Posts written by Brent

Featured, United States

Dynamo Kiev in Stealth Shea Bid?

A source with knowledge of the dealings told 10Kit Thursday that FC Dallas winger Brek Shea is in the sites of Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kiev.

The perennial Champions League also-rans are supposedly prepared to pay $10 million for the Hoops star, but Shea’s camp isn’t convinced by the idea of going to Eastern Europe, and seems to think they can negotiate a better deal elsewhere, the source said.

A $10 million fee would match the most paid for an MLS player, dished out when Villarreal purchased Jozy Altidore from NY Red Bull. (more…)

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Featured

Hyndman Learning the Ropes at Fulham

Still just 16, it’s no wonder Texas native Emerson Hyndman is fearless. Somewhat undersized on the field, he comes from an international soccer tradition that has opened doors for him from a young age. Now in England with Fulham’s youth academy, the technically gifted young American looks to have a bright future.

“Emerson since the age of 12 has been recognized as a very technical player and excelled in some areas,” said FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman, also Emerson’s grandfather. “The thing that’s always been kind of a hamper to it all is that much like his grandfather, he just grew slowly. Just more immature for the age and the body.”

As the photo at left (from www.texasfutgol.com) proves, Hyndman had plenty of growing to do a few years back when he was already training occasionally with FC Dallas’ full team as a member of the Hoops academy. But mentally, the soon-to-be 17-year-old was looking for bigger adventures. (more…)

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United States

News and Views for Monday, Jan 16th

Wondering how loan signing George John will fit in at West Ham? Greg Seltzer from MLSsoccer.com has some views.

Edgar Castillo is up and rearing to go in Tijuana, and may just play his way back onto Jurgen Klinsmann’s radar. Doesn’t hurt that he’s got a little competition from co-U.S. international Greg Garza – seems like a no-lose situation for the Americans there.

Don’t miss these highlights from the U.S. full team scrimmage with the U-23s. There’s some focus on Freddy Adu, who looks sharp in limited footage.

GLOBAL

You should read up on India’s attempt to start a for-real soccer league, modeled after MLS. (more…)

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Featured, United States

Orozco Continues Battle for Tigres First Team

Earlier today at ESPN.com, I reflected on the paucity of Mexico-based Americans in contention for the Olympic team. There are plenty of U-20s who looked very promising during the last U-20 cycle, but haven’t taken a step forward the way MLS-based U-23s like Perry Kitchen, Zarek Valentin, and Ethan White have over the past year.

Along with several others, Moises Orozco is a promising young American on the roster at Mexican champion Tigres. But the quality at Mexico’s latest top team has been barrier to the half dozen or so American in the youth ranks in Monterrey, and Orozco seems to be on the outside looking in to America’s U-23 team, like fellow Mexican-Americans Adrian Ruelas, Ernest Nungaray, and Victor Garza, among others. (more…)

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United States

News and Views for Monday, Jan 9th

U.S. fans won’t have to wait long after these January friendlies for some more action. The U.S. will take advanatge of the extra day this year to face Italy in Genoa on Feb. 29th, U.S. soccer confirmed today.

The MLS Insiders take us to the 2012 Combine, day 3, where our man Travis Clark is busy prognosticating the draft.

Global

Looking older but no less heroic, Thierry Henry went ahead and scored the winner for Arsenal in his re-debut in a 1-0 FA Cup win over Leeds.

10 Kit Originals

Don’t miss the latest 10Kit podcast! We kick off 2012 with some predictions.

In Arizona, Jon spoke with Brek Shea and Juan Agudelo about the hardest parts of training camp.

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Featured

Does Cabrera’s Departure Signal Nail in Coffin for Bradenton?

It’s always an odd thing for a coach who by all reports is doing well to depart mid-cycle. The U.S. U-17s seem to be on the up, having samba’d around Brazil to win the Nike Friendlies last month playing a brand of soccer that can only be described as aggressive and attractive.

Cabrera could be edgy and had his detractors, but by most accounts was doing a pretty good job. Now he’s out mid-cycle, reportedly by mutual agreement.

Put the pieces together and it likely means Bradenton’s done after this cycle.

The rumblings have been making the rounds inside the USSF for some time. Though officials won’t say it — Sunil Gulati staunchly maintained that there is no specific date to get rid of the program when I spoke with him last summer — you’d have to think at this point the deal is done. (more…)

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United States

News and Views for Monday, January 2nd

Happy 2012 10Kit readers. We’re hoping this year will be a big one for us and you.

To kick things off, check out the roster for the U-20 national team camp, which we told you this morning would be out soon despite having kicked off, well, this morning.

In other related, but rather incongruous news, the U.S. will send a team of Development Academy players to represent the country in an indoor tournament in Germany this week.

In England, Clint Dempsey played the full 90 as an extra time Bobby Zamora strike led Fulham from behind to win versus Arsenal.

No such good news for former rapping cohort Eddie Johnson, whose move to Puebla in Mexico looks to be off, a bit suspiciously.

Here’s a useful piece on RSL’s efforts to create a full time player development factory in big league style.

 

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United States

U-20 Camp Underway in Florida, Roster Coming Soon

Under relatively new head coach Tab Ramos,  the U.S. U-20s are already off and running on the first full camp of the new cycle leading to the 2013 World Cup in Turkey.

In an interview for Insider at ESPN, Ramos told me he’s looking forward to this camp because he had only 11 U-20 eligible players at the mega camp in November in Germany.

Ramos said this camp will include about 36 players, and though there’s no roster out yet, (the USSF said a roster will be out “shortly”) it looks like the coach has drawn from far and wide after Tigres confirmed three of its players, and a few Development Academy stars have reportedly been summoned as well.

The Florida camp will serve Ramos as a chance to get a look at a broad player pool, though things change quickly at this age group and for U-20s 2013 is still a long way off.

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Featured, United States

Okugo’s Freiburg Visit Maybe More Than Training

At the U-23 camp in Florida, Amobi Okugo says his recent training stint in Freiburg could turn out to more than just a visit, and Freiburg coaches told him they’d be speaking with his agents. The Union midfielder also revealed that unlike other trials in Germany recently arranged for USMNT players, it was the Bundesliga team that asked him to come in after seeing him in games with the U.S. U-23 team.

“After our last camp in Duisburg, Freiburg asked me to train with them,” Okugo said. “So I trained with them before the Generation Adidas trip, and that went really well. It was a good week, a great experience.”

After the training period, Okugo says Bundesliga coaches said they’d like to see more of him. (more…)

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