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US Men's National Team (4 Viewers)

Terrible first 20+ minutes for Leeds as Chelsea dominated but Leeds really turned it around and played very well the last 25 minutes of the half. All 3 American's played well although Aaronson continues to look if he just had one step more quickness, he could make a real difference.

Chelsea has so much offensive talent, this low level of goals seems unimaginable. Maybe it is just one of those things if they get one, things will finally start flowing.
 
Dr_Zaius said:
NewlyRetired said:
Dr_Zaius said:
Was surprised they subbed off Aaronson instead of Harrison there.
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me too.

Not that Aarsonson was great but Harrison was having a really poor game IMO.
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Agreed. None of the Americans stood out really good or bad for me. You can see why Leeds is battling relegation - every attack seems to end with a bad touch, or not seeing an open teammate, etc.
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on the flip side, I saw nothing from Chelsea's wide players that makes me think Pulisic won't get a few chances to play when he comes back soon.
 
NewlyRetired said:
Dr_Zaius said:
NewlyRetired said:
Dr_Zaius said:
Was surprised they subbed off Aaronson instead of Harrison there.
Click to expand...
me too.

Not that Aarsonson was great but Harrison was having a really poor game IMO.
Click to expand...
Agreed. None of the Americans stood out really good or bad for me. You can see why Leeds is battling relegation - every attack seems to end with a bad touch, or not seeing an open teammate, etc.
Click to expand...
on the flip side, I saw nothing from Chelsea's wide players that makes me think Pulisic won't get a few chances to play when he comes back soon.
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Yeah, Havertz was wasteful up top again (not that Pulisic is competing directly with him), and Sterling and Felix didn't really do much either. I was hoping Pulisic would make the bench today to indicate he might be ready for Dortmund, but it seems like at best he'd be a late sub if they need a goal.
 
Pukstas getting his 5th straight start for Split but today instead of attacking mid, he's playing right back (their normal right back is suspended). I'm not sure what his best position is but my guess is Varas is right and he's a 6/8.

On a positional flexibility note, Caleb Wiley has now started both games this year for Atlanta as the left wing. He's a clear cut left back imo but I view starting as a winger to be a good thing for the short term. They are just trying to find a way to keep Wiley on the field with Gutman healthy.
 
Weah went the full 90 at left back again. I give both Weah and his coach a lot of credit here in this ongoing change. Most coaches simply would have given up on the player given his lack of production (which still makes no sense given his skill set and athletic ability). And Weah has really thrown himself into the roll, studying a ton of film on Marcelo in the hopes to better learn how to be good defensively while still getting forward.
 
Musah with an extremely rare game where he is not starting. I don't know if slightly injured or if coach is trying to find something that works. They are playing Barca today so this might not be the worst game to sit out in case Barca rolls them.
 
NewlyRetired said:
Weah went the full 90 at left back again. I give both Weah and his coach a lot of credit here in this ongoing change. Most coaches simply would have given up on the player given his lack of production (which still makes no sense given his skill set and athletic ability). And Weah has really thrown himself into the roll, studying a ton of film on Marcelo in the hopes to better learn how to be good defensively while still getting forward.
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There have been a lot of players that came up as wingers that early in their pro careers switched to a defensive role. Interestingly, Bale did the opposite, which I think is more rare.

Marcelo for Real had the luxury of being covered by his central defensive partners (mostly Pepe and Sergio Ramos in their prime) as well as quality 6s dropping deeper to cover his runs (Casemiero, Xabi Alonso).
 
I could definitely see matches where the US is likely to see a lot of the ball and the opposition is ceding space as being a great place for Weah as a left back over Jedi. Weah has the speed to run down most counter attacks and if Adam's stays home (as he likes to do) this would put little pressure on Weah to mark players or even cover a ton of defensive space. Weah's one touch passing and aggressive mienten and ability to get behind defenders would be really useful as the opposition would likely key on Puli cutting in from the left.
 
Figured I'd update the U20 reckoning after the re-start, January camp, and now a few weeks into MLS. Here is the previous version from December. The U20 World Cup will be a 21 man roster with 3 GKs per side putting a premium on positional flexibility.

One change I'm going to make in doing this is I'm going to assume two players will not be released by their clubs -- Pepi and Paredes.

