2019 International Duty

International Duty sure ate up a lot of the alleged depth we have.

Defense: 2 CB on the roster while Alex is gone, 1 LB on the roster while Mata is gone
Midfield: 2 midfield subs/ injuries away from either Bedoya or Rocha playing
Forwards: with 2 forward listed players and a Medina
Goalie: 1G away from a guy who was probably shotgunning natty lights with his buddies 4 months ago (least worried)

I know this isn't a long window, but if any of these people either get hurt or get called up to every single international break... that is a lot of time where rotation is going to not be an option.
 
Congrats to both no doubt they deserve it... but isn't it kind of funny a United States U-20 eligible player is starting over JP Torres on his club team at the position he normally plays and doesn't get a shout?
Totally spitballing here, but regardless of difference in ability between the two, and I have no idea who is better as I’ve never seen JPT play, the club has far more to lose if they don’t play Sands because they have a ton riding on him succeeding as the first signed HG.

Think about it, what’s it say to an academy player on the fence contemplating signing a HG contract if the team signed the first ever player - essentially a player they thought had the most potential and readiness at the time - and didn’t give him an opportunity the first year, barely gave him one the second, and in the third passed him over for a guy they just signed in the off-season??? That would raise a lot of red flags to player/parents.

The flip side is that now the club can set the narrative that Sands spent a year and a half learning, a half season on loan plying his trade, and stepped in to the first team at the start of his third year.

Now if JPT goes off and balls out like Lewis did last senior camp, then there will be some questions as to when will he get a real look. Also, maybe Tab like’s JPT’s game more for how he plans to deploy his midfield.
 
I think it has more to do with the fact that Torres has been with the U-20 team for a while, including at the Concacaf tournament last October where he scored 4 goals. Hard to leave him off under those circumstances.
 
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I think it has more to do with the fact that Torres has been with the U-20 team for a while, including at the Concacaf tournament last October where he scored 4 goals. Hard to leave him off under those circumstances.

I was more for the inclusion of Sands than the exclusion of JP, no knock on JP at all, proud of his work this far.
 
I was more for the inclusion of Sands than the exclusion of JP, no knock on JP at all, proud of his work this far.
Certainly didn't mean to imply that.

I think there are a few people in Torres' situation - have played as part of that group for a while and played well. Hard to leave them off, which doesn't provide much room for newcomers.

Whether Sands gets a nod might end up being a factor of whether guys like Weah, Adams, Sargent, etc. end up on the team.