USMNT 2021

[Tex48 852]

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[UDontKnow 10572]

Possibly another striker in the MNT mix? He will be the teammate of one Tyler Adams.

 

[ztejas 44236]

1 minute ago, UDontKnow said:

Possibly another striker in the MNT mix? He will be the teammate of one Tyler Adams.

 

He hasn't played for us in a couple years (well actually he's never really played for us) and has a recent cap with England's U20. He grew up in England. I think he could also play for Nigeria if he wanted. Kind of doubt he winds up in a US kit but you never know. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

his path to playing in multiple world cups is via playing for the USMNT. he's got so many young studs in front of him for England that he's a real long shot to ever make it for the Three Lions, and the USMNT *should* be more of a guarantee to make/compete in the next three World Cups. i think he wants to play for England, but imo he should be looking at the USMNT as his best opportunity to play on the world's biggest stage. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

also, he fucking bags goals. at every level he's played at he just fucking bags goals. statistically he mirrors Eddie Nketiah when he was coming through the Arsenal youth sides, and if Balogun ends up on the same level as Nketiah then he walks into our starting XI for the next 12 years or so. 

[Napoleon 8839]

7 hours ago, Tex48 said:

 

 

Transfer news: USMNT’s Reynolds close to Juventus move

Bryan Reynolds to Juventus finally seems to be a done deal, as the FC Dallas product has been chased by the Italian giants for the last month.

Reynolds, 19, reportedly agreed to sign for Juventus a few weeks ago and the latest reports say the Serie A side have agreed to pay $10 million for the right back and he will sign a four-year contract...

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/transfer-news-usmnt-reynolds-close-143325514.html

 

Original reports were for $6 million and FC Dallas managed to extract $10 million for the kid.

 I think that the player gets 10% of a transfer fee, so that’s an extra $400K for the 19 year-old and his family/agent. 

He can buy a used Ferrari and still have fun money to play with when he gets to his temporary team. 

Next up for FC Dallas is likely selling Paxton Pomykal. They are a money-making endeavor. 

[Tex48 852]

1 hour ago, Napoleon said:

Transfer news: USMNT’s Reynolds close to Juventus move

Bryan Reynolds to Juventus finally seems to be a done deal, as the FC Dallas product has been chased by the Italian giants for the last month.

Reynolds, 19, reportedly agreed to sign for Juventus a few weeks ago and the latest reports say the Serie A side have agreed to pay $10 million for the right back and he will sign a four-year contract...

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/transfer-news-usmnt-reynolds-close-143325514.html

 

Original reports were for $6 million and FC Dallas managed to extract $10 million for the kid.

 I think that the player gets 10% of a transfer fee, so that’s an extra $400K for the 19 year-old and his family/agent. 

He can buy a used Ferrari and still have fun money to play with when he gets to his temporary team. 

Next up for FC Dallas is likely selling Paxton Pomykal. They are a money-making endeavor. 

$10 million is nuts!  FC Dallas is becoming the Dortmund of the MLS lol.  Their owners have got to be ecstatic.  I think this shows how important spending on player development and youth academies is.  I bet FC Dallas keep on investing heavily in the academy.  Also at this rate the DFW Metroplex going to become the destination for young American talent trying to showcase in the MLS.  

[Napoleon 8839]

27 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

1) I bet FC Dallas keep on investing heavily in the academy. 

2) Also, at this rate the DFW Metroplex going to become the destination for young American talent trying to showcase in the MLS.  

1) After losing Weston to Schalke without a transfer fee, Dallas has made an effort to sell every player to Europe as soon as it was financially worth it. They sold two homegrown Right Backs under 21 in less that 6 months. 

2) Ricardo Pepi is from the FC Dallas academy in El Paso, so you don’t have to come to the Dallas area to get developed by FC Dallas. 

3) The January youth training exchange with Bayern is a huge selling point for Dallas. Other than NYCFC & Man City and possibly NYRB and Red Bull Leipzig & Red Bull Salzburg, I can’t think of any team that has as attractive of a set up as Dallas’. 

That said, I would think that Bayern is a more attractive TRAINING stop than almost any European club outside of: Barcelona, Ajax, & Dortmund. 