GKs (3)

Locks – Gabriel Slonina (04, Chelsea), Chris Brady (04, Chicago)

Likely – Alex Borto (03, Fulham)

Outside looking in – Antonio Carrera (04, FC Dallas), Emmanuel Ochoa (05, San Jose)

Long shots – none really

No change to this group. Brady appears to have lost the GK battle in Chicago so have to think he'll be released no problem. I suppose if we wanted we could pull in Ochoa as the 3rd keeper since he right now is the top 05 keeper. He was called into the January camp (neither Slonina nor Brady were there).


Defenders (6)

Locks – Brandan Craig (04, Philadelphia), Jalen Neal (03, Galaxy)

Likely – Justin Che (03, Hoffenheim), Marcus Ferkranus (03, Galaxy), Jonathan Gomez (03, Real Sociedad), Michael Halliday (03, Orlando)

Outside looking in – Caleb Wiley (04, Atlanta), Mauricio Cuevas (03, Brugge), Josh Wynder (05, Louisville)

Long shots - Kobi Henry (04, Reims), Noah Allen (04, Miami), Alex Freeman (04, Orlando), Thomas Williams (04, Orlando), Kayden Pierre (03, KC)

Some movement here. Neal got his MLS debut yesterday and with his callup to the senior team in January, he seems a lock. And Cuevas who has been in every camp to date and captained the side some, is dropped for Halliday who has 2 starts in 2 for Orlando - one at right back, one at left. That is invaluable with such a thin roster. I prefer Wiley who has forced his way into ATL over Gomez as LB at this point but I think we'll call Gomez (he was also called into the January senior camp). There is definitely room for movement on the fringes here. Wynder could pip a spot from Ferkranus or we could take 3 true full backs and drop Che (or Ferkranus). Numbers game makes this hard.


Midfield (6)

Locks – Rokas Pukstas (04, Hajduk Split)

Likely – Alejandro Alvarado (03, Vizela), Jack McGlynn (03, Philadelphia), Niko Tsakiris (05, San Jose), Obed Vargas (05, Seattle), Noel Buck (05, New England)

Outside looking in – Daniel Edelman (03, NYRB), Diego Luna (03, Salt Lake), Ben Cremaschi (05, Miami), Owen Wolff (04, Austin)

Long shots – Danny Leyva (03, Seattle), Nick Pariano (03, Duke)

Midfield continues to be really fluid. I moved Edelman out and made Clark a forward and added Vargas and Buck in. Wolff got a call to the U20 camp in January and he's starting for Austin but he seems behind a few others. Edelman I'm unsure what is going on but he hasn't played yet this year (incl preseason). Tsikiris and Vargas are both coming back soon and did enough pre-injury last year to still be in. Luna is too much of a project for this group though we know he has skill. I've still yet to see Cremaschi play but the hype is there. But I don't think he is going to force his way into this group if he can't get on the field for Miami.

Forwards (6)

Locks – Paxten Aaronson (03, Frankfort), Cade Cowell (03, San Jose)

Likely – Quinn Sullivan (04, Philadelphia), Brian Gutierrez (03, Cincinnati), Caden Clark (03, Leipzig), Darren Yapi (04, Colorado)

Outside looking in – Tyler Wolff (03, Beveren), Jackson Hopkins (04, DC), Roald Mitchell (03, Wake Forest)

Long shots – Luca Koleosho (04, Espanol), Dante Sealy (03, PSV), Rodrigo Neri (05, Atletico Madrid), Malick Sonogo (04, Union Berlin), Korede Osundina (04, Orange County SC), Ricardo Pepi (03, Groningen), Kevin Paredes (03, Wolfsburg)

Ton of change here as I took Pepi and Paredes off the board. I watched the 1h of SJ last night and Cowell looked great. Gutierrez continues to quietly start for Cinci and do well. The big new addition is Yapi who has started well for Colorado and looks dangerous as a true 9. I put him in though he doesn't have a cap at this level yet. He just looks the part to me. If Koleosho joins, i think it's Yapi's spot that gets taken and we continue to play a false 9. Mitchell is someone that apparently really impressed in the January camp but it's hard to see a college kid break in with this group of pros.
 
