Cybereagles

USA 0 vs NED 4....

The alleged "level of superiority" apparently did not reach the national team. SMH
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#BRINGBACKALLOURGIRLS#

It's EASY for players to play in their own HOME countries (regardless of what you think the quality of each nation's league is), so that's not a particularly useful measure.

Furthermore, virtually all US U17 players are already on MLS rosters BEFORE they are selected for the US U17 national team, and thus they ending up on MLS clubs is not exactly indicative of 'development'. That would be akin to selecting Eaglets' players from NPFL clubs and then turning around to tout their supposed 'development' when they return to (or end up in other) NPFL clubs.

Finally, it's easier for US players to play in Europe and the UK, not least because the same age restrictions that apply to African youth players do not apply to them (such as the US-born Nigerian-ancestry US U17 WC GK Odunze who recently moved from Canada to Leicester City), so even that criteria is also NOT a particularly useful criteria for comparison.

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#BRINGBACKALLOURGIRLS#

You are the one who included LOBI in your list of clubs. The key measure is breakthrough in Europe as I already indicated.
And yes, breakthrough to the MLS given its current standard (less than Europe but greater than the NPFL) is indicative of 'development'...That is why Tyler Adams for instance is able to move from club academy to first team NYCFC and first team RB Leipzig.

Secondly, the age restriction on international transfers is universal.

Thirdly, it ultimately comes down to the quality of the player starting out, irrespective of origin. For instance, given the rigor of training of GKs in the US, it is more than likely that a US GK prospect will be chosen over his Nigerian counterpart 10 times out 10!

That is the key point I'm trying to make to you. Any way you look at it, it comes down to quality, even while recognizing the challenges African players typically have.

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Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp

You know it is quite possible that these same US players will breakthrough in greater numbers than their Nigerian counterparts.

It seems strange to me reducing assessment at this level simply to scores.

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Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp

When the standard is low everything looks smooth but when you are playing the best youth around the world it’s not the same as playing Arizona minors so you’ll not always going to find it easy!

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WHAT SHALL BE SHALL BE SABI

It’s also quite possible that the Nigerian players will breakthrough in greater numbers than their US counterparts...

Nonetheless, dude was talking about their alleged “level of superiority” TODAY...
And rational folk prefer to use a measurable yardstick such as results/performance in the same competition.

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#BRINGBACKALLOURGIRLS#

It’s NOT....
Because they are ALREADY at MLS clubs.

The US GK move illustrates the limited opportunities for NIGERIAN youth players outside of the youth NTs to transit to foreign clubs...
Even if the GK at Diamond Academy or Enyimba Feeders shows world-class quality, Leicester (or any foreign club) is unlikely to know that.

Meanwhile, Tyler Adams debuted for RB Leipzig at 4 years after he played U17 (and 2 years after his full US NT debut) at 20...
In contrast, Kelechi Iheanacho debuted for Manchester City (a much better club) barely 2 years after playing for Nigeria U17 at 19.

The circumstances of individual players are unique...
If it was not, every US (or Nigerian) youth player would end up as Adams (or Iheanacho).

Nonetheless, as a general statement of OBJECTIVE FACT (not SUBJECTIVE opinion)...
Nigeria has done as well as most nations (if not better) in transitioning youth NT players to the senior NT - that’s measurable development!

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#BRINGBACKALLOURGIRLS#

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Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp

Txj, you have made two rather nebulous and contradictory claims. First, you say that other countries are transitioning more under 17s to senior football than we are then secondly, you assert that they have other outlets for football development besides the u17. If we are to believe that we are not transitioning enough under 17s to senior football then the valid question would be, Where do our senior players come from, if not the under 17? If your assertion is correct, it must mean that, contrary to your claim, Nigeria must have alternative sources for transitioning our young players into the senior team. You need to think more carefully about what you say before you say it because in this case, it doesn’t make any sense


Cheers.

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#BRINGBACKALLOURGIRLS#

1. They had to first play in the academy before making it to the MLS first team; no? It takes progress to go from the Academy to the MLS. Bello had to progress from the Atlanta academy to the first team.

2. We have local scouts/agents. You even have agents coming from Europe to watch the Mock Nations Cup and similar tourneys...If a player has quality he will be seen.

But you are simply echoing my point about Nigerians being largely limited to the NT pathway for breaking into Europe.

Which brings us back to my main point about our comparatively low numbers of successful transition of players to top senior level football, relative to our dominance at this level and compared to other countries who have additional pathways ourside the youth NTs.

3. Again you miss the point about Adams. His ability to transition first from the academy to the MLS, and from thence straight to a starting place at RB Leipzig is indicative of both his quality and the quality of the development of players at both the US soccer academies and the MLS. The last time a Nigerian player went straight to a starting place in a top team from the domestic game was as far back as George Finidi.