I also think that the return from winter break training found with Bundesliga clubs is a great setting for visitors hoping for a trial. 

[Ted Lange 16426]

10 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

Possibly another striker in the MNT mix? He will be the teammate of one Tyler Adams.

 

If I could pick any single US Player, I'd want to try to convince him to join the USMNT, It would be Tyler Adams.

[dogbreath 440]

14 hours ago, Napoleon said:

1) After losing Weston to Schalke without a transfer fee, Dallas has made an effort to sell every player to Europe as soon as it was financially worth it. They sold two homegrown Right Backs under 21 in less that 6 months. 

2) Ricardo Pepi is from the FC Dallas academy in El Paso, so you don’t have to come to the Dallas area to get developed by FC Dallas. 

3) The January youth training exchange with Bayern is a huge selling point for Dallas. Other than NYCFC & Man City and possibly NYRB and Red Bull Leipzig & Red Bull Salzburg, I can’t think of any team that has as attractive of a set up as Dallas’. 

That said, I would think that Bayern is a more attractive TRAINING stop than almost any European club outside of: Barcelona, Ajax, & Dortmund. 

I also think that the return from winter break training found with Bundesliga clubs is a great setting for visitors hoping for a trial. 

1) My memory is that FCD expected McKennie to enroll at Virginia and they wouldn't have to sign him until they wanted to. McKennie went AWOL during the DA playoffs and Pomykal moved up to take his place on the U18s. McKennie then signed with Schalke when he turned 18 in August. Up for dispute, but I think FCD realized they screwed the pooch and began signing underage players.  A few months later FCD signed Pomykal and then Fereirra and Reynolds.  

2) Pepi switched to FCD EP while there.  2019 U17 Mexico starting striker was also from FCD EP, Santiago Munoz.  There were rumors he may go back to USYNT.  Chris Richards and Tanner Tessman are from Alabama and migrated to FCD.   Pomykal started out with Dallas Texans and Cannon with Solar through early DA.  They and several others were told to transfer to FCD if they wanted consideration for USYNT.

3) Interesting that Bayern-FCD agreement was supposed to be two ways, but I don't ever hear any young players going from Bayern to play for FCD.  But no worries as long as players of Richards caliber can get chances.

4) Philadelphia did well with McKenzie going to Genk and Aaronson to Salzburg.  They supposedly have some very good young players.

5) Absolutely love the success that these young American players are having overseas.

 

 

 

[UDontKnow 10572]

How quickly will other top Euro leagues follow (if they haven't already)?

 

[Tex48 852]

6 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

How quickly will other top Euro leagues follow (if they haven't already)?

 

EPL probably won't because of Brexit.  Bundesliga clubs are instead making their ties directly to specific MLS clubs.  Given the demand from Serie A for Bryan Reynolds from Roma and Juve, I wouldn't surprised if they do something similar.  I haven't seen much demand for MLS players from Ligue 1.  So I guess if I was going to pick a league to do something similar it would be Serie A.

[Napoleon 8839]

Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament to take place in Mexico this March

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team will look to clinch its spot for qualification into the Summer Olympics this March.

Concacaf announced Thursday that the Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico from March 18-30. The Olympics were scheduled to take place in Summer 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was moved to 2021.

“I want to place on record our thanks to the Mexican Football Federation and the Governor of Jalisco for their ongoing commitment to this rescheduled Men’s Olympic Qualification tournament,” said Concacaf General Secretary, Philippe Moggio. “This competition is an important part of elite player development for our Member Associations and provides fans with the opportunity to see the best young talents from across the region competing for the honor of representing their country at the Summer Olympic Games.”

Eight Under-23 qualifying teams were drawn into two groups of four back in January 2020 and the winners and runners-up of the tournament will qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo. As for the USMNT U-23’s, it was paired with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Dominican Republic in Group A.

Group B consists of Honduras, Canada, El Salvador, and Haiti.

After round-robin play, the first and second-place finishers in each group will qualify for the semifinals. The two semifinal winners will qualify for the final of this competition and the Summer Olympics, to be joined by 14 additional teams, who have already qualified.

