Lucas Cavallini

[Unnamed Trialist]

32 minutes ago, harrycoyster said:

Es esto cierto ahora? No se. MLS y Liga MX crecen rapidamente. Quizas en España el equipos de Uruguay tienen mucho mas prestigioso historias pero *no longer feels comfortable about Spanish proficiency*, the profile of Uruguayan football is very much down in the non-Spanish speaking world. It's now a development league, players worth more than 2 million dollars aren't long for the league. If you look at Transfermarket, the worth of the talent in the Primera Division is down 40% since 2010, while it is up more than 100% in MLS since 2010. The MLS past the Primera Division in player worth in 2014 and is moving forward at the highest rate in world football outside of China.

Ok, I am overstating the case. Uruguay clearly has weak teams in 1st division, it is like certain countries where the drop off is huge, but that happens in Greece too, Portugal. MLS has more parity, true. But that does not change the fact that Uruguay is a major footballing nation and runs circles around the US and Canada.

All I am saying is that if you are describing a shift of the last 5 years, fine, but it has not played out it in world transfers. Uruguay players are all over the top leagues in the world, and MLS players are pretty invisible. So it still produces more and better. Its history is better, its player development is better, and if you are on a top Uruguay club  you are on a club that has won at the highest level, even if things have slipped in recent years. Playing striker for a top Uruguay club is way more prestigious than at any MLS club. 

So when it comes to speaking abstractly about talent and quality level, you can't sit up here in the backwaters of world football, pontificating about how of course, MLS, Orlando, Cyle, and looking down your nose at Penarol, it is stupid and embarrassing. 

[matty]

Jeez he's under contract until 2019. You'd think it would be shorter as he's at the age where he might start looking to play in Brazil or Mexico.

[Unnamed Trialist]

33 minutes ago, matty said:

Jeez he's under contract until 2019. You'd think it would be shorter as he's at the age where he might start looking to play in Brazil or Mexico.

I think that is their way of ensuring a transfer payment, since he had interest from Colon in Argentina before signing for Penarol. 

In fact, the only reason he did not go to Argentina was that that club's financial administrators (it is in some legal bind for spending), did not approve his purchase. So going to Argentina is there, the length of the contract corresponds to not letting him go without compensation.

I have no idea of the numbers, but I would imagine that going from Fenix to his current club meant a major salary increase, I would not be surprised if it wasn't 3-5 times higher.

[BrennanFan]

http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/futbol/nunca-me-habia-pasado.html

Cavallini answered questions at a Penarol press conference, ahead of his trip to the Gold Cup, June 27, 2017.

My translation of the relevant part:

Q: You've previously played with Canada, what were your experiences like with that football which is obviously different than ours?

A: Well, the football is obviously different than here, no comparison (smiles, at 1:13), but you play anyway.  That country isn't like Uruguay where football is first, but there are players who want to play football, who want to play in Europe.  But over there football isn't like here, and I think the mentality there, my team mates there, they don't feel the same passion, I don't know how to explain it, they lose a game and for them it's nothing, and me, I get angry.  You feel that difference.  I started playing here and I'm accustomed to our ways.  

...I have a friend who is on the Canadian team now, we played together as youths, he came here as well, we played together, sometimes I ask him about our players, to have an idea, to be prepared, every once in a while I watch the football there, my friend's team, but really I don't have an idea, I'm concentrated on Penarol and myself.    

[lazlo_80]

13 minutes ago, BrennanFan said:

http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/futbol/nunca-me-habia-pasado.html

Cavallini answered questions at a Penarol press conference, ahead of his trip to the Gold Cup, June 27, 2017.

My translation of the relevant part:

Q: You've previously played with Canada, what were your experiences like with that football which is obviously different than ours?

