space to direct the offense into and how to maintain the ball. Late run goals coming? Hes already intuitive with his transition passing as well.

 

Andy,

I get increasing tired of your constant provocation and inability to comprehend a perspective other than yours. Grow up and learn how to debate with respect.

You have grossly mischaracterized my perspective into one where "everyone should leave MLS as soon as possible" and stated that I make blanket statements about what all players should do when I never said it nor do I think either of these two.

Do I have a preference from a USMNT perspective that our most talented youth who have the potential to be world-class players (which our country is generating both in higher number and with higher potential IMO) train at a level above the 20th best league in the world? Yep - but that pool, increasing as it may be, is still pretty small and therefore leaves a lot of players whose ceiling isn't UCL finals and therefore, the majority of talented US youth with remain in MLS.

I also have a preference for MLS over college for higher talent players (is that shitting on college? LOL). Does that mean that there are some situations where high ceiling players who choose MLS over a top international developmental program and/or where college is better than MLS? Sure - I believe that Jordan Morris is an example of both and more power to him as I believe he made good decisions in both cases.

As I previously mentioned, I also prefer that a kid who is bright enough to get admitted to MIT/Standford should go there rather than their local community college or state school. Still not a blanket statement but what I think is best for both our nation and, probably, that kid.

In this particular case, we have a player who is potentially viewed as our best prospect since CP. If this is the case (which I don't have a perspective on ATM), I do think that that's a high enough ceiling that warrants training in some of the best programs in the world and will further the USMNT program as CP is doing.

 

watched todays game to see what the hype was about. ummmm........nope.

I can see it, but, nope. sean needs to be starting next week

 

Agree he is missing the simple skills that make elite players elite.

It's unfortunate fans in this country don't get to watch 90 minute matches of our European prospects they are miles ahead of Adams at this point

 

European or not, the kid is good, but not sure he will ever be better than Acosta, Roldan, Emo, McKinnie. or EPB if we are talking about kids playing the similar positions that are way ahead of him now.

 

I'm talking from a pure technical standpoint he is not where he needs to be.

 

For his position athleticism and ability to read the game is equally important but I don't see what exactly he is doing better than others.

 

I don't like threads like this (about a specific youth player just breaking into the first team) to be posted in this forum. They aren't currently USMNT players and normally it's a process that plays out over many months if not years. This placement changes the context of the conversation, for the worse.

 

You cannot be elite without being elite technically plus he is developing in the MLS and a candy land professional environment so he literally will not reach his potential it is almost physically and mentally impossible for any MLS play to reach their potential with the leagues current set up.

 

Jackson Yueill and Weston McKinnie are the only Central Midfielders we have that have the technical capacity to be elite.

They both have holes in their games but they have the most important base of skill.

 

This is way too much hyperbole.

MLS is a good enough league already and is still dramatically moving up the learning curve. While the current structure does work against youth development IMO, there's still a lot of players who will reach their potential while growing up in MLS. They may not be USMNT starters but they will develop and have a reasonable ceiling.

If your point is that it's unlikely that MLS will develop any global superstars (UCL finals starter), that's probably true for now but I could see a defender start in MLS and then peak at as a starter at a UCL contender over the course of a long career (e.g., Miazga, EPB).

 

In MLS you go to work everyday without consequences and only a limited number of real competitors for your spot.

Do you want to know why Christian Pulisic is probably the best prospect in US history? Because he had to play at his best every training session to even make the gameday roster. Clint Dempsey took a major leap at Fulham.. why? Because he had to earn it every single day.
You literally cannot be your best without constant pressure and stress of performing in anything. Until we have Pro/Rel we will not see high level prospects develop soley in MLS.

 

One of the problems, in my mind, with top European clubs is the gap between the first team and the reserves which compete at a much lower level. I believe it is similar but somewhat less extreme in MLS in that way (MLS is significantly better than USL in my possibly somewhat uninformed opinion) but MLS provides a league in which players can play at a higer level earlier. McKennie, based upon what has been reported on him, would likely be playing at a higher level than Germany's U-19 at this point. Whether he would get better coaching at Shalke or Dallas is another matter but Dallas has shown an awful lot in a short period of time. Young players need many things and MLS can be an excellent league for young players to grow in the righht system. (Acosta is exibit A). To imply that our young prospects do not have to play their best like Pulisic did to make the team or that Pulisic is our best prospect ever at this stage because of the pressure and need to fight for a spot is an oversimplification and I am sure you didn't mean it that way but the fact that there are top young prospects in MLS that are not making the starting eleven or even the game day 18 shows that there is, in fact, competition for spots. It obviously is not the same as Dortmund but that isn't due to pro-rel but more due to the depth and quality in the squad and the salary cap/structure of the league. I definitely disagree about the value of pro-rel but that is just a matter of opinion.

 

MLS is not a higher level than most third divisions in Europe.

 

In your fervor to make a point, you are now spouting utter nonsense.

 

Really.... Have you watched the level of the Championship, Bundeslisa 2, or the Spanish 2nd division? MLS is not at that level, the league might have a few high end players that want to live in the US and eventually earn citizenship but if you take away DP's the league is pathetic.

 

You just named the 3 of the 4 or 5 best SECOND divisions in all of Europe, to rebut my point that you are crazy for saying that MLS is not better than "MOST THIRD DIVISIONS IN EUROPE." You do know that there are leagues in Estonia, Finland, Macedonia, Scotland, Croatia, etc. So yes, you are talking utter crap.

By the way, I do in fact watch 2nd division games in England. Every time I go to England, which is every year, and sometimes twice a year, I go to Championship games because my English cousin is a player agent/adviser for players in the Championship and 1st division. And the play even in the Championship is not what you apparently think and say it is.

 

Because of his immense natural talent combined with professionalism and drive?

Missed it by that much.

 

We will just have to disagree on that point but even if your point was correct, it is still higher than B4, which is the reserve league for teams like Dortmund et al and I would also guess that it is higher than the U-19 teams that are below the reserve squads.

Of course if you would like, you can say that MLS is inferior to most division 4 leagues in Europe.

 

What level do you think MLS is equivalent to if it's below those above? Is it above SPL or Eredivisie? Where does Mexico and Brazil rank vs the leagues listed above?

 

If MLS teams spent $100,500,000 a year in salary like Dortmund then there would be more competition for playing time.


P.S. Kill this thread

 

I think it is below SPL and the Eredivise. I would compare it to the Scandanavian top Leagues.

When I am comparing MLS I am comparing it to England, Spain, Germany, Italy - They are the best leagues in the world and those leagues are the leagues that we should be striving to be.

 

Exactly, MLS is not a place where our best youth players should be developing.

 

I did the same.

It's funny. I thought the highlight reel of his previous game that started this thread was really compelling. And this game was not.

The way I reconcile the two is that this is a young player who is still developing, and we should expect inconsistency, particularly for a role like center mid. Some young players see the game clearly and everything just falls into place. Then the next game looks like a totally different player. Even setting aside the corner kick goal that came from his mark, there were multiple times when Tyler failed to take the right angle defensively and lost track of players (often in his own defensive third) that should have been his responsibility. Those may very well become second nature with experience, but for now it can be a little scary.

And relevant to any central midfield discussion for the USMNT, positional discipline and consistency are table stakes for a 6. It's why JJ is not in the discussion. It's what Beckerman had in spades that got him minutes to the frustration of so many. And it's why no one has displaced Bradley just yet.