Japan earned a spot as the hosts of the tournament while Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and France are also among the qualified nations.

https://sbisoccer.com/2021/01/concacaf-olympic-qualifying-to-take-place-in-mexico-this-march

 

[Knoxtnhorn 6309]

Lulz at putting Mexico and the US in the same bracket so they can't potentially knock one-another out in the 2nd round.

[Tex48 852]

 

Would be great if he could go to Wolfsburg or Leverkusen.  Apparently he was offered a loan deal by Swansea for the rest of the season to help them with their promotion fight.

[Tex48 852]

 

I had forgotten he had gone to Tottenham.  This is a good move for him hopefully he will get some play time.

 

[Tex48 852]

Just now, Tex48 said:

 

I had forgotten he had gone to Tottenham.  This is a good move for him hopefully he will get some play time.

 

I just realized he has been at Bournemouth for a little while on loan already.

[Napoleon 8839]

47 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

 

I had forgotten he had gone to Tottenham.  This is a good move for him hopefully he will get some play time.

 

At present time, he looks like a possible Olympic team member of maybe Gold Cup/Nations League, but I can't see him making it to World Cup qualifier level.

It kind of looks like his game will have to take a sudden jump in the future for him not to get passed by younger players.

[UDontKnow 10572]

4 hours ago, Napoleon said:

Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament to take place in Mexico this March

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team will look to clinch its spot for qualification into the Summer Olympics this March.

Concacaf announced Thursday that the Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico from March 18-30. The Olympics were scheduled to take place in Summer 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was moved to 2021.

“I want to place on record our thanks to the Mexican Football Federation and the Governor of Jalisco for their ongoing commitment to this rescheduled Men’s Olympic Qualification tournament,” said Concacaf General Secretary, Philippe Moggio. “This competition is an important part of elite player development for our Member Associations and provides fans with the opportunity to see the best young talents from across the region competing for the honor of representing their country at the Summer Olympic Games.”

Eight Under-23 qualifying teams were drawn into two groups of four back in January 2020 and the winners and runners-up of the tournament will qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo. As for the USMNT U-23’s, it was paired with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Dominican Republic in Group A.

Group B consists of Honduras, Canada, El Salvador, and Haiti.

After round-robin play, the first and second-place finishers in each group will qualify for the semifinals. The two semifinal winners will qualify for the final of this competition and the Summer Olympics, to be joined by 14 additional teams, who have already qualified.

Japan earned a spot as the hosts of the tournament while Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and France are also among the qualified nations.

https://sbisoccer.com/2021/01/concacaf-olympic-qualifying-to-take-place-in-mexico-this-march

 

When will we see a finalized U-23 USMNT roster for this tournament? 

52 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

 

Would be great if he could go to Wolfsburg or Leverkusen.  Apparently he was offered a loan deal by Swansea for the rest of the season to help them with their promotion fight.

Personally, I like the idea of him going to Swansea for the promotion fight because it's more likely he would get consistent playing time. I'm ignorant regarding Wolfsburg or Leverkusen's situations. And it bears repeating that he fucked up by not leaving for Europe five years ago.

49 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

 

I had forgotten he had gone to Tottenham.  This is a good move for him hopefully he will get some play time.

 

All I know about CCV is that he's been loaned out nonstop since making the original move to Tottenham. What's up with him now? Does he have any chance to get back in the MNT fold?

[Tex48 852]

2 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

At present time, he looks like a possible Olympic team member of maybe Gold Cup/Nations League, but I can't see him making it to World Cup qualifier level.

It kind of looks like his game will have to take a sudden jump in the future for him not to get passed by younger players.

Yeah I agree at this point the guy is getting processed out by some of the younger guys.  

[Tex48 852]

Just now, UDontKnow said:

Personally, I like the idea of him going to Swansea for the promotion fight because it's more likely he would get consistent playing time. I'm ignorant regarding Wolfsburg or Leverkusen's situations. And it bears repeating that he fucked up by not leaving for Europe five years ago.

53 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

Yeah I read somewhere the logic with him going to Swansea for the promotion fight is that he will get regular playing time increases his value and Seattle wants to sell in the summer transfer window if that loan spell goes well.  