Last edited:
prefontaine said:
Pukstas getting his 5th straight start for Split but today instead of attacking mid, he's playing right back (their normal right back is suspended). I'm not sure what his best position is but my guess is Varas is right and he's a 6/8.
Click to expand...
Split lost at home 3-4 so I assumed Pukstas played poorly. But that doesn't appear to be the case. He had a 6.6 Fotmob rating but the rest of the back 7 (GK, Def, 2 Def Mids) were all under 6 (the centerbacks got 4.9 and 5.2 -- ugh).

Defence
  • Tackles won 4/5 (80%)
  • Interceptions 1
  • Recoveries 9
Duels
  • Ground duels won 8/9 (89%)
  • Aerial duels won 2/2 (100%)
  • Was fouled 2
  • Fouls committed 0
Split won a grand total of 7 tackles on the game and Pukstas had 4 of those. Additionally, his passing stats were quite good (28/34 with 5 completed into final third).

The other American in the game (Anello) started at RW and picked up an assist but was pulled at the half -- I think they probably changed formation.
 
NewlyRetired said:
Musah with an extremely rare game where he is not starting. I don't know if slightly injured or if coach is trying to find something that works. They are playing Barca today so this might not be the worst game to sit out in case Barca rolls them.
Click to expand...
He got on a bit. Barcelona were down a man and Valencia eventually threw on every attacker they could. He got the ball near the top of the box after a corner with a ton of space, but rushed the attempt
 
Translated article about Booth from Netherlands.

=======

The chance that Taylor Booth (21) will still play for FC Utrecht after this summer is small. Various clubs from home and abroad have targeted the American trendsetter. A Champions League participant has now officially reported and is willing to go very far

The game is on the wagon. Last winter, FC Utrecht could have sold the talented midfielder, but the sub-topper did not listen to that. Interest in the young American has only increased since then. Clubs from the Dutch top but also from the larger European leagues have expressed their interest directly or indirectly. Booth appears on various lists in Spain and England.

Interested clubs better hurry. A team that is currently still active in the Champions League is willing to go far for the midfielder. It would be a possible record transfer for FC Utrecht. That is still in the hands of Quinten Timber, who moved to Feyenoord last summer. Utrecht received 8.4 million euros, an amount that can increase considerably due to bonuses.

Booth may be worth even more in the coming weeks. The American is included in the provisional roster of Team USA. There is a good chance that he will actually make his debut in the national team in the short term. Not least because Booth, who also holds an Italian passport, could be of interest to La Squadra Azzurra.

FC Utrecht, which incidentally does not wish to comment, will follow it from the sidelines with the necessary interest. After all, it picked Booth up on a free transfer from Bayern Munich last year. His contract runs until the summer of 2025.
 
NewlyRetired said:
This is a great article on Eddie Johnson who has some interesting views on development (which is something he has been heavily involved in since retirement).

www.mlssoccer.com

Eddie Johnson's new journey: “Changing the whole narrative” as grassroots coach | MLSSoccer.com

Before Gio Reyna, before Christian Pulisic or Weston McKennie, even before Freddy Adu, there was Eddie Johnson.
www.mlssoccer.com www.mlssoccer.com
Click to expand...

Make sure you watch the short video at the end. That is EJ's nephew who has been working with EJ for a few years now. It is only a single drill but watching the speed and footwork of some one that young is really impressive.
 
NewlyRetired said:
Interested clubs better hurry. A team that is currently still active in the Champions League is willing to go far for the midfielder. It would be a possible record transfer for FC Utrecht. That is still in the hands of Quinten Timber, who moved to Feyenoord last summer. Utrecht received 8.4 million euros, an amount that can increase considerably due to bonuses.
Click to expand...
Was thinking he would move for around €10m with a next sale add-on. He's young and dynamic and looks the part of a guy ready for a lot more. Utrecht is going to make out like bandits here.
 
prefontaine said:
NewlyRetired said:
Interested clubs better hurry. A team that is currently still active in the Champions League is willing to go far for the midfielder. It would be a possible record transfer for FC Utrecht. That is still in the hands of Quinten Timber, who moved to Feyenoord last summer. Utrecht received 8.4 million euros, an amount that can increase considerably due to bonuses.
Click to expand...
Was thinking he would move for around €10m with a next sale add-on. He's young and dynamic and looks the part of a guy ready for a lot more. Utrecht is going to make out like bandits here.
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I hope he gets healthy in time for Nations League. Getting his US debut won't hurt his sale price either.