A: Well, the football is obviously different than here, no comparison (smiles, at 1:13), but you play anyway.  That country isn't like Uruguay where football is first, but there are players who want to play football, who want to play in Europe.  But over there football isn't like here, and I think the mentality there, my team mates there, they don't feel the same passion, I don't know how to explain it, they lose a game and for them it's nothing, and me, I get angry.  You feel that difference.  I started playing here and I'm accustomed to our ways.  

...I have a friend who is on the Canadian team now, we played together as youths, he came here as well, we played together, sometimes I ask him about our players, to have an idea, to be prepared, every once in a while I watch the football there, my friend's team, but really I don't have an idea, I'm concentrated on Penarol and myself.    

I know some people are going to hate on him for this. But man...I like this guy's fire. We need more of this on our team.

[Bertuzzi44]

13 minutes ago, BrennanFan said:

http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/futbol/nunca-me-habia-pasado.html

Cavallini answered questions at a Penarol press conference, ahead of his trip to the Gold Cup, June 27, 2017.

My translation of the relevant part:

Q: You've previously played with Canada, what were your experiences like with that football which is obviously different than ours?

A: Well, the football is obviously different than here, no comparison (smiles, at 1:13), but you play anyway.  That country isn't like Uruguay where football is first, but there are players who want to play football, who want to play in Europe.  But over there football isn't like here, and I think the mentality there, my team mates there, they don't feel the same passion, I don't know how to explain it, they lose a game and for them it's nothing, and me, I get angry.  You feel that difference.  I started playing here and I'm accustomed to our ways.  

[harrycoyster]

5 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Ok, I am overstating the case. Uruguay clearly has weak teams in 1st division, it is like certain countries where the drop off is huge, but that happens in Greece too, Portugal. MLS has more parity, true. But that does not change the fact that Uruguay is a major footballing nation and runs circles around the US and Canada.

All I am saying is that if you are describing a shift of the last 5 years, fine, but it has not played out it in world transfers. Uruguay players are all over the top leagues in the world, and MLS players are pretty invisible. So it still produces more and better. Its history is better, its player development is better, and if you are on a top Uruguay club  you are on a club that has won at the highest level, even if things have slipped in recent years. Playing striker for a top Uruguay club is way more prestigious than at any MLS club. 

So when it comes to speaking abstractly about talent and quality level, you can't sit up here in the backwaters of world football, pontificating about how of course, MLS, Orlando, Cyle, and looking down your nose at Penarol, it is stupid and embarrassing. 

Yes, Uruguay would destroy Canada and probably beat the US pretty good. They have way better players. That isn't my point.

What I am trying to say is that the Primeria Division is becoming more and more a sell first league whereas MLS is becoming more and more a destination league. All of the data backs that up. Good MLS players are worth more and stay in the league longer on average. If you haven't moved out of the Primeria Division by 25, you probably aren't that good. I think that is a good thing for the Uruguay national team, but it obviously hurts the quality of the league. Top to bottom, MLS is a better league at this point, though the very top couple clubs in Uruguay are still better than most if not all MLS teams. Given the current growth of MLS and the continued poaching of Uruguayan talent by better leagues, I'm not sure how much longer that lasts. I get that you put a lot of stock into prestige. Sure, Penarol is a historically more important club tan Orlando. But do not dismiss the changing tides of world football. MLS and Liga MX as leagues, not as national teams are gaining on South America every year. 

I agree that acting like Larin is definitively better than Cavallini or acting like the average MLS team is better than Penarol is stupid. But it is fair to say that Larin faces a higher level of competition on a weekly basis.

[Ansem]

34 minutes ago, harrycoyster said:

Top to bottom, MLS is a better league at this point, though the very top couple clubs in Uruguay are still better than most if not all MLS teams.

 

Edited June 28, 2017 by Ansem

[Gian-Luca]

1 hour ago, BrennanFan said:

http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/futbol/nunca-me-habia-pasado.html

Cavallini answered questions at a Penarol press conference, ahead of his trip to the Gold Cup, June 27, 2017.

My translation of the relevant part:

Q: You've previously played with Canada, what were your experiences like with that football which is obviously different than ours?