[UDontKnow 10572]

10 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

Yeah I read somewhere the logic with him going to Swansea for the promotion fight is that he will get regular playing time increases his value and Seattle wants to sell in the summer transfer window if that loan spell goes well.  

Just looked up the Bundesliega table and saw Leverkusen and Wolfsburg are third and sixth, respectively. Someone who follows Bundesliega kindly chime in here. Are there significant injuries to either of these team's striker pools? Both of these teams have a legitimate shot at being in the top 4 of the table so I am not understanding the interest in Morris beyond him being an insurance policy.

[SimonBolivar 11065]

20 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

 

All I know about CCV is that he's been loaned out nonstop since making the original move to Tottenham. What's up with him now? Does he have any chance to get back in the MNT fold?

I'm not sure but he has 0 appearances for Bournemouth this year in The Championship after coming over in October. If he can get some run with them then he'd be right with Morris and Swansea in a promotion fight if Morris ends up in Wales.

[Knoxtnhorn 6309]

That Olympic tourney is scary.  It appears to essentially be a one-off against Costa Rica and then a one-off against either Canada or Honduras.  I'm assuming the majority of Costa Rica's and Canada's younger players play in the Western Hemisphere and would be available.

[Hagbard Celine 11272]

On 1/6/2021 at 11:41 AM, UDontKnow said:

You mean find a starting forward among the MLS crop, right? The MNT already has their senior MNT forwards as far as Surly is concerned (Sargent and Weah).

+ soto, and other options will emerge

[ztejas 44236]

Antonee Robinson just got a straight red against Chelsea in the 45'. 

Looked debatable, but, it was a pretty nasty challenge. 

[UDontKnow 10572]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Antonee Robinson just got a straight red against Chelsea in the 45'. 

Looked debatable, but, it was a pretty nasty challenge. 

Means he's ready for the Gold Cup.

[Napoleon 8839]

2 hours ago, Hagbard Celine said:

+ soto, and other options will emerge

If I were Soto, I would not play a match that ties me to the USMNT until at least the end of the year.
-Olympic qualifiers? Cool.
-Olympics? Cool.
-Gold Cup? FUCK THAT!

I think that he should play for Chile. 

There are too many guys right around his age to guarantee that he will ever make it to a World Cup and playing in a Copa America is 20 times better than playing in a Gold Cup.

 

 

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

Re: Antonee Robinson's vicious tackle...

Means he's ready for the Gold Cup.

🤣... true.

 

...and in winter break friendly action...

USMNT’s Aaronson grabs goal, assist on RB Salzburg debut

Brendan Aaronson made a perfect start to life in Europe, as the USMNT youngster scored and grabbed an assist on his debut for RB Salzburg in Austria.

The reigning Austrian champions hammered Steyr 6-0 in a friendly, as Aaronson settled in very well after his transfer from the Philadelphia Union at the end of 2020.

The Austrian Bundesliga restarts on Jan. 24 after their winter break, as Salzburg sit top of the table but Sturm Graz, LASK and Rapid Vienna are only behind them by a point.

Aaronson, 20, is widely regarded as being one of the top creative talents in the USMNT player pool and the midfielder will be moulded by former USMNT player and assistant coach Jesse Marsch, who continues to work wonders at Salzburg.

The New Jersey native will feature in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 against Villarreal for Salzburg, as they just missed out on reaching the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League as Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich qualified for the knockout rounds ahead of them in the group stage.

With Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent, Gio Reyna, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and many others getting regular minutes in the top-flight of Europe’s top five leagues, Aaronson is the latest USMNT product to make the move to Europe and seems to have settled in well.

Here’s the video of Aaronson’s debut goal.

https://sports.yahoo.com/video-usmnt-aaronson-grabs-goal-132133039.html

.

OBSERVATION:  Paxton Pomykal better get healthy and get his ass to Europe soon or he's never breaking into the USMNT side. Aaronson has already passed him and the midfield is suddenly loaded.

