U23 players in MLS this week (6/14) - what a week

Some comments on the Fire/Mutts game.

I thought Logan Pause has ANOTHER workmanlike game, though Amado Guevarra really caused him some fits throughout. Yet there were times he did a good job on him.

Kelly Gray's performance I think was erratic. Some good things, some not so good things.

I have mentioned Justin Mapp's proclivity to tire late minutes -- in this game, he seemed to tire much earlier, and was not all that involved in the flow of the game. Perhaps he is running into some sort of fitness "wall" he needs to get beyond.

Jacqua continues to impress in the very limited minutes he gets, working hard, causing problems for the defense. This kid needs to play, but it's hard to see how given the depth the Fire have.

Craig Capano has little bearing on the game, and just a few touches in the six minutes.

(Aside: how did the Fire win this game? Ralph, Williams, and Razov hadMOTM efforts).

Despite the Mutts loss, their U23s -- except for Arena -- REALLY looked good. Magee and Gaven were dangerous throghout, had a terrific understanding together up top, and linked well. They were plagued by some erratic finishing and failure to take care of the ball around goal, but they seemed to create oppoturnity after opportunity.

Clark had a very good game I thought, and should have scored, but the finish was not there.

I was very impressed with LeBlanc in his limited minutes.

Folks over on the Mutts board are hard on Arena, but on the Razov goal, he did take up the "proper" defensive position -- the inside position on the outside shoulder. Of course, the problem with that was that this position put him on Razov's right, and he slide left, and lauched the shot. I think he can grow into a serviceable MLS defender, but to do so, you had better understand the favored foot of your mark.

By the way, as an aside, I think Damani Ralph is going to be a force in this league, and I can see him winning the starting forward position on the Jamaican senior team. This kid is a lethal combination of strength and speed, with an ability to win and hold balls under pressure, and with nary a second's hesitation to shoot. He is going to cause us some difficulty in CONCACAF qualifying.

 

Magee is a player..in a young Moreno- and a little dash of Postiga(fc Porto , can dribble to the middle , right , or left) mould. He has a couple of ingredients that can make a pretty , darn good striker , or forward..Movement , aligned with decent pace is the most lethal concoction. Instints ;is at the right place at the right time , in the box. Has decent heading abilities(needs to work on it..technique) for someone like him 5-9(scored a good header against Portugal)


Logan plays simple(though very good at it) , makes decisive short passes and has a knack for stopping breakaways.

Ricardo Clark is a stud.


Alvarez looks like a player. He has Twellman-like- thighs...thick , and talent. An intriguing prospect indeed

 

I thought Kenny Arena was embarrassing today.I am a big Bruce A fan and hate it when people slam Kenny just for being Bruce's kid, but he looked worse than awful today.He looked like he took a wrong turn from his rec league game and wound up playing at the Meadowlands. Maybe this was a once in a career nightmare but wow, he stunk.

 

For sheer athleticism, he and Onandi Lowe would be one of the great striker pairings in the world.

Luckily, it's soccer, not the decathlon.

As for Arena...he's always played at DM. I know it seems like a minor adjustment to slide back to the backline, but he certainly struggled with it.

 

Well, Lowe might be bigger, and more experienced, but there's no doubt in my mind that Ralph is, right now, a pretty good soccer player, and will certainly ONLY get better, playing in MLS, game in and game out, for a competitive team like the Chicago Fire.

I believe he will surpass Lowe quite easily, and never look back.

 

Quick glance at USL soccer shows Wingert with a goal and three assists in five games for the Brooklyn Knights -- think I read that he's playing central mid -- while Gregorio has only produced a single assist for Orange County Blue Star.

Here are some A-League lines for players with a U-23 call-up history:
Stokes with five appearances for Virginia Beach ... Testo with a team-high four goals in 11 games for Richmond ... Jaqua had two assists in a single appearance for Minnesota ... and in the DJ Countess back-up sweepstakes, Doug Warren had a shutout in his only outing for Richmond, while Curtis Spiteri has won the starting job in Portland.

 

IMHO, Stokes would be starting next to Jolley if he played for the Metros.

 

I also expect the trajectory of his career to surpass Onandi's. A big part of that is that when you watch him, he seems to have a great attitude.

 

For me, the two most impressive players were Clark and Magee. One thing that no one noted is that Clark twice sent players in alone on the Fire goal, only for the finish to be blown. His ability to carry the ball from deep in the midfield to the attack is .. WOW! I am already dreaming of JOB/Clark as the back part of a "box" midfield.

Magee for me showed incredible vision and instincts on where to turn with the ball. That stuff is hard to teach.

 

Re: Re: U23 players in MLS this week (6/14) - what a week

Wingert added two more assists as the Knights ended Cape Cod's 21-game unbeaten streak on Sunday.

 

This was the first time I saw Gavin play, and I was impressed. Bradley's got some nice young players on his hands there.

Arena did have a couple of problems out there in central defense. I wonder if part of it can be attributed to the fact that offensive players tend to peak earlier, whereas defenders seem to be 4-6 years behind in career development.

Lee

 

I think Arena ultimately just is lacking the physical tools to be a top level player. He may be able to develop into a smart pro, but that will take some time.

I think he would have a hard time making the lineup after one injury on the majority of MLS teams. The fact he is starting for the Metro's with Pope out is more an indictment of their bench than a praise of Arena.