We can lock up both Booth and Zendejas if things go well this month.
 
Luca, Ream and Jedi all starting today.

Fulham are in the spot where if they want to make Europa, every single point is going to be needed. But that is a nice problem to have instead of worrying about relegation of course which is what most expected coming into the season. It really is just playing with house money at this point.
 
prefontaine said:
prefontaine said:
Pukstas getting his 5th straight start for Split but today instead of attacking mid, he's playing right back (their normal right back is suspended). I'm not sure what his best position is but my guess is Varas is right and he's a 6/8.
Click to expand...
Split lost at home 3-4 so I assumed Pukstas played poorly. But that doesn't appear to be the case. He had a 6.6 Fotmob rating but the rest of the back 7 (GK, Def, 2 Def Mids) were all under 6 (the centerbacks got 4.9 and 5.2 -- ugh).

Defence
  • Tackles won 4/5 (80%)
  • Interceptions 1
  • Recoveries 9
Duels
  • Ground duels won 8/9 (89%)
  • Aerial duels won 2/2 (100%)
  • Was fouled 2
  • Fouls committed 0
Split won a grand total of 7 tackles on the game and Pukstas had 4 of those. Additionally, his passing stats were quite good (28/34 with 5 completed into final third).

The other American in the game (Anello) started at RW and picked up an assist but was pulled at the half -- I think they probably changed formation.
Click to expand...
I was at a Croatian dinner this weekend…apparently there’s another kid going over this summer (shaquelle?…who was/is somehow affiliated with the Surf). There’s apparently a developing pipeline over to Croatia now since there’s now a bunch of youth coaches here with connections there and those coaches have been doing summer trips over there to get the kids exposure.
 
look! some news!!

==============

Former United States World Cup defender Oguchi Onyewu is a candidate to fill U.S. Soccer's vacant sporting director job, multiple sources told FOX Sports.

Onyewu, 40, was most recently the secretary general of Belgian second tier club Royal Excelsior Virton. He left in November after 16 months in charge. The USSF has been without a sporting director since Earnie Stewart took a similar post with Dutch power PSV Eindhoven last month. Stewart, who oversaw both the men's and world champion women's national teams as well as the federation's national youth squads, had held the role since 2019.

Reached by phone on Monday, Onyewu would neither confirm nor deny that he's in the running for the position. A U.S. Soccer spokesman told FOX Sports that the federation wouldn't comment on any possible individual candidates while the search for Stewart's replacement is ongoing.

Whoever becomes the country's next sporting director will be responsible for selecting the USMNT coach who will lead the Americans through the crucially important 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. During a media conference announcing Stewart's departure in late January, U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said that the federation wants to have its new sporting director in place no later than the start of the Women's World Cup in July — although an appointment could come well before that. The USSF has hired New York-based consulting firm Sportsology to lead its search.

Last month, Sportsology approached and was rebuffed by Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner, according to a report in The Athletic. Same for Sporting Kansas City coach and sporting director Peter Vermes, a former USMNT captain. Vermes told the Kansas City Star that Sportsology asked him to interview with U.S. Soccer; Vermes instead signed five-year contract extension with SKC.

Onyewu made 69 appearances for the USMNT between 2004 and 2014 and started matches at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. His 15-year professional club career took him through the top-flight divisions of Belgium, England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain and included stints with name-brand European teams like AC Milan, Sporting Lisbon and Newcastle United. In addition to English, Onyewu is fluent in French, Italian and Portuguese.

After spending a single season in Major League Soccer, he retired as a member of the Union in 2017. Onyewu then became the sporting director of Orlando City B, the MLS club's lower division development squad. The Washington, D.C.-area native also returned to Clemson University, where he played college soccer before turning pro, earning a double bachelor's degree in French and international business in 2020.

Onyewu currently works as a studio analyst for CBS Sports.
 
Sammy3469 said:
prefontaine said:
prefontaine said:
Pukstas getting his 5th straight start for Split but today instead of attacking mid, he's playing right back (their normal right back is suspended). I'm not sure what his best position is but my guess is Varas is right and he's a 6/8.
Click to expand...
Split lost at home 3-4 so I assumed Pukstas played poorly. But that doesn't appear to be the case. He had a 6.6 Fotmob rating but the rest of the back 7 (GK, Def, 2 Def Mids) were all under 6 (the centerbacks got 4.9 and 5.2 -- ugh).

