Feel like this thread needs to be up with official competition having started for the 2022 MLS season. One of you more knowledgeable posters can hopefully create a post to highlight any important info needed and players to look out for. Link to last years thread https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/ynt-eligible-mls-players-2021-in-season-thread.2114618/ And a link to the most recent off-season thread https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/y...mls-players-2021-22-offseason-thread.2118278/ I wanted to give everyone a heads up that the Sounders GM Garth Lagerway let it slip that its likely one of the Sounders teenagers would be starting tonight in Honduras for Champions League play. Game will be on FS2 and TUDN tonight at 6pm pacific. Speculation is its Obed Vargas. Other option is RBW. Both 05s. Sounders seem likely to come out in a 4-2-3-1 with Vargas playing next to Joao Paulo as Lodeiro isn't ready to go a full 90 which pushes Cristian Roldan up into the Lodeiro role. Atencio and Leyva are both coming back form injuries so are not available. Vargas gets a shot, will likely get subbed early in 2nd half for Lodeiro. Thats the speculation anyways. We will know for sure when lineups are released around an hour before kickoff.
Lineups are in Vargas starts alongside Cristian Rodan. RBW on the bench. I was off in that Lodeiro starts and Joao Paolo isn't in the GameDay roster. Tonight's @Delta Starting XI! The 2022 season begins now. 💥#CDMvSEA | #SCCL22READ ➡️ https://t.co/qlGYHJ75fn pic.twitter.com/zqI3Dq3VFr— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) February 18, 2022
According to a study from Football Observatory, of a study of 15 leagues, MLS ranked tied for 6th in % of minutes given to players under the age of 21.Mexico ranked last.MLS also ranked 11th in % of minutes given to players over 30, less than La Liga. pic.twitter.com/3ms6nGbI2Z— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) February 18, 2022
Relevant stat for when you wonder why Mexico isn’t producing as many young players at current. Also notably the Bundesliga is ahead of MLS. Which again makes sense why so many of our players are going there.
Hell, if so many of our super-young players were not going there, and instead stayed in MLS, we might be ahead of the Bundesliga in percentage minutes under 21. It is a bit of a chicken and egg issue.
Obed Vargas tonight: 90+ minutes, 62 touches, 47/51 passing (92%), 1/3 on dribbles, 4 recoveries, 1 tackle, 2 clearances, 2 interceptions, 2/7 on duels, 1 foul committed— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) February 18, 2022 My very general feel for his performance. Wasn't involved for long stretches. Not sure if it was intentional to kinda hide him. Or if players didn't trust him. Or he just couldn't find the game. Not too worried about that though. He did start to get involved more. Offensively he kept the ball moving well. Combined decently. He had one nice dribble into the box that he almost got a shot off on. I think the trailing defender snuck a foot in and poked it away just before he could connect the shot. They weren't asking him to do too much.
Indeed. When a kid that young breaks into a first team, you first just want to see that he can hang at that level of competition. That he isn't a liability out there. There's a lot to build on after the performance last night. With their new training facility going up, and the pipeline being set up on the youth levels, I have high hopes for what Seattle can accomplish in the youth development space.
There’s a bit of a gap in Seattle’s talent pipeline after Obed and Reed to maybe a 2008 but that new training center and them hiring a full time scout in January should turn things around in their new age groups potentially starting with the 08’s. The rest of their 04-07’s that aren’t signed are pretty average and Seattle has a high barrier of entry into their first team Obed’s having a pretty meteoric rice ever since the playoffs in Dallas last year. He apparently was the biggest surprise of the recent u20 camp. Him and Reed could be two big time contributors for that first team and maybe teams in Europe
Maybe I'm the only one, but I definitely got a Pomykal-lite vibe from his playstyle. Not as effective defensively, and not as saucy, but there are definite similarities to the ways they both advance the ball forward. Also, both are relatively diminutive and seem to be capable of playing across the midfield. Anyway, I thought he looked competent enough to play a larger role this season.
