Fraser Aird

[AStefank]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/canadian-club-rangers-youth-fraser-3468752?utm_content=bufferecae4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

 

Another article saying that he is just waiting for the call.

[shamrock]

Wow, yeah, that's all U-23...you're right as U-23 goes that's pretty solid.  And that's only arguable the best XI as well

 

Decent yeah but without any options. Slowly it goes

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/canadian-club-rangers-youth-fraser-3468752?utm_content=bufferecae4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

 

Another article saying that he is just waiting for the call.

 

 

Wow that is pretty clear, he chooses Canada - Moldova over Scotlands U19 vs England. They seem pretty big about the lad though, promising.

[voetbal.dave]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/canadian-club-rangers-youth-fraser-3468752?utm_content=bufferecae4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

 

Another article saying that he is just waiting for the call.

woo!

[Blackdude]

Wow that is pretty clear, he chooses Canada - Moldova over Scotlands U19 vs England. They seem pretty big about the lad though, promising.

 

The Scottish FA could tell Rangers to deny Aird from playing for Canada this time around. We've seen Juventus block Amauri from playing for Brazil as an injury replacement because they didn't call him up 2 weeks in advance. Amauri later played for Italy. Scotland could tell Aird.that he  can play for Scotland U19, but can't play for Canada and it's not like it would be illegal under FIFA rules.

[lazlo_80]

you can see his goal from the weekend here...nice shot...

 

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/rangerstv/item/6876-goals-rangers-v-stranraer

[Keegan]

The Scottish FA could tell Rangers to deny Aird from playing for Canada this time around. We've seen Juventus block Amauri from playing for Brazil as an injury replacement because they didn't call him up 2 weeks in advance. Amauri later played for Italy. Scotland could tell Aird.that he  can play for Scotland U19, but can't play for Canada and it's not like it would be illegal under FIFA rules.

 

Hmmm and if he plays for Scotland he'll never be welcome at Toronto FC.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

[DigzTFC]

I have an intense distrust of anyone who acquires a foreign accent after one year abroad.  But...

 

Edited April 29, 2014 by DigzTFC

[gigi riva]

  Lets  hope  he  shows  up   because  we  sure  need  all  the  help 

[jordan]

I have an intense distrust of anyone who acquires a foreign accent after one year abroad.  But...

 

 

Last year a team mate accused him of lacking an identity, he said something along the lines of "the canadian with the irish accent who plays for scotland"

[BrennanFan]

Suddenly we have some pretty good competition between our young North American guys and our Euro guys:

 

Teibert - Bekker - Osorio - Porter 

vs

Petrasso - Piette - Aleman - Aird

 

Hopefully everyone solidifies their club spots by the time the Gold cup rolls around next year.

[jonovision]

Interesting battle, but kind of an apples to oranges comparison given that the first group is about 3.5 years older on average than the second. Of the latter group only Petrasso has had a good run of games against adult men at a decent level, so you have to give the upper hand to the "old" guys (the MLS/North American crew) for now.

 

 

Suddenly we have some pretty good competition between our young North American guys and our Euro guys:

 

Teibert - Bekker - Osorio - Porter 

vs

Petrasso - Piette - Aleman - Aird

 

Hopefully everyone solidifies their club spots by the time the Gold cup rolls around next year.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I'm hoping Will Johnson finds himself back into that group.

[BrennanFan]

I'm hoping Will Johnson finds himself back into that group.

 

WJ is a solid, dependable player, but I feel he is a step down from where our central mid was with Julian and Atiba (in their prime).  Perhaps Bekker, Osorio and Piette will bring us back to the lofty heights of Concacaf mediocrity. 

[DigzTFC]

               Cavallini

 

Petrasso Tiebert Osorio  Aird

               

                 Piette

 

Morgan Henry Adekugbe Ouimette 

     

                 Stillo

 

Weird formation, but thats a solid U23 team.

 

 

Is this the first time in history that our U23 program has all professionals in the starting lineup? Looks like the quiet revolution in Canadian soccer is starting to take hold.  Now if we could get an all U20 pro lineup that would be epic.

Edited April 30, 2014 by DigzTFC

[Keegan]

Is this the first time in history that our U23 program has all professionals in the starting lineup? Looks like the quiet revolution in Canadian soccer is starting to take hold.  Now if we could get an all U20 pro lineup that would be epic.

 

Well that's not actually the U23 team.  The u23 team will feature players born January 1st 1993 and after so that means no Osorio, Cavallini, Teibert, Ouimette, Morgan or Stillo from that lineup.

