BRENT LATHAM – Conor Doyle should have been one of the bigger American soccer stories of the summer. As an 18-year-old, he signed a contract over the summer with Derby County, one time Premiership team and home of Benny Feilhaber, and now a Championship middler.
He even saw action in the Rams’ first match of the season, and looks set to see some decent time this year. Except few seem to have noticed the former Dallas Texans target man. What happened?
Call it yet another sign of the growth of American soccer. Americans abroad are commonplace these days, and fans are taking a more wait-and-see approach to our players abroad.
MLS has strengthened as well, to the point where it’s arguably just as strong as the English Championship, meaning a move to the second tier over there is less extraordinary than ever.
But most of all, this story has been written many times before. The American soccer community has become sophisticated enough to understand the difference between signing a contract – even a first team one – and becoming a star. There are enough Anton Peterlins and Cody Arnouxs out there, and even first team national players have bombed in Europe on occasion.
But Doyle is still an interesting story. A 6’2” target man, he has never impressed at the youth level in America enough to get into a youth national team pool. Now in what seems a reversal of the status quo, Coach Thomas Rongen’s talented U-20 squad is flush with wingers but has no real target man to play in the middle of the front line in Rongen’s preferred 4-3-3.
It’s ironic that the big (lumbering) target man is the one who has been left out of this generation so far (or hasn’t showed up) considering that’s what American soccer has been known for producing. But if Doyle proves the real deal, Rongen’s sure to give him a shot at some point.
There’s one more thing – and this comes last because it is just as tiresome as inevitable. Doyle is an Irish citizen, and so-far unsubstantiated reports suggest there’s a battle afoot for his services.
Not this again.
If a Texas born-and-raised kid wants to suit up for Ireland, I think most in the U.S. community would say at this point, so be it. U.S. soccer has dual-national prospects in boatloads – you just can’t keep them all satisfied. If he “feels” more Irish than American, and so-and-so.
In any case, Thomas Rongen will likely have the first, and possibly last, say. Whether that reassures American fans or not, is another story.
Adrian Ruelas looks target-tastic to me.
Add him on. He will get better development training from Derby County than Ceighton University, not to mention the level of competition he’ll face.
Also explain to me how a Derby County scout can find this guy but the US Soccer estiblishment seems surpised that he’s popped up. We need to look harder for talent….
I’m tired of hearing that because a player is playing in Europe they should be in consideration for the USMNT or youth national team. Truth is many of these players are only given the chance to play because their parent is from that country and are still viewed in the eyes of these teams as “British” or what have you. Many of our players that so called “bombed” in Europe were never given a chance to play and deserved better. The fact is our better youth players are here at home and our better USMNT started in the pro ranks here. I still hope Conor turns out to be a gem but let’s be clear on why he’s getting this opportunity.
Creige, this is such a big country, not every talented high school player is going to get noticed by every scout. It happens.
Irish soccer is no pushover, but they aren’t quite the lock to make it to the World Cup as the USA, for what it’s worth.
Gage, definitely wasn’t meant to be a knock against Irish soccer – I remember how well they did in 2002 and how good they could have been with Keane. This is about players automatically jumping the queue for U.S. Soccer because they happen to hold a passport and are given opportunities that better U.S. soccer players can’t get. It’s about perception versus actual value.
When I said add him on, I don’t mean he needs to play on the USMNT. He should get looked at by the Unders and given an opportunity (or another opporunity).
Also I’m fine with our players continuing their development at MLS academies rather than going overseas. Presumably Doyle showed enough talent to taken seriously by not just the Derby County scouts but also by the coaches after he arrived. A scenario whereby a young man is given a contract by a tier 2 English team is noteworthy enough to give him a look.
[...] forward Conor Doyle is a TYAC favorite. The Texas native, like another Texas native, received more or less no attention from US development experts only to find himself signing a profes… Doyle’s had some growing pains, and his playing time has been erratic, but he’s a hold [...]