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USMNT 2021


Napoleon

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2 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

While I just enjoy rooting for the USMNT, it’s hard to get super excited about our B/C team, vs a bad T&T side.

I guess I'm looking at it more from the standpoint of seeing some of the younger players out there.  My bitching about Altidore is more about bitching about coming up into the next generation.  The "story" right now is that instead of sending Brek Shea's over to fail in the Premiership, some of these younger guys who started in MLS are getting some purchase in the big leagues. 

I may not see the Jesus (Ferriera) in the World Cup, but he's a bit symbolic of a more confident 3rd or 4th string player we are putting out there in these games. 

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3 hours ago, tantric superman said:

Maybe Zimmerman who started his MLS career there? 

I didn’t study the bench and didn’t recall Walker playing. 

FC Dallas has established itself as a developing/selling factory in order to have a kid from Alabama moved to Dallas to play for them and a kid from Georgia (?) do that before for only one year before getting a trial at Bayern. 

They both develop AND are eager to sell (after McKennie left on a free) and that attracts top teens. 

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mls has never shaded europe for speed of thought, close control and one-touch play.

this is the first cycle in history where we could be 3-deep across the board with euronats.

the "natural order of things" should be the place to which we appear to have evolved.

that said, the dynamic of this qualification cycle vis. the fifa/european calendar, is unpredictable.

it always pays to have chips on the table with big-name sides in a fixture crunch.

you earn those chips not risking 8-figure players on the road in central america.

i will be very surprised if a then-current MLS player makes the final 22 for qatar.

i will be very surprised if we do not call on MLS players for qualification.

 

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7 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

I know I am going full @Hagbard Celine here, but why on Earth would our WC Qualifying Senior MNT have any current MLSers in it?*

Our current best 23 would still include a few MLS players. Turner probably makes it as a top 3 keeper. Long, Zimmerman, and Miles Robinson are all in the picture at center back and I imagine at least one would make the roster. Vines might be our #2 option at left back. Lletget would likely get a spot in the midfield. And then there is obviously Jozy depending on his health. production, and if any other options are playing/doing well.

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2 hours ago, goatsaag said:

Our current best 23 would still include a few MLS players. Turner probably makes it as a top 3 keeper. Long, Zimmerman, and Miles Robinson are all in the picture at center back and I imagine at least one would make the roster. Vines might be our #2 option at left back. Lletget would likely get a spot in the midfield. And then there is obviously Jozy depending on his health. production, and if any other options are playing/doing well.

You forgot to mention...

...MICHAEL BRADLEY.

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If GB had to name a WC squad tomorrow, then I don't think it would be a surprise if Long, Zimmerman, Morris, Arriola, an MLS based keeper, and Jozy (if healthy) were included.  The good news is that only one of the CBs would crack a current starting 11.  And by the next WC, I expect there to be even fewer MLS players in the fold and none on a starting 11.  

I was glad to see all of the guys move to the Championship on loan yesterday.  I hope Dike makes it somewhere in Europe and never returns to the MLS.  He clearly has the physical tools to be great if his game can keep progressing.   

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1 hour ago, ztejas said:

So we think Weah projects to the 2 deep at striker at worst?

That’s where he is at with his club.  He has 2 starts this year and has only played more than 30 minutes twice. He needs to stay healthy and log minutes.  He was a whopping 9 starts in 3+ years in his club career. 

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14 hours ago, goatsaag said:

Our current best 23 would still include a few MLS players. Turner probably makes it as a top 3 keeper. Long, Zimmerman, and Miles Robinson are all in the picture at center back and I imagine at least one would make the roster. Vines might be our #2 option at left back. Lletget would likely get a spot in the midfield. And then there is obviously Jozy depending on his health. production, and if any other options are playing/doing well.

..... for qualifying.

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On 2/1/2021 at 12:28 PM, Ted Lange said:
The 20 mil is basically an option to not buy.  

it's a firewall against a sell-on that SUM doesn't profit from.  i think we'll see more of this, and i highly approve, as long as SUM starts sharing the wealth with the rank-and-file in the exhibition that enables the academy/kid business.  that or ditch single-entity and true-up the franchise-fee ponzi scheme.

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1 hour ago, Hagbard Celine said:

..... for qualifying.

Well, the post I was responding to was "but why on Earth would our WC Qualifying Senior MNT have any current MLSers in it?" so, yeah, for qualifying for now.

I also forgot Zardes who is definitely in the picture for making a 23 man roster as well.

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33 minutes ago, goatsaag said:

I also forgot Zardes who is definitely in the picture for making a 23 man roster as well.