A: Well, the football is obviously different than here, no comparison (smiles, at 1:13), but you play anyway.  That country isn't like Uruguay where football is first, but there are players who want to play football, who want to play in Europe.  But over there football isn't like here, and I think the mentality there, my team mates there, they don't feel the same passion, I don't know how to explain it, they lose a game and for them it's nothing, and me, I get angry.  You feel that difference.  I started playing here and I'm accustomed to our ways.  

...I have a friend who is on the Canadian team now, we played together as youths, he came here as well, we played together, sometimes I ask him about our players, to have an idea, to be prepared, every once in a while I watch the football there, my friend's team, but really I don't have an idea, I'm concentrated on Penarol and myself.    

Is he referring to Osorio in this last paragraph?

[harrycoyster]

13 minutes ago, Ansem said:

 

Top to bottom was a poor choice of words, but you get my point. MLS taken as a whole is better than Uruguay's league.

[harrycoyster]

3 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

Is he referring to Osorio in this last paragraph?

Has to be, they are known friends and both were at Nacional together.

[Ansem]

4 minutes ago, harrycoyster said:

Top to bottom was a poor choice of words, but you get my point. MLS taken as a whole is better than Uruguay's league.

Look what you've done!!! You've made "El Tiburon" mad...he came from that "mediocre" league you're talking about...

[BearcatSA]

1 hour ago, BrennanFan said:

But over there football isn't like here, and I think the mentality there, my team mates there, they don't feel the same passion, I don't know how to explain it, they lose a game and for them it's nothing, and me, I get angry.  You feel that difference.  I started playing here and I'm accustomed to our ways.

Well, his main frames of reference include being in the U23s for the London Olympic qualifiers and the senior squad that got pasted 7-1 in San Pedro Sula in WCQ, so I can sort of see where he's coming from. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

2 hours ago, Ansem said:

 

And people criticize me on this board for how things get said. 

Ansem, if you don't know, that is fine, but to parade your ignorance around after such a well-argued post is disrespectful. And sad.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Unnamed Trialist

[Markus]

I like his passion and don't mind him holding the team to a higher standard. As has been mentioned, his previous experiences with Canada haven't been great but even if he's not completely wrong, you just can't say that about your teammates heading into a tournament. 

I was really hopeful heading into the GC but with Cyle out and Lucas basically saying he cares more about winning than most of our guys, I feel less hopeful.

Things could be lost in translation though so maybe I'm reading too much into this. He is young after all, and maybe this is just his way of expressing his frustration with the way our team has performed. Just find it a bit disheartening. I think the best thing he can do is back up his words and score a few goals.

He can hate losing wayyyy more than the rest of our guys but if he isn't a difference maker, it really doesn't matter. 

 

[Fastfeet2]

5 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

Is he referring to Osorio in this last paragraph?

100%. 

[dyslexic nam]

He is in Uruguay, responding to a reporter from Uruguay, largely about footy in Uruguay.  Of course he is going to homer it up a bit.  Not to say he doesn't also believe it to be true (or that it isn't true in many cases), but I am not anything into this. 

[Addona]

Man, this guy has "cancer in the dressing room" potential written all over him ... goodness, this GC hope that I had is fading fast in the last couple of weeks.  At least AJH doesn't seem to be injured too badly ...

 

[Ansem]

5 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

And people criticize me on this board for how things get said. 

Ansem, if you don't know, that is fine, but to parade your ignorance around after such a well-argued post is disrespectful. And sad.

No sense of humour...

I like how things get said around here without any facts to back it up. There's a difference between opinion and facts. He feels that MLS is better, that's his prerogative, but I've watched enough South-American football and Copa Libertadores to see a big difference in how the game is played.

 

[Obinna]

18 minutes ago, Addona said:

Man, this guy has "cancer in the dressing room" potential written all over him ... goodness, this GC hope that I had is fading fast in the last couple of weeks.  At least AJH doesn't seem to be injured too badly ...

