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The Reserve List

Update Bomb: Hyndman, Pulisic, Arriola, Zelalem, Etc.

Young soccer players, like young wines, often need time to develop before they can reach their full potential. That’s why ASN produces The Reserve List, a vintage-based analytical survey of U.S. talent.
BY Josh Deaver Posted
August 20, 2015
10:30 AM

FOR MONTHS NOW, October has been firmly circled on the calendar at Soccer House HQ in Chicago. With the afterglow of women’s World Cup victory fading and the sour taste of the Gold Cup lingering, U.S. Soccer has three valuable opportunities to earn back some positive headlines.

The senior side’s October 10 showdown with Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena is certainly a massive match, but for the purposes of this edition of The Reserve List we’re going to focus on the U-17 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Qualifying. After months of waiting, both the American U-23 and U-17 squads have finally learned their fates.

Beginning October 1, Andreas Herzog’s U-23 team will begin the unenviable task of CONCACAF Olympic qualification. With a shortened roster (limited to 15 field players and three goalkeepers—a change from 2012) and a pox of question marks dotting an already-suspect player pool, the Americans will feature in Group A, where they will meet rival-ish Canada at Sporting Park in Kansas City, followed by meetings with Cuba and Panama. With only three CONCACAF tickets for Rio next summer, the margin for error is about as thin as our collective patience for Jurgen Klinsmann’s roster selections.

This space has contended for months that Herzog will have a series of extraordinarily difficult roster choices to make in the coming weeks. The conflict is centered on a floundering class of U-23 national team veterans and an emerging class of young players, several of which composed the most recent under-20 World Cup team.

Does Herzog lean on the embattled incumbents, several of whom are receiving minimal playing time, or does he shake things up at the zero hour? The cost-benefit analysis is a tricky one in this instance. With the chance for Olympic glory, the compulsion to play it safe could be overwhelming—seeking to avoid the fate of 2012 Caleb Porter by working with known elements of the American player pool. No one would blame him for, say, including current U-23 captain Benji Joya in his plans. However, it might be hard to justify this decision since Joya has earned just 26 minutes of field time while on loan in the Mexican second division.

October will be a time of reckoning for several underperforming talents.

COMING OFF A SHAKY qualifying campaign, the U.S. under-17s are finally ready for prime time. On October 17, the U-17 World Cup kicks off in Santiago, Chile. While prognosticating youth soccer results is no easy feat, the Americans appear to have been drawn into yet another Group of Death—three for three!—paired with the host nation, the stout Serbs, and defending champion Nigeria, which the young Americans will meet on Match Day 1.

For those who haven’t been playing attention, the current U-17 camp boasts a number of promising talents; including FC Dallas breakthrough star Alejandro Zendejas; Fulham’s Luca de la Torre; Italy-bound Joshua Perez; and the Hype Train conductor himself, Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic. Here’s a pretty decent preview of how the squad may line up two months from now.

In the final run-up to the tournament, head coach Richie Williams’ squad is currently participating in the Vaclav Jezek Youth Tournament in Czech Republic. On Tuesday, the squad fell 4-2 to Russia.

AROUND THE HORN

 Since his eye-opening American debut at the under-20 World Cup, Gedion Zelalem has been on the tip of the collective Amerosoccer-sphere’s tongue for several months now. On Friday the 18-year-old midfielder added another clip to his sizzle reel, willing the Young Gunners to victory over Fulham with a late 86th minute winner. Controlling possession expertly…well, you can watch it below.

While just settling into a leadership role with the Arsenal U-21 team, Zelalem has a big challenge heading his way. On Tuesday it was reported that Zelalem will be sent on loan to Scotland to play for Rangers, which is looking to finally re-enter the Scottish first division following the club’s liquidation in 2012. The deal is scheduled to take Zelalem through January at Ibrox, with the option of extending the assignment for the remainder of the European season. Watch out for those two-footers, Gedion! 

After a disappointing spell for the Monchengladbach reserves last season, Mario Rodriguez has worked himself back into the starting XI after two impressive early-season performances. On August 8 the U-23 forward entered as a late substitute against Alemania Aachen, scoring a late equalizer off a long throw in to rescue a point.

Rodriguez found himself rewarded with a spot in the starting XI on Saturday against Wattenscheid, where he once again delivered the late-game heroics, setting up an 85th-minute equalizer in a 1-1 draw for the Regionalliga West defending champions.

Sunderland U-21 forward Lynden Gooch has caught fire to begin the European season. Grabbing a goal and an assist during the Black Cats' 3-1 season-opening win over Norwich last week, the California kid added another to the scoresheet on Saturday, albeit in a losing effort against Reading.

It was the squad's first loss in 14 matches. In the last seven Sunderland U-21 matches, Gooch has contributed five goals, registered two assists, and drawn two penalty kicks.

