MLS Newsstand - May 11, 2018

SELECT CLIPS

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic plays a fortune teller in skit with James Corden (The Late Late Show with James Corden)
  
• Ibrahimovic discusses his statue being built in Sweden and how it compares to Cristiano Ronaldo’s famed statue (The Late Late Show with James Corden)
  
• Edgar Davids discusses the growth of soccer in the U.S. and the prospects of Juventus playing in Atlanta against the MLS All-Stars this summer (CNN International)
  
• Juventus legend Edgar Davids attends Atlanta United match, discusses excitement for 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target (ABC-ATL, Atlanta, GA)
  
• LA Galaxy 15-year-old Homegrown Efrain Alvarez scores stunning goal, becomes youngest in USL history to record hat trick (Soccer America)
  

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Houston Dynamo, 10:30 p.m. ET – TSN1 / TSN4 / TSN5 / ESPN+

• Caps could use a Blondell moment to defuse Dynamo (The Province)
  
• Houston Dynamo evolving in 2nd year under coach Wilmer Cabrera (Pro Soccer USA)
  

MLS ARTICLES

• Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders rivalry reaches milestone as clubs prepare for 100th game (The Oregonian)
  
• Ken Burns gives a Twitter shout-out to Portland Timbers mockumentary about Seattle rivalry (The Oregonian)
  
• How FC Dallas' depth is a result of its culture (Dallas Morning News)
  
• Chris Richards called into US U20s for Honduras trip (Dallas Morning News)
  
• FC Dallas Practice Observations: May 10, 2018 (Dallas Morning News)
  
• Crew off to best start under coach Gregg Berhalter (Columbus Dispatch)
  
• Breaking the mold: Wan Kuzain, and U.S. soccer’s search for more players like him (FourFourTwo)
  
• Ramos names 21 for U-20 camp in Florida (American Soccer Now)
  
• Bwana’s winner is a great story—and even better news for Sounders (The Athletic)
  