.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Napoleon

[SimonBolivar 11065]

1 hour ago, Napoleon said:

If I were Soto, I would not play a match that ties me to the USMNT until at least the end of the year.
-Olympic qualifiers? Cool.
-Olympics? Cool.
-Gold Cup? FUCK THAT!

I think that he should play for Chile. 

There are too many guys right around his age to guarantee that he will ever make it to a World Cup and playing in a Copa America is 20 times better than playing in a Gold Cup.

 

I know we have a stacked group of youngsters coming up, but is this next Chilean group supposed to be pretty weak? I still think of them as much more talented than the USMNT...

[UDontKnow 10572]

I'm a relative dimwit compared to the rest of you guys when it comes to futbol. Did I miss where the Gold Cup (Copa de Oro, or whatever it is called now) is no longer of relevance? Once upon a time the winner of the Gold Cup was an automatic qualifier for the World Cup (and now the apparently defunct Confederations Cup), no? Am I way off here? Someone please help.

[Ted Lange 16426]

You nailed it.  With no confed cup carrot, the gold cup is basically worthless.

speaking of CONCACAF.......

 

[Napoleon 8839]

9 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

I know we have a stacked group of youngsters coming up, but is this next Chilean group supposed to be pretty weak? I still think of them as much more talented than the USMNT...

I just accidentally deleted my post, so I will sum up.

1) Chile has traditionally sucked.

2) Chile's Golden Generation is old, but they did manage to win the country's first ever Copa America title in 2015... 99 years after it was started. (It predates the World Cup.) They then won the following year in the exhibition Copa America, beating a more talented, but less cohesive Argentine team both years.

3) Soto would have a fairly clear path to the #9 jersey.

4) Only two forwards, 32 year-old Alexis Sanchez (Inter Milan) and an almost 35 year-old Fabian Orellana (Valladolid, Spain) play in one of Europe's Top 8 leagues. Those two guys are old. Soto probably starts in from of them by next summer... if they qualify, but for sure he does in 2023 for the Copa America.

5) Soto may be the US's best striker for a while as well, but I don't think that he will get the same opportunities as others.

Edited January 17, 2021 by Napoleon

[Hagbard Celine 11272]

14 hours ago, UDontKnow said:

I'm a relative dimwit compared to the rest of you guys when it comes to futbol. Did I miss where the Gold Cup (Copa de Oro, or whatever it is called now) is no longer of relevance? Once upon a time the winner of the Gold Cup was an automatic qualifier for the World Cup (and now the apparently defunct Confederations Cup), no? Am I way off here? Someone please help.

the gold cup "was" a cash grab by a company called InterForever which funneled graft to the FIFA grifting crowd, specifically Jack Warner (T&T) and his right hand, Chuck Blazer (US).  it "was" basically a way to exploit the ex-pat populations living in the US.  a few group matches have been played in mexico, canada and costa rica.  the group/knockout bracket structure was the most convoluted tournament/competition structure in the history of sport.  going to 16 teams will fix that.  overseas French Departments (Guadeloupe, Martinique) who do not belong to FIFA have been allowed to participate, and have actually done well.   the tournament has never been able to command respect on the international football calendar, and has been played in jan, jan/feb, feb, june, june/july and july.  the cabal (USSF/SUM/MLS) has turned down invitations to Copa America to send a MLS side with no european-based players to the gold cup.   us supporter groups at gold cup matches have been treated like criminals on their own soil, the most egregious example being the 2009 final at the swamp in new jersey.

tl/dr: concacaf sucks worse than the big12 but we're stuck here because we got no place else to go.

[UDontKnow 10572]

Hoppe determined to make sure we remember his name.

 

[Ted Lange 16426]

 

[shnsajax 3607]

 

Scouting report from last week was to respect the chip. This week he nutmeg’s the keeper.

[Captain Ron 13133]

On 1/15/2021 at 4:01 PM, Tex48 said:

 

Would be great if he could go to Wolfsburg or Leverkusen.  Apparently he was offered a loan deal by Swansea for the rest of the season to help them with their promotion fight.

So it sounds like that is the team that is going to get him. Good. I want to see what he can do in Europe. And a promotion fight is where he can prove it. 