My first impression is that RBW is the more impressive prospect than Vargas. About as technical, quicker thinking, unabashed confidence, and more advanced physically. But they're very young still, so both can evolve or devolve quickly.
I didn’t see the game, but there is something about Vargas that Seattle and USSF really are liking. I don’t personally see it yet, but I’m curious to see what (if anything) he’s improved on. I think I have a pretty good feel for his game, and don’t see him as much more than maybe like a Brad Evans type of career.
I agree with RBW>Obed. Reed is a more technical player overall while Obed is a tad bit more athletic in regards to pace and mobility. Reed’s brain is superior to Obed’s and really most of the YNT pool regardless of age. Obed’s soccer IQ is what you would expect of a YNT prospect
Sorry, I just don’t see it. Looks like an average performance and people afterwards were acting like he was really good. pic.twitter.com/jnOqjiqC7E— Jack Stephen 🇺🇸🇮🇳 (@USMNTZ) February 18, 2022
I thought he was fine in a vacuum, and I think his age will lead to some rose tinted glasses when analyzing his performance. Clever and accurate short passes, ran into space when it was there but no dynamic runs except for the one into the box. Noticeably weak in duels but not for lack of effort, just needs to grow physically. Cool to see a young Alaskan earning his way into a high level pro game at 16!
Average at 16 years old is, graded on the curve, extremely impressive. I still remember Tyler Adams's very poor performance away in Costa Rica at the same age.
Sounders looking to start some young players against Nashville in their league home opener on Sunday. Likely a few teenagers. Pretty sure CCL game will be veteran heavy. But we will see. Schmetzer says you might see a few young guys starting and teenagers running around the field on Sunday in the MLS opener against Nashville, highlighting the emphasis on Thursday's CONCACAF match as a must-win. https://t.co/x3MWYB2MbZ— Jackson Felts (@JacksonOnRadio) February 23, 2022
Leyva is healthy and ready to go. Atencio likely still out. No idea if Leyva is ready to go 90 minutes. Schmetzer says Nouhou, João Paulo and Danny Leyva are all "100 percent" available for the Motagua match. Jimmy Medranda will not be available.— Jeremiah Oshan (@JeremiahOshan) February 23, 2022
Seattle and NYCFC in particular seem like they're going "all out" for the CCL. With those games, as well as the return of the USOC, the kids at those clubs should get opportunities in the rotation. [Unlike most years, MLS seems to have really strong squads in the CCL. I think Seattle and NYCFC in particular have a legitimate shot.]
My response is off topic to the thread. But Seattle needs to gel pretty darn quick. That seems weird to type. But Lodeiro and Morris barely played last year and Rusnak is new to the team.
Vargas starting again. Our @Delta Starting XI for Leg 2! 💪READ ➡️ https://t.co/ubCpBL1PUe#SEAvCDM | #SCCL22 pic.twitter.com/2FpIdB1xoA— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) February 25, 2022
Vargas turned in another very solid performance. 40/47 passing, 2/3 tackles won, 7 recoveries, 1 interception, 3/7 duels. Sounders very high on him, think others will be soon too.— Jeremiah Oshan (@JeremiahOshan) February 25, 2022 Nothing crazy tonight, but he did not play bad. He was more involved from the start this game. He is only 16 years old and he didn't look out of place. He has the foundation. Its all going to be about how he can grow his game.
He was pretty tentative. I think he only really tried anything once. Big stage, and I'm sure the instructions were basically to not screw up, but I'm interested to see what he has once he's trying to do more than just the next pass over. Seattle gelled pretty quickly last night.
I don't think he has a super high ceiling, but he looked decently comfortable for a 16 year old. Perhaps he finesses his way into a Europe move in a few years, but he looks more like a Roldan-type MLS lifer to me. Seems to have average tools across the board.
I see what you mean. I would say ... at 16, it can be hard to even gauge the physical stuff because people can really progress there. But he seems to be more of a solid, IQ guy than anything spectacular. I've always seen him listed as a winger, but he was very clearly playing a center mid role last night. Which may also play a role?