Caps could use a Blondell moment to defuse Dynamo
The Province – May 11, 2018
The Vancouver Whitecaps (4W-5L-1D) took a step back last week with a 1-0 loss to 10-man Minnesota, and look to bounce back tonight when they host the Houston Dynamo (3-3-2) at B.C. Place. Both The Eagles (playing all their musical hits next door in Rogers Arena) and the Caps should have Desperado on their minds. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on TSN 1, 4 and 5 and carried on TSN 1040 AM radio:
The Big Matchup
In desperate need of some offence trailing the Loons last week, the Caps inserted Kei Kamara into the game after he started the Major League Soccer contest on the bench in his first game back from a groin pull. He was a big, dangerous target, coming close on four opportunities, but the rust of a three-week layoff was evident.
Another solid week of training should help Kamara round back into form for the goal-starved Caps, and be a handful for Adolfo Machado on the Dynamo backline.
Five things to watch
IN NEED OF A BLONDELL MOMENT
The Caps have scored just three goals in their last give games, of which they’ve lost four and been shutout three times. Last week with the man advantage, they had 19 shots, the third highest total in a game they were blanked.
Robinson said after the game he could have tried pairing Kamara with Anthony Blondell, a combination we haven’t seen this season but could this weekend. Both players are strong in the air and can hold up the ball, though Blondell might do well to calm his game a bit and opt for placement over power.
THE SHORT STUFF
The short pass has been a problem for WFC, which hasn’t been able to string much together in tight quarters. The Caps are last overall in total passes per 90 minutes (350.9), 18th in overall accuracy, and have the most inaccurate short passes per 90 minutes in the league. Even if you’re not trying to dominate possession, doing something with the ball when you have it is key for an offence predicated on service to its target players up front.
THE SHORT WEEK
It’s a busy schedule for the Caps, who host the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night before travelling to Texas to face FC Dallas next Saturday (May 19) afternoon. Their depth at each position is going to be in high demand this week, especially on a team that has five key contributors 30 or above. I’d expect the Caps to field their No. 1 lineup against Houston, then rest some starters against the Earthquakes (1-5-2), who are last in the West and have the league’s second-worst record.
“I don’t mind the short weeks, so you can just focus on the game, recover, then play the next game. You don’t have to think about it too much, you can just play,” said 31-year-old fullback Marcel de Jong, who started five straight games before sitting the past two, giving way to youngster Brett Levis.
“It’s always good to have a team with a lot of good players, so we can help each other when we need, and rest players. When injuries happen, you can still have a strong squad. Obviously after last week, the pressure’s on. But every game is going to be tough and going to be hard for us, but especially in home games, we need to get results.”
BY THE NUMBERS
At 1.22, the Whitecaps are better than seven other MLS teams in terms of expected goals, but that hasn’t been borne out by their average of 1.0 goals per game. In their last four losses, you can point to several different factors — poor finishing in Salt Lake, a game plan destroyed by a late injury to Kamara against LAFC, poor adapting to a new formation and a hot goalie in Kansas, another heroic keeper in Minny — but PDO, which calculates finishing rate vs. save percentage is a good indicator of how much is skill, and how much is luck.
At 898, only three teams are lower than Vancouver, and they have 21 goals combined and are below the Caps in the standings.
QUIOTO PROBLEM
When it comes to offensive affect, the Dynamo’s answer to Kamara — who’d figured in all but two of his team’s goals before being injured — is Romell Quioto. A pre-season illness hampered his start, but since getting his first start on April 14, he’s figured in Houston’s last nine goals. The dynamic winger has two goals and four assists, but his effect has kick-started the offence, like a 90th-minute shot against the L.A. Galaxy that hit the crossbar and led to the game-winner from Memo Rodriguez.
They’ll need all the offence they can get tonight, as they have yet to win a road game this season, a streak stretching past the last nine away games.
Working in their favour: Houston has 11 first-half goals, tops in MLS, while the Caps have conceded the fourth-most in MLS (7).
Predicted Starting 11
Whitecaps (4-4-2)
Kamara — Blondell
Davies — Felipe — Reyna — Ibini
De Jong — Waston — Aja — Nerwinski
Goal: Marinovic
Dynamo (4-2-3-1)
Manotas
Quioto — Martinez — Elis
Ceren — Alexander
Beasley — Fuenmayor — Machado — Wenger
Goal: Willis
Sick bay
Whitecaps: Jordon Mutch (hamstring); Dynamo: A.J. DeLaGarza (torn left ACL), Juan David Cabezas (quad), Philippe Senderos (hamstring/knee), Dylan Remick (concussion), Kevin Garcia (hamstring), Jared Watts (hamstring).
Houston Dynamo evolving in 2nd year under coach Wilmer Cabrera
Pro Soccer USA – May 10, 2018
HOUSTON – Last season, under first-year head coach Wilmer Cabrera, the Houston Dynamo blitzed the league with their quick counterattacking style of play. But this year, they’re changing things up.
The Orange rode their counterattack all the way to the Western Conference finals before being disposed of by the Seattle Sounders. But entering 2018, Cabrera’s second year, the club knew it had to evolve its playing style to etch itself among the league’s best teams and to again make the playoffs in a tough Western Conference.
Eight games into the season, it’s clear this Dynamo team’s playing style — while still a threat on the counterattack — has plenty of other ideas on the pitch.
“We’ve been changing. This Dynamo team doesn’t look like the same Houston Dynamo as last year. We play better,” Cabrera said. “If we went through last year, 90 percent of the games that we played we didn’t have good possession because we were built to counterattack, but we’ve been evolving. We’ve been improving.
Evolving the team’s playing style takes time. Players need to adjust to different things thrown in their path.