[ztejas 44236]

2 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

 

Probably a pen, too, if he had missed.

Call that boy up.

[Hagbard Celine 11272]

12 hours ago, Napoleon said:

I just accidentally deleted my post, so I will sum up.

1) Chile has traditionally sucked.

2) Chile's Golden Generation is old, but they did manage to win the country's first ever Copa America title in 2015... 99 years after it was started. (It predates the World Cup.) They then won the following year in the exhibition Copa America, beating a more talented, but less cohesive Argentine team both years.

3) Soto would have a fairly clear path to the #9 jersey.

4) Only two forwards, 32 year-old Alexis Sanchez (Inter Milan) and an almost 35 year-old Fabian Orellana (Valladolid, Spain) play in one of Europe's Top 8 leagues. Those two guys are old. Soto probably starts in from of them by next summer... if they qualify, but for sure he does in 2023 for the Copa America.

5) Soto may be the US's best striker for a while as well, but I don't think that he will get the same opportunities as others.

upthread i posted about soto's current club purgatory at Telstar in the dutch 2nd.   if the chilean fed is interested, they would get him out of there and find him someplace to get first-team minutes in a legit league right now, this window, this month.  he can be had basically for free.

[Tex48 852]

What do yall think ends up happening to Hoppe?  Apparently Hunterlar is going to finish his career this season at Schalke once he is loaned from Ajax.  This might mean he loses his starting role.  Hoppe's contract expires at the end of the season.  Obviously he wants to see if Schalke can avoid demotion to BLi 2.  I think the season ends and maybe Schalke win their relegation battle.  (I think they finish 17th or 16th)  I'm just curious what happens to his career.  I think he jumps to a Mid-table BLi side for better wages plus more stable management.    

[Ted Lange 16426]

 

[Tex48 852]

4 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

 

Revenge??? Too bad this game is just a friendly.  Either way I want a 10-0 game. 

[Napoleon 8839]

I am article that has me going 👀

Report: USMNT’s Arriola could join Morris at Swansea

Joe Prince-Wright

Wed, January 20, 2021, 5:40 AM

 

With USMNT forward Jordan Morris on the brink of joining Swansea City on a six-month loan deal, he could be joined by USA teammate Paul Arriola in Wales.
 

According to a report from Yahoo’s Doug McIntyre, Arriola is in talks to join Swansea City.
 

The D.C. United winger, 25, previously played for Club Tijuana in Mexico before arriving in Major League Soccer with DCU in 2017. Aside from a few serious injuries, Arriola has been a regular for the USMNT in recent years as he’s scored six goals in 34 outings and provides balance, work rate and cohesion to the attacking midfield positions.

Swansea would be a good spot for both Morris and Arriola, as they sit second in the Championship and are among the favorites to gain promotion to the Premier League.

Swansea’s manager Steve Cooper was the head coach of England’s U17 side which won the World Cup in 2017 and plays an attractive, attacking style of soccer and has given plenty of youngsters the chance to shine at the Liberty Stadium.

A lot of those youngsters have come up through Swansea’s academy, but plenty of Premier League clubs like to send their players on loan to Swansea due to the style of play.

USMNT players need to play in Europe

When it comes to Morris (26 years old) and Arriola, it is quite likely that Gregg Berhalter has hinted they should go and test themselves in Europe.

Both are approaching the prime of their careers and have proven themselves in MLS.

With so many young Americans flourishing in top leagues across Europe, the competition for spots on the USMNT roster for the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers this summer is fierce and players know that playing in Europe will add an extra tick next to their name.

That’s just the way it is, even though Berhalter is adamant that playing in MLS will not impact his decisions over individual players as every situation is different. That’s true, and Berhalter has been true to his word when it comes to giving USMNT players in MLS plenty of chances.

As for Swansea, well, their American ownership group also own D.C. United so it makes sense for them for this Arriola deal, and to tap into the U.S. market. After the disdain shown towards the Swans from the USMNT fanbase after the way they treated Bob Bradley, perhaps this is the start of that relationship being patched up again.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-usmnt-arriola-could-join-134046178.html

[shnsajax 3607]

Another

[shnsajax 3607]

Weston McKennie; Italian Super Cup Champion

 

[Tex48 852]

9 hours ago, shnsajax said:

Another

 

Guy is really great at poaching goals.  Also he is great at staying on side.  I think his skill set is perfect for concacaf.  I really hope he gets a call up the next time European players get the opportunity so he can start gelling with the squad.  