Defence
  • Tackles won 4/5 (80%)
  • Interceptions 1
  • Recoveries 9
Duels
  • Ground duels won 8/9 (89%)
  • Aerial duels won 2/2 (100%)
  • Was fouled 2
  • Fouls committed 0
Split won a grand total of 7 tackles on the game and Pukstas had 4 of those. Additionally, his passing stats were quite good (28/34 with 5 completed into final third).

The other American in the game (Anello) started at RW and picked up an assist but was pulled at the half -- I think they probably changed formation.
Click to expand...
I was at a Croatian dinner this weekend…apparently there’s another kid going over this summer (shaquelle?…who was/is somehow affiliated with the Surf). There’s apparently a developing pipeline over to Croatia now since there’s now a bunch of youth coaches here with connections there and those coaches have been doing summer trips over there to get the kids exposure.
Click to expand...
That's really interesting! The Croatian clubs historically have not pulled foreigners into their academies. Looking at Split's sales, they are almost all Croatia (with some Kosovans and Macedonians mixed in).

They mostly sell by 20 so I would assume they are recruiting 16-year olds with EU passports that are not signed by MLS. That idea is both weirdly specific and exciting. The set of players meeting that criteria is very narrow but Split and Dinamo Zagreb are two of the best youth academies in the world and I'd love to get even 3-4 guys into that pipeline annually.
 
prefontaine said:
Sammy3469 said:
prefontaine said:
prefontaine said:
Pukstas getting his 5th straight start for Split but today instead of attacking mid, he's playing right back (their normal right back is suspended). I'm not sure what his best position is but my guess is Varas is right and he's a 6/8.
Click to expand...
Split lost at home 3-4 so I assumed Pukstas played poorly. But that doesn't appear to be the case. He had a 6.6 Fotmob rating but the rest of the back 7 (GK, Def, 2 Def Mids) were all under 6 (the centerbacks got 4.9 and 5.2 -- ugh).

Defence
  • Tackles won 4/5 (80%)
  • Interceptions 1
  • Recoveries 9
Duels
  • Ground duels won 8/9 (89%)
  • Aerial duels won 2/2 (100%)
  • Was fouled 2
  • Fouls committed 0
Split won a grand total of 7 tackles on the game and Pukstas had 4 of those. Additionally, his passing stats were quite good (28/34 with 5 completed into final third).

The other American in the game (Anello) started at RW and picked up an assist but was pulled at the half -- I think they probably changed formation.
Click to expand...
I was at a Croatian dinner this weekend…apparently there’s another kid going over this summer (shaquelle?…who was/is somehow affiliated with the Surf). There’s apparently a developing pipeline over to Croatia now since there’s now a bunch of youth coaches here with connections there and those coaches have been doing summer trips over there to get the kids exposure.
Click to expand...
That's really interesting! The Croatian clubs historically have not pulled foreigners into their academies. Looking at Split's sales, they are almost all Croatia (with some Kosovans and Macedonians mixed in).

They mostly sell by 20 so I would assume they are recruiting 16-year olds with EU passports that are not signed by MLS. That idea is both weirdly specific and exciting. The set of players meeting that criteria is very narrow but Split and Dinamo Zagreb are two of the best youth academies in the world and I'd love to get even 3-4 guys into that pipeline annually.
Click to expand...
I love all of this. I am a huge proponent of taking as many possible avenues to develop talent. I love the way MLS continues to improve development but I want every single stone turned over. If a kid is good enough for an MLS academy but goes overseas, that opens up a spot for another kid. If a kid has been overlooked by MLS teams (which I am sure happens a lot give our countries size), having these kids continue to chase their dreams elsewhere is fantastic because some of them will hit.
 
NewlyRetired said:
prefontaine said:
Sammy3469 said:
prefontaine said:
prefontaine said:
Pukstas getting his 5th straight start for Split but today instead of attacking mid, he's playing right back (their normal right back is suspended). I'm not sure what his best position is but my guess is Varas is right and he's a 6/8.
Click to expand...
Split lost at home 3-4 so I assumed Pukstas played poorly. But that doesn't appear to be the case. He had a 6.6 Fotmob rating but the rest of the back 7 (GK, Def, 2 Def Mids) were all under 6 (the centerbacks got 4.9 and 5.2 -- ugh).