LA Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid, whose side lost 3-2 in Houston on Saturday, agreed the Dynamo are not the same as last year. But beyond being a more possession-oriented team, Schmid points to another reason for the Texas side’s improved play this season.
“I think [midfielder Tomás] Martinez makes them more of a possession-based team,” Schmid said. “I think he helps them, but they’re also now in the second year of their project and they’ve been reasonably healthy, so [forwards] (Mauro) Manotas, (Alberth) Elis and (Romell) Quioto have played a lot of games together and they’ve been able to put the same lineup out week to week.”
While the Dynamo’s returning players have stepped up their game, new players are also being incorporated into the team this season.
Cabrera said he wants his team to have the possession but to do something with it, “possession of a purpose,” he calls it.
“To play soccer with the idea to attack, because at the end possession without a purpose doesn’t help us,” Cabrera said.
Houston takes it’s new playing style on the road as the Orange take on the Vancouver Whitecaps Friday night.
Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders rivalry reaches milestone as clubs prepare for 100th game
The Oregonian – May 10, 2018
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri has faced the Seattle Sounders an incredible 15 times in MLS play over the last five years, but his most vivid memory against Seattle came in his first year in Major League Soccer.
The Timbers took on the Sounders in the 2013 Western Conference semifinals that year and earned a huge 2-1 win on the road in the first leg of the series. The club returned home to Portland for the second leg the next week in a position to oust their rivals. Late in the first half, Valeri sprinted into the box and scored on a sliding shot to give the Timbers a 2-0 lead and all but secure the series win for Portland.
The deafening cheers from the crowd in that moment stuck with him. 
"It was my first year. It was the first time of my career playing in playoffs," Valeri said. "That game was crazy. Every game is good against Seattle. It has something extra, special, spicy."
Portland's 2013 playoff victory over Seattle is just one of many iconic moments in the storied history of the Timbers-Sounders rivalry.
The rivalry was born on a rainy day in May 1975 when the clubs first met in the North American Soccer League. The Timbers went on to oust the Sounders from the playoffs that season in a historic sudden-death overtime match in front of 31,000 fans at Civic Stadium.
More than 40 years later, the Timbers and Sounders are preparing to celebrate a milestone in the history of their rivalry as Portland is set to host Seattle Sunday in the 100th game between the two clubs.
"When you look through the rivalries in this league, you got to say this is the biggest rivalry, hands down," Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson said. "And at one hundred games, you can compare it to most rivalries around the world. You definitely feel that tension when you play Seattle. You definitely feel that excitement. The game is always a little bit scrappier than your average game."
Scrappy and tense games have been a hallmark of the Timbers-Sounders rivalry since the beginning.
T2 head coach Cameron Knowles, who played for the Timbers from 2007-2010 when they were in the lower division USL, clearly remembers being sent off in the 2007 U.S. Open Cup after what he called an "alleged" foul on Seattle's Roger Levesque. Portland general manager Gavin Wilkinson, who joined the Timbers as a player in 2001 and later served as the club's head coach, had to get stitches after each of his first two games against Seattle after being elbowed in the chin and forehead. He has a scar on his chin to this day.
Timbers assistant coach Sean McAuley made his debut against the Sounders in his lone season as a player for the Timbers in 2002 and introduced himself to game by getting a yellow card.
"My dad always used to say to me, 'Whenever you play a rival, make sure you get booked,'" McAuley said. "So, I got booked in the first six minutes. I think it was the first thing I did. First challenge was a yellow card. I thought that would be good."
Over the years, the rivalry has produced numerous memorable moments. Among those moments are Levesque embracing the villian role by miming being chopped down like a tree in an infamous goal celebration, Seattle's Clint Dempsey ripping up a referee's notebook in the U.S. Open Cup and Portland's Fanendo Adi celebrating a two-goal performance by grabbing Timber Joey's chainsaw.
The Sounders hold the series lead with a record of 50-35-14 across all competitions, but the Timbers probably hold the bragging rights after beating Seattle in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs and being the first of the two clubs to win MLS Cup in 2015. 
"There's the intensity of the game, the importance of the game," Wilkinson said. "It always has the meaning of so much more. Every game against them is like a final. The players understand it, the club understands it and it's understood on both sides."
Over the years, the rivalry has only grown as new events have been added to the history and the support on each side has swelled.
During their final years in the lower division USL, the Sounders drew just over 3,000 fans per game. Last season in MLS, Seattle finished second in the league with an average attendance of 43,666 at CenturyLink Field. The Timbers never drew less than an average of 5,500 fans per game in the lower divisions USL and even drew an average of over 10,000 in 2010. But Portland now sells out every game at Providence Park and the atmosphere inside the stadium is astounding.
"All of that has served to intensify the rivalry," Knowles said. "The supporters' culture, the level of play, the bragging rights of MLS Cup. Every year, it seems like there's another layer that gets added."
On Sunday, Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese will experience a Timbers-Sounders game from the sidelines for the first time.
But like anyone that follows MLS within the United States or abroad, Savarese was well aware of the rivalry long before he took over as head coach of the Timbers. There is nothing else like it in American soccer.