[Napoleon 8839]

5 hours ago, shnsajax said:

Weston McKennie; Italian Super Cup Champion

 

I felt that McKennie got fouled from the back before he swung his leg and kicked Mertes. 

I think that the soccer gods agreed with me. 

Trophy winning McKennie!

[Napoleon 8839]

How USMNT prospects adapt to life in Europe and what their clubs do to help

Joe Scally is one of three young Americans to make the move from the U.S. to Europe this January. Brenden Aaronson went from the Philadelphia Union to FC Salzburg, his former teammate Mark McKenzie signed for Genk, and Scally completed his move to Borussia Monchengladbach having signed for them just over a year ago.

Scally packed five suitcases for his move from New York to the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. He had everything covered, from his XBox One to clothes for all seasons, along with various keepsakes, but he forgot one key item: pancake mix. Meanwhile, McKenzie is still trying to work out how to get his prodigious shoe collection (100 pairs and counting) over to Belgium.

United States youth international right-back Scally signed for Borussia Monchengladbach from New York City FC more than a year ago, in December 2019, but he had to wait until this month to join them following his 18th birthday on New Year's Eve. On Jan. 3, he waited until the last possible moment to wave goodbye to his family and girlfriend at the departure gates of John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens and flew to Monchengladbach to complete the move that had been a year in the making.

Scally had never lived away from home before -- he discovered early on that he could master eggs for breakfast, but struggled to put together lunch and dinner. His current specialty is sausage and pasta, cooked in an air fryer. "I throw in some sauce as well," he told ESPN.

For now, Scally is living on the Borussia Monchengladbach campus, which houses their stadium and training ground. They have four apartments in the on-site hotel for new players; from there, the club's player liaison officers will help them find permanent accommodation. Scally plans to live alone, but find somewhere in the city center big enough to welcome his family and partner once COVID-19 lockdown regulations are eased.

An hour away across the Belgian border to the west, McKenzie is settling into life at Genk. He FaceTimed his family as he picked out his apartment and has picked up a car -- a Mercedes C-Class. "It's definitely a step up from my old Honda Accord," McKenzie told ESPN. He has a photographic memory, meaning he's comfortable in navigating his new home city, but he still leans on his team manager Wout Maris for some essential local knowledge.

"I'm trying to understand the rules of driving out here and what those are, I think that's been the biggest adjustment in trying to navigate the speed," McKenzie says. "Wout was very explicit in stating they have speed sensors everywhere! Watch your speed so you don't get hit with tickets."

For Scally, the move to Gladbach was a long time coming. As he played out his final season at NYCFC with his transfer confirmed, his teammates called him "Monchengladbach" in training.

"My focus was on NYCFC, but at the back of my mind I had a little thing, like there was a bigger year coming," Scally told ESPN. His training plan was tweaked slightly to align it closer with Gladbach's -- he'd do more hang cleans in the gym. And as the months until his move ticked away, he kept in close contact with one of his best friends: Giovanni Reyna at Borussia Dortmund.

"I've been talking to him a lot about the living, the play, all this type of stuff," Scally says. "Especially now as I'm only an hour away from him, I'm able to see him so it makes it a lot easier. He told me in the beginning it'll be hard, but it gets better ... and it's great."

Scally has enjoyed the adjustment period, telling ESPN that introduction to life at Gladbach has been "very, very welcoming. The players have taken me under their wing and helped me a lot." He's spoken most to Oscar Wendt, the Sweden defender who's friends with NYCFC full-back Anton Tinnerholm, and 18-year-old midfielder Rocco Reitz. Then comes the training: it's a higher intensity than what he's used to, but he's relishing the chance to get stuck in.

