The kid played 23 minutes. I know this is a joking criticism, but I would not say we are ahead of the schedule Reyna predicted.
Claudio Reyna Says Not To Expect Homegrown Players Before 2018
- Thread starter ferrarinycfc
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And yet he looked better in those 23 minutes than some of the veterans like Lopez & TMac & dare I say Pirlo. If not for the U17 tournament, Sands would have seen more time while we were struggling for competent midfield replacements when Maxi, Ring, and Herrera weren't available.
Let's not crown the kid our savior just yet. He looked confident and calm in 23 minutes but he wasn't asked to do much either.
That being said, I happen to agree he would have competed for more time when Maxi, Ring and Herrera were not available. He was probably better off playing every match at the U-17s though and not riding the bench with NYCFC.
Rather than troll and misstate what I said, do tell what Pirlo did with his minutes the end of season that helped the team? His contributions were utterly worthless other than keeping an 11th man on the field.
Kwame Awuah played 26 minutes and Matt Doyle is already touting him as a backup for Ben Sweat at LB if we should sell Mataritta.
Oh, Matthew...
Listen, it's a dopey comment by him. That being said, he's a natural LB, he has physical tools that you can't teach and who would have thought Ben Sweat would be a league average LB?
MLS is so mediocre, a guy like Awuah could probably be a backup LB all over the league.
Did Awuah even play LB this season, or were his subs as a MF and for Villa at forward (to chase/press)?
That said, Sweat may now be a Swiss Army knife on the back line with his CB play vs Columbus. Granted, with the goal differential they had, they were picking their times to attack and didn’t need to go all-out, but he made some incredible tackles and clearances. It now gives us one more CB possibility that can move the ball forward (with Callens and Chanot) and is comfortable with it at their feet. That test could be all PV needs to go to a back-3, or at least give confidence that a rotation can take place if guys are feeling worn down.
I do remember him playing LB in the preseason.
He doesn't have to be a savior just shockingly average unlike our typical midfield subs.
Sweat is probably your opening day 4th CB and backup LB in 2018. And he gets a raise
He'll get a raise for sure. I'm okay with that. Not okay with Mac getting one, basically rendering him too expensive for any other club around MLS to take off our hands.
I tend to agree with you. I was surprised they were not able to trade him before the year. I think they will try to trade him again this winter.
He's certainly not a great value.
The raises for RJ and TMac last year were new contracts.