"I'm lucky to be part of it because I know what it represents," Savarese said. "It was a rivalry that already existed before (the two clubs joined MLS). Bringing it to Major League Soccer created something that all of us that love soccer and want soccer to grow in the United States wanted to see."
Ken Burns gives a Twitter shout-out to Portland Timbers mockumentary about Seattle rivalry
The Oregonian – May 10, 2018
Somber voiceovers, reading letters to loved ones. Expert talking heads sharing analysis. White titles on a black background, accompanied by melancholy music. No, it's not a new documentary series from Ken Burns, whose iconic works on "The Civil War" and "The Vietnam War" have made his name synonymous with historical overviews.
Nope, we're talking about "The Rivalry," a mockumentary about the history of battles between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders professional soccer teams.
Fans of Major League Soccer have been having fun watching "The Rivalry," and now Ken Burns himself -- or at least the official Twitter account associated with the master historian -- has gotten into the act.
The Burns Twitter account has a link to "The Rivalry," and reads, "There is no re-writing history but there are a multiplicity of points of view."
Ken Burns
There is no re-writing history but there are a multiplicity of points of view. @TimbersFC mockumentary about their rivalry with Seattle
The Portland Timbers will face off against the Seattle Sounders for the 100th time on Sunday, May 13, at 1 p.m. in Portland's Providence Park. The game will be televised on ESPN.
How FC Dallas' depth is a result of its culture
Dallas Morning News – May 8, 2018
Ryan Hollingshead came on for the third time this season in LA, and the jack-of-all-trades is in something of a familiar role fighting for playing time in various positions.
Still, he wouldn't commit to saying this is the deepest FCD team he's played for in his five seasons in Frisco.
"I think it's tough every year. I don't ride the hype of, 'Oh, this year's different than another year.' Every year there's guys trying to battle here for starting positions and every year they're bringing in new guys to make the team that much better," he said. "This is the same sort of thing. We've got a lot of good guys who can play and who can step in at any point, and that speaks to the staff here and the front office and the people they're bringing in. It speaks to the culture they're growing here."
A coach always will accept new additions who can make his team more competitive, but this season FCD has seen the emergence of players like Jacori Hayes and Cristian Colman, who were on the roster last year but rarely contributed, make their cases for more playing time.
"I think the rotations this year have helped us to add more minutes to the players," FCD coach Oscar Pareja said. "We have a good team and we have players who usually didn't play much last year for one reason or another but this year they are contributing to the team and being part of the equation every weekend. That helps us a lot and I think the pool of players is getting deeper."
Chris Richards called into US U20s for Honduras trip
Dallas Morning News – May 9, 2018
New FC Dallas homegrown signing Chris Richards, who just had a training stint with Bayern Munich in Germany, has been called into the latest US U20 camp by coach Tab Ramos.
The U20s will train for 6 days in Florida before heading to Honduras for two matches against Los Catrachos on May 17 and 19.
The U-20 MNT is midway through the first year of a two-year cycle with the focus on qualifying for the 2019 U-20 Men's World Cup in Poland.
The camp will be Richards first camp in the U20 pool. 
Richards will not be activated on the FC Dallas roster until the current Developmental Academy season ends.
US U20 Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.), Seth Stiebel (Saint Louis FC; O'Fallon, Miss.)
DEFENDERS (6): Glademir Mendoza (Real Salt Lake; Phoenix, Ariz.), Manny Perez (N.C. State University; Garner, N.C.), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.), Chris Richards (FC Dallas; Hoover, Ala.), Sam Rogers (Seattle Sounders FC; Seattle, Wash.), Angel Uribe (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Frankie Amaya (Pateadores; Santa Ana, Calif.), Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC; Powder Springs, Ga.), Chris Goslin (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Andres Jimenez (Envigado FC; Miami, Fla.), Richie Ledezma (Real Salt Lake; Casa Grande, Ariz.), Alex Mendez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Aristotle Zarris (LA Galaxy; Sarasota, Fla.)
FORWARDS (6): Simon Becher (Oakwood Academy SC; Brooklyn, Conn.), Shaft Brewer Jr. (LAFC; Sacramento, Calif.), Wilson Harris (Sporting Kansas City; Encino, Calif.), Abdulkadir Haji (Manchester, N.H.; Virginia Commonwealth University), Ulysses Llanez Jr. (LA Galaxy; Lynwood, Calif.), Justin Rennicks (Indiana University; Hamilton, Mass.)
FC Dallas Practice Observations: May 10, 2018
Dallas Morning News – May 10, 2018
Today was a closed session for FC Dallas, but I used my ninja skills and snuck in so our readers could get a top secret, super-duper spy report!
Just kidding, a closed session just means it's in the main stadium and a passerby can't look over the fence. It also means I have to ask someone from PR to let me in, which of course requires FCD Head Coach Oscar Pareja's permission.
As you can see from the pic above, the essentially finished exterior to the South End looks good. If you squint, maybe you can spot they are starting to put in the frames up near the top left corner for the new TV screens that are going on that end.
News and Notes
Kris Reaves is missing today as he was having surgery today for a sports hernia.
Four Academy kids are in to help make up the numbers: Chris Cappis and Gibran Rayo, both of whom we're seen a fair bit of lately, but also Emmanuel Paga and Ronaldo Damus.
Jordan Cano is with OKC Energy and Jesus Ferreira is with Tulsa Roughnecks on their respective loan deals. As is Adonijah Reid in Ottawa Fury, but he stays there and isn't a back and forth guy. So is Anibal Chala technically, but we know that's basically a joke at this point.