In Liga MX action on Saturday night, Paul Arriola played the final 45 minutes and scored his second goal of the season for Tijuana in a 3-1 win over Cruz Azul. Deployed as a left-sided winger, Arriola is one of very few eligible U-23s receiving regular first-team minutes anywhere outside MLS.

With his positional versatility and strong form, he could be a factor in the preparation for Olympic qualifying, which begins next month in England.

Tijuanamerica lives! The contingent of young Americans just south of the border continues to excel for the club’s U-20 squad. Midfielder Fernando Arce, Jr. has claimed the armband for the side while defender John Requejo, 20, has started all five matches for the Xolos, scoring his first goal a 3-1 win over Veracruz last week. Likewise, Amando Moreno has started every match for the club while notching two goals in the young season, including his latest as part of a 3-3 draw with Cruz Azul on Saturday night. On Tuesday night, Moreno made his third Copa MX appearance, playing 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over Necaxa.

Also in Copa MX action on Tuesday night was former under-20 defender Luis Martir, who made his first-team debut for Chivas in a 1-0 win over Tepic. Martir made headlines last year by playing for the U.S. under-20s in two friendly matches—seemingly violating Chivas’ long-standing rules when it comes the to the international affiliation of its players. If the past is any indication, I wouldn’t expect Martir in a U.S. jersey any time soon.

Playing for Chesterfield in the English third division, former U-20 midfielder Gboly Arriyibi has carved out a regular spot for the League One side, featuring in each of the club's first four matches, including two starts. On Tuesday, Arriyibi came off the bench for the Spirettes, playing the final 22 minutes in a 2-1 win over Shrewsbury.

Staying in England, U-17 starting centerback Danny Barbir made his professional debut last week for West Bromwich Albion reserves with a cameo appearance in a 2-1 win over Swansea. Back with the U-18s on Monday, the six-foout-four teenager started and played 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Newcastle.

Since moving to Hurucan CF in the Spanish third division over the summer, former under-20 defender Shaq Moore has emerged as a regular starter for the club in preseason—starting and playing 90 minutes in two friendly wins last week, including assisting on a game-winning goal (~4:15). 

On Monday, Moore made a late substitute appearance in a 4-0 win over Torrent CF. The club kicks off its regular season campaign against Altetico Baleares on Saturday.

Chelsea academy midfielder Kyle Scott tweeted on Tuesday morning that he has accepted a call-up for the U.S. under-20 training camp scheduled for later this month. Scott is one of several headline-making foreign-based talents in what is already shaping up to be a very strong player pool for the 2017 World Cup cycle. After helping the Chelsea U-18s to the title last season, Scott has been shuttled back and forth between the Chelsea youth sides to begin the year. On Tuesday, he started for the Blues’ U-18 squad, scoring a goal in a 6-2 win over Exeter City.

Despite never featuring for the U.S. national team, Leones Negros midfielder Jesus Vasquez continues to make his case for a late inclusion into Olympic qualifying preparation. The Los Angeles-born 20-year-old has started four of five matches for the Mexican second division club to begin the season, including a 90-minute shift on Saturday where he registered an assist (~6:14) and a goal (~7:25) during a 7-1 smackdown of Correcaminos.

The Bermuda-born, Bay Area-raised forward Djair Parfitt-Williams made his return to the West Ham U-21s on Saturday, starting in a 2-1 loss to West Brom. The match was the 20-year-old’s first regular season appearance for the Hammers since picking up a knock late in preseason. 

QUICK HITS

Since news of his contract holdout broke last week, Emerson Hyndman has found himself on the outs with Fulham. Relegated to the U-21 side, Hyndman started and played 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Arsenal over the weekend. U-17 midfielder Luca de la Torre also featured, coming off the bench for the final 30 minutes.

In Germany, Jerome Kiesewetter (Stuttgart II) and Russell Cannouse (Hoffenheim II) continue to see steady time for their respective clubs. On Friday, Cannouse and Hoffenheim battled Homburg to a 2-2 draw. On Saturday, Kiesewetter helped lead the Stuttgart reserves to a 3-1 win over Sonnenhof.

After starting for Dortmund II in the club's season opener, midfielder Junior Flores did not feature over the weekend in a 1-0 loss to Victoria Koln.

Caleb Stanko will continue to wait for his his 2.Bundesliga debut. After featuring last week for Freiburg in the German Cup, Stanko was again an unused substitute in a 3-1 loss to Bochum on Saturday.

Rubio Rubin was an unused substitute for FC Utrecht in a 1-1 draw with Hereenveen on Sunday.

ASN Contributing Editor Josh Deaver is a former academic turned soccer obsessive. Follow him on Twitter.

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