Looks increasingly like Nashville is going to get an MLS franchise. Finalists for two spots are, supposedly, Nashville, Sacramento and Cincinnati.
I like the potential midfield of the US in the youth ranks. The unsung hero of the US team for the last 6-7 years had been Jermaine Jones. He was an extremely effective enforcer and stabilizer defensively in the middle of the field, which Bradley just can't do. McKinnie, though not as rugged, seems to be up to the task to be an effective guy in the 8 spot, which would allow our superstar attacker to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. I also liked Adams in the midfield and Yedlin has quietly shut down anything on that side of the pitch every time he puts on a US uniform.
Peru! Peru! Peru! At least I have one real rooting interest in the World Cup next year. Lima is having a party the likes one has never seen before tonight.
You can add another American midfielder to the mix. Keaton Parks, a 20 year old 6-4 central mid, made his debut for Benfica yesterday and looked really good, very smooth. Of course, he had fallen through the cracks of US soccer in the pay to play system and, demonstrating the genius of US soccer, had one call in for a youth team in which he was, apparently, put at center back. Anyway, here are his touches from yesterday.
So, just to note the youth movement in the USA midfield, you have: - Christian Pulisic, AM, 19 years old - Dortmund - Weston McKinnie, CM, 19 years old - Schalke (Started again today with a solid game and had a goal against Portugal in US friendly) - Jonathan Gonzalez, DM, 18 years old - Monterrey (Regular starter for Mexican team that is in first place) - Keaton Parks, CM, 20 years old - Benfica - Tyler Adams, M, 18 years old - NY Red Bulls (Moving to Europe, likely, very soon) What we really need is for a guy like Josh Sargent to pan out. We desperately need strikers and Bobby Wood is having an awful year for Hamburg.
Also Haji Wright. Tim Weah should be pretty good as well. Had he fallen through the cracks? I thought he was in the FC Dallas academy?
Never seen Arsenal play with that kind of intensity, and never seen the Emirates as loud as that. If they played like that all the time, they'd easily be in the top 4
I'm not sold on Wright yet, but I'm hopeful for Weah. Parks played in high school in the same town as FC Dallas, but they never picked him up and he played in some fourth tier league before trying out for some Portuguese clubs.