Paxton Pomykal and Francis Atuahene are both still rehabbing.
Chris Richards is with the US U20s in Florida.
Bryan Reynolds plays right back again today. This is actually a thing now for about two weeks running. He also played right back last week for the U19s as well and that wouldn't happen without Pareja asking for it. I asked Pareja about Reynolds at right back, his answer is down below. FCD has a depth problem at right back and if Reynolds can solve that, and if it gets him game action, then it's a win.
Brandon Serviania looks strong and active again today. He's really showed me something since his return from his compartment syndrome procedure. His Progression is really remarkable. His range has increased, his confidence up, he's not just playing but starting to impact play. Pareja says Servania is starting to challenge and it's now a 5 player battle at the two deep-lying mid spots. Servania is an 8, so if he gets a shot it would be along with a more defensive 6 next to him.
A note on one of the Academy kids, Gibran Rayo, who is 16. About 20 minutes after training ended, as I was leaving the building I walked past the Dr. Pink field and Rayo was out there by himself with a bag of balls shooting on goal. You can't teach desire.
On the Kellyn Acosta recovery watch, after getting 30 minutes against LAFC the next step should be to start and play about 60 minutes. Let's see if that happens this week. I think there's a good chance.
Pareja confirmed that Jesse Gonzalez is 100% healthy and his playing or not is down to coach's decision.
Training Observations
After warm-up and some ball & fitness work, the first large-scale drill was interesting. It was essentially 11 players vs 4 Academy kids and a goalkeeper.
Don't worry, it's not as ruthless as that sounds. It was a half field drill that was about building up and getting play into the box. Good accurate passing, complete 11 offensive rotations, quality crossing or penetrating passing, and finishing. The Academy kids were only putting in token resistance and movement; they were mostly just being living obstacles. There were also some static obstacles: cones marking passing channels, tall metal figures for midfield defenders. This drill isn't teaching anything; it's a muscle memory, confidence building, and getting your mind sharp kind of thing.
After this main drill Pareja took a group of players to the opposite and worked on corners and free kick patterns for this weekend's game. As you can imagine in a closed-door session I'm not going to talk about them or any personnel.
'Cause spoilers.  Stop reading my stuff, Sigi!
Given Pareja took more than 11 players for the walkthrough, it seems he may not have yet decided who will start this weekend.
The players that were left over, including the four 19s, worked with Marco Ferruzi on a crossing, passing, and shooting drill. About 1/3 of a field with full goals and keepers. It was 4 v 4 in the middle with two crosses wide on each side. Quick combo play in the middle or send it wide for a cross back in. Tight space, fast passing, tight combinations, and finishing.
Again, on this day I'm not going to mention who was in this drill as it would give away the players working the corners with Pareja.
Catching up with Oscar Pareja
You've had four games now without Mauro Diaz in the lineup, does this say more about him or more about where your team is, that he hasn't been a choice?
We are choosing to have some versatility with the lineup and you gotta carry the risks in that and see if for this particular game you want to give the opportunity to somebody else. We have been using that mentality for the last month for more or so.
Mauro is fine. He's training well. He's doing a good job on understanding, as well, what we are doing and support from him to his teammates has been great. It's good. And so are the other ones who have not been regulars in the lineup.
You know, somehow we have to shake up our subs a little and see if we can play different between one game or another, or within the same game. I'm expecting that will make us good, we are expecting everything to come together quickly.
And then you have to choose.
One player that doesn't quite look the same as last season is Michael Barrios. What is he not doing right now that he was doing the last couple of years?
Mikey hasn't been consistent so far. And that happens with players. You don't like to see it, because you have a player who has tremendous ability to break our lines, take people on, and do what he has done in the Cup. That's why we have decided just to give him a little bit of a break also.
Sometimes the loads, and sometimes the continuity also, and sometimes the pressure to perform every single weekend, that's heavy. We may say that is shouldn't, but it does, with him it's the same exercise.
But Mikey is a worker and he's very committed to do the right things, I don't have any doubt that Mikey will bounce back also.
You're about a quarter of the way into the season, do you see progress in your team?
In certain ways I do. I have seen progression in some areas. As I say to you, I think we are more versatile, more flexible. We have enlarged the roster, the participation of the youngsters in the lineup, all those things. I'm hoping to have more continuity in certain behaviors of the team in the field, but I think it's early.
I've seen Reynolds now playing some right back with you in training and with the Academy, is that now a thing, Reynolds at right back?
I see things there. We spoke with Bryan and said, "you know what, I have seen some ability here from you when you attack from behind. With your size and your stamina and your technique, naybe we can use all these tools and get somebody that can help us there and see." Bryan was content with that. We are working him in that position, for now, to see how he develops.
I thought Brandon Servania has looked really sharp since his return. Is he putting himself into your thought process now?
That's great and I'm glad that you asked me that. Because it's a reality, he has been very sharp and he has been in the equation already. I have seen him already progressing and competing now. He's not just being part of the team but competing.
So we had four midfielders [competing] now he comes as the number five and he's making his case. This week he performed very well and I can see him stronger. I'm glad to see it.