Defence
  • Tackles won 4/5 (80%)
  • Interceptions 1
  • Recoveries 9
Duels
  • Ground duels won 8/9 (89%)
  • Aerial duels won 2/2 (100%)
  • Was fouled 2
  • Fouls committed 0
Split won a grand total of 7 tackles on the game and Pukstas had 4 of those. Additionally, his passing stats were quite good (28/34 with 5 completed into final third).

The other American in the game (Anello) started at RW and picked up an assist but was pulled at the half -- I think they probably changed formation.
Click to expand...
I was at a Croatian dinner this weekend…apparently there’s another kid going over this summer (shaquelle?…who was/is somehow affiliated with the Surf). There’s apparently a developing pipeline over to Croatia now since there’s now a bunch of youth coaches here with connections there and those coaches have been doing summer trips over there to get the kids exposure.
Click to expand...
That's really interesting! The Croatian clubs historically have not pulled foreigners into their academies. Looking at Split's sales, they are almost all Croatia (with some Kosovans and Macedonians mixed in).

They mostly sell by 20 so I would assume they are recruiting 16-year olds with EU passports that are not signed by MLS. That idea is both weirdly specific and exciting. The set of players meeting that criteria is very narrow but Split and Dinamo Zagreb are two of the best youth academies in the world and I'd love to get even 3-4 guys into that pipeline annually.
Click to expand...
I love all of this. I am a huge proponent of taking as many possible avenues to develop talent. I love the way MLS continues to improve development but I want every single stone turned over. If a kid is good enough for an MLS academy but goes overseas, that opens up a spot for another kid. If a kid has been overlooked by MLS teams (which I am sure happens a lot give our countries size), having these kids continue to chase their dreams elsewhere is fantastic because some of them will hit.
Click to expand...
The guy I was talking with runs the mini-mite 5-6 year olds for the SD Surf and has done it for years now. He’s taking a rather large group (he said 115, but I don’t know if that’s players or players and players families) over to Croatia for 2 weeks this summer (one week in Zagreb and the other in Zadar). He had some interesting comments given how the SD infrastructure is decently far from LA and how they tend to take their biggest kids and run them into the ground. That happened to this particular guy that’s this Croatian is looking to move over there (caveat being is he says this guy has the best first step he’s ever seen, so he’s definitely a freak athlete).

And to show off my Croatian bona fides, the guy hosting us has a restaurant in Zadar where Modric’s dad regularly goes for dinner.
 
Sammy3469 said:
NewlyRetired said:
prefontaine said:
Sammy3469 said:
prefontaine said:
prefontaine said:
Pukstas getting his 5th straight start for Split but today instead of attacking mid, he's playing right back (their normal right back is suspended). I'm not sure what his best position is but my guess is Varas is right and he's a 6/8.
Click to expand...
Split lost at home 3-4 so I assumed Pukstas played poorly. But that doesn't appear to be the case. He had a 6.6 Fotmob rating but the rest of the back 7 (GK, Def, 2 Def Mids) were all under 6 (the centerbacks got 4.9 and 5.2 -- ugh).

Defence
  • Tackles won 4/5 (80%)
  • Interceptions 1
  • Recoveries 9
Duels
  • Ground duels won 8/9 (89%)
  • Aerial duels won 2/2 (100%)
  • Was fouled 2
  • Fouls committed 0
Split won a grand total of 7 tackles on the game and Pukstas had 4 of those. Additionally, his passing stats were quite good (28/34 with 5 completed into final third).

The other American in the game (Anello) started at RW and picked up an assist but was pulled at the half -- I think they probably changed formation.
Click to expand...
I was at a Croatian dinner this weekend…apparently there’s another kid going over this summer (shaquelle?…who was/is somehow affiliated with the Surf). There’s apparently a developing pipeline over to Croatia now since there’s now a bunch of youth coaches here with connections there and those coaches have been doing summer trips over there to get the kids exposure.
Click to expand...
That's really interesting! The Croatian clubs historically have not pulled foreigners into their academies. Looking at Split's sales, they are almost all Croatia (with some Kosovans and Macedonians mixed in).