4. Nigeria's dominance at this level has been based on age fraud. That is not an opinion but a well documented fact. Our dominance is also based on talent and superior physical strength.

What has been lacking and remains lacking is the right development of players for the modern game, that would allow them maximize their abilities and compete for places in Europe at the level THEIR TALENT DESERVES.

_________________
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp

At least you have actually criticised the article properly. I think he was trying to point out that physical fitness or dominance becomes less relevant as footballers progress into more senior teams.

So you still did not manage to dispute any point in the article?

Its a case of poor comprehension or failure to follow the progression of the debate.

Remember the issue here is about quality/development of young players. My point is that the poor development of our young players is constraining our ability to transition players to senior levels in Europe, at a rate to MATCH OUR DOMINANCE at the U17 level.

Made worse by the fact that other countries have alternative avenues for getting young players to Europe at MUCH HIGHER levels than we do.

So its not that we do not have alternative avenues, but that the lack of proper development is limiting those numbers or sending them to locations where they are pretty much lost to us...

It always comes down to quality of development...

_________________
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp

'Daft?' No be your friend write-am?

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And the BIBLE says: The race is NOT for the swift, neither is the battle for the strong nor ... but time and chance makes them all.
Ecclesiastes 1:18: For in much wisdom is much grief and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

First, physical fitness will always be of CRUCIAL relevance in football...
Whether such relevance is "less" or "more" is not a one-size-fit-all phenomena (and quite subjective).

Mere physical fitness or "dominance" was NOT the reason that this team was winning games. Granted it was a key factor in their being able to sustain a high intensity THROUGHOUT 90+ minutes but that is NOT enough by itself. Nonetheless, this characteristic is NOT a flaw (or "deeper issue") but rather a commendable trait (for which considerable CREDIT should go to the coaches). Nevertheless, even that is not enough without the MENTAL STRENGTH, FORTITUDE, SELF-WILL and DISCIPLINE to keep at it until overcoming adversity. But in life there will always be glass half-empty pessimists.

Solace's piece (and many of the comments in support thereof) is the metaphorical equivalent of the mindset of most Nigerians preceding the calamitous SE vs Denmark 1-4 shellacking at the France 1998 WC. These folks are busy fixated over a speculative future in derogation of the immediate task at hand. Thus some people are busy criticizing the team and its coaches about conjectural and speculative future shortcomings while neglecting what the youngsters PRESENTLY require to be successful. Yet, if they 'fail' today there's unlikely to be a meaningful future for most of them.

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#BRINGBACKALLOURGIRLS#

No different from the likes of Stanley Okoro going from Enyimba's feeder team (or some other local Nigerian academy) to Enyimba's (or any other NPFL) senior team. When Nigeria allowed players at NPFL and NNL league clubs play for the U17 Eaglets, these sorts "development" were common place.

Meanwhile, you keep citing Tyler Adams, who was already a full SENIOR US international before securing a transfer to Europe, but if he was not a relative OUTLIER how come all the other players who played with (as well as before and after) him in the US youth system did not achieve similar 'success'?

Nonetheless, how is his case SUBSTANTIVELY any different from that of (for example) Wilfred Ndidi, who went from the Nigerian youth NT system straight into the first-term of a Belgian league club (which is at least equivalent to the MLS) "and from thence straight to a starting place at" Leicester?!

Anyway, I believe we have to agree to disagree here, given your continued insistence that kids in Agege, Uyo, Damaturu, etc., have SAME access to opportunities to play in Europe as US kids.

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#BRINGBACKALLOURGIRLS#

1. Really, Stanley Okoro? You've gotta be kidding me!!! Stanley was an adult playing with his peers in the NPFL...

2. Again I'm using Tyler to show you how quality development of young players work. And I am well aware of Ndidi's case, as well as the reviews of his coaches in Belgium on his arrival. But yes, it is quite similar, but also an outlier as it is quite rare for Nigerian players, unlike the US which currently can cite several examples (Weston, Steffen, Wood before them), from a league that is only 20+ years old.

3. Of course kids in Agege, etc do not have the same access! That was never my point. I'm saying the reason they don't have equivalent access comes down to lack of quality in their development.

As you can see, increasingly our U17 players even with worldwide exposure are not getting picked up as before, even as champions and MVP candidates...There's an interesting old report in deportivo about how Barca ran the rule on Kelechi and were not convinced about him and instead chose some Asian kids.

We have the talent. That is what we have proven again and again. But we are not developing them right...All you have to do is watch Manu's current team for 5mins!!!

_________________
Form is temporary; Class is Permanent!
Liverpool, European Champions 2005.

We watched this very boring video, 500 times, of Sacchi doing defensive drills, using sticks and without the ball, with Maldini, Baresi and Albertini. We used to think before then that if the other players are better, you have to lose. After that we learned anything is possible – you can beat better teams by using tactics." Jurgen Klopp