YNT-eligible MLS players: 2021 In-season thread

Still don’t think Jalen would’ve been ready for the MLS level anyways but hopefully he has a quick recovery. For the 2003’s he’s a pretty safe bet for the YNT camps. If they don’t us a natural LCB he has a pretty strong argument to be the starter with Justin Che

 

THAT is an 18 or 19 year old kid??? Dude looks like he is 32.

 

I don’t know where he plays then. He was excellent in USL last season. Do you tell him to do it again for another season?

 

Here is the goal from Kyle Duncan, who is having a heck of a game.. probably the best American right back in MLS this season so far. How did he not make the U.S U-23 team? Assist from Caden Clark pic.twitter.com/t24THYKjJF

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) June 19, 2021

 

That’s quite an assist.

In all seriousness Clark was quite good. I think his last few games have been the best of his career.

 

Yup, he’s a 2003 so playing in the USL at his age his fine for a center back, they develop later

 

Nice goal. Some basic-ish stuff from Clark on the touch and release, but, notice how he busts his ass to get into the attacking third. Drew 2 defenders out of Duncan’s path to help open up for the shot.

 

Duncan two footed? That's a nice strike with the left from a RB. US doesn't really need another RB but I do wonder what kind of interest he's drawing from Europe. Have there been any rumors about him going this summer or winter?

 

Clark was MOTM last night IMO

 

Kyle Duncan is really underrated. After the Olympics I don’t see a reason to give Aaron Herrera another shot, call up Kyle Duncan to the gold cup.

Caden Clark’s pass was simple but I love his technique and run he makes after. Leipzig will be great for him

 

I was at the game and Clark was really good, but Duncan was the MOTM by a pretty good margin. He was on the ball 2x as much as Clark and was generally dangerous offensively, smooth with the ball, and solid defensively.

Duncan is playing at a really high level right now. He’s the best American fullback in the league for the first third of this season (although Vines and Araujo have both been solid).

Duncan clearly deserves to be on the Gold Cup team

 

following duncan very closely since if dest really does have to play on the left cannon has not shown enough this window to be do anything but scare me

 

I don't see Berhalter bringing more than 2 RBs to the Gold Cup. If Cannon is one of them, then the other has to be Araujo.

 

I’m not sure Cannon will end up going.

Araujo is good but he hasn’t been as good as Duncan this season (or last season too, TBH, when Araujo was mostly a winger).

 

Also, nobody is really talking about Tolkin, who has been playing well, for such a young player.

 

Don't forget that Araujo is 4 years younger than Duncan. I'd call up both players for the Gold Cup, if Cannon is not gonna be there.

 

Duncan is starting to look like the kind of RB that GB and Nags thought Adam’s might become. Although Duncan is a bit better offensively.

Duncan did make a couple mistakes at the beg. of the game but wow he stepped up big time for the other 80-85min.

Like the color commentator has said over and over again, I’m hoping as the season goes on that Clark can continue to get more involved in the game. He seems to see more of the ball after the game opens up which means he needs to find ways to make himself available more often when they’re not leading.

 

Duncan is an enigma. He has the talent but he's erratic. Should have been in ocq'ing over such a pedestrian player like Herrera though. If they double down on the mistake in GC I'll be frustrated. Neither Duncan nor Araujo should be sacrificed for Herrera. Herrera has no utility for us in wcq'ing, the others can.

Tolkin is fun, huh. Heard bad reports about him in usl, after a positive debut season. But maybe it was a loss of motivation or the covid anomaly.

Clark is rounding out his game from his worldies. It's going to be a tough decision if he's including in GC. Don't necessarily know if we get anything from it though, because with our depth in that spot, he wouldn't be an upgrade for wcq'ing or wc until he's a Leipzig regular. That would be the prompt for USMNT integration.

Ochoa's not a bad distributor per se. Usually makes the right decision. But his kicking is pretty inaccurate. The shot-stopping & command is pretty special though. He was hard done in allowing a goal yesterday. The shot at pt blank was mishit & he seemed to be covering it still because of his fast reflex but then it redirected last second. I think this makes him a big club keeper in the future (bar injuries). He can build on the distribution.

 

You said the same thing about Herrera vs. Araujo. Araujo has the 9th best Fotmob rating in the league. It's the best of every American, let alone rb. Duncan's down at 21. So that's extremely debatable Duncan's been better.

Araujo better be at the GC, probably starting (could make room for him as an rcb in a 3-man line) and Herrera (#36) has no business being favored over a fit Araujo.

There are exceptions, but for most players they're still in MLS at Herrera's or Duncan's age because they're not that talented. Nothing has suggested Herrera is. He's gotten chances. Lacks pace or any special attribute. We need to stop wasting time with players like this at the senior and u-23 level. Our Araujos should always be favored.

 

He did so many nice things last night, with simple touches, touches in traffic, passes of all types, defensively (knocking McCarty on his ass with a shoulder challenge), he just has to be fast tracked. He's a talent. Too bad NYRB plays too much long kickball for my liking to really showcase his skills. Balls in the air too much.

 

I've always liked Duncan's game but I even think he's slightly worse than Reggie Cannon. Tolkin has nice skills and reads the game well for MLS but he literally has no physical skills to speak of and to build upon. Slow, skinny, short, weak, and unphysical. Other than that he was sporting one funky hairdo with a Karate Kid headband.

 

Yeah, not a fan of that. NYRB, because of all of the young talent, are still worth following though.

 

You can just watch him and know he has the football IQ and the ability to go to the top. He is so talented.

 

How does Clark learn how to find more of the game?

 

Beg the coaches to learn how to play passes on the ground through the midfield.