He embraced the idea to go play with the Academy and get some minutes. We let [Jesus] Ferreira go to Tulsa yesterday and we will keep evaluating cause with the boys playing, it's the only way they can make that training effective.
Have you considered a short loan with Servania, maybe a game or two somewhere?
He could, yeah. He could. Because the best way for them is to play. Where is the dilemma... but playing is necessary.
What do you think is Brandon's best position?
Number 8. I think he can play it as the double pivot but him being the link. I see fine the game reading for him, just toss him in and let him carry all the ideas. I think he can be a good compliment for a number ten or for a second forward, and having somebody beside him who is stronger defensively.
Crew off to best start under coach Gregg Berhalter
Columbus Dispatch – May 10, 2018
Two months and eight days after its season started at BMO Field in Toronto, Crew SC walked off the grass at Mapfre Stadium with one-third of it in the books.
The first two-plus months have already yielded two significant swings for the Crew. A four-game unbeaten streak gave way to a three-game losing streak, which then flowed into another four-game unbeaten streak.
Eleven games have given a more positive progress report than the Crew is used to by this point. A team that has often treaded water to start seasons before finding its rhythm as the playoffs near is off to a 5-3-3 start (18 points), its best through 11 games under coach Gregg Berhalter by two points.
“I think the way I look at every season is you like to build and you want to arrive at a point, and that’s the important thing about it,” Berhalter said. “Along the way there are a lot of ups and downs, and it’s a difficult road and it takes unexpected turns. But we want to keep getting better, we want to keep improving and keep building.”
Last season, the Crew surged into the playoffs behind a more consistent offense via a healthy Federico Higuain and a steadier defense over the last three months of the regular season. To start 2018, a solid defense — 10 goals allowed in 11 games — has been the Crew’s pleasant surprise. An offense that has occasionally struggled after the trades of Justin Meram and Ola Kamara comes as less of a shock.
The Crew has the potential to create more chances on offense over the final two thirds of the season, midfielder Pedro Santos said, but the team appears to have a better grasp of one important element — winning — than it has at this point in previous seasons.
“Wins always bring confidence. When we win, things come easier,” Santos said. “If we keep winning the next games, when we create three or four chances, we can score three or four goals. But I feel my teammates’ and everyone’s confidence growing.”
Busch retires with Columbus
Goalkeeper Jon Busch, who started a 14-season Major League Soccer run with the Crew, has signed a one-day contract to retire with the team. He will be recognized at halftime of a game Saturday against the Chicago Fire at Mapfre Stadium.
The 41-year-old Busch, who played with the Crew SC from 2002 to ’06, is fourth in league history in regular-season appearances with 309.
“I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to retire as a Crew SC player,” Busch said in a statement. “I have played for three fantastic clubs, but Columbus has always been our home. So, it is only fitting that my career ends where it began.”
Breaking the mold: Wan Kuzain, and U.S. soccer’s search for more players like him
FourFourTwo – May 9, 2018
It’s uncommon to see a professional club in North America highlight pass completion percentages in a press release announcing a signing.
But that’s exactly what Sporting Kansas City did upon inking Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal as an MLS Homegrown Player in April, extolling the teenage midfield talent’s USL-best 91.3-percent passing accuracy in 2017 and his 90.8-percent completion rate in his first few games of 2018 as they promoted him from Swope Park Rangers, their reserve side.
The tack is partly because the 19-year-old U.S. youth international plays holding midfield in Sporting’s system, a role not generally conducive to gaudy attacking statistics. It also hints at his rare gifts, and the challenges to cultivating others like him.
“A very good passer of the ball, very good technique, very good vision, good awareness,” Swope Park head coach Paulo Nagamura, himself a holding midfielder in his playing days, told FourFourTwo. “For me, what defines Wan Kuzain, he is a little diamond that needs to be polished.”
Kuzain does not fit the traditional mold of a blue-chip United States men’s national team youth prospect. He stands a modest 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, and isn’t remarkably strong, fast or physical. Born in Carbondale, Illinois, to Malaysian parents, Kuzain has since 12 years old been drawing attention from onlookers in both countries with YouTube videos of him bewitching opponents. He’s different; now, he aims to prove that those skills can translate in Major League Soccer.
“I think sometimes we have the wrong impression about physicality,” said Nagamura. “Kuzain is a very good example of a guy who is not very physical and strong, but is really quick on the ball, with quick feet. His technique and his quick feet overcome a lot of the stronger guys he plays against. For sure there’s a lot of players like that in the United States and we can never close the doors for those players, because I think we want to have guys who are good on the ball, guys who can make plays and guys that are technically efficient.”
After learning the game under the guidance of his father – a former pro in Malaysia – at local club South Illinois FC, Kuzain joined St. Louis Scott Gallagher’s academy system at age 11, making the four-hour round trip from Carbondale for trainings and games four to five times a week. Today, the club would be able to fast-track a player of his abilities up to the USL level, where it owns and operates Saint Louis FC. But back then that arrangement was in its infancy, so Kuzain and his family looked west, where his brother Wan Kuzac was working as an administrator at Sporting KC.