.... for qualifying.... and if and only if he gets a loan to europe and has a huge impact.

we host a world cup in 5 years, so the '22 side for qatar should skew young so we end up at the sweet spot average age of 27 in 2026

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On 2/1/2021 at 7:05 AM, Ted Lange said:

While I just enjoy rooting for the USMNT, it’s hard to get super excited about our B/C team, vs a bad T&T side.   Add into that the rise of all our A listers playing well in Europe and Covid stripping us for a chance to see them, outside of those 2 friendlies last year.

That being said, it was enjoyable to watch a team play on the front foot and score a touchdown.   Our B team MLSers wouldn’t have done that in years past and now they’ve done it in back to back matches.  Progress. 

Understand your points, but I feel the opposite. As bad as TNT is, I had a blast watching our B- and C-team youngsters run it up. As you noted, it's not something the USMNT could've done previously.

Plus, there are so many new faces right now that, if you asked me to pick a two-deep roster, I wouldn't have a clue outside of a few locks. So the more matches for them to play together and entertain us, the merrier.

Haven't been this excited for U.S. soccer since Dempsey's ascension and, before that, the 2002 World Cup.

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5 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Understand your points, but I feel the opposite. As bad as TNT is, I had a blast watching our B- and C-team youngsters run it up. As you noted, it's not something the USMNT could've done previously.

Plus, there are so many new faces right now that, if you asked me to pick a two-deep roster, I wouldn't have a clue outside of a few locks. So the more matches for them to play together and entertain us, the merrier.

Haven't been this excited for U.S. soccer since Dempsey's ascension and, before that, the 2002 World Cup.

I cannot tell you guys how many times in the last 60 hours I've read about TNT and how much they suck and thought-


"I watched the game on FS1. I didn't even realize that it was being shown on TNT. I wonder who their announcers were who sucked so much, because FS1 had their usual guys of that bald guy and Stuart Holden."
 

I'm not kidding. Several times I've had to reread the post to try to figure out why they weren't watching FS1 only to be reminded yet again that T&T is sometimes written as TNT.

Hopefully I don't continue to make this mistake for the rest of the year.

Edited by Napoleon
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On 2/1/2021 at 11:19 AM, Ted Lange said:

 


Dike is young (19), so hopefully it's not too late to learn the things like skill (first touch) and making proper runs (something that Hoppe already does very well) and he can continue to develop more of the basic skills that he seemed to be lacking against T&T.

He looks like a Lukaku starter kit, but he plays like an American who switched over to soccer in high school. (Or at least that's what he looked like in the 2nd half against T&T.)

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Dike is young (19), so hopefully it's not too late to learn the things like skill (first touch) and making proper runs (something that Hoppe already does very well) and he can continue to develop more of the basic skills that he seemed to be lacking against T&T.
He looks like a Lukaku starter kit, but he plays like an American who switched over to soccer in high school. (Or at least that's what he looked like in the 2nd half against T&T.)

He grew up in Oklahoma, so I can only imagine the coaching and competition he had/faced. He’s basically had 2 years at U of Virginia, and one at Orlando. All of which he has shown quick progression, but yeah he’s still just needs a shit ton of minute and is a nice lottery ticket for the club that controls him.
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Dike comes from a soccer family.  


The youngest of five siblings, Dike's eldest brother, Bright Dike, was also a first round MLS Superdraft pick in 2010 and has played for the Nigerian national team.[20] His sister, Courtney, was capped by Nigeria and made two appearances at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. He is the cousin of Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike.[21]

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12 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

As bad as TNT is, I had a blast watching our B- and C-team youngsters run it up. As you noted, it's not something the USMNT could've done previously.

Same.   My point was meant to convey more about the casual fans lack of interest, in this match. 

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9 hours ago, shnsajax said:


He grew up in Oklahoma, so I can only imagine the coaching and competition he had/faced. He’s basically had 2 years at U of Virginia, and one at Orlando. All of which he has shown quick progression, but yeah he’s still just needs a shit ton of minute and is a nice lottery ticket for the club that controls him.

Dike was on the state and regional (multistate) ODP teams from middle school on and was personally coached by the head coach of the OKC USL side from his sophomore year in HS on and practiced with pros from a young age.  He also played on the best youth club in Oklahoma (Oklahoma FC) and led his team to the U/19-20 National Championship bracket as a 17 year old where he played against some of the best club teams in the country outside of MLS academies.           

http://tournaments.usyouthsoccer.org/events/2017-National-Championships/Schedule/19-20U-Boys/Division-1/

In summary, he played club soccer at an elite national level and received professional coaching and played with professional players for years.  He isn't some dude who wasn't able to participate in the inverted American soccer pyramid. 

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1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

Just a friendly rehash.

 


According to the FC Dallas page on the MLS Website, Justin Che is 17 and speaks ENGLISH, RUSSIAN, & GERMAN and is a Texas native.

W...T...F...?

He must have had eyes on going overseas for several years at this point.

 

https://www.fcdallas.com/players/justin-che

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