 

I would bet that by the time U23 qualifying rolls around in 2016 though (or even the U22 team in 2015 for the Pan Am games) we'll have close to an all-pro lineup.  The only problem is that we've had trouble in the past bringing in European based players for those matches.. the U23 team in 2008 would have had an all pro lineup if guys like De Jong, Edgar, Peters and Jackson were allowed to come over. 

 

I'm excited for the u20 team next year though, it's looking like it will be a mostly pro lineup with some NCAA/Academy stars sprinkled in.  I would put together an XI but there are so many players in contention it's really hard... good problem to have. 

[ag futbol]

WJ is a solid, dependable player, but I feel he is a step down from where our central mid was with Julian and Atiba (in their prime).  Perhaps Bekker, Osorio and Piette will bring us back to the lofty heights of Concacaf mediocrity. 

He's just a different player IMO.  More of a worker than an organizer and given how rare the second ones tend to be for us, I can completely understand why you'd put it a step down from our previous midfield that included De Guzman.

 

Personally, I'd put Atiba and Johnson in the midfield next to someone who i good at moving the ball forward.  With two high-motor guys in the midfield it opens up the attacking players to do all sorts of things.  Perfect for a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, especially for a team that now seems to have an excess of guys who can play those spots but barely any strikers to speak of.

[madmonte]

For the record, it's not as though JDG is retired.  As of right now, he and Atiba are still the only guys consistently starting in any top tier organizations.  Of course, Atiba's team is going to Champions League qualifying, on a team that is no joke...but both are still viable options in the mid as of right now, and could start WITH Will Johnson.  

 

I know the tendency around here is "out with the old, in with the new", which is valid moving forwards to 2018 especially, but if you want JDG's spot, if you want Atiba's spot, the answer is simple.  Be better than them RIGHT NOW.  In terms of developing players, you should never "give" anything.  Earn it.

[madmonte]

^To elaborate on that, I do also understand the delicate problem of making sure players get cap tied, and understand that it needs to be worked in as well.  I also understand 8-1, and the wish to move on to players that had no part in that.  But before that game, we were actually not doing TOO badly, had our usual goal scoring issues, etc.  I still stand by my argument that the best players should be on the pitch, it is the CMNT, and cap tying players can be worked on from a substitution standpoint.

[Bully]

He just tweeted he still hasn't made up his mind on international play.

Get the feeling this kid really likes attention. Makes no sense.

[Lord Bob]

He just tweeted he still hasn't made up his mind on international play.

Get the feeling this kid really likes attention. Makes no sense.

Why do you say that? You can't trust the British press, especially the British sports press. We know this.

[Fussball_eh]

Why do you say that? You can't trust the British press, especially the British sports press. We know this.

 

sigh. This sucks. For some reason this made it somewhat official for me. Guess I don't have the experience yet that some of you have, who rightly refused to believe it yet.

[Redcoatsforever]

I have an intense distrust of anyone who acquires a foreign accent after one year abroad.  But...

 

 

 

I wouldn't focus too much on the accent, he sounds more midAtlantic than faux-Scottish.

 

My dad married a lady from Ireland they moved back to Canada and about four to six months later her family back home were asking her "Why are you talking like that?" on the phone.

 

The kid's surrounded by Scottish accents, it'll impact the way he speaks.

[Bully]

Why do you say that? You can't trust the British press, especially the British sports press. We know this.

I suppose if they fabricated his quotes then I wouldn't be confused by him.

[shamrock]

For the record, it's not as though JDG is retired.  As of right now, he and Atiba are still the only guys consistently starting in any top tier organizations.  Of course, Atiba's team is going to Champions League qualifying, on a team that is no joke...but both are still viable options in the mid as of right now, and could start WITH Will Johnson.  

 

I know the tendency around here is "out with the old, in with the new", which is valid moving forwards to 2018 especially, but if you want JDG's spot, if you want Atiba's spot, the answer is simple.  Be better than them RIGHT NOW.  In terms of developing players, you should never "give" anything.  Earn it.

 

Ok the level of MLS might not be quite the level JDG or Hutchinson play (which are only mid-level competitions in Europe), but Johnson is A. younger, which means he can be valuable for the next qualification round and B. he's a crucial piece for Portland.  He is way more impartant for the Timbers than either JDG is for Xanthi or Hutch for Besiktas.

 

WJ still has some growth in him and he should be an integral part of Floro's plans.

[madmonte]

^For the record, that's why I capitalized WITH when I said start WITH Will Johnson.  For me, Johnson is a starter when he is playing, period.  LIke Hutch, and JDG, he has also worn the Captain's armband, and that says a lot as well.  Me saying positive things about Hutch and JDG does not mean I'm saying negative things about WJ.  Just in case I was misconstrued.