But that may be because he doesn't play at that level. Playing better opponents week-in, week-out, might sharpen him up. This is exactly why people want MNT players to go to Europe. You don't get away with those mental lapses in a top 4 league.
Sure. But I'm not convinced Acosta has ever been at that level...................................... When he was a teen at FCD, I never heard about offers from Europe for him. People kept criticizing FCD for not selling him, but on the other hand we never heard about top 4 leagues wanting him (like we hear ad naseum for kids in 2021). I like and appreciate Kellyn Acosta for what he is. A guy we can count on at the CONCACAF level. I'd have to go look, but I bet we have a ridiculous record in CONCACAF games that Acosta has played in. Kellyn is fine as long as we keep his role nice and simple. Be a motor and a disruptor. Get the ball to the playmakers. When we ask Kellyn to be that playmaker himself, then we're in trouble. He has never been that and never will be that. Even now, he's kind of a place holder until a guy like Busio (or whomever) develops into that second #6 playing in a top league after Adams.
Another Gary Kleiban special................. This is Norwegian 2nd tier. Kobe Hernandez-Foster has reportedly signed with Hamarkameratene. #USMNT https://t.co/8qbzOGvSQk— Larry Henry Jr (@lhenry019) September 20, 2021
Reggie cannon not even on the bench for Boa Vista again. Something tells me they’re totally pissed he didn’t successfully make a move out. Would love to be a fly on that wall. seems the gold cup cost both cannon and moore to a degree. I know that’s not all of it and other things are at play, but that’s undoubtably at least some of it.
Oh those two look around a lot. That’s for sure, lol. Unfortunately it’s when we are trying to defend against a counter
weird. i dont have exposure myself but many rated him so highly. couldnt bradley/lafc have thrown him a lifeline?
There's a pattern of former Galaxy academy players turned Kleiban clients struggling in Europe. Llanez, Mendez, and KHF are three recent examples. All rated pretty highly. All sliding backwards in club soccer. Llanez has scored for the USMNT. Was named best XI at the 2018 U20 CONCACAF Championships. He's currently a bench player in the Austrian 2nd division. There's a lot of discussion in the youth forum about this agent, Gary Kleiban, and whether he's setting his players up for success or not. The next is highly-thought of former Galaxy academy fullback Mauricio Cuevas. That's a name people would be very familiar with if we'd had youth cycles. Maybe the best U20 right back in the pool. Maybe.....................if we think of Justin Che as a CB long-term. [Joe Scally is one-day too old for the U20s for this cycle.]
Not great for Cannon as I don't think he's going to get a ton of playing time between now and January, meaning I don't know we see him at all for this years qualifiers. Moore seems more likely to be fine as he's seeing minutes off the bench and I remember there being talk of interest in him and his club didn't really want to engage except at valuation where it didn't really make sense.
Stay home, ball out, get paid and get moved to Europe to a team that’s invested in you. Running to Europe at 18 isn’t the magic formula. Not everybody is Wes McKennie or even Sargent.
I mean even with Sargent the question is would he be a better center forward today had he started in KC and then went to Europe, versus spending so much development time with a Bremen team that didn't play great soccer and who was fighting relegation for most of his time there. Obviously he's made it the EPL (albeit another relegation battling team) so it didn't work out terrible, but he also definitely had a not ideal developmental path. I think it's tough because guys do make it in Europe and I'm sure most these players are super confident and think they will too. You don't get to that level without thinking that about yourself. But fit is so so important when going to Europe and I feel like there have been lots of bad choices on that front.
I feel like Sargent is prime, true "what-if" territory that you will simply never know. He got playing time. He presumably got some good coaching, good comp. Did the gameplan screw him, or did he simply not end up being the player we wanted him to be (so far -- he' still very young for a striker). Kleiban's clients are a bit different. No clear path to the first team, jumping around, no clear, no obvious signs the team is overly invested, a lot of questioning whether his hatred of the domestic league blinded him to perhaps some personal realities -- not everyone is ready to live overseas at 18, either.
Using a term that kids in the US are taught in grades 6-10 doesn't sound like trying to sound smart to me. It is unfortunate if you weren't taught it before you turned 16. Comparing players like this is just dumb. Determining who you think is a better players is useless in trying determine if Roldan could be a useful player at Venezia. Let's leave aside that they played different positions at the GC. The reality is that this come down to specific attributes and how they fit the style of play of the team and league. Since Busio and Roldan are very different players. Italy is very technical and tactical league. I dont think either is that strong tactically and Busio is more technical than Roldan.
Running to Europe at 18 or earlier has produced many more useful USMNT players for us than what you are suggesting. When you consider their only choice was the LAG, what you are suggesting doesn't sound like a good idea at all. LAG have a horrible track record with kids.
Did it "produce" them or are they just that good? I think the latter based on how fast those guys got into first teams. Pulisic,Reyna,Richards or Sargent weren't long for the reserves. My thought is that you have to know your spot in the pecking order, or your representative needs to.
I probably overused the term "produce". Our top players followed a path of going to Europe at a young age. There is yet to be a USMNT player who went from a homegrown to LAG player to USMNT (Zardes was barely with their youth program and shouldn't be near the USMNT). Weston Mckennie wouldn't be near the player he is now if he hadn't gone to Schalke. FCD at the time wouldn't have given him minutes. He left as a guy who was cut by out u17s and on the fringe of our u20s. Players with that profile are just starting to succeed in MLS. As a USMNT fan, I could care less if a player reaches too far. We should have the numbers that enough would succeed going for it instead taking the safe route in a lower league like MLS.
I see your point and I would have agreed a few years back but with the recent shift to playing kids and selling guys after one good MLS season, I think it's better for a lot of guys. Would Aaronson have been where he is if Salzburg hadn't invested millions? I just wonder if he had shown up trialling at 18 as a guy who didn't even make the U20s and nothing but some academy games to go oj does he get the same consideration.
You don't think Jack McBean, Ariel Lassiter or Bradford Jamieson "a New Hope" are going to be USMNT greats one day? I guess Galaxy "produced" a second NT player in Efrain Alvarez.
Ive been watching Che with FCD, and that guy really has something. I will rewind to see who it was who made a play I was impressed with and its always Che. High level talent for sure.
Che is in a long line of forwards that FCD recruited and turned into fullbacks. Following in the footsteps of Cannon and Reynolds recently at the right back position. Che will be gone to Europe in January. He has a German passport. The next one off that assembly line is Collin Smith, who they signed to a homegrown deal not that long ago.
Here's a list of Champions League players by country. It excludes those who haven't made an appearance. If it's wrong complain to them. https://fbref.com/en/comps/8/nations/Champions-League-Nationalities Of course, it helps to have a domestic team in the competition
This is a very frank and open interview by Bryan. He seems to see the challenges. Clear head on that kid. Bryan Reynolds talks USMNT, playing for Roma & more [Full Interview] | C... https://t.co/u1QYSv5a1L via @YouTube— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) September 21, 2021
I think even within MLS if you are a young player there are some academies that you want to end up in because they have a track record of playing young players and they are also willing to sell on to Europe when the time comes (like Dallas or Philly). And then there are some academies like the Galaxy who sit in one of the most talent rich areas in the country but who haven’t quite figured out how to get to the most value out of their academy. So basically the Galaxy should hire Luchi Gonzalez to run their academy.