Over at Gent in the Belgian First Division A, center-back McKenzie has found that the intensity of training naturally forces him to take his game to the next level. "I'm trying to ultimately push myself, but also push my teammates, make their jobs, make their lives harder," McKenzie says. "The thing here is, the processing has to be fast, you've got to know what you've got to do before you get the ball. Your awareness, where you're at on the pitch.

"As center-backs, the runs and the interchange between the attackers, and the positions, I think in all those areas, the tempo and the intensity has climbed up a notch."

Scally has two immediate things on his to-do list. First, he needs to learn German. "It's tough... I'm starting lessons as I need to learn the language. Most of the guys on the team speak English so it hasn't been hard but the coach, when he does practice, speaks in German." And second? He needs to source a different video game console. "Everyone here has PlayStation... the guys on the team were like, 'We don't play XBox.' It's all FIFA, Fortnite, Call of Duty ... I'm good at FIFA."

Scally is just one of 50 U.S.-qualified players in Germany's top three divisions and has followed the path many others have taken from the States to the Continent, or from other countries, to settle in the Bundesliga. At German side TSG Hoffenheim, 16- to 18-year-olds can choose between boarding school and host families. "We like pairing them with host families as it helps them stay grounded and adjust," says Hoffenheim's head of international operations, Tony Mamodaly. "But every player is different. Some guys are 16 and are like 25, and others are 22 and have never cooked in their life before."

Scally turned 18 on New Year's Eve and was able to complete his move from NYCFC to Borussia Monchengladbach, where he's already settling in nicely. 

Once the player goes through into the senior setup -- or for those new arrivals signed as first-team players -- the club has two player liaison officers available alongside the team manager, including one who's there for the Brazilian players they sign.

"They take care of apartments, logistics and help them settle in," Mamodaly says. "They give [new signings] recommendations on the best areas to live and also take care of their health insurance. One of the most important things is communication: We want them to be part of the team so they need to speak the language." Hoffenheim have in-house teachers and a collaboration with Anpfiff ins Leben -- an organization that helps young people prepare for the future, both professionally and personally -- to help the players adjust.

"We try to help the kids develop as athletes, but also human beings and use sports as a tool to access life," Mamodaly says.

Hoffenheim are also home to 16-year-old Las Vegas-born midfielder Lucas Tamarez, as well as 19-year-old winger Quincy Butler from Sacramento, California. "We really try to be there for our guys 24/7," Mamodaly says. In the words of our team manager, we can give them the wings but they need to learn to fly themselves."

Scally's still waiting for his cooking to round out, but he's settled into life at Gladbach, with a steady routine of training and then FaceTiming his family and girlfriend every day. He's loving life in Germany and is looking forward to his debut, but he's missing his pancakes. "I can't find the mix anywhere," Scally says. "I asked Gio about it and he actually made the same mistake, so he brought it back from home. So I need to find that."

And while McKenzie has a few pairs of his 100-strong shoe collection with him, he's trying to work out how to get the rest over. "It's definitely going to be quite interesting in trying to get my precious cargo from home sent out here," McKenzie says. "But I got a few of my 'gem' pieces with me, just to make my next place feel a little bit like home." -- Tom Hamilton, with additional reporting by Jeff Carlisle and Stephan Uersfeld

. . . and there are more players covered . . .

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usa/story/4292986/how-usmnt-prospects-adapt-to-life-in-europeand-what-their-clubs-do-to-help

 

[UDontKnow 10572]

The rumored details are confusing, but the writing appears to be on the wall regarding Schalke's relegation. Just need our boy to get consistent starter's minutes so he can star for us in the World Cup.

 

[UDontKnow 10572]

Newcastle currently sits in 15th in the Premiership, so maybe bring in young and fresh legs for a relegation battle.

Trying to piece together some things here, I believe their current roster has 3 left backs: Jamal Lewis (15 appearances with two clean sheets),Matt Richie (8 appearances, but may be actually spending more time as a midfielder this season), Paul Dummett (2 appearances), and Achraf Lazaar (?) (last 3 according to Transfermarkt). I looked up the roster on the club website for additional details. 

Again, the recurring theme is minutes for our players. Hope Gloster gets some support from Yedlin and progresses where he can platoon at LB with Antonee Robinson.