Having built a reputation as one of the most aggressive recruiters of youth talent in the nation, Sporting wasted no time. Kuzain joined SKC’s academy in August 2016 and signed a USL contract with Swope Park Rangers less than a year later. The club shifted him from an advanced midfield role to the No. 6 spot along the way. He was promoted to the senior MLS team in April, making him the first player in club history to progress from academy to full first team.
“I saw what they had here, the training facilities, the natural progression they have with their players, and thought it would be a really good move,” Kuzain, who was also scouted by – and trained with – Dutch powerhouse Feyenoord before deciding on SKC, told FourFourTwo.
“In Europe you can see that every club is trying to look for the next big-time player and they have scouts all over the world. And I think that it’s happening now in MLS – smaller pool, obviously, but I think it creates competition and obviously competition equals a higher level.”
Even hinting at a similarity with the likes of tiki-taka masters Andres Iniesta or Sergio Busquets risks doing any youth prospect a disservice. Yet if there’s a young American player remotely comparable to the products of the Catalan club, it’s Kuzain, with his natural comfort on the ball, rapid speed of thought and execution, expansive vision and sky-high soccer IQ.
“It’s just a matter of what you’re looking for,” said Blake Decker, the academy director for Saint Louis FC who worked with Kuzain in the Illinois branch of the academy. “I wouldn’t say that Kuz is not athletic – he is athletic, but in maybe different areas than what’s traditionally seen or valued in American sports. Tremendously coordinated, really quick, really well-balanced, really agile, which also are athletic qualities.
“Maybe he doesn’t have a big profile or is not powerful in the traditional sense where he’s going to cover acres and acres of ground. But being able to play in and out of tight spaces, balanced, able to shift and go both ways, being coordinated with and without the ball, I think he rates in all those qualities.”
Could Kuzain’s rise signal the long-sought evolution away from American soccer’s longstanding obsession with size, speed, strength and athleticism? Are there more like him out there just waiting to be identified and cultivated?
“I don’t consider myself different,” Kuzain says. “Obviously the typical American player that we see is someone who’s fast, big and athletic. Overall, in my time in the Development Academy I’ve seen players who have similar abilities or play the same way who are small, technical and not necessarily the most athletic. But I think there’s a lot of those type of players that are coming through in the academies, and we’re going to see much more of them for years to come.”
Under MLS regulations, Sporting claim large swaths of the Midwest as their “Homegrown territory,” a concession made in recognition of its small-market status compared to the likes of the New York Red Bulls and LA Galaxy. That territory includes St. Louis, a historical hotbed of the game that might already have its own MLS team were it not for difficulties in obtaining a stadium plan for its expansion hopes.
It’s fair to say that rankles some in St. Louis, especially given the lack of a training compensation or solidarity payments system to recognize and reward youth clubs that nurture top talent. In the meantime, the onus falls on individual players and families to find a path towards the top.
“At the end of the day, the majority of his development came down to him,” said Decker. “We provided an environment, we’re very happy and proud of the time we were able to spend with him and where he’s gone. If you’ve known a kid since 11 years old, of course would you like him playing for your club? Yes. Would training compensation be nice? Sure. But the most important thing is that you’ve played a part in helping somebody to take another step towards achieving their dreams. That’s probably the most important thing for us.
“We try to be a good neighbor in our own community; it’s recognizing through our affiliate clubs when a player transitions to our academy – that information is included when we talk about that player and we recognize that accomplishment, because we truly do feel that it’s a group effort. No club anywhere in this country is going to be able to identify every single player at 7 years old or 10 years old that is going to play professionally. It’s a collective effort.”
Kuzain credits both clubs for developing him. It’s far too early to decipher the height of his ceiling, and even more difficult considering how different and nuanced his position is. But in Sporting KC, Kuzain has a club with a proven track record of advancing talented young players – as well as teammate Ilie Sanchez, of Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy, to learn the holding midfield role from.
“MLS is a much higher competition and much higher level than USL, so he has to catch up to that,” Nagamura said. “I do believe he has the qualities to do it. He’s just a young kid and he has [a] lot of tools.”
Ramos names 21 for U-20 camp in Florida
American Soccer Now – May 9, 2018
UNITED STATES U-20 HEAD COACH Tab Ramos today announced his roster for an upcoming camp which will take place in Florida before traveling to Honduras for two games against the Honduran U-20 team.
The roster lacks most of the top names of the age group as it is not a FIFA international window and clubs are not required to release players. Still, there are important players here who should play a role in the team moving forward.
Here is the roster along with a few takeaways.
THE ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (2):David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.), Seth Stiebel (Saint Louis FC; O'Fallon, Miss.)
DEFENDERS (6):Glademir Mendoza (Real Salt Lake; Phoenix, Ariz.), Manny Perez (N.C. State University; Garner, N.C.), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.), Chris Richards (FC Dallas; Hoover, Ala.), Sam Rogers (Seattle Sounders FC; Seattle, Wash.), Angel Uribe (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (7):Frankie Amaya (Pateadores; Santa Ana, Calif.), Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC; Powder Springs, Ga.), Chris Goslin (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Andres Jimenez (Envigado FC; Miami, Fla.), Richie Ledezma (Real Salt Lake; Casa Grande, Ariz.), Alex Mendez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Aristotle Zarris (LA Galaxy; Sarasota, Fla.)