They mostly sell by 20 so I would assume they are recruiting 16-year olds with EU passports that are not signed by MLS. That idea is both weirdly specific and exciting. The set of players meeting that criteria is very narrow but Split and Dinamo Zagreb are two of the best youth academies in the world and I'd love to get even 3-4 guys into that pipeline annually.
Click to expand...
I love all of this. I am a huge proponent of taking as many possible avenues to develop talent. I love the way MLS continues to improve development but I want every single stone turned over. If a kid is good enough for an MLS academy but goes overseas, that opens up a spot for another kid. If a kid has been overlooked by MLS teams (which I am sure happens a lot give our countries size), having these kids continue to chase their dreams elsewhere is fantastic because some of them will hit.
Click to expand...
The guy I was talking with runs the mini-mite 5-6 year olds for the SD Surf and has done it for years now. He’s taking a rather large group (he said 115, but I don’t know if that’s players or players and players families) over to Croatia for 2 weeks this summer (one week in Zagreb and the other in Zadar). He had some interesting comments given how the SD infrastructure is decently far from LA and how they tend to take their biggest kids and run them into the ground. That happened to this particular guy that’s this Croatian is looking to move over there (caveat being is he says this guy has the best first step he’s ever seen, so he’s definitely a freak athlete).

And to show off my Croatian bona fides, the guy hosting us has a restaurant in Zadar where Modric’s dad regularly goes for dinner.
Click to expand...
Need to find a way to get on that trip. Zadar is fantastic!

And Andy's point is spot on. There are a ton of guys still getting missed by MLS. When you see a guy like Miles Robinson end up on the NT, you wonder how many Robinson's there are out there and how many of them had their growth stunted by not getting the development. But Diego Luna or Josh Wynder are other examples (that luckily at least made it to a USL academy).

I know there is a ton of talent in Southern California that is getting missed because it's not producing like it used to so I also like the focus on SD.
 
I'd hire Gooch if only because the closest I've ever seen Zlatan to being humble was when he said he was afraid Gooch was going to kill him when they fought. And for the Borgetti stare down, Natch.
 
NewlyRetired said:
Not a fan of the call to retake the pk. When the shooter hesitates like that, all bets should be off.
Click to expand...

Agree the exaggerated stutter step makes it very hard to stay outside the area, but I'm not sure all bets off is the best result. I haven't thought about it much, but wouldn't this encourage the stutter step even more?
 
Not a great cameo from Pulisic today but he's obviously rusty. I like the fact he was trusted to close out a crucial situation with Mudryk and Ziyech both available. He made a couple nice runs but didn't quite have that burst back. One particularly bad play will be familiar to us all - played into the channel where a defender easily shoved him right off the ball and took it the other way.

Gio looked pretty good. His dive near the end kind of pissed me off but the resulting free kick was harmless.
 
CletiusMaximus said:
Not a great cameo from Pulisic today but he's obviously rusty. I like the fact he was trusted to close out a crucial situation with Mudryk and Ziyech both available. He made a couple nice runs but didn't quite have that burst back. One particularly bad play will be familiar to us all - played into the channel where a defender easily shoved him right off the ball and took it the other way.
Click to expand...

I agree it was not a great (or even good) sub appearance.

I don't know how the Chelsea fans look at it but I thought Sterling was abysmal today. The lucky bounce and then well taken goal I think likely removes much of the stain but he made bad play after bad play all game to my eyes.

Ziyech got lots of minutes after the WC but once Potter decided he was not working he has been buried. I have no idea where Pulisic fits into the depth chart but hopefully he can pick up sporadic sub appearances (and obviously play better than today) as maybe the 4th winger.
 
CletiusMaximus said:
NewlyRetired said:
Not a fan of the call to retake the pk. When the shooter hesitates like that, all bets should be off.
Click to expand...

Agree the exaggerated stutter step makes it very hard to stay outside the area, but I'm not sure all bets off is the best result. I haven't thought about it much, but wouldn't this encourage the stutter step even more?
Click to expand...

I absolutely hate the stutter step but as long as the player keeps "slightly" moving, which is what Haevertz did, it is legal. I wish they would tweak the rule some how but I don't know what could fix it.
 
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