 

Why, because he tells it like it is? Clearly Canada has mental problems we have discussed that already. Zambrano has discussed that already.

Cavallini was perhaps less tactful, but why should be be any different? He is a player not the manager. Sticking your head in the sand and not telling it how it is because you don't want to offend your teammates or rock the boat, that attitude is why Canada soccer is where it is in the first place.

[jonovision]

If Cavallini is forming his opinions on the national team based on what Osorio has been telling him, are we surprised he comes off sounding so negative about the team?

Edited June 28, 2017 by jonovision

[dyslexic nam]

18 minutes ago, Addona said:

Man, this guy has "cancer in the dressing room" potential written all over him ... goodness, this GC hope that I had is fading fast in the last couple of weeks.  At least AJH doesn't seem to be injured too badly ...

 

I will admit that some of the factors start to add up to a potentially bleak situation - both for the GC and potentially with Cav.  But I am going to maintain a potentially foolish optimism with respect to both.

GC: lots of teams are taking B teams, so out absences shouldn't be too overblown.  Johnson will be missed, but there are comparable players who can do the job.  Similar with Larin, who has a great MLS pedigree but hasn't totally lit it up with the Nats, so I am okay with Cav and AJH trying to get it done for us.  TBH, I am excited about seeing some new looks for our side, even if the GC isn't the ideal place to be overly experimental.  And on the plus side, I am still chuffed that Davies will be on the field for us.

Cav: history isn't awesome re his commitment to the nats, but he clearly has fire in his belly, and when it comes to international footy we are the only game in town.  And with limited quality options up front, I am not going to let some criticism said in another country override the fact that he is actually back in the program.  Words are far less important to me than the fact that he is coming back to play for us - especially with all the shit going on with Larin right now.  The simple fact is that we have a gap up front, and miraculously we now have a highly skilled striker who can lead the line for us.  To me, that is paramount, and overshadows any perception of his comments, which many would probably identify as at least partially true.

[aloyol]

This claim would have more credibility if they came from someone who had more than 3 caps in a 5 years period. 

Let's say Arfield make that assessment, then I would give it more importance. 

BTW, not getting results doesn't mean that players don't care. I'm pretty sure Arfield, Hutch, Borjan and others were disapointed with the Honduras and El Salvador results in last September.

[Blackdude]

2 minutes ago, Ansem said:

No sense of humour...

I like how things get said around here without any facts to back it up. There's a difference between opinion and facts. He feels that MLS is better, that's his prerogative, but I've watched enough South-American football and Copa Libertadores to see a big difference in how the game is played.

 

And you have facts to back that Uruguayan Primera is better than MLS? I mean Uruguayan teams gets pounced there, because their good players go to play in better leagues when they are 21. I honestly don't know if you pick the top MLS teams and the top Uruguayan teams who wins. You don't know. I don't know. Nobody knows. I do think that both have a shot, but an Uruguayan hasn't won a Copa Lib since 1988.  And while Penarol and Nacional are seeded usually in the top 5, but that is mostly due to their historic ranking that is based from 1960 to 2005. Their ranking since then is average. Nacional is 19th Defensor Sporting 21st and Penarol is 25th. Far from being a top league. Sure Nacional got to the final once, but Uruguayan league is not that strong of a league, because players don't play there at their peak

[Obinna]

13 minutes ago, aloyol said:

This claim would have more credibility if they came from someone who had more than 3 caps in a 5 years period. 

Let's say Arfield make that assessment, then I would give it more importance. 

BTW, not getting results doesn't mean that players don't care. I'm pretty sure Arfield, Hutch, Borjan and others were disapointed with the Honduras and El Salvador results in last September.

Why does it matter how many caps you have? Does a player need to hit some magical cap threshold before he can be critical of the team and question their desire to win?

We get disappointed when we tie El Salvador or lose to Honduras. No, we need to get angry. Show some damn passion.

I fully support what Cavallini has said.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Obinna