FORWARDS (6):Simon Becher (Oakwood Academy SC; Brooklyn, Conn.), Shaft Brewer Jr. (LAFC; Sacramento, Calif.), Wilson Harris (Sporting Kansas City; Encino, Calif.), Abdulkadir Haji (Manchester, N.H.; Virginia Commonwealth University), Ulysses Llanez Jr. (LA Galaxy; Lynwood, Calif.), Justin Rennicks (Indiana University; Hamilton, Mass.)
CARLETON LEADS THE WAY
The most high-profile name on the roster is Atlanta United’s Andrew Carleton who is expected to be a big part of not only this U-20 team but also the U-23 team next year. Playing time at a talented Atlanta team is hard to come by for Carleton but the U-20 team is giving him a chance to contribute and be the key player for a team.
As a veteran of the U-17 World Cup team last year, Carleton needs to use this camp to cement his status as a starter and leader in the attack.
PLAYERS ON THE RISE
As U-20 World Cup qualifying approaches, there are several players on this roster who have seen an increased role in Tab Ramos team over the first few camps of this cycle.
Richie Ledesma: Real Salt Lake’s Richie Ledesma was very impressive for the U-20 team last camp where he stood out in a win over France. As it is appeaing possible that Tyler Adams might not be part of this U-20 team during the cycle due to national team commitments, Ledesma’s stock is rising within the team and he has surged past other players. With a good camp here it is possible to see him starting in qualifying and possibly the World Cup. 
Manny Perez: At North Carolina State, Perez plays mostly as a winger but Ramos believes he is best used as a right back. Last year he turned down an opportunity to sign a Generation Adidas for MLS and could instead turn professional this summer. He appears to be the starting right back for this U-20 team but could have competition from Ajax’s Sergino Dest. With Dest not in this camp, Perez has a big opportunity to tighten his grip on the starting job.
Chris Goslin: A central midfielder and veteran of last year’s U-17 World Cup team, Goslin’s main competition for the U-20 team is the injured Brandon Servania and, of course, Chris Durkin who is having a tough time getting involved with this team due to commitments with DC United – where he is a starter. An Atlanta United homegrown, Goslin has an opportunity at this camp with his main competition absent.
Frankie Amaya: The Santa Ana native scored the winning goal for the U.S. team last camp against France and all reports were that he impressed throughout the camp in Europe. Now the Pateadores attacking midfielder can strengthen his case to be part of World Cup qualifying by building on his performance in March.
Chris Richards: After two very strong cycles at the position, central defense is weaker this cycle for the U-20 team. Philadelphia’s Mark McKenzie appears to be the top option in central defense but after that, the competition is wide open. Chris Richards is a homegrown from FC Dallas and recently spent time training in Germany with Bayern Munich.
WHO IS NOT HERE?
The list of age-eligible players not at this camp is long. Top goalkeeper Brady Scott of FC Cologne is still in Germany as is Ajax U-19 right back Sergino Dest.
FC Nordsjaelland winger Jonathan Amon was asked to play in this camp but is currently a starter with the Danish club which has important games remaining. Similarly, Schalke’s Nick Taitague is considered to be an important player at this age group but is still with Schalke and has dealt with injuries this past season.
It is known that Werder Bremen forward Josh Sargent will be called up to the full national team later this month and it is also likely that Tim Weah will as well after earning his first senior cap in March. Meanwhile New York Red Bull standout Tyler Adams continues to look like a key player for the U.S. team the moment and if he does play for this team, it will probably only be at qualifying or the U-20 World Cup.
In MLS, Philadelphia center back Mark McKenize and DC United central midfielder Chris Durkin are both first team players with their clubs and were unable to take part. Meanwhile, FC Dallas homegrown Brandon Servania is injured.
Finally, Union Berlin and Germany U-19 central defender Lennard Maloney is still in season but ASN has heard that he has been in contact with U.S. Soccer. It is very possible that he plays with the team in future camps.
While it is not confirmed by CONCACAF, ASN is hearing that U-20 World Cup qualifying could be very early this cycle - possibly in November with the U.S. hosting the event in Florida. So Ramos does not have much time left to sort out his depth chart.
So the bottom line is that when compared with the players who are not here as well as players from the U-19 or U-18 teams that could impress and move up into this team, there is still a lot of competition to be part of this U-20 team come World Cup qualifying. It is camps like these which will help Ramos make up his mind.
Bwana’s winner is a great story—and even better news for Sounders
The Athletic – May 10, 2018
If Handwalla Bwana’s cinematic life story ever makes it to the big screen, Wednesday night will feature prominently. In the 54th minute of a tied game, a rematch of the last two MLS Cup finals, the child refugee turned teenage Sounder broke free behind Toronto FC’s defense. Acting on instinct, Bwana hit Will Bruin’s through-ball past onrushing TFC goalkeeper Alex Bono and into the back of the net. The rookie’s first professional goal held up as the game-winner in a 2-1 Seattle victory that was as crucial, and unlikely, as any in recent memory.
Juxtapose a few images of a six-year-old Handwalla playing soccer barefoot on the red dirt of the Kakuma refugee camp with the clip of coach Brian Schmetzer awarding him the game ball in the visiting locker room at BMO Field, and the script writes itself. To edit Bwana’s journey down only to the highlights, however, would miss part of what made Wednesday night so special. His is a story of struggle and sacrifice, a story of...
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