re: U20 World Cup Roster

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JUST PSYCHED FOR TOMMY THOMPSON

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You fricking better be

LINK

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CCV + EPB. The thrice-named, two-headed monster center back pairing of the future.

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Really fricking excited about that pairing.

HI-C!!!

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FORWARDS (5): Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake; Rochester, N.Y.), Bradford Jamieson IV (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht; Beaverton, Ore.), Maki Tall (Red Star; Washington, D.C.), Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes; Loomis, Calif.)

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RSL season ticket holder so get to see Allen play a lot. He's a more offensive Yedlin. A little smaller, and slightly more raw, but he's been great in 5 starts so far this season (and played in every game so far). Wasn't afraid to go after O Gonzalez (although who who isn't?) with his frame. Solid Winger, LAM.

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junior Mrs. Sheep

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Stahp. That made my heart melt.

You should see her tiny US jersey.

Me too.

Would've liked to have seen Gall, Novakovic, Lynden Gooch, and Flores.

But, really excited about Tall (I've seen him play. Trust me, there is a reason France was after him), Sonora (Youngest of the group, I believe, but a technically amazing player), and that entire defense looks insanely good.

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In a deep pool of talented players, form often proves of vital importance. It is what separates some from the rest of the pack, and what proves costly to others.

Junior Flores falls under the latter.

The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team’s World Cup roster was announced on Thursday morning, and one of the biggest and most surprising omissions was Flores. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder had been a regular in U.S. head coach Tab Ramos’ camps this cycle, but his name was nowhere to be found on the 20-man squad that will be rounded out by the end of next week by one of Gedion Zelalem or Zach Pfeffer.

Unless injuries strike between now and then, Flores won’t be with the U.S. in New Zealand this summer and the reason for that is his form.

“Junior came to the last camp and he wasn’t bad, but we expected more for the position,” Ramos said Thursday during a roundtable discussion in Manhattan. “He’s fighting for a position with say Emerson Hyndman and Joel Sonora, and now Jordan Allen comes in the picture and does well and Pfeffer comes in the picture and he’s playing every day and is sharp and physically ready. It’s tough. You’re competing with different guys that you weren’t competing with four months ago.

“My feeling is that you need to play,” Ramos later added. “If you don’t play, how are you going to come into the national team, without playing, and perform well? It’s very difficult. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but it’s difficult.”


At Borussia Dortmund, the 19-year-old Flores has made just one appearance all year for the German club’s second team. He’s been mostly limited to playing with Dortmund’s U-19 side, and his form has suffered as a result.

It was evident in World Cup qualifying in January, a tournament that saw him initially serve as a starter before he struggled, was dropped to the bench and used as a super sub.

In other U-20 cycles, Flores’ skill may have overshadowed his lack of playing time. This one, however, has too much talent for that to be the case.

“I’ve been involved in the last four cycles and this is the one where I think we’ve had the most guys who are actually playing,” said Ramos. “Over the years, we’ve gone into believing that because someone is at Bayern Munich’s youth system, then automatically he must be a good player (and) let’s bring him. We do bring him if he’s at a club like that and we look at him, but we judge them on how they play and how they help the team, not on what team they’re on.

“I think, for me, it’s the first cycle that we’ve had the luxury to say, ‘Hey, you play for this great club, that’s great. But he plays for a club that’s not so great and he’s better than you so that’s who we’re taking.’ For me and what I’ve seen of the U.S. program, it’s kind of the beginning of us starting to be a soccer nation type of thing where we’re picking guys who play on teams. Not just because they’re on the team, (but) you’re selecting them because they’re in good form at the moment.”

Here is more U.S. U-20 news:

RAMOS ENCOURAGED BY RECENT PLAYING TIME

The last several weeks have given Ramos plenty of reasons to smile, especially with regards to his MLS-based players.

Of the seven youngsters that made the World Cup squad, five are regularly seeing the field. Bradford Jamieson, Tommy Thompson, Jordan Allen, Kellyn Acosta and Matt Miazga might not all be every-game starters for their clubs, but that they’re competing on nearly a weekly basis is an added bonus for Ramos ahead of the start of the World Cup on May 30.

“This group has been more professional than any other group,” said Ramos. “The way you can tell is not so much by the training, because everybody makes a good effort and everybody’s excited to be on the national team and all those things. But the way they take care of themselves right after practice: Do they do the right stretches? Do they go see the trainer more? Do they get more massages?

“This is a group that does that. This is a group that really gets it, that this is their career. They are very dedicated to what they’re supposed to do. There has been a difference with this group than groups prior to this one.”

READING OPT TO KEEP NOVAKOVICH, HORVATH STILL A QUESTION MARK

If Ramos had his way, Andrija Novakovich would be on the New Zealand-bound squad. Alas, Novakovich isn’t. Not because of an injury, but because Reading did not want to release him.

FIFA’s rules do not mandate clubs to send players to their national team for youth World Cups, though most do as it can help raise the transfer value of youngsters and give them added experience on a big stage. Reading, however, went against the grain on this occasion, choosing to keep Novakovich this summer instead of releasing him for international duty.

“At this point, they felt it was very important for Andre and where he is in his development to get a little bit more rest, and that rest took him through the World Cup,” said Ramos. “We have to respect that because he’s their player. Obviously it’s my job and it’s important that I do well, but one of my priorities is passing guys on to our first team. Whatever the best scenario is for any particular player, that has to be a priority for me too.

“I think Andre will be an important part of our program. Unfortunately, he can’t come to this one, and I think it’s a missed opportunity, but hopefully we can get him involved down the road when he’s ready.”

Another player who could have a similar fate is backup goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. Ramos insisted that Molde FK would ultimately release Horvath for the World Cup, but stopped short of guaranteeing that.

“We’re still talking about that, but I don’t think there’s going to be any issues there,” said Ramos. “That’s the only way I can answer it. It’s kind of like Rubio (Rubin’s) release is not final for next Monday. It could be the Monday after that, so there’s a couple of details that are not finalized, but we don’t foresee any issues there.”

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES

Though he is listed as unattached on the roster, Shaquell Moore is currently training with Spanish third division side Huracan. A source told SBI in March that the club is waiting to receive Moore’s international transfer certificate before officially signing him.
Ramos indicated that he’d be playing a variation of a 4-4-2 at the World Cup, further moving away from his preferred 4-3-3.
Ramos has a captain for the World Cup in mind, but did not want to reveal that information until he told the team first. Kellyn Acosta was the player given the armband at the start of World Cup qualifying back in January.
Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel will serve on Ramos’ coaching staff in New Zealand.

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I'm sure Friedel and Hyndman will hang out and talk to each other in their weird-arse accents.

Tall is struggling for playing time in France's third division--but this shouldnt be seen as a knock against him. After all, Julian Green got into our WC Squad (like it not) while playing in Germany's fourth division. He was loaned to the third division team (where he has not played) from Lille's U-19 team, where he is highly valued.

Tall is young. He'll get better with age because the work ethic, pedigree, and measurables are there. When he lined up for the US (1 game, U20), he scored and assisted and was dangerous the whole time from the wing. For France, I believe he scored 3 times and assisted twice in 6 games. Not bad.